The Student Room Group

Oxford open offers

Hello, I have received an open offer underwritten by Magdelen college for Music, and I was wondering if anyone could tell what an open offer means in terms of how strong my application was? Does it mean my application was less strong compared to others for my first choice college?
It means the opposite. Congratulations. If you meet any conditions attached to the offer, you will be given a place by a college, whether Magdalen or another. The university regards you as a candidate too good to miss.

Please don't worry about ranking yourself compared to others. You satisfied those who carefully assessed your application.
Reply 2
Original post by Stiffy Byng
It means the opposite. Congratulations. If you meet any conditions attached to the offer, you will be given a place by a college, whether Magdalen or another. The university regards you as a candidate too good to miss.
Please don't worry about ranking yourself compared to others. You satisfied those who carefully assessed your application.


Sorry, another question here! For the open offer, is there still any chance that i could end up at my first choice college or is that completely off the table?
Original post by Anonymous
Hello, I have received an open offer underwritten by Magdelen college for Music, and I was wondering if anyone could tell what an open offer means in terms of how strong my application was? Does it mean my application was less strong compared to others for my first choice college?

Music didn't do open offers back in 'my day' :shakecane: (15 years ago), so I'm not hugely familiar with how the system works. What I can tell you for certain is that Magdalen is one of the biggest and more 'prestigious' colleges for music (due to being a choral foundation). Rest assured you've done really well if they are underwriting your offer! :h: Don't worry about anything :nah:
Original post by Anonymous
Sorry, another question here! For the open offer, is there still any chance that i could end up at my first choice college or is that completely off the table?

You could end up there or at any other undergraduate college.

It is more likely than not that you will like whichever college you end up at.

One of my best friends was trumped* from St John's to Wadham. He tells me that he never missed being at John's.


*Colleges used to be able to poach a candidate from another college by offering an entrance Exhibition or Scholarship. This was called trumping. That system is no longer used.
Original post by Stiffy Byng
You could end up there or at any other undergraduate college.
It is more likely than not that you will like whichever college you end up at.
One of my best friends was trumped* from St John's to Wadham. He tells me that he never missed being at John's.
*Colleges used to be able to poach a candidate from another college by offering an entrance Exhibition or Scholarship. This was called trumping. That system is no longer used.


thank you very much you’ve been so helpful!
Sorry there’s also one more question i have thought of! I was wondering whether as an open offer holder I get and offer holders day, as these seem to be college specific and I have not been told about one for me. I would really like to go and have a look around and get a feel for it however, so if I don’t have an offer holders day, do you have any other suggestions of what to do?
Original post by islabyrne19
Sorry there’s also one more question i have thought of! I was wondering whether as an open offer holder I get and offer holders day, as these seem to be college specific and I have not been told about one for me. I would really like to go and have a look around and get a feel for it however, so if I don’t have an offer holders day, do you have any other suggestions of what to do?

You can go to the event at the underwriting college. Some of the information provided will be college specific. Some will be of wider relevance.

If you end up at that college you will have met potential new friends at that college. If not, you will have met potential new friends at another college.

My daughter tells me that there are social media groups for offer holders based on college, subject, home town, and so on. She went to a London offer holders meetup at a Spoons in Clapham just before freshers' week last year and met two people from her college plus three people who live in the same area of London.

When I was an undergraduate at Wadham, I hung out a lot at Queen's and a bit at Balliol. Inter college socialisation is fun.
(edited 2 months ago)

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