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College choice for postgrad admission

Which college is reknowned for being socially active for graduates? Which colleges offer decent accommodation provision?

Thanks

Reply 1

Angelil

19

In terms of social activity, get thee to a search engine and search for the MCR websites for all of them. MCR = middle common room and is where all the grads hang out. Pick the ones you like the look of the most.

As for the accommodation, I reckon there's not much difference either way and I would definitely advise picking your college on the strength of its MCR rather than because of its accommodation.

And even as it is, you may not even get either of the colleges you chose (I didn't). Having said that, though, most people are happy wherever they're put.

Reply 2

Hoofbeat

14

Lincoln has a very active graduate community...in fact I think we were the first college to have an MCR. We also have a lot of graduate accomodation (and if you're a scientist there is some VERY NICE accomodation).

Reply 3

Cirsium

19

I hear St. Hugh's is v active - it's one of the biggest and (I think) one of the youngest. Careful searching just for MCR though - Jesus was the GCR until last year and is still referred to as that unofficially.

Reply 4

GraveMentor

Whilst I cannot comment on social activity (yet!), I can say that accommodation provision at Wolfson is pretty solid.

Back in July, I was in touch with a number of different colleges to see what might be available, accommodation wise, at the start of Hilary Term. Even though many of the colleges I got in touch with were already full by that stage, it appeared the accommodation stock set aside for post-grad students tended to vary somewhat. A few colleges did suggest that something may be available for my start date, but would not commit to giving any further indication until about 1-2 months before starting. Wolfson was the only college that would guarantee accommodation for me at that late stage.

I imagine the sooner you get accepted by your department and your dossier is circulated around the colleges, the more likely it is you will get both a place and accommodation at the college of your choice. This said, if accommodation provision is important to you then I would suggest getting in touch with your colleges of interest to ask how likely it is accommodation might be available. Irrespective of what college you end up choosing, I would also get your name on the waiting list for university accommodation as soon as possible. After getting in touch with the accommodation office, they were happy for my name to be added whilst I was still in the process of writing up my research proposal!

By the way, for what it's worth, social life was also a criteria in my college selection. Hopefully, I won't be disappointed with Wolfson :smile:

Reply 5

keyneseffect

OP

I've heard Balliol has the most active MCR and also good accommodation somewhere close to the econ faculty, can anyone confirm?

Reply 6

thomasjtl

9

(and if you're a scientist there is some VERY NICE accomodation)

read 'expensive'

Reply 7

Hoofbeat

14

thomasjtl

read 'expensive'

Expensive but really close to the science area and VERY NICE! :p:

Reply 8

the_alba

12

Angelil

In terms of social activity, get thee to a search engine and search for the MCR websites for all of them. MCR = middle common room and is where all the grads hang out. Pick the ones you like the look of the most.

I wouldn't say that was the best way of choosing. St John's, for example, has one of the best grad communities in Oxford, but the MCR website is boring as. Maybe because they're too busy socialising than to put much effort into the website!

I'm no expert, but John's and Balliol are notoriously good for postgrads (I went to John's). I would avoid graduate colleges as a rule - they can be quite dead.

Reply 9

the_alba

12

Oh, and St John's grad accommodation is second to none. They put you up in a grand, million-pound Georgian house on St John's street, and the rent is cheaper than at most other colleges, even for a massive room like I had.

Reply 10

Angelil

19

Hmmm, true. I'm not even sure we have an MCR website at the moment :p:

and yet we're a very socially active graduate community.

Reply 11

timeceremony

Merton has the nicest MCR in Oxford (without doubt a lot better than the JCR).

Reply 12

Cirsium

19

Well that's not hard - Merton JCR if memory serves is about 1.5 x the size of the lounge in my flat...

Reply 13

Hoofbeat

14

Bekaboo

Well that's not hard - Merton JCR if memory serves is about 1.5 x the size of the lounge in my flat...

