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Oxford Demystified - French
Contents
Introduction
Hey TSR! Welcome to my chapter of Oxford Demystified, in which I’ll be recounting my own experience of applying to the University of Oxford for French with the hopes of helping you!
Just for context, I studied French for seven years (year 7 to year 13) at a non-selective state school in the south west of England, and I will be the first person in my immediate family to have gone to university. In my GCSEs, I got three 8s (English Language, history and music), two 7s (French and RS), three 6s (geography, English literature and double science paper one) and two 5s (maths and double science paper two). For my A levels, I did English Language, French and history, and applied to Oriel college being predicted A*AA I initially applied for French and linguistics, and was interviewed for both, however got an offer for French sole instead. Moreover, I faced mitigating circumstances as my dad died three days before my first interview, which would have been considered carefully by the tutors when scoring my interviews.
I have now met my offer (AAA), as I achieved A*A*A in my A levels, so I will be beginning my studies at Oriel in 2022!
I hope you find this chapter helpful! If you have any questions then feel free to put them in the comments and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
Why French?
Ever since I can remember, a curiosity of the French language and France itself has been present in my life. This emerged from the stories my grandpa recounted of my great grandfather, a Frenchman, but also an evacuee sent to England during the First World War, aged around ten. However, after his evacuation, he never spoke French again, returned to France, nor spoke of life before his evacuation. A forever reserved man, he died taking the mystery of his childhood with him. Although I never met him, I recall many days spent at my grandpa’s house, surrounded by seemingly ancient, yellowed paper - my great grandfather’s evacuation passport, documents, and pictures that had been kept - all written or captioned in French, which none of us could understand without the help of the famously unreliable Google Translate.
When I finally began taking French classes at the start of secondary school, unlike many of my classmates, I was captivated by language learning. Although I was never by any means the best in the class (there were a couple of native speakers and another couple who had lived in France before), I was, at least for the first few years of secondary school, the most enthusiastic. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would take French at A level, however when I started studying it, I found it incredibly difficult and was predicted a C for the majority of year 12. It took an enormous amount of revision and dedication to rediscover my love for the subject and give me the grade boost I needed to continue studying it at any university, let alone Oxford. However, it was the reminder of my heritage, and suddenly finding myself able to translate some of my great grandfather’s documents and watch and help my grandpa write and translate emails to and from his French cousins that he’d found contact with that helped rekindle my desire to study French further.
After expanding my love of translation and language learning to studying French literature and researching the feminisation of the French language by the start of year 13, I started to look into the French course at Oxford, and sure enough, it was exactly what I wanted. With a heavy focus on literature, but also an option to take linguistics modules so that I’d be able to study both of my primary interests in great depth, I felt I had nothing to lose by applying for my dream course, especially since I’d worked so hard and managed to get my predicted grades up a lot.
Why Oxford?
As a young child and up until the end of year 12, really, Oxford was never an option. The thought never even crossed my mind that I could one day be applying there, let alone getting an offer and studying there. To be truthful, I didn’t even realise people from state schools (unless they were some kind of prodigy) were allowed to apply there until I was about 16. This was all due to the class barrier put up around Oxbridge, meaning many students are practically turned away before they even think about picking up a prospectus or looking at their websites. Oxford, from a young age, was always my favourite city, as it was the place my grandparents often took me when I was a child, always treating us to a present from Westgate shopping centre and pizza at Zizzi on George Street. I remember thinking it was a great shame that I ‘wasn’t allowed’ to apply there!
It was my best friend, ‘A’, in the year above me that broke this barrier down, and was what made me think about applying. He got into Oxford for engineering, and brought me with him to his offer holders day to stay with his older brother (also at Oxford for computer science). Something about staying in an Oxford college just felt so right, and the city felt like home. This was a major turning point - my best friend and his brother, both from the same state school as me, got into Oxford. Neither of them had straight 9s or A*s, however what they did have was a burning enthusiasm for their subjects, which is the one thing I knew I had for French.
As well as this, I wanted more than anything to turn things around from year 12. I let my grades slip more than I ever should have after struggling with my motivation for a while, and wanted to pick myself up and finally start revising again. I knew I needed some sort of ridiculous goal, something almost unachievable, that would force me to work to even get close to achieving this.
After falling in love with both the Oxford French course, as well as the endless stories I’d hear from ‘A’ and his brother about Oxford and its traditions, I decided to do everything I could to turn my year 12 grades around (BCC/BBC) and make Oxford my goal. So, why Oxford? The real question is: why not? The barrier that once stopped me from even touching the prospectus had been broken down, I loved the city more than ever (as well as the French course), and my best friend was rooting for me!
Inspiration
As you might be able to tell by now, ‘A’ was my biggest inspiration. Seeing him get into Oxford from my school showed me that using my school and my background, or anything else, as an excuse for thinking that I’d never get in or that I wouldn’t fit in simply wasn’t a good enough reason not to at least give it a go. I also wanted more than anything to make my parents and grandparents proud after all they’ve done for me.
Why Oriel?
I found the process of choosing a college one of the most exciting parts of the Oxford application process. Although it’s true that each of the 30 undergraduate colleges are a lot more similar than different on the whole, there’s something so special about deciding on the tiny things you know you really want out of uni life, such as what sort of buildings you’d like to live in, and whether or not you’d like to live in the city centre. Oriel was one of the first colleges I looked at (online rather than in person, due to the pandemic), and I fell in love with it immediately. It met all of my criteria: in the city centre, old, beautiful architecture, accommodation for all four years on the college site, and friendly. In a position almost opposite the Radcliffe Camera, being the first college to be founded by the crown, and all of the people I’d talked to from there being friendly and helpful, Oriel couldn’t have been more perfect.
This was confirmed after feeling the compassion they showed me when I emailed them, telling them that my dad had died and that I didn’t know what to do about my interview, days before my first one was scheduled to take place. They were incredibly kind, and I received an email from the head of admissions telling me how sorry he was, and gave me numerous options as to how I can continue with the application process, even offering to consider my application without doing an interview if I felt I couldn’t do it (although I did end up doing three interviews in the end).
Personal statement
Writing my personal statement as a French/modern languages applicant made me feel as if I had a lot of freedom, as language and the things that you can study within languages are so vast. For me, I knew that two of my biggest interests within French were literature and some aspects of linguistics (reminder that I originally applied for joint honours), and one of the reasons I applied to Oxford is because I loved the fact that the course was so literature based, so a lot of my statement was focused on literature that I’d read.
However, the opening paragraph of my personal statement discussed my reasons for wanting to apply for French, which was, as discussed earlier, the stories of my great grandfather. Although I didn’t go into a lot of detail, it came from the heart. You don’t need a story involving family members or childhood memories though - far from it. As long as you’re talking truthfully and from your heart as to why you want to study French, it will sound great.
I didn’t have any work experience, and I had (and still have) never been to France/done an exchange, so the rest of my statement was spent talking about books I’d read. These included L’étranger by Camus, Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, and the poems La Tombe dit à la Rose and Demain dès l’Aube by Victor Hugo. I discussed how these pieces of literature interested me, as their themes linked, however I made sure not to go into too much detail - your personal statement isn’t a literature essay or an in depth analysis. If the tutors are interested, they’ll invite you for an interview and ask to discuss it with you in much more depth there! All I did was make a couple of big points that I thought were the most interesting about all four pieces of literature without explaining them too much in an attempt to get the tutors ‘hooked’.
In regards to linguistics, I talked about the feminisation of the French language, an online course I did (linked in ‘resources’) run by the University of York on sociolinguistics, and the annual Cambridge linguistics essay prize that I entered with the topic of language death. Despite not getting an offer for linguistics, the French course still has linguistics modules that you’re able to take, so if you’re interested in linguistics and you’ve done some linguistics super curriculars, it’s still worth mentioning one or two if you have room, as they link together well and one can always lead to a discussion about the other!
I finished my personal statement with a couple of sentences about extracurriculars (just so they don’t start to think I’m an academic robot with no other interests!). I mentioned the fact that I’d done my grade 8 in violin and was a member of multiple orchestras and the concertmaster of two. I also talked about the fact that I’m a Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassador, as I participated in the Lessons from Auschwitz project in year 12.
The MLAT
Here is a complete list of things I did to prepare for the MLAT:
Resources
MLAT Resources
Things mentioned in my personal statement
Interview Resources
General Resources
Interview preparation
Here is a list of things I did to prepare for my three interviews:
Tips for the Interview*
*This is just general advice, and I’m only talking from personal experience.
Decisions + Conclusion
Although I was only waiting from 9th December - 12th January, just over a month, time seemed to pass incredibly slowly. It was a peculiar time, not only because the outcome of my application was now completely out of my hands, but because of the shock and sorrow I was feeling from my dad’s passing. Unlike many students, decisions day was on my mind a lot less, and more of my time was spent reflecting and mourning.
To those who are anxiously awaiting their decision, I remind you that Oxford never has been, and should never be the be all and end all. Although rejection, or even the thought of rejection may seem devastating and scary, there will always be another path for you, whether you go to a different university (remember that there are many other fantastic universities in the UK and abroad) or you decide to take a gap year and reapply next year. Time will continue to pass, and your long term happiness will not be impacted by a university rejection.
Vitally, remember to stay grounded - there are many more important things in life than an Oxford acceptance or rejection, such as family, friends, health and love.
•
Introduction
•
Why French?
•
Why Oxford?
•
Inspiration
•
Why Oriel?
