Oxford Graduate Application 2012/13

Contacted Magdalen. In mid-April they had passed my application back to the Faculty to send somewhere else. sad. The graduate secretary kindly informed me that I wouldn't hear of rejections--only offers.

I just think it's funny

Don't be too down-hearted! Magdalen looks beautiful, but I've heard that it's MCR isn't the most active / social in Oxford, so it may be a blessing in disguise.

Thanks for the encouragement. Beauty is one of my top priorities, though. I'll be fine, but I just hope I don't get stuck in a new or out-of-centre college.

According to that survey, ZERO PEOPLE THAT DID MY COURSE GOT JOBS, FML

they say languages are the most useful degrees, hahahahah

actually on second reading, that is because 72% have continued studying :/ only 2 people are unemployed.. I guess I feel better....

78% of people doing film aesthetics have jobs... oops maybe chose the wrong course! ha was considering that one

I do understand how you feel. I was very keen to come to an old college for undergraduate, and remember feeling a bit irritated when a friend slightly scoffed at me for this. It was alright for her; she'd had gorgeous buildings all the way through her school-life, whereas I was sick of breeze blocks! But even the colleges you wouldn't necessarily think of as beautiful or very old (e.g. St Hilda's) have some very lovely aspects, and even the lovely old colleges generally have their 1960's mistake - so, swings and roundabouts!

I will be coming there with my partner and living in college accommodation which will come to around 800 pounds a month at Wolfson. We are assuming that the monthly living expenses for a couple would come to about 1500 pounds including rent. Is this a reasonable budget? We like to meet friends for coffee/drinks, and go out drinking/dining a couple of times a month, and catch the occasional show/movie too - is this doable within this budget or should we be preparing for a much more austere lifestyle?

Also, my partner has just quit his job and is trying to make an entry into professional photography, possibly focusing on portrait photography and events. What are the opportunities for this in Oxford?

Thanks, HoVis! You are kind. I appreciate the advice. My wife and I are coming to visit in two weeks, so I can make the tough choice between Cambridge and Oxford. I already have a college offer from Cam (St. Johns). Wish I had one from Oxford so I could compare. We'll just keep our eyes open.

I would say that's eminently do-able as a budget. That leaves £700 a month for non-rent expenses. My fiancé and I between us usually spend around £500-£600 a month on food / coffee / books, etc (gosh, it seems a lot when you add it all up!!), and water / internet / heating / electricity bills add up to a little over £100. You might want to keep an eye on your expenses, and maybe forgo drinks one week if you're overspent, but we have a pretty sociable lifestyle on what we spend.

As for professional photography, I'd say both yes and no -- there are lots of events (college balls etc) where a professional photographer could find employment but on the other hand colleges never seem to have a problem getting a hold of such photographers, and from my researches there are a *lot* of wedding photographers in Oxford. But there certainly are a lot of events, which is a start!

Contacted Magdalen. In mid-April they had passed my application back to the Faculty to send somewhere else. sad. The graduate secretary kindly informed me that I wouldn't hear of rejections--only offers.

can we contact colleges directly and just ask?

don't see why you couldn't... I did and they emailed me back fairly quickly with the response, so I guess it just depends on the particular college's admissions secretary!