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Help! Which college to enroll in Oxford?

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently been accepted into the Oxford MBA program, and I was told I need to choose a college. Before making my decision, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the differences between the 30+ unique colleges—especially any insights from alumni about what each one has to offer.

For context, I’m an Asian male, 34 years old. I love traveling and making friends, so I’m looking for a close-knit, caring community that frequently organizes fun events and parties.

From your experience or what you’ve heard, which college do you think is the most fun and why?
Reply 1
Original post by chenshijia1990
Hi everyone,
I’ve recently been accepted into the Oxford MBA program, and I was told I need to choose a college. Before making my decision, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the differences between the 30+ unique colleges—especially any insights from alumni about what each one has to offer.
For context, I’m an Asian male, 34 years old. I love traveling and making friends, so I’m looking for a close-knit, caring community that frequently organizes fun events and parties.
From your experience or what you’ve heard, which college do you think is the most fun and why?

At 34 you might be best looking for a graduate college, though none are especially close to the Said Business School. That said, I understand the MBA community is a fairly tight one, so you might find college choice doesn't matter much. Have you researched which can guarantee you accommodation?
not yet actually, how do I find out which college guarantees accommodation?
Reply 3
Original post by chenshijia1990
not yet actually, how do I find out which college guarantees accommodation?

Probably from the college websites. Or maybe someone in the departmental admin at SBS could help.
Original post by chenshijia1990
Hi everyone,
I’ve recently been accepted into the Oxford MBA program, and I was told I need to choose a college. Before making my decision, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the differences between the 30+ unique colleges—especially any insights from alumni about what each one has to offer.
For context, I’m an Asian male, 34 years old. I love traveling and making friends, so I’m looking for a close-knit, caring community that frequently organizes fun events and parties.
From your experience or what you’ve heard, which college do you think is the most fun and why?

Congrats!

Pretty much any Oxford college would fit your description, although undergraduate colleges will tend to be more party party than graduate colleges. There are virtual tours of colleges on their websites or on youtube. If you can get to Oxford to visit colleges, that would be good. Location is largely irrelevant. Oxford is not a big City. But colleges closest to the Business School are Nuffield (graduates only), St Peter's, and Worcester. Nuffield is a tad serious perhaps, and it has the builders in for the next year or so, IIRC - major refurb project. St Peters' is small, fun, and might be one of the most party party colleges. Worcester is big, pretty, and lefty, but not insane in the way that Wadham is.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by chenshijia1990
not yet actually, how do I find out which college guarantees accommodation?
St. John's College, Oxford is just 7 minute's walk away from Said Business School and has so much wealth that they can provide on-site accommodation for all students, as well as the cheapest prices for food and drink for their Cafe and informal and formal meal in hall. Also, they have a recently completed library and study centre with up to several hundred places inside St. John's College, Oxford?! 😀 lol As it is one the best-stocked library for both undergraduates and postgraduates at Oxford University.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS 2024 LIST.jpg
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by thegeek888
St. John's College, Oxford is just 7 minute's walk away from Said Business School and has so much wealth that they can provide on-site accommodation for all students, as well as the cheapest prices for food and drink for their Cafe and informal and formal meal in hall. Also, they have a recently completed library and study centre with up to several hundred places inside St. John's College, Oxford?! 😀 lol As it is one the best-stocked library for both undergraduates and postgraduates at Oxford University.OXFORD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS 2024 LIST.jpg

Congrats, OP, you've met TSR's resident Walter Mitty! He's a whacky bloke in his late thirties who lives with his parents, has no educational qualifications or career to speak of, and fantasises about doing lots of A levels at some point in an ever receding future, and going to Oxford some time in the next few decades. His hobbies include copy-pasting lists, typing the names of Ivy League universities, and telling people how rich St John's College is.

He is perhaps unaware that every college in Oxford has a library, and that the University of Oxford also has several libraries, not least of which is the Bodleian Library.

