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Original post by Beth_H
That's great, and you should definitely mention it in your personal statement (since the other unis you apply to might like it), but @DrSebWilkes is right in saying that Oxbridge won't take any notice of it.

As to which one you should apply to, that's something you can really only know by visiting both, and in particular by trying to look round as many of the different colleges as you can. It might also be worth looking at things like student satisfaction rates for your course, and seeing what current students have to say about it.


Thanks for this! I have looked at both of these statistics and with the numbers changing each year I cannot entirely rely on a particular cohort to make my choice.
I am just interested in which university my application would be a very likely success. Hence, why I have applied to schools with teachers separate from educational purposes but solely employed for top universities admissions advice.
Original post by physicseastldn
I'd like to see you get your website officially supported by 4 other schools to your own and also present your idea to the majority of schools in your borough. My website is a super-curricular and my social media following has attracted the likes of DebateMate, Deborah Orr and Jeremy Corbyn himself.
I also have partnerships with Kingdom Ambassadors and I made their website.


Whether you're genuine or not it's worth putting this here for general information: it's not going to make you any better at or more qualified for Maths or Physics and so it's unlikely to be of much more than cursory interest to an Oxbridge admissions tutor.

In terms of actually deciding between the two, in good time you need to have a look at the courses and if possible pay a visit to the two universities. If your question is which one is 'better' then, putting anyone's individual bias aside, there's not a lot to choose between them.

Original post by DrSebWilkes
OH AND I JUST REMEMBERED: Oxford (idk about Cambridge) don't even care about work experience: they want to see you having done extra reading, and super curricular activities LIKE ^^ said such as the maths challenge.


This goes for Cambridge too unless it's subject-related work experience.
Original post by Saracen's Fez
Whether you're genuine or not it's worth putting this here for general information: it's not going to make you any better at or more qualified for Maths or Physics and so it's unlikely to be of much more than cursory interest to an Oxbridge admissions tutor.

In terms of actually deciding between the two, in good time you need to have a look at the courses and if possible pay a visit to the two universities. If your question is which one is 'better' then, putting anyone's individual bias aside, there's not a lot to choose between them.



This goes for Cambridge too unless it's subject-related work experience.


Never said it would. Just an unrelated super-curricular a lot of candidates will not have
Original post by physicseastldn
Never said it would. Just an unrelated super-curricular a lot of candidates will not have


Nah 110% of candidates will have it they just all know it doesn't matter and do things for the joy of doing it and not for a university place.
Original post by physicseastldn
Never said it would. Just an unrelated super-curricular a lot of candidates will not have


But not related to your course so of little interest and not something that really strengthens your Oxbridge application (though it may strengthen your applications to your other 4 unis). It's something you presumably enjoy doing, so obviously don't stop doing it, but don't expect it to enhance your chances of Oxbridge.
I like how this is posted in everyday issues as if lots of people have this sort of decision :tongue:
Original post by physicseastldn
well done, i'm sure your tutor or someone has said this already but what makes you stand out to other applicants?


No idea. My school regularly gets a small handful into oxbridge each year and that's probably just down to the good teaching and support that we receive that allows people to realise potential and be of a high level of proficiency in their subjects. There is nothing super special about my application, I am just fairly good at maths and science and care a lot about them. I sure as hell care a lot more about physics than getting into a single specific uni.
Original post by carpetguy
Nah 110% of candidates will have it they just all know it doesn't matter and do things for the joy of doing it and not for a university place.


Never said it was for a university place.
It is a social enterprise and quite a super-curricular.
I know someone who knows someone who got into Oxford on reduced grades and sold his app to yahoo for $30 million.
Original post by Saracen's Fez
But not related to your course so of little interest and not something that really strengthens your Oxbridge application (though it may strengthen your applications to your other 4 unis). It's something you presumably enjoy doing, so obviously don't stop doing it, but don't expect it to enhance your chances of Oxbridge.


Super-curricular by definition always enhance your uni prospects. It makes you stand out. Unjaded Jade has a youtube platform of over 100k subscribers. Don't you think she WOULD put that on her UCAS application? It is amazing what a voice she has and obviously she raises awareness about oxbridge admissions and veganism which may be unrelated to her course but show her character and broad interests.
Original post by monkeyman0121
I like how this is posted in everyday issues as if lots of people have this sort of decision :tongue:


haha my issues are nothing like the average 15 year old.

Yesterday I texted my mum (yes, I text my mother) that I'm scared about whether or not I should continue applying for 100% bursary places since the majority of institutions that have accepted me have offered me 85 to 95%.

Discussing financial circumstances for private schools is the very least of the average 15 year old's problems
Original post by black1blade
No idea. My school regularly gets a small handful into oxbridge each year and that's probably just down to the good teaching and support that we receive that allows people to realise potential and be of a high level of proficiency in their subjects. There is nothing super special about my application, I am just fairly good at maths and science and care a lot about them. I sure as hell care a lot more about physics than getting into a single specific uni.


My school has around 6 applicants each year, but only 1 or 2 go through to even get an interview. They all have stunning academics. Our head girl has 10A* and 2A's but she was rejected before interview for Cambridge (this year)
I'm sure lots of universities have students that apply with 10A* grades or more. The difference between her, and for example Unjaded Jade is that while Jade received 10A*'s at GCSE, she has a youtube channel with over 100k subscribers and she does a lot of yoga competitions and veganism campaigning for companies such as JuicePlus+.
That is the difference between a "head girl of a school", and a "all-rounder well performing student."
Original post by physicseastldn
Super-curricular by definition always enhance your uni prospects. It makes you stand out. Unjaded Jade has a youtube platform of over 100k subscribers. Don't you think she WOULD put that on her UCAS application? It is amazing what a voice she has and obviously she raises awareness about oxbridge admissions and veganism which may be unrelated to her course but show her character and broad interests.


As far as Oxbridge are concerned this isn't a super-curricular. It might be of interest but it's not going to improve your chances of being accepted to study Physics or Maths. There's even a risk that if it is perceived to be too much of a drain on your time that an admissions tutor or interviewer would question your commitment to your degree. I could envisage such a question arising at interview. You need to realise that, contrary to perceived wisdom in a lot of schools etc., Oxbridge admissions tutors aren't particularly interested in your character (within reason of course) or your wider interests. They're interested in how you well you can do your subject. If there's one thing to sort out before you apply it's this you're not applying to a US university where extra-curriculars are the be-all and end-all, and you need to tailor your application so that even your extra-curricular activities mentioned are tied more or less to your course.

Original post by monkeyman0121
I like how this is posted in everyday issues as if lots of people have this sort of decision :tongue:


It probably needs moving to the appropriate forum tbh.
Original post by physicseastldn
Super-curricular by definition always enhance your uni prospects. It makes you stand out. Unjaded Jade has a youtube platform of over 100k subscribers. Don't you think she WOULD put that on her UCAS application? It is amazing what a voice she has and obviously she raises awareness about oxbridge admissions and veganism which may be unrelated to her course but show her character and broad interests.


They only care about people who are the best at a particular subject. If you have all these extra curricular things but there are other applicants who have even slightly higher ability in maths and physics, they gonna give them offers over you. Actually tbf I did mention going to see brain cox live and going to Bristol chem labs in like y10 on my ps/saq along with the super curricular challenge papers.
Original post by Saracen's Fez
As far as Oxbridge are concerned this isn't a super-curricular. It might be of interest but it's not going to improve your chances of being accepted to study Physics or Maths. There's even a risk that if it is perceived to be too much of a drain on your time that an admissions tutor or interviewer would question your commitment to your degree. I could envisage such a question arising at interview. You need to realise that, contrary to perceived wisdom in a lot of schools etc., Oxbridge admissions tutors aren't particularly interested in your character (within reason of course) or your wider interests. They're interested in how you well you can do your subject. If there's one thing to sort out before you apply it's this you're not applying to a US university where extra-curriculars are the be-all and end-all, and you need to tailor your application so that even your extra-curricular activities mentioned are tied more or less to your course.



It probably needs moving to the appropriate forum tbh.


Did you even ask if I was applying to US universities?
Latymer Upper did ask about my website and what motivated me to create it.
My academics are average of the institutions I am applying to, predicted 8's and 9's in all subjects. Achieved 3A* already. Three super-curricular, attended highly prestigious ORA course, volunteered abroad, website etc
Only thing I lack is demonstration of interest -- work experiences
Original post by physicseastldn
Did you even ask if I was applying to US universities?


I know for a fact that you won't be applying to them through UCAS. If you were to apply to the US it would be a totally separate application.
Original post by physicseastldn
My school has around 6 applicants each year, but only 1 or 2 go through to even get an interview. They all have stunning academics. Our head girl has 10A* and 2A's but she was rejected before interview for Cambridge (this year)
I'm sure lots of universities have students that apply with 10A* grades or more. The difference between her, and for example Unjaded Jade is that while Jade received 10A*'s at GCSE, she has a youtube channel with over 100k subscribers and she does a lot of yoga competitions and veganism campaigning for companies such as JuicePlus+.
That is the difference between a "head girl of a school", and a "all-rounder well performing student."


Getting an oxford interview is significantly harder. Also maybe the fact that you clearly go to a very high calibre school that sorta trains students to do well at gcse. They look at gcse grades in the context of the school you went to. So for example my gcse grades of 4A*s, 3As and 1C from a standard state school are probably comparable to someone who got like 8A*s 4As at a very academically focused private school. What Cambridge love to see the most is potential and improvement.
Reply 78
Original post by physicseastldn
You are not the admissions department at Oxbridge.
Sorry for offending you

Wow you are very rude. You’re acting like you know too much about Oxbridge. But actually you don’t
Reply 79
Original post by physicseastldn
Super-curricular by definition always enhance your uni prospects. It makes you stand out. Unjaded Jade has a youtube platform of over 100k subscribers. Don't you think she WOULD put that on her UCAS application? It is amazing what a voice she has and obviously she raises awareness about oxbridge admissions and veganism which may be unrelated to her course but show her character and broad interests.

The point that everyone's making is that your website doesn't count as a super-curricular. A super-curricular *has* to be absolutely related to your subject. Anything else is an extra-curricular, which won't change your prospects for Oxbridge, but might help your application to other unis.

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