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Oxford graduate applicants 2009/2010

Reply 40

14

Guli

Hi

I am thinking on applying to some major Universities of UK for 2009/2010, and Oxford is on the top of the list. I am from Portugal and I´m having some difficulties in understanding how exactly the process to apply to UK universities works. Am I supposed to speak firstly to the department I am interested in studing and question them if they are insterested in having me working with them for a PhD, in case I am accepeted, before I make the application to the University? Or should I only contact them after being accepted by the University? Not exactly sure how the all process works.
If you have a particular supervisor in mind who you'd like to work with, you can try getting in touch with him/her in advance, briefly outlining the sort of PhD project you'd like to do and asking them whether they'd be interested in supervising it. It isn't a requirement, though, so you can just apply to the faculty and let them allocate you to a supervisor if you're accepted.

About the English tests (required for non english native speakers) do I have to have them done before i apply? Or can this be done after being accepted?

This may differ between departments (if in doubt email them to make sure), but usually it should be possible to do the test after you've been accepted - although obviously that means your offer will be conditional on your achieving a certain score in your language test.

Reply 41

Guli

Thanks a lot for the help!

I guess i will try to contact the supervisors when possible, in order to get a better feedback.

Cheers

Reply 42

TheInvincible

Has anyone heard from oxford yet?

Reply 43

hobnob

14

TheInvincible

Has anyone heard from oxford yet?

Seeing as the deadline for the first gathered field is 21 November, probably not...

Reply 44

TheInvincible

Yea probably not. But I am very anxious since I keep wondering if my grades are good enough for an Oxford Msc application!

Reply 45

hobnob

14

TheInvincible

Yea probably not. But I am very anxious since I keep wondering if my grades are good enough for an Oxford Msc application!

Don't be. You probably won't be hearing anything until January anyway, and you don't want to spend two whole months being anxious, do you? Just try to put the application out of your mind for the time being.

Reply 46

TheInvincible

LOL that helps. But every time I keep checking the Oxford threads/post I kind of get the feeling I may not get in with an Upper 2:1 for my undergraduate degree!

Reply 47

hobnob

14

TheInvincible

LOL that helps. But every time I keep checking the Oxford threads/post I kind of get the feeling I may not get in with an Upper 2:1 ( 65.3%) for my undergraduate degree!

Well, but there's not much point in continuing to agonise about it, is there? It's done. You've submitted your application and done what you could, but now it's no longer up to you, and you wouldn't be able to change your grades anyway. :dontknow:

Reply 48

stinaluv11

I am applying to read for the BCL and I have a question. I am an American student who is finishing up my JD (postgrad law degree) and want to get an LLM or equiv and wait out this freaking economic crap-fest. How do you think they'll weigh my undergraduate vs. postgrad grades? Undergrads were top 5-10% of the class, postgrad is about top 30%.

Reply 49

crafty bison

14

College choice is between St John's, because it's rich, and Linacre, because there is the chance of winning a £6500 Coca-Cola Scholarship. Someone give me rational reasoning on which to put as first choice...

Reply 50

Socrates

17

crafty bison

College choice is between St John's, because it's rich, and Linacre, because there is the chance of winning a £6500 Coca-Cola Scholarship. Someone give me rational reasoning on which to put as first choice...

What's your subject?

Reply 51

JanPelle

I just received an offer for a DPhil!

Reply 52

hobnob

14

stinaluv11

I am applying to read for the BCL and I have a question. I am an American student who is finishing up my JD (postgrad law degree) and want to get an LLM or equiv and wait out this freaking economic crap-fest. How do you think they'll weigh my undergraduate vs. postgrad grades? Undergrads were top 5-10% of the class, postgrad is about top 30%.

I'm not an expert on this, so don't take my word for it, but my guess would be that the marks on your postgraduate degree would be considered more important, because they're more recent, and the sort of work you'll have been doing there is more likely to be relevant for/of a comparable standard to the work you'll be expected to do on the course you're applying for. :dontknow:

Reply 53

hobnob

14

JanPelle

I just received an offer for a DPhil!

Congratulations. :smile:

Reply 54

JanPelle

hobnob

I'm not an expert on this, so don't take my word for it, but my guess would be that the marks on your postgraduate degree would be considered more important, because they're more recent, and the sort of work you'll have been doing there is more likely to be relevant for/of a comparable standard to the work you'll be expected to do on the course you're applying for. :dontknow:

My marks were top 5% in my undergrad and top 20% in my MSc. I went to the LSE for my MSc though which might have helped.

Given that I received an offer with similar marks I would expect that you have a decent chance to get in. It is crucial to talk a lot to your potential supervisor if you apply for the DPhil. Otherwise talk to the director of graduate studies.

Reply 55

crafty bison

14

Socrates

What's your subject?

It's within the Geography department. MSc Nature Society and Environmental Policy.

Reply 56

JanPelle

You can also allow them to override you college choices in case of better funding elsewhere. I would think that you could discuss with them over the phone which college is best in terms of funding once you have an offer.