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University of Oxford, Pawel-Sytniewski
University of Oxford
Oxford

Oxford Graduate Application 2012/13

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Reply 660
Avatar for Zenobia
Zenobia
1
Original post by Zenobia
Just got rejected.

Lol someone gave me rep for that?
University of Oxford, Pawel-Sytniewski
University of Oxford
Oxford
Reply 661
Avatar for Swayum
Swayum
18
Submitted my application to Oxford's Master in Financial Economics - 3rd ever application to Oxford...

Supposed to hear back on the 10th, will be one of straight rejection/straight offer/interview.
(edited 11 years ago)
Hi there,
I'm currently a year 12 student and I need some oxbridge advice from all you veterans out there.

I got 6A*s and 5As at GCSE and am currently doing Maths, History, Economics and Psychology at AS (predicted 4 As) with the view of doing History at uni.

About 8 peers in my year managed to do a maths gcse early any get 9-11 A*s at GCSE.

I am very ambitions though have a tendency to be very negative about my abilities. Do you think I have a chance of getting into oxbridge with all that competition? If not, what other unis could suit my personality?
Well, this was an epic fail. For the first time in my life the last minute method of making it to a deadline did not succeed. And for nobody's fault but my own! I was simply not able to put together a decent application in time. I must have lost it during this year outside of the ivory tower!

The good thing is there is a second deadline. And I should be able to put together a way better package by then. So maybe my chances don't diminish that much, even though I suspect there's fewer places left? Darnit!
Reply 664
Avatar for Scout-
Scout-
Original post by Artvandelay22

Original post by Artvandelay22
Well, this was an epic fail. For the first time in my life the last minute method of making it to a deadline did not succeed. And for nobody's fault but my own! I was simply not able to put together a decent application in time. I must have lost it during this year outside of the ivory tower!

The good thing is there is a second deadline. And I should be able to put together a way better package by then. So maybe my chances don't diminish that much, even though I suspect there's fewer places left? Darnit!



You know, I just submitted mine and was half scared that I was a minute too late. Somehow, my application now says it was submitted on 20/01/2012 at 4:07 pm. Maybe there's a system error going on. You could try taking advantage of that if you still wish to submit today.
If not, good luck for the next deadline! :-)
Haha, thanks for that brilliant advice, I appreciate it. Now of course I've come up with several reasons for why submitting for the second deadline is a better idea. When it comes to justifying a poor effort, I'm second to none! Plus, I opened a can of beer already...but still, I like your thinking...have to think about it. 4:07 pm - I still have plenty of time! :biggrin:
Reply 666
Avatar for Swayum
Swayum
18
Original post by Artvandelay22
Haha, thanks for that brilliant advice, I appreciate it. Now of course I've come up with several reasons for why submitting for the second deadline is a better idea. When it comes to justifying a poor effort, I'm second to none! Plus, I opened a can of beer already...but still, I like your thinking...have to think about it. 4:07 pm - I still have plenty of time! :biggrin:


It's more likely that the website is just made in a EST or PST timezone and Oxford will know this and realise that you didn't meet the correct deadline. Don't risk it because they'll probably just consider you in the next round instead now, so if you can improve your application significantly, don't apply now (drunk).
Reply 667
Avatar for Glennie
Glennie
Original post by Zenobia
Lol someone gave me rep for that?


I'm sure it was "aww-that-sucks-but-you're-still-awesome" rep. Sorry to hear that you got no lovin', but at least you can take solace in your Cambridge offer. Best of luck!
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 668
Avatar for Zenobia
Zenobia
1
Original post by Glennie
I'm sure it was "aww-that-sucks-but-you're-still-awesome" rep. Sorry to hear that you got no lovin', but at least you can take solace in your Cambridge offer. Best of luck!


Thanks : ) I guess Oxford was never meant to be - they rejected me for my UG too.

