Oxford Demystified - History and French

Introduction:

Dear TSR,

Welcome to the History and French chapter! I can’t imagine that it will be a particularly popular choice to consider (let alone apply to!), but here I am putting down my application experience in words in the hope that it may help you (or perhaps inspire you!!) to consider History and Modern Langs.

I’m going to start with my application story, boring though it may be. I had no childhood dreams of going to Oxford or any detailed game plan, and it was just something I picked up in the Summer of Y10. I took History as a subject at GCSE, then at A Level (both not compulsory!) and studied French for eight years, including GCSE and A Level (compulsory!!). I applied to St. Johns College, was pooled to Edmund (Teddy Hall/ St. Edmund Hall), and received and offer from them for my chosen subject, which I have yet to meet at the time of writing. (Couldn’t A Level Results come out any sooner??)

My application was supported by Zero Gravity (more on that including lots of praise later), for which I received a reference from @Oxford Mum (All Hail!!!), our revered editor of the book and steward of the Oxford forums. Once again, Thank You Oxford Mum for all the help that you provide!

The only other issue (if it can be called that) with my application was that I only arrived in the UK in Year 10, which meant that a lot of school changes and variety of qualifications showed up on UCAS, but my grades weren’t affected so I don’t think anyone cared too much.

Why Study H&F:

I don’t have any inspirational stories here, sorry! I’m going to assume that if you’re looking at History and French, you already have a passing interest and that I don’t need to sell the wonders of language and the depths of historical study to you: )

One of the people on the official Oxford marketing video stated that they loved history but couldn’t do without languages, which is I guess a valid reason, but I thought that was a bit weak.

My justification was that it was a challenge. I love history, and somehow manage to get through the exams while enjoying it, but studying languages has always been a challenge for me so it was a way for me to combine an interest and a challenge. I still don’t know what the tutors saw in me during my French interviews, for they were both train wrecks, but I suppose I'm no one to judge. In any case, I’m looking forward to overcoming the challenge over four years of french literature (if I get in, that is!)

When I looked at the course prospectus, I only looked at the entrance requirements and not the actual course structure, (what a horrendous case of incomplete research - perhaps because I was too naïve??). I wouldn’t advise that, however (look up the handbook – it contains everything you need to know about a degree course and just requires a quick google search- any year will do!). In my case, I only looked at the handbook after receiving my offer and god is it challenging!! (or maybe it was an effort to avoid getting too attached to Oxford on my part...)

Why Oxford?

If you want the low-down on how wonderful the city, university, environment is or how path-breaking the teaching structure is, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m sure you’ve seen enough of that and once again, if you’ve come this far, I don’t think I need to sell the University of Oxford to you: ))

My short reason is because Oxford was geographically closer to where I lived than Cambridge was and my parents were quite intent on applying to Oxbridge. Applying to oxford was, for me, a shot in the dark. I got to 11 January (offer day) with absolutely zero hopes of getting in and my friends will attest to the fact that I expected rejection every step of the way. (if you are going to apply, then expect disappointment every step of the way, but don’t let that stop you from giving it your best!) Continuing the shot in the dark theme, I knew no one at Oxford, and only met other prospective applicants when my school held an Oxbridge seminar. I did know a distant acquaintance at Cambridge, but didn’t really speak to them at all. (In hindsight, I should have! If you do know someone at Oxbridge, then shamelessly get in touch! It does smooth your path quite a bit and might even boost your confidence...)

Why Oxford? Because it might just pay off. As I said, some people around me were quite interested in seeing me apply, but I expected rejection every step of the way and just treated it as a good way to pass the time. The end result, was, definitely unexpected.



Did any of your Teachers/ Anyone Else Inspire You?

Uhm not really?? I didn’t have any idol(s), and studying History is something that had never been done before in my family, so I did have a bit of convincing to do both before and after applying. I should probably say that no-one actively discouraged me from applying, which may have smoothed my path. I’ll also take this opportunity to remind you that if you are able to, then nothing or no one can stop you from applying to Oxbridge. The odds may be stacked against you, but a single chance, once taken, might just pay off!