•
Personal Statement
•
The MLAT
•
Resources
•
Interview preparation
•
Tips for the interview
•
Decisions
Introduction
Hey TSR! Welcome to my chapter of Oxford Demystified, in which I’ll be recounting my own experience of applying to the University of Oxford for French with the hopes of helping you!
Just for context, I studied French for seven years (year 7 to year 13) at a non-selective state school in the south west of England, and I will be the first person in my immediate family to have gone to university. In my GCSEs, I got three 8s (English Language, history and music), two 7s (French and RS), three 6s (geography, English literature and double science paper one) and two 5s (maths and double science paper two). For my A levels, I did English Language, French and history, and applied to Oriel college being predicted A*AA I initially applied for French and linguistics, and was interviewed for both, however got an offer for French sole instead. Moreover, I faced mitigating circumstances as my dad died three days before my first interview, which would have been considered carefully by the tutors when scoring my interviews.
I have now met my offer (AAA), as I achieved A*A*A in my A levels, so I will be beginning my studies at Oriel in 2022!
I hope you find this chapter helpful! If you have any questions then feel free to put them in the comments and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
Why French?
Ever since I can remember, a curiosity of the French language and France itself has been present in my life. This emerged from the stories my grandpa recounted of my great grandfather, a Frenchman, but also an evacuee sent to England during the First World War, aged around ten. However, after his evacuation, he never spoke French again, returned to France, nor spoke of life before his evacuation. A forever reserved man, he died taking the mystery of his childhood with him. Although I never met him, I recall many days spent at my grandpa’s house, surrounded by seemingly ancient, yellowed paper - my great grandfather’s evacuation passport, documents, and pictures that had been kept - all written or captioned in French, which none of us could understand without the help of the famously unreliable Google Translate.
When I finally began taking French classes at the start of secondary school, unlike many of my classmates, I was captivated by language learning. Although I was never by any means the best in the class (there were a couple of native speakers and another couple who had lived in France before), I was, at least for the first few years of secondary school, the most enthusiastic. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would take French at A level, however when I started studying it, I found it incredibly difficult and was predicted a C for the majority of year 12. It took an enormous amount of revision and dedication to rediscover my love for the subject and give me the grade boost I needed to continue studying it at any university, let alone Oxford. However, it was the reminder of my heritage, and suddenly finding myself able to translate some of my great grandfather’s documents and watch and help my grandpa write and translate emails to and from his French cousins that he’d found contact with that helped rekindle my desire to study French further.
After expanding my love of translation and language learning to studying French literature and researching the feminisation of the French language by the start of year 13, I started to look into the French course at Oxford, and sure enough, it was exactly what I wanted. With a heavy focus on literature, but also an option to take linguistics modules so that I’d be able to study both of my primary interests in great depth, I felt I had nothing to lose by applying for my dream course, especially since I’d worked so hard and managed to get my predicted grades up a lot.
Why Oxford?
As a young child and up until the end of year 12, really, Oxford was never an option. The thought never even crossed my mind that I could one day be applying there, let alone getting an offer and studying there. To be truthful, I didn’t even realise people from state schools (unless they were some kind of prodigy) were allowed to apply there until I was about 16. This was all due to the class barrier put up around Oxbridge, meaning many students are practically turned away before they even think about picking up a prospectus or looking at their websites. Oxford, from a young age, was always my favourite city, as it was the place my grandparents often took me when I was a child, always treating us to a present from Westgate shopping centre and pizza at Zizzi on George Street. I remember thinking it was a great shame that I ‘wasn’t allowed’ to apply there!
It was my best friend, ‘A’, in the year above me that broke this barrier down, and was what made me think about applying. He got into Oxford for engineering, and brought me with him to his offer holders day to stay with his older brother (also at Oxford for computer science). Something about staying in an Oxford college just felt so right, and the city felt like home. This was a major turning point - my best friend and his brother, both from the same state school as me, got into Oxford. Neither of them had straight 9s or A*s, however what they did have was a burning enthusiasm for their subjects, which is the one thing I knew I had for French.
As well as this, I wanted more than anything to turn things around from year 12. I let my grades slip more than I ever should have after struggling with my motivation for a while, and wanted to pick myself up and finally start revising again. I knew I needed some sort of ridiculous goal, something almost unachievable, that would force me to work to even get close to achieving this.
After falling in love with both the Oxford French course, as well as the endless stories I’d hear from ‘A’ and his brother about Oxford and its traditions, I decided to do everything I could to turn my year 12 grades around (BCC/BBC) and make Oxford my goal. So, why Oxford? The real question is: why not? The barrier that once stopped me from even touching the prospectus had been broken down, I loved the city more than ever (as well as the French course), and my best friend was rooting for me!
Inspiration
As you might be able to tell by now, ‘A’ was my biggest inspiration. Seeing him get into Oxford from my school showed me that using my school and my background, or anything else, as an excuse for thinking that I’d never get in or that I wouldn’t fit in simply wasn’t a good enough reason not to at least give it a go. I also wanted more than anything to make my parents and grandparents proud after all they’ve done for me.
Why Oriel?
I found the process of choosing a college one of the most exciting parts of the Oxford application process. Although it’s true that each of the 30 undergraduate colleges are a lot more similar than different on the whole, there’s something so special about deciding on the tiny things you know you really want out of uni life, such as what sort of buildings you’d like to live in, and whether or not you’d like to live in the city centre. Oriel was one of the first colleges I looked at (online rather than in person, due to the pandemic), and I fell in love with it immediately. It met all of my criteria: in the city centre, old, beautiful architecture, accommodation for all four years on the college site, and friendly. In a position almost opposite the Radcliffe Camera, being the first college to be founded by the crown, and all of the people I’d talked to from there being friendly and helpful, Oriel couldn’t have been more perfect.
This was confirmed after feeling the compassion they showed me when I emailed them, telling them that my dad had died and that I didn’t know what to do about my interview, days before my first one was scheduled to take place. They were incredibly kind, and I received an email from the head of admissions telling me how sorry he was, and gave me numerous options as to how I can continue with the application process, even offering to consider my application without doing an interview if I felt I couldn’t do it (although I did end up doing three interviews in the end).
Personal statement
Writing my personal statement as a French/modern languages applicant made me feel as if I had a lot of freedom, as language and the things that you can study within languages are so vast. For me, I knew that two of my biggest interests within French were literature and some aspects of linguistics (reminder that I originally applied for joint honours), and one of the reasons I applied to Oxford is because I loved the fact that the course was so literature based, so a lot of my statement was focused on literature that I’d read.
However, the opening paragraph of my personal statement discussed my reasons for wanting to apply for French, which was, as discussed earlier, the stories of my great grandfather. Although I didn’t go into a lot of detail, it came from the heart. You don’t need a story involving family members or childhood memories though - far from it. As long as you’re talking truthfully and from your heart as to why you want to study French, it will sound great.
I didn’t have any work experience, and I had (and still have) never been to France/done an exchange, so the rest of my statement was spent talking about books I’d read. These included L’étranger by Camus, Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, and the poems La Tombe dit à la Rose and Demain dès l’Aube by Victor Hugo. I discussed how these pieces of literature interested me, as their themes linked, however I made sure not to go into too much detail - your personal statement isn’t a literature essay or an in depth analysis. If the tutors are interested, they’ll invite you for an interview and ask to discuss it with you in much more depth there! All I did was make a couple of big points that I thought were the most interesting about all four pieces of literature without explaining them too much in an attempt to get the tutors ‘hooked’.
In regards to linguistics, I talked about the feminisation of the French language, an online course I did (linked in ‘resources’) run by the University of York on sociolinguistics, and the annual Cambridge linguistics essay prize that I entered with the topic of language death. Despite not getting an offer for linguistics, the French course still has linguistics modules that you’re able to take, so if you’re interested in linguistics and you’ve done some linguistics super curriculars, it’s still worth mentioning one or two if you have room, as they link together well and one can always lead to a discussion about the other!
I finished my personal statement with a couple of sentences about extracurriculars (just so they don’t start to think I’m an academic robot with no other interests!). I mentioned the fact that I’d done my grade 8 in violin and was a member of multiple orchestras and the concertmaster of two. I also talked about the fact that I’m a Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassador, as I participated in the Lessons from Auschwitz project in year 12.
The MLAT
Here is a complete list of things I did to prepare for the MLAT:
•
I bought a grammar workbook (the exact one I used is linked in ‘resources’) and completed a few pages every day, going right back to the basics, and made sure I had a strong grasp of all of the grammar rules and tenses taught up to A level. I would’ve been lost without this!
•
Everyday, I chose a different tense and wrote out the list of irregular verbs in the back of my French textbook (without looking) to make sure I didn’t lose marks on verb conjugations (which take up an entire section of the MLAT!!). I’d mark them and then if I got any wrong (I’m not going to lie and pretend I’m a superhuman, I often got some wrong), I would write them out three times to try and remember them for next time. This worked really well for me!
•
I made quizlets for the vocab pages in my textbook to make sure I knew most of the vocab expected of an AS/A level student.
•
I studied the past papers and made sure I knew what came up most often (e.g. subjunctive and ‘si’ clauses).
•
I completed most of the past papers so that I knew the structure of the exams, how to complete it within the time limit, and found my weak areas to boost my score next time.