Does anyone know how I can find out why I was rejected though? I went through an initial few hours of not caring, but I have to admit I am a little curious - why would Cambridge happily give me an offer, but not Oxford? My written work maybe? But I sent in 2 essays Durham gave me high 1sts in. Or because I haven't taken enough language classes? But then they are not stated as a pre-requisite. Because I focused on Archaeology more than Classics maybe? Although Cuneiform is neither, so I am not sure why that would make the difference. They also can't have had loads of applicants! So I am left a little mystified...

For some reason I am not surprised though. It didn't quite click when I applied for my UG either.
Original post by Scout-
You know, I just submitted mine and was half scared that I was a minute too late. Somehow, my application now says it was submitted on 20/01/2012 at 4:07 pm. Maybe there's a system error going on. You could try taking advantage of that if you still wish to submit today.
If not, good luck for the next deadline! :-)


There is no error, it is YOUR time, which seem to be Pacific Standard (?), - 8 hours from GMT.
All my references have submission time in PST ( I am on the West coast). However, they stated clearly that it should be 23.59 GMT, which is 3.59 PM PST, so you are 8 minutes late.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Artvandelay22
Well, this was an epic fail. For the first time in my life the last minute method of making it to a deadline did not succeed. And for nobody's fault but my own! I was simply not able to put together a decent application in time. I must have lost it during this year outside of the ivory tower!

The good thing is there is a second deadline. And I should be able to put together a way better package by then. So maybe my chances don't diminish that much, even though I suspect there's fewer places left? Darnit!


I doubt it really affects the chances, but the reply for the third deadline applications is to be expected in the end of May (according to their website).

But, yeah, you really need to have time for Oxford application, I worked on mine for two weeks, from around New Year, and before I finally submitted it on Jan 15 SOP must have been edited 20 times, checked, doublechecked, both paper samples worked over a few times, some things changed (even though I got A's on both) and eventually I felt like it was ready.
Still, my last reference was only submitted yesterday, so I barely made the deadline myself!
Yep, I figure it was probably a good thing I didn't make it after all.

I know I can do much better on the written samples. I decided to make one of them an extended abstract of my dissertation. The one I have prepared is ok, but can be better. As for the second sample, I had to take a part of an essay I wrote last year. But it's a challenge with the 2000 word limit, as all my essays are at least twice that length. Wish I could just submit one 4000 word essay.

And I guess my personal statement can use a lot of improving as well. Since my background is slightly to the side of Russian and East European Studies (I'm an IR guy) I guess it's even more important to provide a good statement. I think my academic credentials and references are good "enough", so it would be a pity to ruin my chances with a poor application.

I'm glad you got your reference in time! I can just imagine how annoying it would have been if you didn't.
Original post by Zenobia
Thanks : ) I guess Oxford was never meant to be - they rejected me for my UG too.

Does anyone know how I can find out why I was rejected though? I went through an initial few hours of not caring, but I have to admit I am a little curious - why would Cambridge happily give me an offer, but not Oxford? My written work maybe? But I sent in 2 essays Durham gave me high 1sts in. Or because I haven't taken enough language classes? But then they are not stated as a pre-requisite. Because I focused on Archaeology more than Classics maybe? Although Cuneiform is neither, so I am not sure why that would make the difference. They also can't have had loads of applicants! So I am left a little mystified...

For some reason I am not surprised though. It didn't quite click when I applied for my UG either.


I am sorry to hear that you were rejected :frown: I understand that you feel upset, but the truth is that even though we tend to group Oxford and Cambridge together, they are completely different universities, and especially in their research focus they are quite distinctive. I know lots of people in my course who were rejected from Cambridge.

Bottom line is that you have an amazing offer. And this is more than most people can hope for. So cheer up :smile:
Original post by Artvandelay22

I'm glad you got your reference in time! I can just imagine how annoying it would have been if you didn't.


Yeah, I actually had to go and remind my professor in person during his office hours yesterday, turned out he did not even know there was a deadline!

