History: Cambridge VS Oxford HELP!

I'm a prospective history applicant looking at Cambridge and Oxford but I can't seem to choose one over the other... Can a history student at Cambridge or Oxford on TSR help me out? What made you choose Oxford/Cambridge for history?

I just want to hear from you and whatever you're happy to share with us here.

Reply 1

C_H_B

I'm not a history student at either, so I can't say anything about that, but I did visit both last week as a tourist, so I can give some advice, assuming you're equally interested in the course structure of both universities. Oxford is a bigger city, there's a large mall, and every other shop is a Harry Potter gift shop. It's older, and there's a lot of fascinating history around the site - Alice in Wonderland was created there! But this means it's also busier. Cambridge is smaller and more cosy, with really nice markets and independent bookshops. The river is picturesque, and getting from one place to another is really quick and easy. Definitely more peaceful. Less nightlife.

These are two very different styles of life, and figuring out which appeals to you more could help in the decision. Academically, they are basically on the same level.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

yeah i'd also be really interested to hear about why people picked one over the other (specifically in terms of course and faculty) as I'm having the same issue

Reply 3

viennas

Original post by Godwinson

I'm about to start at Oxford for History and Politics, so hopefully I can give you something useful. I particularly liked how flexible the Oxford History degrees are, with so many different modules available. If you're passionate about the subject it's amazing to be able to study such a wide variety of things, taught by the leading experts in that field. Oxford is generally ranked higher for History as well, if you care about that kind of thing. Oxford also has lower entry requirements, relying more on the HAT, written work and interviews, while Cambridge tend to give out more offers with higher requirements. I was pretty scared of getting an impossibly high Cambridge offer and failing to meet it, so Oxford appealed to me in that sense. I'd definitely recommend you go and visit, it's really just a matter of personal preference and they're both great places to study History.