Reapplication dilemma

So you prefer the engineering course content and think you’re more likely to get an offer.



What’s the dilemma?

I should have been more clear sorry. It is that I believe, but am not sure, that you require a 12 month internship/year in industry in order to have a good chance of being considered for a place for engineering, but not for physics. The Year in Industry does not seem to have any vacancies left, so part of me thinks that my odds may really be lower with engineering anyway. I’m just not sure to what extent the industrial experience is neccessary. I have applied for it anyway even though I think it’s too late.

I also wanted to know if my reasoning that physics is significantly harder to be admitted to, atleast PAT and Interview wise, was true.

Hello, I am in a dilemma.


I am in the process of applying to Oxford for either engineering or physics, as a post-A Level applicant, but I cannot decide which. I achieved 4A* in maths, further maths, chem, physics and have eleven 9s (in 2021 which was a Covid year).

Basically, by looking at admission stats I have come to the conclusion that engineering is 1000% easier to get into than physics, especially for my situation. In 2021, the average successful PAT score for physics was 70%, in engineering it was 57%. To me, this just seems like an insane disparity. Have I got this wrong because I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. Also, the admission rate appears to be way higher for a UK applicant for engineering than advertised on their website. (It says 16% admission rate on website, but if you check the admissions report it appears to be 25% for UK applicants). Engineering also appears to care more about your grades, by giving you a “UCAS Score”, which if I had a strong personal statement I think I could score highly in. Physics does not appear to really care about your grades much at all, based on the admissions reports.

I personally slightly prefer the engineering course content, however I have also heard that you essentially require a 12 month internship in engineering during a gap year for post A Level applicants to have much of a chance, which I can’t seem to find any to take up anywhere that remain.

Another option would be to forget my Oxford application and try Cambridge, but they don’t seem to disclose much information and it’s hard to really gauge how they base their admission process. I applied last year for NatSci unsuccessfully so I would assume I’d probably be unsuccessful again if I re attempted so I’m not too keen on it.

Basically I’m not anticipating to get into Oxbridge at all, and really I am just trying to get offers from UCL and Durham but does anyone have any advice with respect to the Oxbridge part of my application? Thanks.