Anyway, good luck, maybe I will see you there next October (hopefully :smile:)
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 674
Avatar for Dubie
Dubie
Original post by janjanmmm
Yeah, I actually had to go and remind my professor in person during his office hours yesterday, turned out he did not even know there was a deadline!


I had to do the passive-aggressive 'resend registration email' thing for one of mine (but the other two were lovely and did theirs ages ago). The passive-aggression was after a couple of reminder emails bordering on begging - he was also down to the wire on the Cambridge reference.
Fortunately another uni (not Oxford/Cambridge) decided they couldn't be bothered waiting for him and sent me an offer before he uploaded his reference (I didn't tell him that though, because I was worried he wouldn't do the Oxford one then).
He's a really lovely guy but he's been stressing me out. I'm really grateful for the reference, but I wish I'd told him the deadlines were a few weeks ahead of the actual date :smile:
Yeps, this is quite a challenge. I managed to get my previous superviser to submit just "in time". But I'm not about to tell him I missed the deadline myself:biggrin:

One of my other professors, a very distinguished fellow, is just the opposite. I've asked him three times now, and he always delivers right away. Moreover, he's like this with all the students who ask. I didn't even do that great in his courses, but the reference letter was awesome. I promised myself if I'm ever a professor I'll be like him :biggrin::biggrin:
Original post by Dubie
but I wish I'd told him the deadlines were a few weeks ahead of the actual date :smile:


I wish I did this!
This is my 9th application (and the most important one) and I never had this much problem. Most of them required only 2 references, and finding the third one is always a challenge to begin with, but this time it was even worse - uni was on holiday until 17th (16th was Martin Luther King day, we started on Tuesday), they all left, some did not check their emails, others did not respond, did not have access to the reference letters on their office computers etc.
I had no problem with 1 professor, she is very efficient and submitted almost immediately as soon as I have registered her email, but the other two! One professor agreed to do it but kept on delaying, fortunately I had class with him on Tuesday and reminded face to face;
The other I have no classes with this semester, so I had to find his office hours and go and talk to him in person, which was yesterday, and I was like "hi, how is my reference going? do you know it is due tomorrow?" and he was "oh, ***, I did not know! I guess I better do it tonight!" and I was like"..."
I sent him three registration reminders and two emails with all the details, dates and what not... I guess it is always best to do it in person :wink:

Also a very nice guy, but a bit absentminded sometimes.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 677
Avatar for Dubie
Dubie
Original post by janjanmmm
I wish I did this!
uni was on holiday until 17th (16th was Martin Luther King day, we started on Tuesday), they all left, some did not check their emails, others did not respond, did not have access to the reference letters on their office computers etc.


I know how you feel! It's our summer holidays at the moment, and the whole uni was closed down for ages, and even now most people are on leave. It's hard enough to get anyone at the Law School to do anything on a Friday during semester, let alone during the summer break.

My 1st referee, who was also my Honours supervisor, is on holiday with his family in Queensland (2 young kids, other side of the country, travelling all over the place), and still sorted out all my references like a champion. I will be forever grateful to him :smile:
Reply 678
Avatar for Scout-
Scout-
Original post by janjanmmm

Original post by janjanmmm
There is no error, it is YOUR time, which seem to be Pacific Standard (?), - 8 hours from GMT.
All my references have submission time in PST ( I am on the West coast). However, they stated clearly that it should be 23.59 GMT, which is 3.59 PM PST, so you are 8 minutes late.


No, actually, my time is IST which is GMT +5.30 . I received my email of confirmation at exactly 5:28 am IST which means I was just on time but I've no idea what the PST issue is all about. As long as I made it (even if just two minutes before), I am not too worried. :tongue:
Reply 679
Avatar for Scout-
Scout-
Original post by janjanmmm

Original post by janjanmmm
Yeah, I actually had to go and remind my professor in person during his office hours yesterday, turned out he did not even know there was a deadline!


Same as one of my professors. What I cannot understand is though how such otherwise brilliant people fail to read the line in the email which says that they have to submit a reference by such-and-such date. :eek:

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