Resources
MLAT Resources
•
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/mlat - Information about the MLAT
•
https://www.keystonetutors.com/news/the-modern-languages-aptitude-test-mlat-oxford - Some more good MLAT advice
•
https://www.lawlessfrench.com - Great for grammar tutorials and has some good reading, grammar and listening exercises
•
https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/site/:humdiv:modlang:mlat-tests - A complete list of MLAT past papers with some answer sheets
Things mentioned in my personal statement
•
https://www.york.ac.uk/language/undergraduate/mooc/ - University of York sociolinguistics MOOC
•
https://www.frenchtoday.com/french-poetry-reading/poem-demain-des-l-aube-hugo/ - Demain dès l’Aube, Hugo
•
https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=8550 - La Tombe dit à la Rose, Hugo
•
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Mars-Venus-Different-Languages/dp/0199550999 - The Myth of Mars and Venus, Cameron (another book I included on my personal statement about language and gender)
Interview Resources
•
http://apply.oxfordsu.org/courses/modern-languages/interviews/ - Alternative prospectus: interview advice, structure and questions
•
https://sites.google.com/site/oxbridgeinterviewquestions/modern-languages - Example interview questions for languages (they don’t reuse these questions however they’re helpful as they mimic the types of questions they ask)
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCvxFNYsMkg&t=20s - Modern Languages Mock Interview
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJSTQek-7kU - Modern Languages Mock Interview “Discussing a Text”
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBgUKON2-MY - Students discussing their Oxford Modern Languages experience
General Resources
•
https://apply.oxfordsu.org/colleges/suggester/ - Oxford college suggester
•
https://www.mod-langs.ox.ac.uk/french/undergraduate-studies - Information about French at Oxford
Interview preparation
Here is a list of things I did to prepare for my three interviews:
•
I reread my personal statement thoroughly, putting a question mark at the end of every sentence/phrase and asking myself “how could I expand on this/describe this if the tutors ask me to?” - the tutors actually did ask me to expand on various things I wrote, so I’m glad I did this!
•
I reread any essays I’d written that I mentioned in my personal statement and thought about how I could expand on it.
•
I refreshed myself on the online course I did and thought about how I could expand on it.
•
I made mind maps for all of the books and poems I read with all of the points I wanted to make about them if the opportunity arose.
•
I refreshed myself of the plots/messages of the books and poetry I’d read in French to make sure I would be comfortable talking through the plot/messages if asked.
•
I’d heard that in many interviews they asked you to read a poem aloud and analyse it, so I found some French poems on the internet and analysed them aloud to my friend, ‘A’.
•
I did a mock interview with an ex French teacher at my school (organised by my sixth form). It wasn’t a lot like the real thing, but it gave me a chance to be put on the spot and asked to expand on my interests, as well as to speak French under pressure.
•
I spoke French to myself and practiced talking about my extracurriculars in French.
Tips for the Interview*
•
Smile and talk enthusiastically - this will help you to feel more confident and show the interviewers how much you love French!
•
Don’t be afraid to pause to think about your answers - the interviewers will, if anything, be glad that you’re putting thought into it.
•
Make sure you’ve read all of the books in your personal statement (sounds like a given but sometimes people don’t, or only read some of it) - it’s likely you’ll be asked about something you’ve written about!
•
Stay calm if you have technical difficulties (interviews for 2022 entry are online) - the tutors understand and it will not impact your chances in the slightest. I had difficulties in all three of my interviews and it was alright in the end!
•
Try not to worry if you don’t know the answer to a question, or if you feel like you gave a bad answer. The tutors deliberately try to push you, and will prompt or guide you if you need help to reach a conclusion.
•
It’s alright to ask them to repeat or reword a question, as well as with anything they ask you in French if you don’t understand what they said.
•
Practice talking aloud about your personal statement to someone or to yourself both in English and in French (it doesn’t even matter if they don’t understand what you’re saying) - it will get you used to what you’ll face in the interview (although talking to friends or family will likely be a fair bit less stressful).
*This is just general advice, and I’m only talking from personal experience.
Decisions + Conclusion
Although I was only waiting from 9th December - 12th January, just over a month, time seemed to pass incredibly slowly. It was a peculiar time, not only because the outcome of my application was now completely out of my hands, but because of the shock and sorrow I was feeling from my dad’s passing. Unlike many students, decisions day was on my mind a lot less, and more of my time was spent reflecting and mourning.
To those who are anxiously awaiting their decision, I remind you that Oxford never has been, and should never be the be all and end all. Although rejection, or even the thought of rejection may seem devastating and scary, there will always be another path for you, whether you go to a different university (remember that there are many other fantastic universities in the UK and abroad) or you decide to take a gap year and reapply next year. Time will continue to pass, and your long term happiness will not be impacted by a university rejection.
Vitally, remember to stay grounded - there are many more important things in life than an Oxford acceptance or rejection, such as family, friends, health and love.
Scroll to see replies
@Oxford Mum - finally posted!! 
This is very helpful and handy. I’m going to use these tips when applying to a foreign language school.
Original post by tinygirl96
This is very helpful and handy. I’m going to use these tips when applying to a foreign language school.
Awesome, I’m so glad!
Glad you are all loving this chapter (and rightly so!)
Sample interview style questions
https://www.oxfordinterviewquestions.com/questions/modern-and-medieval-languages/
Interview stuff
https://whatshotblog.com/oxford-interview-modern-languages/
What's it like to study French at Oxford?
https://whatshotblog.com/what-is-it-like-to-study-french-at-oxford-university/
There really aren't many useful questions available on the internet (apart from the general ones) because many questions will probably be about the books you have mentioned in your PS. My son (German sole), for example focussed a lot on his favourite book, Goethe's Die Leiden des jungen Werthers. So don't just read the book at breakneck speed. After you have read a bit, put your book down and reflect on what you have just read, whether it is looking at the characterisation or the linguistic merits and beautiful style of a passage you have read (and WHY it is beautiful). For example, the hero of my son's book, Werther, kills himself at the end (and son couldn't resist looking at the last chapter first). Although a bit daft, and falling in love with an unavailable lady, Werther is quite lovable. My son got really emotionally invested in Werther. As he got sadder and sadder, he would shout at him to stop ruining his life, and actually cried at the end. Live that book, be there, get immersed in it.
https://www.oxfordinterviewquestions.com/questions/modern-and-medieval-languages/
Interview stuff
https://whatshotblog.com/oxford-interview-modern-languages/
What's it like to study French at Oxford?
https://whatshotblog.com/what-is-it-like-to-study-french-at-oxford-university/
There really aren't many useful questions available on the internet (apart from the general ones) because many questions will probably be about the books you have mentioned in your PS. My son (German sole), for example focussed a lot on his favourite book, Goethe's Die Leiden des jungen Werthers. So don't just read the book at breakneck speed. After you have read a bit, put your book down and reflect on what you have just read, whether it is looking at the characterisation or the linguistic merits and beautiful style of a passage you have read (and WHY it is beautiful). For example, the hero of my son's book, Werther, kills himself at the end (and son couldn't resist looking at the last chapter first). Although a bit daft, and falling in love with an unavailable lady, Werther is quite lovable. My son got really emotionally invested in Werther. As he got sadder and sadder, he would shout at him to stop ruining his life, and actually cried at the end. Live that book, be there, get immersed in it.
@Culver I know we don't have job titles on TSR, and we don't get medals for the work we do....but if I were to give you a title it would be the greatest TSR heroine of all time.
As a role model, you are absolutely peerless.
Just look at your Oxford journey. You absolutely smash every taboo you get on here, from the obsolete "toff" image, the "right school" to the straight 9's. No, you don't need straight 8/9s to get into Oxford (unless you are a medic). However, enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OXFORD IF YOU ARE FROM A STATE SCHOOL. You don't need my permission, just go for it. Let nobody on TSR be scared of that, if you have the drive.
I would hazard a guess that your great grandfather has been a major cause of your success. His intriguing background (and his refusal to talk about it) made you curious, to a large degree. It's like a mystery that's just waiting to be unlocked. Every time you learnt to decipher a document, or translate emails, you are solving that mystery, and loving it. I'll bet your great grandfather was at your elbow, watching you do all this, in absolute amazement, and gratitude. It will show to him that his life means the world to you, that he lived for a reason. What a legacy. How touched he must be. Everyone wants to remembered and through this work you are doing, your two hearts are linked over the generations.
There was one other, massive influence, and that is "A". Next time you see, or speak to A, please give him a massive medal from me.
A may not think he has done very much to help you (after all, you did all the academic work), but their influence is MASSIVE.
I have my own A (my grandmother) and, although I will never reach her dizzy heights of love and caring, I try every day to be like her. Actually, Pink Woshette is based on her!! I have noticed, Culver, that you are starting to really reach out and help others on the Oxford 2022 thread, so you are starting to become A yourself. You are doing it for people on TSR you don't even know, and inspiring them. We should all try to be like A, and be there for others, even if it's not helping others get into Oxford. You will be amazed how they remember it in future years, and how thankful they will be, without you even knowing it.
I can only read in amazement, as I see how your determined love for your subject and your fascination with your heritage propelled you from a 7 at GCSE to those dazzling A*A*A grades at A level. You have the very TOP quality it takes to get to Oxford - true grit. Yes, it wasn't an easy path, yes you got demotivated at times. But boy, did you get up and try again. I'll bet your great grandfather was cheering you on throughout.
It was an emotional moment when we heard on the Oxford thread that your father had passed away, a mere 3 days before your interview. In your position, I don't know how I would be able to carry on with the process. Look how the caring tutors said they would assess you without an interview (yes, they are definitely human, and kind in the main). They are experts at thinking outside the box. However look at this determination to carry on with three gruelling interviews. Your bravery is just astounding. You gave the interviews the same concentration, passion and flair as the other candidates, because you wanted that experience. You were burning to share your love for French. And so you did.