Application Content



Which resources did you use? Which books did you read? Which did you like best, and why? What did they teach you?
I definitely downloaded lots of personal statement guides and a few reading lists but didn’t actually read and analyse them! I did look at some common personal statement errors and cliches, which is always very helpful. This is an archive TSR Thread, but a quick google search will get you any info you might want.

I did go through the entire Oxbridge powerpoint my school sent, which is what taught me that Oxford requires a deep academic interest which is mostly shown through the books, lectures and courses, and that my statement had to be more or less half and half between History and French.

My personal statement was structured around my home country, (because I’m perennially homesick), so I looked up my local library for books on the History part of my statement. For the french part of my Statement, I used the hugely variable source of Dad for a reading list which may or may not be of use to you, but if you are at a loss for a starting point, the handbook for your course will include an (impossibly long!) reading list. I wouldn’t recommend reading the exact books in the course handbook, perhaps similar books based on your interests. You can choose to link your French reading to the History part of your course, or keep the two entirely separate. I kept my French reading vaguely linked to my History reading, but that severely limited the French literature I could access as it had to be linked to India, so maybe that wasn’t the best decision.

The books I read in no particular order: Unworthy Republic by Claudio Saunt (I read this as part of extra reading around an A-Level Topic, but really liked the book so decided to stuff it into my personal statement), The Rediscovery of India by Lord Desai, India after Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha, the Raj at War by Yasmin Khan, la Nuit Bengali by Mircea Eliade, It Does not Die by Maitreyi Devi, and Ecriture Indienne d’Expression Française

You will notice that the History part of my reading included a book by Yasmin Khan, an Oxford academic. I don’t believe that reading such a book might really help your chances of being expected, and I totally chanced upon it, but reading books published at Oxford might equally help or hinder your chances if your interviewer has an interest in the book/the subject under discussion. (In my case, they totally glossed over that book in all the history interviews.)

My French books aren’t really mainstream, but the one recommendation I have for you is look at the list of books on the A Level course and avoid them like the plague. Everyone knows which books are taught at school, and I believe that there’s no use wasting personal statement space on books which everyone is expected to study. For reading list recommendations, I’d once again point you to the handbook, or a quick search on google for fiction and JStor for really academic books. Once again, your local library is a great resource for English-language books (and it will probably have some French ones too!)

My school had the physical copy of “So You Want to Go to Oxbridge? Tell me About a Banana”, which was interesting in the very least, but I only leafed through it. (I believe you can get the ebook online for free at: https://oxbridgeapplications.com/application-resources/)

You’re obviously reading this book, so I don’t have to recommend it to you, but please also read the chapters on subjects nearing History and French. While you might be set on your targeting this course, it does not hurt to read up on related courses which you may also find yourself interested in.

I totally forgot this earlier sorry☹, but read OTHERS’ personal statements. There are thousands available online, and some are linked below. They give you a feel for what got other people in, and while you may not copy them, you might get some ideas for where to start

This is the point where I might put in a barrage of links to relevant websites, but everyone has their own choices, so I will let you use the (very few) links below along with the vast expanse of Google! The latest handbook (at the time of writing) is here.



Did you attend any lectures or take part in any competitions? If so, would you recommend them, and why?

I did not. One can blame lockdown, I guess, but zoom lectures didn’t really fit the bill for me so I didn’t go to any. My school did recommend quite a few essay competitions, but I normally hate writing (sounds hypocritical for a student on a humanities degree, I know!)) so I did not go for it! The one thing I will say is unless you won the essay competition, a single line mention should be enough in your statement because you want to devote as much space as possible to your reading and academic interests.



Did you have any work experience? If so, how did you find it?

I did not have any. Lethargy and lockdown are both to blame. But my application is one of the examples that was accepted solely on academic interests, without any bells or whistles attached. That being said, if your work experience can be even vaguely linked to your subject of interest, then do add it in. People will shout this at you till they’re hoarse, but irrelevant work experience is a waste of space!

Did you do any summer schools?

I did not. Again, blame lockdown if you mut. 2020 and 2021 both saw very few Summer Schools.

Did you have a specialist interest/EPQ?

