Oxford Graduate Application 2012/13

But you you don't need to know a foreign language to study abroad lol; although it would be polite to make an attempt at it while you're there! And foreign universities can be a lot cheaper, while they are equally ranked in the top 10 of Europe amongst British Universities.

I have to disagree. Even if English is the medium of instruction in class, it will be very difficult to socialize with the locals without having a fairly advanced knowledge of their language. People in Europe do speak English to various levels of proficiency, but when it comes to making friends outside of the classroom not knowing French, German, Dutch, etc. is a huge handicap. There is a huge gap between being able to speak about what you know best in professional/academic contexts and being able to make small talk in bars without awkwardness.

Did anyone else get an email about the new Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Scholarships? Anybody going for it? It sounds amazing, but I have absolutely no idea what to write for it!

Not in Scandinavia - everybody speaks English, at least everybody under the age of 45.

Hehe yea, I applied right away when I got the mail a week ago. Good luck with your application

Did anyone else get an email about the new Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Scholarships? Anybody going for it? It sounds amazing, but I have absolutely no idea what to write for it!

Hah, yes, I only just read the email yesterday! It does sound good, but like you I'm a little stumped for what to say - answering how the degree will "prepare [me] to make a contribution to society"... it's such a vague question!

(And whilst studying for an English MSt might somehow help me make a contribution to academia, I'm not really sure I can argue it will benefit society at large! This is the old 'justify your research' problem, I think...)

But you you don't need to know a foreign language to study abroad lol; although it would be polite to make an attempt at it while you're there! And foreign universities can be a lot cheaper, while they are equally ranked in the top 10 of Europe amongst British Universities.

That said, I came to Britain A. Because I study something obscure and did not have a lot of choice in Holland and B. Because I wanted to experience a different culture. Two reasons that could be applicable to British students too.

But a) we have the best universities in Europe still, b) the best continental schools all use their native tongues, from what I know.

Besides Oxbridge, no. And no.

There is no translation for the "game" element, you just wouldn't say that in Dutch.
I would say something like: "het wachten is (erg) vervelend" (the waiting is (very) nerving) or, stronger, "ik word gek van het wachten" (I am becoming mad because of the waiting, literally).
Don't know if the other Dutch people agree with this?

(sorry for taking all your places btw but you are free to apply to Dutch universities too!)

You sound like an ignorant everyman. Have a look at the league tables, for a start. Britain has a number of excellent institutions other than Oxbridge. To name a few:

Imperial College London
- Consistently the best university for engineering in Europe. Also top/world-class for the physical/life sciences, computer science, and medicine.
- ETH Zurich is probably the only European school that gives it a run for its money in science and engineering.

University College London
- World-class university in a number of subjects, particularly the social sciences, humanities, and medicine.

London School of Economics
- Undoubtedly the best university in Europe for economics and also finance/business studies.
- Probably 2nd in the world in what it does only to University of Chicago.

Those are the most internationally well-known perhaps, but I fail to mention other great universities, including Durham, Warwick, Edinburgh, Bath, etc.

Finally, Oxford and Cambridge are old and elitist and very famous -- often the best in many subjects, but not every, or not by a long chalk! They are our two best, but it's very wrong to discount the other world-class institutions.

If you can't afford 9000 pounds a year, move to Germany.

Don't call me ignorant.

Of course I am familiar with the league tables. If you look at the top 10 European universities, 3-5 are British (depending which list you follow). Although that is comparatively a majority, it definitely does not cover the top 10. If you are going to look at specific subjects you will find that many other European universities to frequently rank higher than British universities, i.e. TU Delft has won the World Solar Challenge on several occasions; this year they were 2nd, with Twente in 5th place - while Cambridge came in 25th this year, and Durham 33. Plus, that is 2 teams from both countries while the Netherlands is both significantly smaller and has less universities.

Oxbridge is only valued more than other British or other European universities because it is more well-known; i.e. Durham has ranked higher in Archaeology than Oxbridge but still its name is not very famous internationally. As you say yourself: do not discount other world-class institutions, also not those outside of Britain.

ANYWAY leaving all that to the side - would you really pick a university's ranking on a (rather vague tbh) list over where and what you truly want to study? Durham attracts many Medieval historians because of its rich Medieval history; similarly, volcanologists should not be hesitant to go study in Iceland. If you can't afford 9000 pounds a year, move to Germany. With the amount of great universities there are, the quality of the education is really up to yourself at some point. Cumont was an incredibly famous archaeologist, and he graduated with a PhD from Ghent, Belgium. Moreover, academics (anywhere in the world) are generally quite clever: they can speak English.

You seem to forget something essential here. British students can take out loans to cover the cost of their education in the UK whereas they can't get subsidized loans for studying abroad. Also, the cost of living in Germany is notoriously high.

Have just received an offer from Merton College (I am reading for an M.St. in Greek and Latin).

Have just received an offer from Merton College (I am reading for an M.St. in Greek and Latin).

congrats fellow classicist!

Have just received an offer from Merton College (I am reading for an M.St. in Greek and Latin).