Allocated to different 1st choice college: what the hell is going on?

I got an offer of an interview for History and Politics...BUT...

I applied to Pembroke and got the invitation from Corpus Christi!!

I knew they sometimes give you interviews at other colleges as well as your preference college but I have never heard of being totally reallocated.

This is what I got: "I am pleased to inform you that you are invited for interview at Corpus Christi College, rather than your original college, this is because this year the number of applicants for Modern History and Politics varies greatly between colleges"

Dont get me wrong, I'm happy to get an interview, Corpus looks like a nice place, but does this mean I only scraped an interview as I have already been rejected by my 1st choice college? Or am I paranoid?

Has this happened to anyone else?

Reply 1

RxB

1

It's just random and administrative. If Pembroke got a disproportionately high number of applications, they'll try to balance it out a bit.

Don't worry about it.

Reply 2

H&E

3

aleko

I got an offer of an interview for History and Politics...BUT...

I applied to Pembroke and got the invitation from Corpus Christi!!

I knew they sometimes give you interviews at other colleges as well as your preference college but I have never heard of being totally reallocated.

This is what I got: "I am pleased to inform you that you are invited for interview at Corpus Christi College, rather than your original college, this is because this year the number of applicants for Modern History and Politics varies greatly between colleges"

Dont get me wrong, I'm happy to get an interview, Corpus looks like a nice place, but does this mean I only scraped an interview as I have already been rejected by my 1st choice college? Or am I paranoid?

Has this happened to anyone else?

That's not that surprising - applicants to numerically small subjects, including MHP but also Computer Science and Theology actually get shifted around a lot more than people realise. A friend of mine is currently having a great time at Teddy Hall doing CompSci, but originally he applied to Worcester. Basically, because subjects are small, applications ratios fluctuate hugely and therefore it often makes sense to spread out applicants. It in no way says you've scraped in, or anything like it - like I say, my friend was shifted and he's here, whilst some of the applicants who were interviewed at his originally chosen college are not!

My advice on these things: Don't try to read hidden meanings into anything. There are just too many random factors you can't possibly be aware of. Just work hard, and you'll give yourself the best shot of getting in.

Anyhoo, applying for History at Corpus is clearly fabulous, coz I'm the History interview rep. So you get to meet me! Ain't ya a lucky one :tongue:

Good luck!

Reply 3

F. Poste

It happens for big subjects at smaller colleges as well, I met a bloke at interview who had also applied for English. He was reshuffled from Lincoln because they had too many applicants!

Reply 4

Drogue

19

Don't knock it, given the choice between the two, I know which one I'd be choosing. Corpus is a nice college :smile:

Reply 5

aleko

OP

H&E

That's not that surprising - applicants to numerically small subjects, including MHP but also Computer Science and Theology actually get shifted around a lot more than people realise. A friend of mine is currently having a great time at Teddy Hall doing CompSci, but originally he applied to Worcester. Basically, because subjects are small, applications ratios fluctuate hugely and therefore it often makes sense to spread out applicants. It in no way says you've scraped in, or anything like it - like I say, my friend was shifted and he's here, whilst some of the applicants who were interviewed at his originally chosen college are not!

My advice on these things: Don't try to read hidden meanings into anything. There are just too many random factors you can't possibly be aware of. Just work hard, and you'll give yourself the best shot of getting in.

Anyhoo, applying for History at Corpus is clearly fabulous, coz I'm the History interview rep. So you get to meet me! Ain't ya a lucky one :tongue:

Good luck!

Thank you very much H&E, you've put my mind at rest. It's just I'd never heard of this happening before. I reckon Oxford could at least warn people that this might happen so it's not a surprise.

Spose I better get on with putting the finishing presentational touches to my history coursework (on Post-Soviet Georgia of all things, they will think I'm mad, none of my teachers could mark it properly).

Thanks again,

btw what's your real name so I know who you are when I get there?

cya there

Aleko

Reply 6

aleko

OP

Oh dear...oh dear oh dear oh dear. I was right in the first place. Pembroke sent me the following:

"Pembroke has recieved a very large number of applicants for this course; as a consequence we have looked carefully at the dossiers of all our candidates and identified a number whom, given the fierce competition, we donot think have a significant chance of being awarded a place by us. We have therefore agreed in consultation with the Oxford Colleges Admission Office to reallocate these candidates to another college which is eager to recruit strong students for this degree course."

Which means I DID only just scrape in. Depressing huh? I am close to tears.

Still if I do get in anyway, I will have a vendetta against Pembroke. All hail Corpus Christi!!

Aleko

Reply 7

BazTheMoney

Really, it isn't wroth worrying about. You have your interview, which means you're over the first hurdle - 10-15% don't even get that far - and now you've just got to wait and see. Anything can happen, at least you're in with a shot.

Reply 8

H&E

3

aleko

Oh dear...oh dear oh dear oh dear. I was right in the first place. Pembroke sent me the following:

"Pembroke has recieved a very large number of applicants for this course; as a consequence we have looked carefully at the dossiers of all our candidates and identified a number whom, given the fierce competition, we donot think have a significant chance of being awarded a place by us. We have therefore agreed in consultation with the Oxford Colleges Admission Office to reallocate these candidates to another college which is eager to recruit strong students for this degree course."

Which means I DID only just scrape in. Depressing huh? I am close to tears.