St John's is indeed a very fine college. So are all the other colleges. Good luck and have fun!
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Stiffy Byng
Congrats, OP, you've met TSR's resident Walter Mitty! He's a whacky bloke in his late thirties who lives with his parents, has no educational qualifications or career to speak of, and fantasises about doing lots of A levels at some point in an ever receding future, and going to Oxford some time in the next few decades. His hobbies include copy-pasting lists, typing the names of Ivy League universities, and telling people how rich St John's College is.
He is perhaps unaware that every college in Oxford has a library, and that the University of Oxford also has several libraries, not least of which is the Bodleian Library.
St John's is indeed a very fine college. So are all the other colleges. Good luck and have fun!
Stiffy, I never planned to go to Oxford more than 20 years after everyone else had. ☹️ But I had the ability in the past, still have and always will have. I will 'thrive' in the interviews as I read widely and have read a lot of law books at Picadilly Waterstones and Gower Street Waterstones. 😉 lol It is not far from June 2026 now, i.e. next year when I sit A-Level Maths and some content is featured in Further Maths too is examined in the GMAT for MBA admissions. I have every past paper published for Maths and Further Maths and can't get less than A*A* and just need to ace French and Spanish.

You will see me in a few years on the front and back covers of the Oxford University Prospectus with my muscles and 'tanned' handsome looks. 😀 lol Who knows I might 'attract' a blonde haired, blue eyed, 'voluptuous' yet athletic of course American Lady from somewhere in the USA or even here in the UK!!! 😉
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 9
Original post by chenshijia1990
Hi everyone,
I’ve recently been accepted into the Oxford MBA program, and I was told I need to choose a college. Before making my decision, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the differences between the 30+ unique colleges—especially any insights from alumni about what each one has to offer.
For context, I’m an Asian male, 34 years old. I love traveling and making friends, so I’m looking for a close-knit, caring community that frequently organizes fun events and parties.
From your experience or what you’ve heard, which college do you think is the most fun and why?

I'm going to copy and paste what I posted in response to someone else about colleges a few weeks ago as it will help address your query.

I'll just add one more thing before I do: I also did a master's at Oxford in my thirties. Don't assume you have to go to a graduate college; what matters is that you go to a college with a lively graduate community. I went to a college with both undergrads and grads, and I made some great friends among the other graduates, even though they were all much younger than me. If you are friendly and approachable, and you're not judgmental or a grumpy old man towards the younger students, then you can make friends with younger people (and anyway, there may be other grads in their 30s at the college as well).


I started writing a really good reply to this and then it disappeared which is maddening.I agree with almost everything hubbabridge says below. But just to be clear, it's not irrelevant which college you apply to or end up at. Some colleges will give you a better experience than others, and if you end up at one you don't like, you may not get attached to it at all.If having an active social life is important to you then you should apply to a college with a decent sized graduate population (not less than 200) so you're more likely to meet like minded people and so there are enough people to take part in a range of college events. Events are organised by the middle common room (MCR). You should pick a college that has an active MCR that puts on a range of events. I think that's true of Lincoln and Magdalen. Other places, don't know.Other things to help you pick a college:-How much accommodation is available - many colleges do not guarantee a room to all 1st year gradsCost of accommodation - varies widely. Balliol seems to be towards the higher endQuality of food (Wolfson and Magdalen good rep)How wealthy, therefore how many grants and goodies like book tokens, free uni gym membership available. College wealth varies widely. St John's, Christ Church and Magdalen are at the top end. LMH and Pembroke at at the bottom. Balliol seems to be middlingVibe/politics - some colleges are more left-wing and some more right-wingBuildings and facilities. Is the college pretty? Generally the old ones are and the new ones are not. Most colleges have a bar but not all, and the niceness of the bar varies. Some put students in charge of it (hmm). Some have more money for the boat club than others (even if you don't row, you may well get into it - lots of people do, yes including grads)
Original post by thegeek888
Stiffy, I never planned to go to Oxford more than 20 years after everyone else had. ☹️ But I had the ability in the past, still have and always will have. I will 'thrive' in the interviews as I read widely and have read a lot of law books at Picadilly Waterstones and Gower Street Waterstones. 😉 lol It is not far from June 2026 now, i.e. next year when I sit A-Level Maths and some content is featured in Further Maths too is examined in the GMAT for MBA admissions. I have every past paper published for Maths and Further Maths and can't get less than A*A* and just need to ace French and Spanish.
You will see me in a few years on the front and back covers of the Oxford University Prospectus with my muscles and 'tanned' handsome looks. 😀 lol Who knows I might 'attract' a blonde haired, blue eyed, 'voluptuous' yet athletic of course American Lady from somewhere in the USA or even here in the UK!!! 😉


https://rustyapples.co.uk/thumbs/600x600/images/user/37-100217163635.jpg
(edited 1 month ago)

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