There were many great moments on the Oxford 2021 in January, but your offer was the very finest. Many a tear was shed (mine included). There must have been jubilation in heaven as your great grandfather and your father discovered the news. (I really believe this, and that our ancestors watch over us and are there for us). Just wait until you are at Oxford and your French goes stratospheric. Your great grandfather will be bursting with pride.
@azby1098
As a role model, you are absolutely peerless.
Just look at your Oxford journey. You absolutely smash every taboo you get on here, from the obsolete "toff" image, the "right school" to the straight 9's. No, you don't need straight 8/9s to get into Oxford (unless you are a medic). However, enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OXFORD IF YOU ARE FROM A STATE SCHOOL. You don't need my permission, just go for it. Let nobody on TSR be scared of that, if you have the drive.
I would hazard a guess that your great grandfather has been a major cause of your success. His intriguing background (and his refusal to talk about it) made you curious, to a large degree. It's like a mystery that's just waiting to be unlocked. Every time you learnt to decipher a document, or translate emails, you are solving that mystery, and loving it. I'll bet your great grandfather was at your elbow, watching you do all this, in absolute amazement, and gratitude. It will show to him that his life means the world to you, that he lived for a reason. What a legacy. How touched he must be. Everyone wants to remembered and through this work you are doing, your two hearts are linked over the generations.
There was one other, massive influence, and that is "A". Next time you see, or speak to A, please give him a massive medal from me.
A may not think he has done very much to help you (after all, you did all the academic work), but their influence is MASSIVE.
I have my own A (my grandmother) and, although I will never reach her dizzy heights of love and caring, I try every day to be like her. Actually, Pink Woshette is based on her!! I have noticed, Culver, that you are starting to really reach out and help others on the Oxford 2022 thread, so you are starting to become A yourself. You are doing it for people on TSR you don't even know, and inspiring them. We should all try to be like A, and be there for others, even if it's not helping others get into Oxford. You will be amazed how they remember it in future years, and how thankful they will be, without you even knowing it.
I can only read in amazement, as I see how your determined love for your subject and your fascination with your heritage propelled you from a 7 at GCSE to those dazzling A*A*A grades at A level. You have the very TOP quality it takes to get to Oxford - true grit. Yes, it wasn't an easy path, yes you got demotivated at times. But boy, did you get up and try again. I'll bet your great grandfather was cheering you on throughout.
It was an emotional moment when we heard on the Oxford thread that your father had passed away, a mere 3 days before your interview. In your position, I don't know how I would be able to carry on with the process. Look how the caring tutors said they would assess you without an interview (yes, they are definitely human, and kind in the main). They are experts at thinking outside the box. However look at this determination to carry on with three gruelling interviews. Your bravery is just astounding. You gave the interviews the same concentration, passion and flair as the other candidates, because you wanted that experience. You were burning to share your love for French. And so you did.
There were many great moments on the Oxford 2021 in January, but your offer was the very finest. Many a tear was shed (mine included). There must have been jubilation in heaven as your great grandfather and your father discovered the news. (I really believe this, and that our ancestors watch over us and are there for us). Just wait until you are at Oxford and your French goes stratospheric. Your great grandfather will be bursting with pride.
@azby1098
So let's comment on the academic bits:
How do you get into Oxford for French? For the MLAT, it's grammar, grammar, grammar
For the PS and the interview, it's literature, literature, literature.
In my day (the 80s) you used to have to translate a passage from Dickens into French to get in! We used to do loads and loads of grammar at A level, so the MLAT would have been a piece of cake for us. I would say to anyone to grab a grammar book, and get doing some exercises. Also look at vocab. It won't be very hard, but it may be words you don't get at A level, like "saucepan". This is where your extra reading of literature will come in handy.
Also practice some poetry appreciation. Read one of those dual language poetry books and absolutely analyse the structure, language and meaning forensically.
The idea of taking the PS and expanding it as much as you can is pure genius, because this is exactly what the tutors will do. Take sentences from your PS and think what else you would ask if you were them. Remember to re-read any books you have mentioned (so try not to mention too many).
I can remember when my son was interviewed, someone was nervous because they had mentioned a DVD, which they had not seen. Don't be that person!
Mock interviews are great if you can get them, and talking to yourself in French isn't such a bad idea!
Last but not least, heed Culver's wise words about not letting your life revolve around Oxford. Everything should revolve around you, and your mental health. You are the most important, folks and there will always be someone on TSR to accompany you on your journey.
All the best, Culver.
How do you get into Oxford for French? For the MLAT, it's grammar, grammar, grammar
For the PS and the interview, it's literature, literature, literature.
In my day (the 80s) you used to have to translate a passage from Dickens into French to get in! We used to do loads and loads of grammar at A level, so the MLAT would have been a piece of cake for us. I would say to anyone to grab a grammar book, and get doing some exercises. Also look at vocab. It won't be very hard, but it may be words you don't get at A level, like "saucepan". This is where your extra reading of literature will come in handy.
Also practice some poetry appreciation. Read one of those dual language poetry books and absolutely analyse the structure, language and meaning forensically.
The idea of taking the PS and expanding it as much as you can is pure genius, because this is exactly what the tutors will do. Take sentences from your PS and think what else you would ask if you were them. Remember to re-read any books you have mentioned (so try not to mention too many).
I can remember when my son was interviewed, someone was nervous because they had mentioned a DVD, which they had not seen. Don't be that person!
Mock interviews are great if you can get them, and talking to yourself in French isn't such a bad idea!
Last but not least, heed Culver's wise words about not letting your life revolve around Oxford. Everything should revolve around you, and your mental health. You are the most important, folks and there will always be someone on TSR to accompany you on your journey.
All the best, Culver.
Original post by Oxford Mum
@Culver I know we don't have job titles on TSR, and we don't get medals for the work we do....but if I were to give you a title it would be the greatest TSR heroine of all time.
As a role model, you are absolutely peerless.
Just look at your Oxford journey. You absolutely smash every taboo you get on here, from the obsolete "toff" image, the "right school" to the straight 9's. No, you don't need straight 8/9s to get into Oxford (unless you are a medic). However, enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OXFORD IF YOU ARE FROM A STATE SCHOOL. You don't need my permission, just go for it. Let nobody on TSR be scared of that, if you have the drive.
I would hazard a guess that your great grandfather has been a major cause of your success. His intriguing background (and his refusal to talk about it) made you curious, to a large degree. It's like a mystery that's just waiting to be unlocked. Every time you learnt to decipher a document, or translate emails, you are solving that mystery, and loving it. I'll bet your great grandfather was at your elbow, watching you do all this, in absolute amazement, and gratitude. It will show to him that his life means the world to you, that he lived for a reason. What a legacy. How touched he must be. Everyone wants to remembered and through this work you are doing, your two hearts are linked over the generations.
There was one other, massive influence, and that is "A". Next time you see, or speak to A, please give him a massive medal from me.
A may not think he has done very much to help you (after all, you did all the academic work), but their influence is MASSIVE.
I have my own A (my grandmother) and, although I will never reach her dizzy heights of love and caring, I try every day to be like her. Actually, Pink Woshette is based on her!! I have noticed, Culver, that you are starting to really reach out and help others on the Oxford 2022 thread, so you are starting to become A yourself. You are doing it for people on TSR you don't even know, and inspiring them. We should all try to be like A, and be there for others, even if it's not helping others get into Oxford. You will be amazed how they remember it in future years, and how thankful they will be, without you even knowing it.
I can only read in amazement, as I see how your determined love for your subject and your fascination with your heritage propelled you from a 7 at GCSE to those dazzling A*A*A grades at A level. You have the very TOP quality it takes to get to Oxford - true grit. Yes, it wasn't an easy path, yes you got demotivated at times. But boy, did you get up and try again. I'll bet your great grandfather was cheering you on throughout.
It was an emotional moment when we heard on the Oxford thread that your father had passed away, a mere 3 days before your interview. In your position, I don't know how I would be able to carry on with the process. Look how the caring tutors said they would assess you without an interview (yes, they are definitely human, and kind in the main). They are experts at thinking outside the box. However look at this determination to carry on with three gruelling interviews. Your bravery is just astounding. You gave the interviews the same concentration, passion and flair as the other candidates, because you wanted that experience. You were burning to share your love for French. And so you did.
There were many great moments on the Oxford 2021 in January, but your offer was the very finest. Many a tear was shed (mine included). There must have been jubilation in heaven as your great grandfather and your father discovered the news. (I really believe this, and that our ancestors watch over us and are there for us). Just wait until you are at Oxford and your French goes stratospheric. Your great grandfather will be bursting with pride.
@azby1098
As a role model, you are absolutely peerless.
Just look at your Oxford journey. You absolutely smash every taboo you get on here, from the obsolete "toff" image, the "right school" to the straight 9's. No, you don't need straight 8/9s to get into Oxford (unless you are a medic). However, enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OXFORD IF YOU ARE FROM A STATE SCHOOL. You don't need my permission, just go for it. Let nobody on TSR be scared of that, if you have the drive.
I would hazard a guess that your great grandfather has been a major cause of your success. His intriguing background (and his refusal to talk about it) made you curious, to a large degree. It's like a mystery that's just waiting to be unlocked. Every time you learnt to decipher a document, or translate emails, you are solving that mystery, and loving it. I'll bet your great grandfather was at your elbow, watching you do all this, in absolute amazement, and gratitude. It will show to him that his life means the world to you, that he lived for a reason. What a legacy. How touched he must be. Everyone wants to remembered and through this work you are doing, your two hearts are linked over the generations.
