Oxbridge?

Hi, I'm considering oxbridge but have no idea where to start and I'm also not sure if it's even realistic, please be as harsh as possible I want to know if I have any realistic chance and if so where to even start? I would like to study history and politics at uni, I got 5 A*, 3 A and 2Bs and GCSE and I'm doing history geography and ethics and philosophy at A level, I'm predicted A A A but think I could maybe get and A*aswell if I push myself, I'm in year 12 at the moment, any advice would be much appreciated, please be truthful and realistic, thank you!

Reply 1

sunndstars

hi, I think it depends on your course. You could do some research to see if you can find any statistics on the GCSE grades of people who got in previously, they sometimes release those. You would most likely need to get the A* in one of your subjects.

Reply 2

Paralove

Definitely apply, you've got nothing to lose in trying and you won't get in if you don't apply. Your GCSE grades are good, don't worry about the whole statistic thing in that you have very good grades and even then, there are people who vary from the 'average' who get offers every year. Also check entry requirements for A-Level - Cambridge will be a minimum of A*AA.

Research the courses, check if they're suitable for your interests and learning style. Go to the open days and talk to current students and the academics (and check out colleges too), and ask them any question you have!

Also have a look at the course websites, as well as the prospectus and alternative prospectuses for individual colleges as well as the uni-wide one (which can be found at applytocambridge.com for Cambridge).

Reply 3

cambio wechsel

Would you apply if you had 6 choices? Definitely not apply if you had just 4?

Anyone who cannot be confident of getting into at least one of his other four choices oughtn't to be applying to Oxbridge in the first instance. For anyone who can assume that, why not make the shot?

Reply 4

AfcFob

Think about it this way, would you think "what if?" if you didn't apply to Oxbridge? I knew I would always be wondering about what could have happened if I didn't apply so I chose to (was rejected like) and I now can't feel sorry for myself... you still have 4 other spots on your UCAS (of which I got 4 offers, one being the best, besides Oxbridge, for my course)

Reply 5

dragonkeeper999

Original post by Hazza dheheh

I would start by just going through the websites of Oxford and Cambridge to see if they offer a course that interests you - AFAIK neither offer a joint honours History and Politics course, but you could look into History, PPE, HSPS, etc. Check out the entrance requirements (including if they accept your combination of subjects, which should be fine for most humanities courses I think), course structure, module options, teaching style, assessment methods, etc. to see if the course would suit you - Oxbridge tend to be more exam focussed and require a high workload in terms of producing multiple essays a week, compared to the more relaxed pace at some other universities, so you'd have to think about whether that pressure would inspire you to learn more or you would crumble under it.

Oxford and Cambridge (and many other universities) often publish recommended reading lists for potential applicants or offer holders, I'd suggest having a look at some of the books on their list and seeing if you enjoy them (also, great to mention extra reading in your personal statement). You're in year 12 at the moment, so have a look at summer courses you could do (e.g. Sutton Trust summer schools, UNIQ summer schools, University of London taster days, some Oxbridge colleges also do summer programs, etc.) as these are a great way to try out studying the course at university level (as well as also being great personal statement fodder). Deadlines for these summer programs are rapidly approaching though - get on it ASAP.

On top of this, focus on really studying your subjects and gaining a more in depth understanding than absolutely required for you A level exams, think about doing an EPQ to explore a topic you particularly enjoy in more depth, and talk to your teachers for advice on how to push your grades up to an A*. Realistically, you need to be predicted as a MINIMUM the entrance requirements for the course (usually around A*AA) and many applicants will be predicted straight A*s (that's not to say you can't get in with *just* A*AA though).

Reply 6

ageshallnot

Original post by dragonkeeper999

I would start by just going through the websites of Oxford and Cambridge to see if they offer a course that interests you - AFAIK neither offer a joint honours History and Politics course...

Both do. ☺

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

dragonkeeper999

Original post by ageshallnot

Both do. ☺

Posted from TSR Mobile

:O Just looked it up - brand new course this year for Cambridge, looks like Oxfords been running it for a while though, I'd never realised! Cool, great to know they are doing exactly the course you want :smile: