Subject: PhysPhil
College: Balliol
Outcome: Conditional Offer (A*AA)
How did you hear? Direct email from the college, UCAS track updated shortly after.
At what time approx did you hear? 09:07
How do you feel? Absolutely overjoyed - all seems slightly surreal!
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: 10 A*s, 3 9s
AS Subjects & Grades (include UMS if you have it): Maths (A), Further Maths (A), Physics (A), German (A)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A*A (with the A in German)
Other Qualifications: EPQ (A*)
Strengths: GCSE and AS grades, personal statement, I thought my PAT was fairly good as well. I've done lots of further reading around Physics and Philosophy, so I was able to bring in ideas from that to the Philosophy interviews, which was especially useful in the formal logic question as I had seen similar arguments before.
Weaknesses: Interviews. I forgot the set up for the geometric derivation of angle addition formula for sin at the first interview, and had never learnt the derivation for Maclaurin series. But the interviewers didn't seem to mind - they either suggested another method, or explained it to me. Even when I misread a line of my working.
Pre- or At-Interview Admissions Assessment: PAT (7.5-8.5)
Interview Assessment: I had 4 interviews across 2 colleges, each being a combination of 2 subjects (of Maths, Physics or Philosophy). I felt they were really mixed in terms of how well they went, but probably on average between 6.5 and 8.5.
Why did you choose your college? It tends to (historically) accept the most PhysPhil students, and I figured it would be nicer to be part of a group of say 5, as opposed to only 1 or 2.
What other universities did you apply to? Bristol, KCL, Durham, Manchester
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Probably Bristol or KCL