There was one other, massive influence, and that is "A". Next time you see, or speak to A, please give him a massive medal from me.
A may not think he has done very much to help you (after all, you did all the academic work), but their influence is MASSIVE.
I have my own A (my grandmother) and, although I will never reach her dizzy heights of love and caring, I try every day to be like her. Actually, Pink Woshette is based on her!! I have noticed, Culver, that you are starting to really reach out and help others on the Oxford 2022 thread, so you are starting to become A yourself. You are doing it for people on TSR you don't even know, and inspiring them. We should all try to be like A, and be there for others, even if it's not helping others get into Oxford. You will be amazed how they remember it in future years, and how thankful they will be, without you even knowing it.
I can only read in amazement, as I see how your determined love for your subject and your fascination with your heritage propelled you from a 7 at GCSE to those dazzling A*A*A grades at A level. You have the very TOP quality it takes to get to Oxford - true grit. Yes, it wasn't an easy path, yes you got demotivated at times. But boy, did you get up and try again. I'll bet your great grandfather was cheering you on throughout.
It was an emotional moment when we heard on the Oxford thread that your father had passed away, a mere 3 days before your interview. In your position, I don't know how I would be able to carry on with the process. Look how the caring tutors said they would assess you without an interview (yes, they are definitely human, and kind in the main). They are experts at thinking outside the box. However look at this determination to carry on with three gruelling interviews. Your bravery is just astounding. You gave the interviews the same concentration, passion and flair as the other candidates, because you wanted that experience. You were burning to share your love for French. And so you did.
There were many great moments on the Oxford 2021 in January, but your offer was the very finest. Many a tear was shed (mine included). There must have been jubilation in heaven as your great grandfather and your father discovered the news. (I really believe this, and that our ancestors watch over us and are there for us). Just wait until you are at Oxford and your French goes stratospheric. Your great grandfather will be bursting with pride.
@azby1098
Very nicely said , I agree with every word 1000%, Culver is everything and more you could expect the perfect applicant to be, and goes the extra mile to advise others looking for help.
Culvers story has everything, overcoming the odds to even get a chance of Oxford, battling through distressing circumstances, and winning through with humility to gain entrance to a beautiful college, can there be anyone in doubt the outcome will be nothing short of magical.
Original post by BrainDrain
Very nicely said , I agree with every word 1000%, Culver is everything and more you could expect the perfect applicant to be, and goes the extra mile to advise others looking for help.
Culvers story has everything, overcoming the odds to even get a chance of Oxford, battling through distressing circumstances, and winning through with humility to gain entrance to a beautiful college, can there be anyone in doubt the outcome will be nothing short of magical.
Culvers story has everything, overcoming the odds to even get a chance of Oxford, battling through distressing circumstances, and winning through with humility to gain entrance to a beautiful college, can there be anyone in doubt the outcome will be nothing short of magical.
Well put, @BrainDrain Even Pink Woshette could not have waved her magic wand and created a finer ending.
It gives hope to the rest of us, and that it is why this is my favourite Oxford Demystified chapter of all time (will be virtually impossible to beat)
Original post by Oxford Mum
@Culver I know we don't have job titles on TSR, and we don't get medals for the work we do....but if I were to give you a title it would be the greatest TSR heroine of all time.
As a role model, you are absolutely peerless.
Just look at your Oxford journey. You absolutely smash every taboo you get on here, from the obsolete "toff" image, the "right school" to the straight 9's. No, you don't need straight 8/9s to get into Oxford (unless you are a medic). However, enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OXFORD IF YOU ARE FROM A STATE SCHOOL. You don't need my permission, just go for it. Let nobody on TSR be scared of that, if you have the drive.
I would hazard a guess that your great grandfather has been a major cause of your success. His intriguing background (and his refusal to talk about it) made you curious, to a large degree. It's like a mystery that's just waiting to be unlocked. Every time you learnt to decipher a document, or translate emails, you are solving that mystery, and loving it. I'll bet your great grandfather was at your elbow, watching you do all this, in absolute amazement, and gratitude. It will show to him that his life means the world to you, that he lived for a reason. What a legacy. How touched he must be. Everyone wants to remembered and through this work you are doing, your two hearts are linked over the generations.
There was one other, massive influence, and that is "A". Next time you see, or speak to A, please give him a massive medal from me.
A may not think he has done very much to help you (after all, you did all the academic work), but their influence is MASSIVE.
I have my own A (my grandmother) and, although I will never reach her dizzy heights of love and caring, I try every day to be like her. Actually, Pink Woshette is based on her!! I have noticed, Culver, that you are starting to really reach out and help others on the Oxford 2022 thread, so you are starting to become A yourself. You are doing it for people on TSR you don't even know, and inspiring them. We should all try to be like A, and be there for others, even if it's not helping others get into Oxford. You will be amazed how they remember it in future years, and how thankful they will be, without you even knowing it.
I can only read in amazement, as I see how your determined love for your subject and your fascination with your heritage propelled you from a 7 at GCSE to those dazzling A*A*A grades at A level. You have the very TOP quality it takes to get to Oxford - true grit. Yes, it wasn't an easy path, yes you got demotivated at times. But boy, did you get up and try again. I'll bet your great grandfather was cheering you on throughout.
It was an emotional moment when we heard on the Oxford thread that your father had passed away, a mere 3 days before your interview. In your position, I don't know how I would be able to carry on with the process. Look how the caring tutors said they would assess you without an interview (yes, they are definitely human, and kind in the main). They are experts at thinking outside the box. However look at this determination to carry on with three gruelling interviews. Your bravery is just astounding. You gave the interviews the same concentration, passion and flair as the other candidates, because you wanted that experience. You were burning to share your love for French. And so you did.
There were many great moments on the Oxford 2021 in January, but your offer was the very finest. Many a tear was shed (mine included). There must have been jubilation in heaven as your great grandfather and your father discovered the news. (I really believe this, and that our ancestors watch over us and are there for us). Just wait until you are at Oxford and your French goes stratospheric. Your great grandfather will be bursting with pride.
@azby1098
As a role model, you are absolutely peerless.
Just look at your Oxford journey. You absolutely smash every taboo you get on here, from the obsolete "toff" image, the "right school" to the straight 9's. No, you don't need straight 8/9s to get into Oxford (unless you are a medic). However, enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OXFORD IF YOU ARE FROM A STATE SCHOOL. You don't need my permission, just go for it. Let nobody on TSR be scared of that, if you have the drive.
I would hazard a guess that your great grandfather has been a major cause of your success. His intriguing background (and his refusal to talk about it) made you curious, to a large degree. It's like a mystery that's just waiting to be unlocked. Every time you learnt to decipher a document, or translate emails, you are solving that mystery, and loving it. I'll bet your great grandfather was at your elbow, watching you do all this, in absolute amazement, and gratitude. It will show to him that his life means the world to you, that he lived for a reason. What a legacy. How touched he must be. Everyone wants to remembered and through this work you are doing, your two hearts are linked over the generations.
There was one other, massive influence, and that is "A". Next time you see, or speak to A, please give him a massive medal from me.
A may not think he has done very much to help you (after all, you did all the academic work), but their influence is MASSIVE.
I have my own A (my grandmother) and, although I will never reach her dizzy heights of love and caring, I try every day to be like her. Actually, Pink Woshette is based on her!! I have noticed, Culver, that you are starting to really reach out and help others on the Oxford 2022 thread, so you are starting to become A yourself. You are doing it for people on TSR you don't even know, and inspiring them. We should all try to be like A, and be there for others, even if it's not helping others get into Oxford. You will be amazed how they remember it in future years, and how thankful they will be, without you even knowing it.
I can only read in amazement, as I see how your determined love for your subject and your fascination with your heritage propelled you from a 7 at GCSE to those dazzling A*A*A grades at A level. You have the very TOP quality it takes to get to Oxford - true grit. Yes, it wasn't an easy path, yes you got demotivated at times. But boy, did you get up and try again. I'll bet your great grandfather was cheering you on throughout.
It was an emotional moment when we heard on the Oxford thread that your father had passed away, a mere 3 days before your interview. In your position, I don't know how I would be able to carry on with the process. Look how the caring tutors said they would assess you without an interview (yes, they are definitely human, and kind in the main). They are experts at thinking outside the box. However look at this determination to carry on with three gruelling interviews. Your bravery is just astounding. You gave the interviews the same concentration, passion and flair as the other candidates, because you wanted that experience. You were burning to share your love for French. And so you did.
There were many great moments on the Oxford 2021 in January, but your offer was the very finest. Many a tear was shed (mine included). There must have been jubilation in heaven as your great grandfather and your father discovered the news. (I really believe this, and that our ancestors watch over us and are there for us). Just wait until you are at Oxford and your French goes stratospheric. Your great grandfather will be bursting with pride.
@azby1098
Thank you so much, Oxford Mum - your comment had me in tears! I’ve shown A what you said and he was pleased you think so highly of him! I really hope the chapter helps as many people as possible and I too hope my great grandfather and my dad are proud as they watch me
Original post by Oxford Mum
Well put, @BrainDrain Even Pink Woshette could not have waved her magic wand and created a finer ending.
It gives hope to the rest of us, and that it is why this is my favourite Oxford Demystified chapter of all time (will be virtually impossible to beat)
It gives hope to the rest of us, and that it is why this is my favourite Oxford Demystified chapter of all time (will be virtually impossible to beat)
It certainly gives a good indication of what is involved.
