If you used Clearing in 2024, how did you find it?

Oxford Application - Weightage of different things such as GCSEs, IB Predict, Etc.

Hey guys, I just wanted to ask how much the following matter to Oxford when looking at applicants, especially for the Physics course as that's what I'm applying for (Class of 2025):

GCSEs
IB Predicted, and IB Extended Essay topic
Personal Statement
Admissions test (PAT for me)
Academic Extracurriculars e.g. Maths Competitions
Holistic extracurriculars e.g. hosting a Speaker's Convention
Course-related internships e.g. shadowing a Physics Professor
Unrelated internships e.g. generic
Publishing a website related to your course (a Physics website for me)
Creating a YouTube channel related to your course?
Internship with the European Banking Authority
International Junior Honours Society
Letters of reference
Coursera courses with and without certificate
Additionally, how much do they care about cognitive things?
In the humblest way possible, because I know that IQ tests are BS and don't test 'intelligence' besides one weird, rigid measure of it, but I tested an IQ of 145+, and this was an actual clinical assessment because I was also being tested for ADHD, Anxiety, OCD, and dysgraphia. I tested very mildly for OCD, but I have dysgraphia, ADHD, and severe anxiety (a score of 15 would've been significant, I tested at 57😭).
Also, when taking my CAT4 tests at the start of Sixth Form, in each of the 4 sections I tested at the maximum possible 141/141, so I, along with most people in my life, am somewhat disappointed with my current portfolio.

My problem is GCSEs apparently matter quite a bit but I was going through a lot at the time I was taking them so they're as follows: (Edexcel Board):
Maths Higher Early Entry - 9
Further Maths - 9
Science (Double Award) - 99
English Lang - 9
English Lit - 9
Global Citizenship - 9
ICT - 8
Spanish - 7
Drama - 6😭

IB Predicted
By September I can have:
Physics HL 7 (almost definitely)
Chemistry HL 7
Maths HL 7 (almost definitely)
English SL 7 (maybe 6)
Psychology SL 7
Spanish SL 6 (maybe 5)
TOK + EE - 2 or 3
CAS - Completed
(With a give or take of 1-2, but I feel confident that I'll have an overall of at LEAST 41-42)
I'm mostly worried about my predicted score because ideally, I'll have a 44/45 (Spanish is NOT gonna be a 7😭), but I worry that some of my teachers may be too stringent about it. It's reasonable for the end of Y12 predicted to go up by 1 level for subjects right? My Spanish is at a 5 right now (boo) and my Maths is at a 6 because the department refuses to predict 7s in the first year. My Chemistry and Psychology are guaranteed and I just need a strong IO for my English. As for my Physics teacher, I've had a very good relationship with him up to now, but recently he's been very unfair to me which worries me. Either way, 41+ is guaranteed but I'm aiming for 43/44.

My EE is about the Photoelectric Effect

I took a practice PAT when I was 14 and scored 90%, and intend on taking another one soon.

I've participated in numerous maths competitions as below:
SASMO - Securing 22nd and 27th Globally, both Gold medals, getting a full $800 Scholarship to participate in the exclusive SIMOC in one month
UKMT - Gold in SMC while in Y11, Gold in IMC that took me to the Maclaurin Olympiad (so top 600), Gold in SMC again in Y12
ICAS - I have various distinctions in Maths, Science and English, but they're all from like Grade 3 to 6 so they probably don't really matter

International Junior Honours Society - I will be inducted for free if I can get even a Silver medal at the upcoming SIMOC, which shouldn't be too difficult given my track record

I was the youngest speaker at World Speech Day at one of the years (I'll stay anonymous).
I've hosted the 20th Anniversary of the Annual Convention for an international speaker's organisation as a 17-year-old Emcee (I'll stay anonymous here too).

I plan on maybe shadowing a Physics professor for a week or two as an internship and then doing a 'proper' internship.
I have a Physics website ready to publish but it has not been published yet as I don't think it's very good. I think I'll call it 'PhysicsSim'.
I may also create a YouTube channel about Physics but is there any real point this late?
I intend to write a powerful Personal Statement.
I think I'll have very positive letters of reference, and also very well-written ones.

I think there are maybe a couple more things that I've forgotten, so I'll edit and add more if I remember? Based on all this, do you think I'll have a chance?

IMPORTANT: I am very sorry if I come off as arrogant or self-obsessed or anything like that, I'm intentionally 'bragging' so I can list everything I've done, and I'm sorry. I don't intend to sound irritating, I just want to list what I've really done, you know? I also understand if this is a weird or stupid question to answer, but please try to answer whatever parts of it you can!
Thank you all in advance!

Reply 1

Stiffy Byng

The following is from a Tutorial Fellow of an Oxford College, speaking three months ago. I paraphrase -

We assess candidates in in the round. We don't pay much attention to personal statements, because these may have been written by teachers or parents. We assume that schools slightly over estimate likely A level grades. We like to see a decent crop of high GCSE marks but we aren't obsessive about that. We notice non-formulaic references. We pay attention to the aptitude tests results. Interviews are more about deciding who not to take than who to take. We can forgive an excellent candidate fluffing an interview through nerves if we can see that they have the ability to deal with challenge. We try to weed out the candidates who are good on paper but probably won't thrive in the tutorial system.

OP, you have a chance of getting into Oxford. You might not get in. If you don't get into Oxford, you'll get in somewhere else that's good. Don't overthink it. Good luck.