The Student Room Group

Pooling? (at Oxford)

I know it's early days, but I'm really confused about 'pooling', i.e. relocation to another college. Could someone kindly explain it to me :smile:

My main queries: I don't get why some colleges only accept a certain number of applicants, and why this number differs from year to year ? And then why when you haven't been accepted into your first choice college, you are still 'good enough' to be accepted into another college?

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Original post by lukerules1234
I know it's early days, but I'm really confused about 'pooling', i.e. relocation to another college. Could someone kindly explain it to me :smile:

My main queries: I don't get why some colleges only accept a certain number of applicants, and why this number differs from year to year ? And then why when you haven't been accepted into your first choice college, you are still 'good enough' to be accepted into another college?


To the best of my knowledge it is when you've missed the cut-off for an offer from one college, but are still good enough for Oxford, but I'll tag @BrasenoseAdm to get the actual fully correct answer
Original post by DreamlinerFinder
To the best of my knowledge it is when you've missed the cut-off for an offer from one college, but are still good enough for Oxford, but I'll tag @BrasenoseAdm to get the actual fully correct answer


But how do you miss the 'cut-off'? Could it be down to pure admin, when your interview was at the end of the 'interview season', and there have already been enough candidates to 'fill up' the college?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by lukerules1234
But how do you miss the 'cut-off'? Can it be down to just pure admin, when your interview was at the end of the 'interview season', and there have already been 3 very able candidates interviewed and accepted?

It will be a mix of factors, such as AA, GCSE's,A-levels, and interview, but I've tagged Brasenose for the actual answer from an Oxford AT
Reply 4
Some colleges are more over-subscribed than others, so applicants are spread out to ensure that no college is more or less competitive than any other. It's not a reflection of the candidate's ability, it's just done to ensure that the process is fair. This 'spreading out' process happens again after A level results day, where applicants with open offers are assigned to colleges where some of the students with offers from those colleges didn't make the grades, or withdrew their applications. They don't make loads of open offers, though, so some years may still have fewer students than others, but on the whole, the number of students for each subject at each college just depends on how big the college is.
Original post by Beth_H
Some colleges are more over-subscribed than others, so applicants are spread out to ensure that no college is more or less competitive than any other. It's not a reflection of the candidate's ability, it's just done to ensure that the process is fair. This 'spreading out' process happens again after A level results day, where applicants with open offers are assigned to colleges where some of the students with offers from those colleges didn't make the grades, or withdrew their applications. They don't make loads of open offers, though, so some years may still have fewer students than others, but on the whole, the number of students for each subject at each college just depends on how big the college is.


I understand this. But how do they choose which candidates to keep and which to pool?
Original post by lukerules1234
But how do you miss the 'cut-off'? Could it be down to pure admin, when your interview was at the end of the 'interview season', and there have already been enough candidates to 'fill up' the college?


No. Interviews generally take place over two or three days at most so it's not really an 'interview season', and admissions tutors discuss applications as a whole together in meetings after interviews are carried out. How precisely applicants are ranked will depend on what department you're talking about (and these criteria tend not be made public) but the intention of the pooling system is to ensure consistency between colleges.
Original post by Beth_H
... the number of students for each subject at each college just depends on how big the college is.


I don't think so? I'm applying for geography: there are some small colleges that offer far more places for geographers than larger colleges. But perhaps that's because geography is a slightly 'different' subject?
Original post by lukerules1234
I understand this. But how do they choose which candidates to keep and which to pool?


Once more unto the breach steps dear Principal Rusbridger....
Reply 9
Original post by lukerules1234
I understand this. But how do they choose which candidates to keep and which to pool?

The exact process probably varies from college to college, but at the end of the day, they'll take the students who they think would fit into that college the best.
Reply 10
Original post by lukerules1234
I don't think so? I'm applying for geography: there are some small colleges that offer far more places for geographers than larger colleges. But perhaps that's because geography is a slightly 'different' subject?

I guess that since the smaller colleges tend to offer fewer subjects, they'll have more available places for the ones they do offer.
Original post by Beth_H
The exact process probably varies from college to college, but at the end of the day, they'll take the students who they think would fit into that college the best.


"fit into"- how in the **** do they judge that :s-smilie:

Basically, is it almost random, or if you're brilliant you will get into your first choice college?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by DreamlinerFinder
To the best of my knowledge it is when you've missed the cut-off for an offer from one college, but are still good enough for Oxford, but I'll tag @BrasenoseAdm to get the actual fully correct answer


We operate with subject quotas that don't vary much from year to year unless changes are made to the size and shape of the student body.

Within subject quota, there is some variation: for example, within the Modern Languages overall subject quota are there may be a greater or lesser number of offers for specific languages or joint degrees from year to year.

Generally, reallocation occurs before interviews to make up interview shortlists that are comparable between colleges, or post-interview. In the latter case, a college with more qualifying candidates than places will export and one with fewer qualifying candidates than places will import.
Original post by BrasenoseAdm
We operate with subject quotas that don't vary much from year to year unless changes are made to the size and shape of the student body.

Within subject quota, there is some variation: for example, within the Modern Languages overall subject quota are there may be a greater or lesser number of offers for specific languages or joint degrees from year to year.

Generally, reallocation occurs before interviews to make up interview shortlists that are comparable between colleges, or post-interview. In the latter case, a college with more qualifying candidates than places will export and one with fewer qualifying candidates than places will import.


And how do you go about the relocation without interviewing? Is it just randomly done?
Original post by lukerules1234
And how do you go about the relocation without interviewing? Is it just randomly done?


Did this link help at all?

Original post by OxFossil
Once more unto the breach steps dear Principal Rusbridger....
Original post by lukerules1234
And how do you go about the relocation without interviewing? Is it just randomly done?


It varies according to the Department but generally candidates are banded (after assessing the UCAs application and test score) and the aim is to have similar interview pools in terms of banding.
Reply 16
Original post by lukerules1234
"fit into"- how in the **** do they judge that :s-smilie:

Basically, is it almost random, or if you're brilliant you will get into your first choice college?

I have no idea of the specifics, but they will have a decent idea of a student's interests and specialisms from their personal statement and any written work sent prior to interview, so they can use that to judge which applicants have a good chance of thriving under the particular tutors at that college, but when you're dealing with that many applications there's always going to be some element of randomness. It's really not to do with ability, though, and you shouldn't take it as any reflection on yourself if you don't happen to be interviewed at your first choice college.
Original post by OxFossil
Did this link help at all?


oh yeah, it did thanks :smile: Slightly daunting and scary though xD
Original post by BrasenoseAdm
It varies according to the Department but generally candidates are banded (after assessing the UCAs application and test score) and the aim is to have similar interview pools in terms of banding.


So I think I understand....

If your GCSEs/Personal statement/GCSEs/Predicted grades are very good, then you are invited for a interview at the college of your choice? And then if you don't do as well in the interview, another college can pool you?
Original post by Beth_H
I have no idea of the specifics, but they will have a decent idea of a student's interests and specialisms from their personal statement and any written work sent prior to interview, so they can use that to judge which applicants have a good chance of thriving under the particular tutors at that college, but when you're dealing with that many applications there's always going to be some element of randomness. It's really not to do with ability, though, and you shouldn't take it as any reflection on yourself if you don't happen to be interviewed at your first choice college.


So it's to do with how you 'rub off' on the tutors? And this 'rubbing off' is basically random, since all college tutors have their own preferences ?

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