If you are one to go clubbing and partying most of the time and think a month or so before the interview you can cram and get up to speed, you are delusional.
You will be pressed by experts able to weed out in minutes what is a deep down passion against an interest from reading the odd book, this shines through to me reading Culvers chapter, you have to show you will be a pleasure to teach a couple of times a week for three years or more.
Original post by BrainDrain
Very nicely said , I agree with every word 1000%, Culver is everything and more you could expect the perfect applicant to be, and goes the extra mile to advise others looking for help.
Culvers story has everything, overcoming the odds to even get a chance of Oxford, battling through distressing circumstances, and winning through with humility to gain entrance to a beautiful college, can there be anyone in doubt the outcome will be nothing short of magical.
Culvers story has everything, overcoming the odds to even get a chance of Oxford, battling through distressing circumstances, and winning through with humility to gain entrance to a beautiful college, can there be anyone in doubt the outcome will be nothing short of magical.
Thank you BrainDrain! Incredibly kind words as always, and I appreciate them so much
Original post by BrainDrain
It certainly gives a good indication of what is involved.
If you are one to go clubbing and partying most of the time and think a month or so before the interview you can cram and get up to speed, you are delusional.
You will be pressed by experts able to weed out in minutes what is a deep down passion against an interest from reading the odd book, this shines through to me reading Culvers chapter, you have to show you will be a pleasure to teach a couple of times a week for three years or more.
If you are one to go clubbing and partying most of the time and think a month or so before the interview you can cram and get up to speed, you are delusional.
You will be pressed by experts able to weed out in minutes what is a deep down passion against an interest from reading the odd book, this shines through to me reading Culvers chapter, you have to show you will be a pleasure to teach a couple of times a week for three years or more.
PRSOM. You have to think - can I be bothered?
Original post by Culver
Thank you so much, Oxford Mum - your comment had me in tears! I’ve shown A what you said and he was pleased you think so highly of him! I really hope the chapter helps as many people as possible and I too hope my great grandfather and my dad are proud as they watch me
80 views so far, and I have only just posted this amazing chapter.
@Reality Check @harrysbar
Original post by Oxford Mum
I was sort of expecting that you'd written this - didn't you do French at uni?
Original post by Reality Check
I was sort of expecting that you'd written this - didn't you do French at uni?
Yes I did, however I was useless at literature (got a D at A level) so I would have not done well at interview. However the adult me would have smashed it.
It's amazing what hindsight can do.
What can I say?
Reading this reminded me of not just what I already knew about your story, but reminded me of your sheer determination and resilience and utter achievement through what will have most probably been the most difficult few months of your life so far and probably ever.
Culver you are so incredibly strong, and as your self proclaimed TSR bestie, I am so proud of you for everything, and you are an outstanding, genuine and admirable figure for future and current Oxford applicants to look up to (including myself *blushes*)
Oriel is incredibly lucky to have you, and I so hope I can be there with you next October to celebrate all of your hard work!! Even if I’m not, you know I’ll be there anyway!!
So lovely to hear about your personal connection to French too - sometimes things are meant to be, and maybe it was written in the stars that french was the subject for you? A lot less personal but my first love of Geography came when I was given a countries of the world game for my 8th birthday. I was tempted to make it the opening line of my personal statement, but being cliché didn’t seem right! But as I say, such a lovely person familial connection to your subject makes everything so much more important.
And one last thing, and the most important. I didn’t know your father, but one thing I do know is that he is looking down on you always, and he would be so so so so so (how many times can I say so?) incredibly proud of you for all that you have achieved.
Xx
Reading this reminded me of not just what I already knew about your story, but reminded me of your sheer determination and resilience and utter achievement through what will have most probably been the most difficult few months of your life so far and probably ever.
Culver you are so incredibly strong, and as your self proclaimed TSR bestie, I am so proud of you for everything, and you are an outstanding, genuine and admirable figure for future and current Oxford applicants to look up to (including myself *blushes*)
Oriel is incredibly lucky to have you, and I so hope I can be there with you next October to celebrate all of your hard work!! Even if I’m not, you know I’ll be there anyway!!
So lovely to hear about your personal connection to French too - sometimes things are meant to be, and maybe it was written in the stars that french was the subject for you? A lot less personal but my first love of Geography came when I was given a countries of the world game for my 8th birthday. I was tempted to make it the opening line of my personal statement, but being cliché didn’t seem right! But as I say, such a lovely person familial connection to your subject makes everything so much more important.
And one last thing, and the most important. I didn’t know your father, but one thing I do know is that he is looking down on you always, and he would be so so so so so (how many times can I say so?) incredibly proud of you for all that you have achieved.
Xx
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Culver
Contents
Introduction
Hey TSR! Welcome to my chapter of Oxford Demystified, in which I’ll be recounting my own experience of applying to the University of Oxford for French with the hopes of helping you!
Just for context, I studied French for seven years (year 7 to year 13) at a non-selective state school in the south west of England, and I will be the first person in my immediate family to have gone to university. In my GCSEs, I got three 8s (English Language, history and music), two 7s (French and RS), three 6s (geography, English literature and double science paper one) and two 5s (maths and double science paper two). For my A levels, I did English Language, French and history, and applied to Oriel college being predicted A*AA I initially applied for French and linguistics, and was interviewed for both, however got an offer for French sole instead. Moreover, I faced mitigating circumstances as my dad died three days before my first interview, which would have been considered carefully by the tutors when scoring my interviews.
I have now met my offer (AAA), as I achieved A*A*A in my A levels, so I will be beginning my studies at Oriel in 2022!
I hope you find this chapter helpful! If you have any questions then feel free to put them in the comments and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
Why French?
Ever since I can remember, a curiosity of the French language and France itself has been present in my life. This emerged from the stories my grandpa recounted of my great grandfather, a Frenchman, but also an evacuee sent to England during the First World War, aged around ten. However, after his evacuation, he never spoke French again, returned to France, nor spoke of life before his evacuation. A forever reserved man, he died taking the mystery of his childhood with him. Although I never met him, I recall many days spent at my grandpa’s house, surrounded by seemingly ancient, yellowed paper - my great grandfather’s evacuation passport, documents, and pictures that had been kept - all written or captioned in French, which none of us could understand without the help of the famously unreliable Google Translate.
When I finally began taking French classes at the start of secondary school, unlike many of my classmates, I was captivated by language learning. Although I was never by any means the best in the class (there were a couple of native speakers and another couple who had lived in France before), I was, at least for the first few years of secondary school, the most enthusiastic. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would take French at A level, however when I started studying it, I found it incredibly difficult and was predicted a C for the majority of year 12. It took an enormous amount of revision and dedication to rediscover my love for the subject and give me the grade boost I needed to continue studying it at any university, let alone Oxford. However, it was the reminder of my heritage, and suddenly finding myself able to translate some of my great grandfather’s documents and watch and help my grandpa write and translate emails to and from his French cousins that he’d found contact with that helped rekindle my desire to study French further.
After expanding my love of translation and language learning to studying French literature and researching the feminisation of the French language by the start of year 13, I started to look into the French course at Oxford, and sure enough, it was exactly what I wanted. With a heavy focus on literature, but also an option to take linguistics modules so that I’d be able to study both of my primary interests in great depth, I felt I had nothing to lose by applying for my dream course, especially since I’d worked so hard and managed to get my predicted grades up a lot.
Why Oxford?
As a young child and up until the end of year 12, really, Oxford was never an option. The thought never even crossed my mind that I could one day be applying there, let alone getting an offer and studying there. To be truthful, I didn’t even realise people from state schools (unless they were some kind of prodigy) were allowed to apply there until I was about 16. This was all due to the class barrier put up around Oxbridge, meaning many students are practically turned away before they even think about picking up a prospectus or looking at their websites. Oxford, from a young age, was always my favourite city, as it was the place my grandparents often took me when I was a child, always treating us to a present from Westgate shopping centre and pizza at Zizzi on George Street. I remember thinking it was a great shame that I ‘wasn’t allowed’ to apply there!
It was my best friend, ‘A’, in the year above me that broke this barrier down, and was what made me think about applying. He got into Oxford for engineering, and brought me with him to his offer holders day to stay with his older brother (also at Oxford for computer science). Something about staying in an Oxford college just felt so right, and the city felt like home. This was a major turning point - my best friend and his brother, both from the same state school as me, got into Oxford. Neither of them had straight 9s or A*s, however what they did have was a burning enthusiasm for their subjects, which is the one thing I knew I had for French.
As well as this, I wanted more than anything to turn things around from year 12. I let my grades slip more than I ever should have after struggling with my motivation for a while, and wanted to pick myself up and finally start revising again. I knew I needed some sort of ridiculous goal, something almost unachievable, that would force me to work to even get close to achieving this.
After falling in love with both the Oxford French course, as well as the endless stories I’d hear from ‘A’ and his brother about Oxford and its traditions, I decided to do everything I could to turn my year 12 grades around (BCC/BBC) and make Oxford my goal. So, why Oxford? The real question is: why not? The barrier that once stopped me from even touching the prospectus had been broken down, I loved the city more than ever (as well as the French course), and my best friend was rooting for me!
Inspiration
As you might be able to tell by now, ‘A’ was my biggest inspiration. Seeing him get into Oxford from my school showed me that using my school and my background, or anything else, as an excuse for thinking that I’d never get in or that I wouldn’t fit in simply wasn’t a good enough reason not to at least give it a go. I also wanted more than anything to make my parents and grandparents proud after all they’ve done for me.
Why Oriel?
