LMH Oxford Undergraduate: Ask Me Anything!

Original post by LMH OXFORD

Hi! My name's Casey and I'm a current third year (and ex-Foundation Year) at Lady Margaret Hall studying English Language and Literature. I'm also the Student & Outreach Rep for LMH and I'm here to answer any and all of your burning questions about studying at LMH/Oxford in general!

I'll be monitoring this thread this upcoming week (31st Jan - 4th Feb 2022) so please feel free to use this thread to find out more and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Hi Casey! Ive been rejected from Oxford for 2022 entry but applied to the foundation year for Biology. I think the main reason I was rejected was due to extremely harsh predictions below entry requirements. My head of 6th form plans to now predict me 3xA* for the foundation year, but I realise the offers are usually ABB, should I instead keep with my old UCAS predictions instead of increasing them?

Reply 2

Also I heard that the foundation year is ALOT more competitive than standard entry into 1st year courses. Is this true? Also do the interviews replicate the same experience we just had?

Thank you so much!

Reply 3

jfkhistorian29

1

Hello Casey! Thank you for doing this. I wanted to ask what the first year rooms are like - how big are they, facilities, en suites etc.
also:
- how do you find the distance from the city centre, is it still common to go in to the city or do you mainly focus socialising in college?
- what is the summer work like, especially for subjects like History? Is there any thing else you would recommend to prepare for Oxford academically in the summer?
Thank you so much!

Reply 4

Also Ive been sending a few emails to LMH foundation year but havent got a response in ages, regarding my FSM eligibility as I was historically entitled but no longer am, is this still ok? I understand now is a busy time for admissions though! :smile:

Reply 5

if you dont mind me asking, what were ur predicted grades + GCSEs to get into the foundation year?

Reply 6

OP

Original post by ZedTV

Hi Casey! Ive been rejected from Oxford for 2022 entry but applied to the foundation year for Biology. I think the main reason I was rejected was due to extremely harsh predictions below entry requirements. My head of 6th form plans to now predict me 3xA* for the foundation year, but I realise the offers are usually ABB, should I instead keep with my old UCAS predictions instead of increasing them?

Hello! We recommend being honest on your application and putting down whatever grades you are currently predicted - not any higher or lower. The general rule of thumb is that, if you're on course for 3 A*s, the Foundation Year may not be academically suited to you.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by ZedTV

Also I heard that the foundation year is ALOT more competitive than standard entry into 1st year courses. Is this true? Also do the interviews replicate the same experience we just had?

Thank you so much!

Statistics-wise, I do believe the Foundation Year accepts a lower percentage than first year applications, mostly due to how small of a cohort is needed for in depth teaching. Personally, I found that the Foundation Year interviews were slightly more personal, as the tutors are keen to learn about you, why you're applying, and your potential to study at Oxford at undergrad level.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by ZedTV

if you dont mind me asking, what were ur predicted grades + GCSEs to get into the foundation year?

Gosh this is such a long time ago I don't fully remember! I think my GCSEs results ranged from A* - C and, if I remember correctly, my predicted grades at the time I applied for the Foundation Year were AAA. It's worth noting, though, that this varies wildly amongst all applicants, and predicted/past grades are not necessarily the tutors' main focus for your application. I find it's best not to compare yourself to other applicants!

Reply 9

OP

Original post by ZedTV

Also Ive been sending a few emails to LMH foundation year but havent got a response in ages, regarding my FSM eligibility as I was historically entitled but no longer am, is this still ok? I understand now is a busy time for admissions though! :smile:

So sorry for the lack of response on this! I'll look in to this and pass your message along to our Foundation Year team.

Reply 10

OP

Original post by jfkhistorian29

Hello Casey! Thank you for doing this. I wanted to ask what the first year rooms are like - how big are they, facilities, en suites etc.
also:
- how do you find the distance from the city centre, is it still common to go in to the city or do you mainly focus socialising in college?
- what is the summer work like, especially for subjects like History? Is there any thing else you would recommend to prepare for Oxford academically in the summer?
Thank you so much!

Hello! I'll answer this in a list form for clarity:
- The first year rooms vary depending on where you are in college, especially in terms of size, but I've never been in a room in college that's uncomfortably small. In terms of en suites, first year rooms do not typically have these (some rooms do have a wash basin, though) but college are more than equipped to accommodate if an en suite is needed for medical/religious reasons.
- Personally, I love that LMH is a little further out from the city centre, as it means we're a lot less busy and actually get some peace and quiet! The city centre is around a 15 minute walk away and I go into town pretty often, but living a little further out just means you can leave all the chaos of Oxford behind when its time to return to college.
- Summer work varies between subjects. For English, we've always had some form of written work and/or a reading list set over vacations, but I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure how close this resembles History. The only advice I would give is to use your summers to read! It's pretty much the only uninterrupted time you'll have to tackle the reading list so make the most of it.
Hope this helps!

Reply 11

Thank you so much casey! The foundation year sounds great! The question I have is that, by taking a foundation year (as you'll start 1st year, 1 year older) does it mean that you become a minority in 1st year where you're older than the year group- so not fitting in?

Reply 12

If you get in, are you still treated like an Oxford student, like with formal dinners/ matriculation? How is it different to 1st year.

Reply 13

In terms of content, is it similar to year 13 or entry level similar to 1st year? E.g. I do biology/maths and psych but dont do chemistry and applying to biology. Will the foundation year be ok to prep me for 1st year bio? I dont have the chemistry knowledge of Biology

Reply 14

Idroo10

1

How did you pick a college and why did you pick lmh? I'm not really sure what I should be looking for.

Reply 15

OP

Original post by ZedTV

Thank you so much casey! The foundation year sounds great! The question I have is that, by taking a foundation year (as you'll start 1st year, 1 year older) does it mean that you become a minority in 1st year where you're older than the year group- so not fitting in?

I didn't find that this was the case at all, as age is not really a cause for separation at uni. After all, some students have taken a gap year before uni which means you'll be the same age as some others in your cohort!

Reply 16

OP

Original post by ZedTV

If you get in, are you still treated like an Oxford student, like with formal dinners/ matriculation? How is it different to 1st year.

You don't matriculate as a Foundation Year, but other than this the experience is pretty much the same. The Foundation Year admin team do an amazing job ensuring the FY is integrated with the rest of the freshers, and experiences such as formal hall are open to the FY as well!

Reply 17

OP

Original post by ZedTV

In terms of content, is it similar to year 13 or entry level similar to 1st year? E.g. I do biology/maths and psych but dont do chemistry and applying to biology. Will the foundation year be ok to prep me for 1st year bio? I dont have the chemistry knowledge of Biology

The content of the Foundation Year is designed to bridge any necessary gaps to ensure you can work well at 1st year level, so it's pretty much a mix of both! In my experiences, the tutors do an amazing job at ensuring you're ready for 1st year by the time the FY ends.

Reply 18

OP

Original post by Idroo10

How did you pick a college and why did you pick lmh? I'm not really sure what I should be looking for.

I would suggest picking your college based on how you think both the physical environment and college community suit you! I applied to LMH on the Foundation Year, but I'm so glad this is the college I stayed at. The inclusive and progressive nature of LMH really make me proud to call it my home, and the college grounds (the gardens especially) suited my needs for space and to be around nature really well!

Reply 19

OP