Still if I do get in anyway, I will have a vendetta against Pembroke. All hail Corpus Christi!!

Aleko

I realise that letter sounds pretty despiriting, but please don't let it dissuade you from coming up to interviews intent on giving it your best shot. I know the Senior History Tutor here, and there's no way he'd treat candidates as anything other than equal in the interview room. The fact you've been offered an interview means you have the potential to claim a place at interviews. So work hard up to interviews, do your best, and who knows, maybe you'll get a place. Like I said above, you will not be the first person this has happened to, not by a long shot.

Reply 9

aleko

OP

Yeah, you're right I suppose. It's still not exactly filling me with confidence though. Competition must be pretty tough though. I got 300/300 on my Politics AS,and if thats weak on their standards, then I dont know what strong must mean: 301/300 perhaps? Plus I had a stunning reference (a bit too stunning if you ask me, I'm not that good and I'll have to live up to it!).

Anyway, as I said if I do get into Corpus, I will be twice as happy and grateful now!

cheers for your encouraging words.

Reply 10

BazTheMoney

Really, there's no point trying to read anything in too it. What's done is done, you've got your interview - albeit at the wrong college - and now you have a chance to get an offer. Prepare well, believe in yourself and you have every chance of getting a place.

Reply 11

H&E

3

aleko

Yeah, you're right I suppose. It's still not exactly filling me with confidence though. Competition must be pretty tough though. I got 300/300 on my Politics AS,and if thats weak on their standards, then I dont know what strong must mean: 301/300 perhaps? Plus I had a stunning reference (a bit too stunning if you ask me, I'm not that good and I'll have to live up to it!).

Anyway, as I said if I do get into Corpus, I will be twice as happy and grateful now!

cheers for your encouraging words.

It's what I'm here for :smile:

I'm not BS'ing you, btw. Pembroke's had this coming for ages - they raised the number of places, so everyone wanted to apply there, but because the number of places was still nothing huge (4/5 per History school) their apps ratio was bound to go through the roof. Which it clearly has done. If you've got 100% in an AS, a stunning reference, and send it half decent written work, you've every chance. So just put your head down and give it your best shot.

Reply 12

aleko

OP

H&E

It's what I'm here for :smile:

I'm not BS'ing you, btw. Pembroke's had this coming for ages - they raised the number of places, so everyone wanted to apply there, but because the number of places was still nothing huge (4/5 per History school) their apps ratio was bound to go through the roof. Which it clearly has done. If you've got 100% in an AS, a stunning reference, and send it half decent written work, you've every chance. So just put your head down and give it your best shot.

Thanks, once again you have consoled me :smile:

Seems logical to me, no-one in their right mind will apply to where they have 1 place, although retrospectively that might have been a better tactic. Anyway I just better get my head down and do some work or I will mess this all up!

Cheers again for the help as I was getting rather concerned.

Aleko

Reply 13

WhatFreshHell?

2

Maybe this is good, because it means you're not competing with the very best of the very best. with 300/300 you've got to be if not the top of the reshuffled, at least towards the top.

Reply 14

wahey12345

aleko

Oh dear...oh dear oh dear oh dear. I was right in the first place. Pembroke sent me the following:

"Pembroke has recieved a very large number of applicants for this course; as a consequence we have looked carefully at the dossiers of all our candidates and identified a number whom, given the fierce competition, we donot think have a significant chance of being awarded a place by us. We have therefore agreed in consultation with the Oxford Colleges Admission Office to reallocate these candidates to another college which is eager to recruit strong students for this degree course."

Which means I DID only just scrape in. Depressing huh? I am close to tears.

Still if I do get in anyway, I will have a vendetta against Pembroke. All hail Corpus Christi!!

Aleko

Bloody hell i dont like the sound of that :frown:

ive just been given an interview for MHP from Pembroke but I'd rather be in your position! you'll be at the very top of the Corpus Christi list so you'll have a higher chance of a place! best of luck :smile:

Reply 15

Lentement

Do Pembroke know you have 300/300? Because Balliol don't know my individual results, they only know I got As.

I sympathise with your cause... HOW DARE THEY change your 1st choice!!!

Reply 16

aleko

OP

My referee told them in my reference that I got 300/300. Perhaps they didnt bother reading it.

Wahey12345: What did you get for your AS? It'll be interesting to see what criteria they made their decision on.

I've calmed down now. My confidence and moral is still a bit down though. But I'm up for the challenge. The extra-curricular at Corpus looks better then Pemb anyway.

Reply 17

Clodagh

Drogue

Don't knock it, given the choice between the two, I know which one I'd be choosing. Corpus is a nice college :smile:

*creeps up behind Will* Boo! Indeed Corpus is great, I go there :wink:

Don't worry about being reallocated here. Tis fabby. :smile:

Reply 18

aliel

1

deianra

Corpus rocks so much more than Pem, and I'm not even applying to Corpus!

Nah. 'Broke rocks. :cool:

Reply 19

Amazing

Argh! I applied to Lincoln, but I've just received a letter (from Lincoln) that I'll definitely be invited to interview, but at St Catherines instead! That's easily the college I wanted to go to the least - does anybody think/know if it's possible to contact Oxford and arrange it so that my interview is somewhere else?

This is for Law btw, so I'm pretty sure we don't even get 2nd/3rd choice colleges. Anybody know anything?

Allocated to different 1st choice college: what the hell is going on?

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