I found the process of choosing a college one of the most exciting parts of the Oxford application process. Although it’s true that each of the 30 undergraduate colleges are a lot more similar than different on the whole, there’s something so special about deciding on the tiny things you know you really want out of uni life, such as what sort of buildings you’d like to live in, and whether or not you’d like to live in the city centre. Oriel was one of the first colleges I looked at (online rather than in person, due to the pandemic), and I fell in love with it immediately. It met all of my criteria: in the city centre, old, beautiful architecture, accommodation for all four years on the college site, and friendly. In a position almost opposite the Radcliffe Camera, being the first college to be founded by the crown, and all of the people I’d talked to from there being friendly and helpful, Oriel couldn’t have been more perfect.
This was confirmed after feeling the compassion they showed me when I emailed them, telling them that my dad had died and that I didn’t know what to do about my interview, days before my first one was scheduled to take place. They were incredibly kind, and I received an email from the head of admissions telling me how sorry he was, and gave me numerous options as to how I can continue with the application process, even offering to consider my application without doing an interview if I felt I couldn’t do it (although I did end up doing three interviews in the end).
Personal statement
Writing my personal statement as a French/modern languages applicant made me feel as if I had a lot of freedom, as language and the things that you can study within languages are so vast. For me, I knew that two of my biggest interests within French were literature and some aspects of linguistics (reminder that I originally applied for joint honours), and one of the reasons I applied to Oxford is because I loved the fact that the course was so literature based, so a lot of my statement was focused on literature that I’d read.
However, the opening paragraph of my personal statement discussed my reasons for wanting to apply for French, which was, as discussed earlier, the stories of my great grandfather. Although I didn’t go into a lot of detail, it came from the heart. You don’t need a story involving family members or childhood memories though - far from it. As long as you’re talking truthfully and from your heart as to why you want to study French, it will sound great.
I didn’t have any work experience, and I had (and still have) never been to France/done an exchange, so the rest of my statement was spent talking about books I’d read. These included L’étranger by Camus, Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, and the poems La Tombe dit à la Rose and Demain dès l’Aube by Victor Hugo. I discussed how these pieces of literature interested me, as their themes linked, however I made sure not to go into too much detail - your personal statement isn’t a literature essay or an in depth analysis. If the tutors are interested, they’ll invite you for an interview and ask to discuss it with you in much more depth there! All I did was make a couple of big points that I thought were the most interesting about all four pieces of literature without explaining them too much in an attempt to get the tutors ‘hooked’.
In regards to linguistics, I talked about the feminisation of the French language, an online course I did (linked in ‘resources’) run by the University of York on sociolinguistics, and the annual Cambridge linguistics essay prize that I entered with the topic of language death. Despite not getting an offer for linguistics, the French course still has linguistics modules that you’re able to take, so if you’re interested in linguistics and you’ve done some linguistics super curriculars, it’s still worth mentioning one or two if you have room, as they link together well and one can always lead to a discussion about the other!
I finished my personal statement with a couple of sentences about extracurriculars (just so they don’t start to think I’m an academic robot with no other interests!). I mentioned the fact that I’d done my grade 8 in violin and was a member of multiple orchestras and the concertmaster of two. I also talked about the fact that I’m a Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassador, as I participated in the Lessons from Auschwitz project in year 12.
The MLAT
Here is a complete list of things I did to prepare for the MLAT:
Resources
MLAT Resources
Things mentioned in my personal statement
Interview Resources
General Resources
Interview preparation
Here is a list of things I did to prepare for my three interviews:
Tips for the Interview*
*This is just general advice, and I’m only talking from personal experience.
Decisions + Conclusion
Although I was only waiting from 9th December - 12th January, just over a month, time seemed to pass incredibly slowly. It was a peculiar time, not only because the outcome of my application was now completely out of my hands, but because of the shock and sorrow I was feeling from my dad’s passing. Unlike many students, decisions day was on my mind a lot less, and more of my time was spent reflecting and mourning.
To those who are anxiously awaiting their decision, I remind you that Oxford never has been, and should never be the be all and end all. Although rejection, or even the thought of rejection may seem devastating and scary, there will always be another path for you, whether you go to a different university (remember that there are many other fantastic universities in the UK and abroad) or you decide to take a gap year and reapply next year. Time will continue to pass, and your long term happiness will not be impacted by a university rejection.
Vitally, remember to stay grounded - there are many more important things in life than an Oxford acceptance or rejection, such as family, friends, health and love.
•
Introduction
•
Why French?
•
Why Oxford?
•
Inspiration
•
Why Oriel?
•
Personal Statement
•
The MLAT
•
Resources
•
Interview preparation
•
Tips for the interview
•
Decisions
Introduction
Hey TSR! Welcome to my chapter of Oxford Demystified, in which I’ll be recounting my own experience of applying to the University of Oxford for French with the hopes of helping you!
Just for context, I studied French for seven years (year 7 to year 13) at a non-selective state school in the south west of England, and I will be the first person in my immediate family to have gone to university. In my GCSEs, I got three 8s (English Language, history and music), two 7s (French and RS), three 6s (geography, English literature and double science paper one) and two 5s (maths and double science paper two). For my A levels, I did English Language, French and history, and applied to Oriel college being predicted A*AA I initially applied for French and linguistics, and was interviewed for both, however got an offer for French sole instead. Moreover, I faced mitigating circumstances as my dad died three days before my first interview, which would have been considered carefully by the tutors when scoring my interviews.
I have now met my offer (AAA), as I achieved A*A*A in my A levels, so I will be beginning my studies at Oriel in 2022!
I hope you find this chapter helpful! If you have any questions then feel free to put them in the comments and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
Why French?
Ever since I can remember, a curiosity of the French language and France itself has been present in my life. This emerged from the stories my grandpa recounted of my great grandfather, a Frenchman, but also an evacuee sent to England during the First World War, aged around ten. However, after his evacuation, he never spoke French again, returned to France, nor spoke of life before his evacuation. A forever reserved man, he died taking the mystery of his childhood with him. Although I never met him, I recall many days spent at my grandpa’s house, surrounded by seemingly ancient, yellowed paper - my great grandfather’s evacuation passport, documents, and pictures that had been kept - all written or captioned in French, which none of us could understand without the help of the famously unreliable Google Translate.
When I finally began taking French classes at the start of secondary school, unlike many of my classmates, I was captivated by language learning. Although I was never by any means the best in the class (there were a couple of native speakers and another couple who had lived in France before), I was, at least for the first few years of secondary school, the most enthusiastic. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would take French at A level, however when I started studying it, I found it incredibly difficult and was predicted a C for the majority of year 12. It took an enormous amount of revision and dedication to rediscover my love for the subject and give me the grade boost I needed to continue studying it at any university, let alone Oxford. However, it was the reminder of my heritage, and suddenly finding myself able to translate some of my great grandfather’s documents and watch and help my grandpa write and translate emails to and from his French cousins that he’d found contact with that helped rekindle my desire to study French further.
After expanding my love of translation and language learning to studying French literature and researching the feminisation of the French language by the start of year 13, I started to look into the French course at Oxford, and sure enough, it was exactly what I wanted. With a heavy focus on literature, but also an option to take linguistics modules so that I’d be able to study both of my primary interests in great depth, I felt I had nothing to lose by applying for my dream course, especially since I’d worked so hard and managed to get my predicted grades up a lot.
Why Oxford?
As a young child and up until the end of year 12, really, Oxford was never an option. The thought never even crossed my mind that I could one day be applying there, let alone getting an offer and studying there. To be truthful, I didn’t even realise people from state schools (unless they were some kind of prodigy) were allowed to apply there until I was about 16. This was all due to the class barrier put up around Oxbridge, meaning many students are practically turned away before they even think about picking up a prospectus or looking at their websites. Oxford, from a young age, was always my favourite city, as it was the place my grandparents often took me when I was a child, always treating us to a present from Westgate shopping centre and pizza at Zizzi on George Street. I remember thinking it was a great shame that I ‘wasn’t allowed’ to apply there!
It was my best friend, ‘A’, in the year above me that broke this barrier down, and was what made me think about applying. He got into Oxford for engineering, and brought me with him to his offer holders day to stay with his older brother (also at Oxford for computer science). Something about staying in an Oxford college just felt so right, and the city felt like home. This was a major turning point - my best friend and his brother, both from the same state school as me, got into Oxford. Neither of them had straight 9s or A*s, however what they did have was a burning enthusiasm for their subjects, which is the one thing I knew I had for French.
As well as this, I wanted more than anything to turn things around from year 12. I let my grades slip more than I ever should have after struggling with my motivation for a while, and wanted to pick myself up and finally start revising again. I knew I needed some sort of ridiculous goal, something almost unachievable, that would force me to work to even get close to achieving this.
After falling in love with both the Oxford French course, as well as the endless stories I’d hear from ‘A’ and his brother about Oxford and its traditions, I decided to do everything I could to turn my year 12 grades around (BCC/BBC) and make Oxford my goal. So, why Oxford? The real question is: why not? The barrier that once stopped me from even touching the prospectus had been broken down, I loved the city more than ever (as well as the French course), and my best friend was rooting for me!
Inspiration
As you might be able to tell by now, ‘A’ was my biggest inspiration. Seeing him get into Oxford from my school showed me that using my school and my background, or anything else, as an excuse for thinking that I’d never get in or that I wouldn’t fit in simply wasn’t a good enough reason not to at least give it a go. I also wanted more than anything to make my parents and grandparents proud after all they’ve done for me.
Why Oriel?