I was in Merton JCR recently and actually thought it was nice. Not the largest JCR by far, but about on par with the size of Lincoln's. But they had gorgeous wood panelling on the walls and luxurious leather sofas and it seemed like a really nice JCR.

Reply 14

Quistis

Merton's bar is gorgeous too - not the poshest, but very atmospheric, and the drinks prices are very respectable.

I second the votes for Merton - I'm applying there myself for postgrad (well, clinical medicine :p:

), mostly because the accommodation is incredibly cheap (about £3700 for year-round accommodation), the MCR is a beautiful, ancient, wood-panelled old room that feels like a gentleman's club, and the MCR has a very active social calendar. But Balliol and St. John's have great reputations too. Although I'm told Balliol's accommodation is much more expensive than Merton's and John's - anyone able to confirm or deny?

Reply 15

timeceremony

Quistis

Merton's bar is gorgeous too - not the poshest, but very atmospheric, and the drinks prices are very respectable.

I second the votes for Merton - I'm applying there myself for postgrad (well, clinical medicine :p:

), mostly because the accommodation is incredibly cheap (about £3700 for year-round accommodation), the MCR is a beautiful, ancient, wood-panelled old room that feels like a gentleman's club, and the MCR has a very active social calendar. But Balliol and St. John's have great reputations too. Although I'm told Balliol's accommodation is much more expensive than Merton's and John's - anyone able to confirm or deny?

Ah another sane applicant :wink:

. The MCR is a lot nicer than the JCR.

Reply 16

Quistis

I know - I've been in the JCR (only the once, during the Narnia Ball in fact) and was unimpressed, but I go to the MCR lots because my boyfriend's a member, and it's gorgeous. And I know the MCR has a very active social calendar because I've been taken along to half the events!

What did you think of the Narnia Ball, timeceremony? I was distinctly underwhelmed.

Reply 17

timeceremony

Quistis

I know - I've been in the JCR (only the once, during the Narnia Ball in fact) and was unimpressed, but I go to the MCR lots because my boyfriend's a member, and it's gorgeous. And I know the MCR has a very active social calendar because I've been taken along to half the events!

What did you think of the Narnia Ball, timeceremony? I was distinctly underwhelmed.

The Ball?
Well it was nice but definitely not worth it money-wise. The £30 "dinner" was worse than normal formal (£3.00) for vegetarians, and the highlight of my day (Archery and hot-air balloon) were cancelled.

Reply 18

Quistis

Yes. I had a fun night, but I think that was more because I was with my friends than because of the Ball itself. I'd have been very annoyed had I paid for my ticket, because I agree it wasn't worth the money at all. I was non-dining and the food available was, with the exception of the yummy venison sausages, really poor. The noodles were bland and the doughnuts greasy. The helter-skelter was brilliant fun, but other than that, what was there to do? Dance in a marquee, jostle for seats in the ludicrously overcrowded "relaxation" tent, or almost get trampled in the rush to get into Hall? Hall was nice - the cheese was fab, the port top-notch, the muffins good - but when the highlight of a ball is sitting in the dining hall eating cheese, you know something's gone wrong. The one thing I was very impressed by was the infrastructure - for example, there were enough heaters, and the queues for the loo weren't too bad - but all that means is that the committee were competent.

I don't think it was the Merton ball in particular that was the problem - that was the first college ball I've ever been to, but I've been to a Union ball before and that was overpriced too - £45 just to stand in a conservatory drinking white wine for a few hours. Compared to that the Merton ball seems like reasonable value. I think it's the institution of the Oxford ball that's lacking. With £45, I could have a day out in London, or a good meal for two with wine, or several cinema-and-pub trips. All of those ideas appeal to me more than the idea of dressing in a ballgown only to dance to cheese like a glorified bop.

Reply 19

Quistis

Btw, what do you think of Merton food generally? My Mertonian friends bang on like it's manna from heaven, but while your nightly formal hall is OK, and very cheap, I find the food in Hilda's far nicer :smile:

College choice for postgrad admission

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