I did not take up an EPQ because I was entered for 4 A-Levels. But I did talk about my History coursework and my French IRP (Coursework but not quite!) in my interview, so please try and get your referee to include the title or subjects of any NEA/coursework you might be taking up, for it is a great springboard at interview.

What did you mention in your personal statement and why?

My personal statement, as specified earlier, was centred on my home country, so there was quite a lot on my analysis of the colonial experience through various lenses, viz. the native Americans and India. The history section was definitely more overbearing than the French, and the French section talked about the French/European view of Indian Society through the novel ‘la Nuit Bengali’ and a short paragraph on Indian French writing. I can appreciate that this part is very personalised, but the message here is there has to be a link between the various part of your statement, but other than that please write it in your own way.

At the end of my statement, I mentioned a few extracurriculars and the Latin iGCSE that I attempted in Lockdown. I would say no more than 50 words at the end for non-relevant(to the subject!), non-academic stuff. You have two academic sections here, so you’ve got to conserve even more words than most other subjects.

What techniques did you use for the HAT/MLAT test?

The HAT test is really subjective, and my opinion is it’s really difficult to practice, but I discussed about 8/9 HAT questions with my Zero Gravity mentor and made notes on the prompt. I did write up two full essays, but they weren’t under timed conditions, so weren’t really representative of the real thing. What I would say is do not be scared, because I did definitely freak out the first time I saw a HAT question, but it slowly got better as we kept going.

For the MLAT, I went through my A level grammar notes, and practiced the topics I found challenging. (I have yet to meet a French student who does not dread English to French translations!). I would advise having a good grammar book to hand. I use Dondo’s French Grammar, (which is practically unavailable in the UK), but there are quite a few good A level grammar books making the rounds. I went through a few MLAT papers with my teacher, and discussed translation techniques. The MLAT Papers are not the be-all end-all, for there are many other translation resources around, but do not stress too much on the entrance tests!

How Did You Find the HAT/MLAT?

The MLAT was up first. The translations were excruciating, and by the end I was convinced that this was the end of the road. Half an hour is not nearly enough, for I spent too much time on English-to-French and had to solve the entire French-to-English section in six minutes. The saving grace is that Modern Languages have a very high interview percentage, so I somehow made the cut I suppose.

The HAT just went by. I did not get much and merely made an argument based on the prompt. There were these two whizzes applying for HisPol who took the exam with me, and once I had heard their points, I was once again convinced that this was the end of the road for me. I did have a bit of time free on the HAT, and what I will say is, like any other essay, one should prioritise quality over quantity. The HAT cannot really be prepared for, so in the end, just have a go!

How and Why did you Choose your College? Did you go to an Open Day?

I didn’t put much effort into choosing a college. For the longest time, the only college I knew at oxford was Somerville, then for a bit I considered Oriental Studies so shifted to St Johns because they were one of the few that offered that course, then when I shifted back to History and French, I stuck with St. Johns because they had fridges in rooms.

In the event, St Johns threw me back into the pool, so do not get too attached to a college!

There were no open days in either 2020 or 2021, so I had no opportunity to go to any. I did visit St Johns in the Summer of 2021 but it was only an external walk-around, and they weren’t allowing visitors at that point. I’d strongly recommend going to one of the three annual open days hosted at Oxford, but maybe there’s a different charm to applying blind without having ever seen the college!

How did you find the interview process?

In one word: Excruciating

I had separate History and French interviews with St Johns., and I thought the History went better than the French (probably because I took that one at school and was in the proverbial ‘zone’ then). The French interview included analysing an excerpt from a randomly chosen novel and about 5 minutes of conversation in French (just about school, holidays – I’d say GCSE stuff but obviously with better flow and command of the language). The History interview included a discussion on a topic of my choice, with the interviewers asking questions and counter-questions, and then what I believe was a painting or an inscription and I was asked to provide my thoughts on that artefact.

Friday afternoon, just as we’re about to leave school, I get notice for the third (pooled) interview with SEH. It’s a frantic run to the sixth form office to obtain leave for Monday so that I can take the interview at home, but this third interview was a real train wreck. There were 4 interviewers, 2 for each subject, and they alternated in asking questions. I was asked about my History coursework, and the written work I had submitted with my application (revise your trashy written work essays, kids!). I had not gone through my essays, so it fell to my power to make up words on the spot. The French section included a poem to analyse and a similar conversation with a slightly annoyed professor.