I found the process of choosing a college one of the most exciting parts of the Oxford application process. Although it’s true that each of the 30 undergraduate colleges are a lot more similar than different on the whole, there’s something so special about deciding on the tiny things you know you really want out of uni life, such as what sort of buildings you’d like to live in, and whether or not you’d like to live in the city centre. Oriel was one of the first colleges I looked at (online rather than in person, due to the pandemic), and I fell in love with it immediately. It met all of my criteria: in the city centre, old, beautiful architecture, accommodation for all four years on the college site, and friendly. In a position almost opposite the Radcliffe Camera, being the first college to be founded by the crown, and all of the people I’d talked to from there being friendly and helpful, Oriel couldn’t have been more perfect.
This was confirmed after feeling the compassion they showed me when I emailed them, telling them that my dad had died and that I didn’t know what to do about my interview, days before my first one was scheduled to take place. They were incredibly kind, and I received an email from the head of admissions telling me how sorry he was, and gave me numerous options as to how I can continue with the application process, even offering to consider my application without doing an interview if I felt I couldn’t do it (although I did end up doing three interviews in the end).
Personal statement
Writing my personal statement as a French/modern languages applicant made me feel as if I had a lot of freedom, as language and the things that you can study within languages are so vast. For me, I knew that two of my biggest interests within French were literature and some aspects of linguistics (reminder that I originally applied for joint honours), and one of the reasons I applied to Oxford is because I loved the fact that the course was so literature based, so a lot of my statement was focused on literature that I’d read.
However, the opening paragraph of my personal statement discussed my reasons for wanting to apply for French, which was, as discussed earlier, the stories of my great grandfather. Although I didn’t go into a lot of detail, it came from the heart. You don’t need a story involving family members or childhood memories though - far from it. As long as you’re talking truthfully and from your heart as to why you want to study French, it will sound great.
I didn’t have any work experience, and I had (and still have) never been to France/done an exchange, so the rest of my statement was spent talking about books I’d read. These included L’étranger by Camus, Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, and the poems La Tombe dit à la Rose and Demain dès l’Aube by Victor Hugo. I discussed how these pieces of literature interested me, as their themes linked, however I made sure not to go into too much detail - your personal statement isn’t a literature essay or an in depth analysis. If the tutors are interested, they’ll invite you for an interview and ask to discuss it with you in much more depth there! All I did was make a couple of big points that I thought were the most interesting about all four pieces of literature without explaining them too much in an attempt to get the tutors ‘hooked’.
In regards to linguistics, I talked about the feminisation of the French language, an online course I did (linked in ‘resources’) run by the University of York on sociolinguistics, and the annual Cambridge linguistics essay prize that I entered with the topic of language death. Despite not getting an offer for linguistics, the French course still has linguistics modules that you’re able to take, so if you’re interested in linguistics and you’ve done some linguistics super curriculars, it’s still worth mentioning one or two if you have room, as they link together well and one can always lead to a discussion about the other!
I finished my personal statement with a couple of sentences about extracurriculars (just so they don’t start to think I’m an academic robot with no other interests!). I mentioned the fact that I’d done my grade 8 in violin and was a member of multiple orchestras and the concertmaster of two. I also talked about the fact that I’m a Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassador, as I participated in the Lessons from Auschwitz project in year 12.
The MLAT
Here is a complete list of things I did to prepare for the MLAT:
•
I bought a grammar workbook (the exact one I used is linked in ‘resources’) and completed a few pages every day, going right back to the basics, and made sure I had a strong grasp of all of the grammar rules and tenses taught up to A level. I would’ve been lost without this!
•
Everyday, I chose a different tense and wrote out the list of irregular verbs in the back of my French textbook (without looking) to make sure I didn’t lose marks on verb conjugations (which take up an entire section of the MLAT!!). I’d mark them and then if I got any wrong (I’m not going to lie and pretend I’m a superhuman, I often got some wrong), I would write them out three times to try and remember them for next time. This worked really well for me!
•
I made quizlets for the vocab pages in my textbook to make sure I knew most of the vocab expected of an AS/A level student.
•
I studied the past papers and made sure I knew what came up most often (e.g. subjunctive and ‘si’ clauses).
•
I completed most of the past papers so that I knew the structure of the exams, how to complete it within the time limit, and found my weak areas to boost my score next time.
Resources
MLAT Resources
•
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests/mlat - Information about the MLAT
•
https://www.keystonetutors.com/news/the-modern-languages-aptitude-test-mlat-oxford - Some more good MLAT advice
•
https://www.lawlessfrench.com - Great for grammar tutorials and has some good reading, grammar and listening exercises
•
https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/site/:humdiv:modlang:mlat-tests - A complete list of MLAT past papers with some answer sheets
Things mentioned in my personal statement
•
https://www.york.ac.uk/language/undergraduate/mooc/ - University of York sociolinguistics MOOC
•
https://www.frenchtoday.com/french-poetry-reading/poem-demain-des-l-aube-hugo/ - Demain dès l’Aube, Hugo
•
https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=8550 - La Tombe dit à la Rose, Hugo
•
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Mars-Venus-Different-Languages/dp/0199550999 - The Myth of Mars and Venus, Cameron (another book I included on my personal statement about language and gender)
Interview Resources
•
http://apply.oxfordsu.org/courses/modern-languages/interviews/ - Alternative prospectus: interview advice, structure and questions
•
https://sites.google.com/site/oxbridgeinterviewquestions/modern-languages - Example interview questions for languages (they don’t reuse these questions however they’re helpful as they mimic the types of questions they ask)
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCvxFNYsMkg&t=20s - Modern Languages Mock Interview
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJSTQek-7kU - Modern Languages Mock Interview “Discussing a Text”
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBgUKON2-MY - Students discussing their Oxford Modern Languages experience
General Resources
•
https://apply.oxfordsu.org/colleges/suggester/ - Oxford college suggester
•
https://www.mod-langs.ox.ac.uk/french/undergraduate-studies - Information about French at Oxford
Interview preparation
Here is a list of things I did to prepare for my three interviews:
•
I reread my personal statement thoroughly, putting a question mark at the end of every sentence/phrase and asking myself “how could I expand on this/describe this if the tutors ask me to?” - the tutors actually did ask me to expand on various things I wrote, so I’m glad I did this!
•
I reread any essays I’d written that I mentioned in my personal statement and thought about how I could expand on it.
•
I refreshed myself on the online course I did and thought about how I could expand on it.
•
I made mind maps for all of the books and poems I read with all of the points I wanted to make about them if the opportunity arose.
•
I refreshed myself of the plots/messages of the books and poetry I’d read in French to make sure I would be comfortable talking through the plot/messages if asked.
•
I’d heard that in many interviews they asked you to read a poem aloud and analyse it, so I found some French poems on the internet and analysed them aloud to my friend, ‘A’.
•
I did a mock interview with an ex French teacher at my school (organised by my sixth form). It wasn’t a lot like the real thing, but it gave me a chance to be put on the spot and asked to expand on my interests, as well as to speak French under pressure.
•
I spoke French to myself and practiced talking about my extracurriculars in French.
Tips for the Interview*
•
Smile and talk enthusiastically - this will help you to feel more confident and show the interviewers how much you love French!
•
Don’t be afraid to pause to think about your answers - the interviewers will, if anything, be glad that you’re putting thought into it.
•
Make sure you’ve read all of the books in your personal statement (sounds like a given but sometimes people don’t, or only read some of it) - it’s likely you’ll be asked about something you’ve written about!
•
Stay calm if you have technical difficulties (interviews for 2022 entry are online) - the tutors understand and it will not impact your chances in the slightest. I had difficulties in all three of my interviews and it was alright in the end!
•
Try not to worry if you don’t know the answer to a question, or if you feel like you gave a bad answer. The tutors deliberately try to push you, and will prompt or guide you if you need help to reach a conclusion.
•
It’s alright to ask them to repeat or reword a question, as well as with anything they ask you in French if you don’t understand what they said.
•
Practice talking aloud about your personal statement to someone or to yourself both in English and in French (it doesn’t even matter if they don’t understand what you’re saying) - it will get you used to what you’ll face in the interview (although talking to friends or family will likely be a fair bit less stressful).
*This is just general advice, and I’m only talking from personal experience.
Decisions + Conclusion
Although I was only waiting from 9th December - 12th January, just over a month, time seemed to pass incredibly slowly. It was a peculiar time, not only because the outcome of my application was now completely out of my hands, but because of the shock and sorrow I was feeling from my dad’s passing. Unlike many students, decisions day was on my mind a lot less, and more of my time was spent reflecting and mourning.
To those who are anxiously awaiting their decision, I remind you that Oxford never has been, and should never be the be all and end all. Although rejection, or even the thought of rejection may seem devastating and scary, there will always be another path for you, whether you go to a different university (remember that there are many other fantastic universities in the UK and abroad) or you decide to take a gap year and reapply next year. Time will continue to pass, and your long term happiness will not be impacted by a university rejection.
Vitally, remember to stay grounded - there are many more important things in life than an Oxford acceptance or rejection, such as family, friends, health and love.
@Culver your story is truly inspirational and I'm sure will be very encouraging to all those who feel that they want to apply to Oxbridge but are not Oxbridge "material" - you have succeeded against the odds and very much deserve your place at Oxford. All your family sound brilliant - love that your grandparents spoiled you with presents and pizza - and you are too! Your Dad would be so proud and I very much agree with your conclusion. People can be successful following a range of different paths but I'm so pleased for you that you got to study the subject you absolutely adore at the uni you seemed destined to attend
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