Balliol - left wing?

Hi, all. Just curious how true the stereotype is of Balliol being very left-wing. There are a lot of things I like about Balliol and it's one of my top college preferences, but I'm worried I might not fit in or be accepted there.

I'm somewhat of a centrist but definitely lean right-wing, and I take a lot of issue with the current dominant left-wing narrative. On all issues, when I have an opinion, it's because I have thoroughly researched it and can defend it soundly.

Having said that, I've done enough political debating in my lifetime, having lived in many left-wing places, and I don't really want that to be a dominant part of my Oxford experience. I want to enjoy my time with variety of people and not have politics be a centerpiece.

So, should I consider Balliol? Is it moderate enough / open enough to people across the political spectrum? Or would I just be subjecting myself yet again to a highly left-wing environment?

Didn't go to Balliol, but to be honest I think the average Oxford student is intellectually curious but respectful. From my experience, people generally don't hold back when it comes to asking difficult questions so you have to be prepared to explain and defend your views, but they aren't rude or dismissive. If a position is genuinely coherent and has been thought through, people will usually understand the merits (even if they don't agree on balance), but forewarned that you may be in for a grilling at times since Oxford as a whole leans left (I myself got grilled pretty hard on religion at times, but all in good fun and I enjoyed the conversations).

More to the point, would it matter if the college you go to was full of left-wingers? Friendships can exist across the political spectrum, after all. If you want to meet other right-wing or centrist people within the university, this will not be difficult irrespective of college.

Thank you for your reply. It's good to hear that your experience has been such that Oxford students are willing to engage in respectful discussions rather than being dismissive or rude. That has definitely not been my experience in the left-wing places I've lived in the United States, but it does seem like Oxford (and maybe even England in general?) has a better culture in regards to political discourse. I'm happy to explain my positions on issues, as long as the other person actually wants to hear what I have to say and why, rather than immediately jumping to the conclusion that I'm "racist, homophobic, transphobic, insert label here" (always ironic since I'm actually bi and trans myself, yet I don't agree with much of the dominant LGBT left-wing narrative in the States).



If someone posted "Is this college LGBT friendly? I want to go to a college where there will be plenty of LGBT people", would you question that desire and say "Would it matter? Friendships can exist across the sexual orientation spectrum, after all."

I think it's perfectly natural for people to want to go to a college where there will be a decent amount of other people like them, where they feel like they'll fit in.

I've lived in many left-wing places where I felt like my opinions were not respected, and this definitely affected my friendships and relationships with people. There were unfortunately lots of people I had been friends with (or thought I was friends with) that, upon finding out I'm right-wing, ostracized me from the group. I'd like to avoid that kind of environment as much as possible at Oxford.

I know that Oxford, on the whole, leans left, but surely there is a reason why certain colleges (like Wadham and Balliol) are considered especially left-wing. I just wanted to know how true the stereotype is. I've basically narrowed down my college preference to Jesus or Balliol, so if Balliol is really as left-wing as people say, that could be a factor to tip the scale toward Jesus (which, from what I've read, seems more diverse politically.)

Thank you for your reply. It's good to hear that your experience has been such that Oxford students are willing to engage in respectful discussions rather than being dismissive or rude. That has definitely not been my experience in the left-wing places I've lived in the United States, but it does seem like Oxford (and maybe even England in general?) has a better culture in regards to political discourse. I'm happy to explain my positions on issues, as long as the other person actually wants to hear what I have to say and why, rather than immediately jumping to the conclusion that I'm "racist, homophobic, transphobic, insert label here" (always ironic since I'm actually bi and trans myself, yet I don't agree with much of the dominant LGBT left-wing narrative in the States).