By the end of this interview, I was convinced this was the end of the road. In any case, all that remained was a month’s wait.

Any interview tips?

Practice a few of their stock questions with a friend. For nearly two months, I went back and forth with my friend and we discussed all those weird questions that they might decide to ask. I did not get any googly(ies?) (It’s a cricket term for those interested), but it was good practice on coming up with answers in an instant.

Please try and look up your interviewers because you will see them in the interview invitation (although if you have physical interviews, you might not know who they are until the day of). If they have interests similar to those on your written work or personal statement, then please be prepared for a barrage of questions. None of my interviewers had interests remotely near to mine, but it helps to know their subject. I avoided their interests like the plague, for fear of committing a faux pas, but each for their own!

Lastly, go in there with questions! They will likely ask you if you have any questions to ask, so go for it! I asked about the t-shirt of one interviewer, whether historians should have a uniform, and about a bust behind one of the French interviewers, but I can appreciate that it might be more intimidating if you’re sitting in their dark office. Please do try and ask questions, if you are able to.

Where were you when you got your offer? How did you react?

I was in the sixth form common room, and it was breaktime. I was too terrified to log onto UCAS myself, so I cut myself off from email and UCAS for the entire morning and waited until break, then got my friends to look at UCAS first. I didn’t actually believe it when they showed me the offer, but that was it. Then it was a bit of running to tell various sets of people, and I celebrated with (absurdly overpriced) Indian snacks in the evening! It did take a fair bit of logins and relogins for me to believe that I had talked myself into an Oxford offer!

Extra info (in particular for those from state-school/underrepresented at uni backgrounds but also how to find out more!)

This is the point where I talk about Zero Gravity. It’s a mentoring program for state school students who aspired to go to top Universities. I was referred to it by @Oxford Mum (once again, all hail!), and I could not thank her enough. My mentor did not study my exact course, but did read History and Spanish, which was close enough. I have to stress that ZG is not just for Oxbridge, but also for other top Universities, should you want to make an application to those instead!

My mentor led me through the process of planning my personal statement, and then we went over multiple drafts over a few months. Then it was onto Test Prep for a month, followed by Interview practice. An hour a week is enough in most cases, as long as you top it up with other sources of feedback like friends, teachers, parents etc.

I do not know where my application would have been without Zero Gravity, because it really is that helpful! If you meet the criteria, I cannot see why you wouldn’t want help from a mentor. I might have declined to mention this earlier, but ZG is totally free! If you wish to know more, the website is here.

Zero Gravity is obviously not the only mentoring platform out there, but the bottom line is help from someone who has gone through the grind is really useful! If not through this portal, then you could maybe get in touch with someone you know who is at Oxbridge, or someone from your sixth form/college who is at Oxbridge. Even a passing glance at a personal statement does help!

Conclusion

We’ve come to the end, so this is the point where I reiterate that if you want this (i.e an Oxford offer) for yourself, then nothing and no-one should stop you from applying. I honestly expected rejection at every step, and I still don’t know how I beat the odds, but I did it! And you can too! Please, just try, is all I will end on.

That would be my dream (although goodness knows which schools would have me).

I once met a history professor from Peterhouse College, Cambridge and asked him what he was interested in. He said "I love the obscure". Then consider how the tutors must feel, leafing through a load of Moliere or Zolas then finding these books on your reading list. I am a French graduate, however I do not recognise these books. It is just something random, unusual and therefore interesting to them. There are other people who have used an unusual background to make a successful application.

I don't want to scare you, but in our day, if you wanted to apply to Oxford, you had to translate passages of Dickens from English to French (if I recall there are even passages of these in Whitmarsh!)

Please, if you are reading this chapter, look upon it as a heartfelt appeal to have a go and apply to Oxford. I have been going on and on about this for years, and somehow you have put it into words. I hope there are people reading this who will take your amazing advice.

Thank you, thank you, thank you @Oshmit