Reapplying for ppe

Okay, so in January I was recently rejected from UCL and Oxford floor which is a very competitive course and to be honest as much as I told myself I was interested in law. I wasn’t actually but being an African child I was pushed to study something in the big three medicine engineering and law. And I feel like such a disappointment because I tried so hard but the one test let me down LNAT. I’m being referred to as a bright kid when your siblings aren’t referred to as that is hard because they have so much expectations that they don’t have on others and it feels so crushing when you don’t live up to those expectations and my friend of seven years just got into Cambridge and my parents look of disappointment is too much. So here in my room, I’m considering taking the gap year and reapplying to Oxford and UCL for PPE. I understand that it’s so risky because my African parents do not like the thought of a gap year and if I don’t get in it will be so bad. I recently got accepted into Nottingham floor and I’m currently waiting on Warwick but I don’t know. I feel like even if I apply to PPE to Warwick in the future I think I could get in just a matter of getting the correct grades but I want to make my Oxford PPE application as strong as possible so that it would be a crime to turn me down and I want to ask PPE applicants or uni students who can tell me what I can do from now to achieve that I already know I need to study for the TSA, but is there any other thing like books or activities that would be recommended

Reply 1

xyz1234567

10

Honestly, I think that you are putting yourself in a risky position by reapplying. There is no guarantee, however good your application is, that you will get in a second time round, and the risk is that if you don’t it doesn’t sound like you or your family are really happy about a gap year. Many great applicants are turned away each year - if you are this disappointed this year, how would you feel next year when you have spent another year building up Oxford in your mind and would then be facing 9 months of an unwanted gap year.

I’m not trying to be negative and obviously hope you get in on reapplication, and it can work, but I’d only advise it if you feel positively about a gap year being an exciting opportunity.

Reply 2

Stiffy Byng

19

I think that the main point here is that you don't want to study law. That to me suggests that applying to read PPE or some other subject would be the right course.

It is hard to resist family pressure, but try to make your family see that your decisions about university have to be about what is most likely to deliver happiness for you.

It is hard to be happy when studying a subject you are not really into. Your aim should be to find a career which you enjoy and not focus on money or status.

Have you heard Alan Watts' speech about money being no object?

Good luck.

Reply 3

Anonymous #2

applying for ppe oxford this year too! i’d just like to contribute 3 things- 1) if you don’t genuinely love PPE (or at least 2 of the subjects and are okay with the third) the same thing will happen that happened with law, obviously if you do love it then that’s great but make sure you’re not rushing the switch. 2) oxbridge hyper focus is such a real thing, it’s so romanticised and is made to be the biggest deal in the world (esp to immigrant parents, mine too) and a lot of people are way too focused on oxford then the actual course. just be caregul! and 3) generally speaking, a very high TSA score gets you an interview at oxford for ppe- they care about the admissions test a ridiculous amount. if your GCSE profile is really contextually good, a score of like 78-80+ will pretty much guarantee an interview (not a place, obviously). it’s a massive deciding factor in the shortlisting process.

and if you’re interested, heres some official application statistics:

https://www.ppe.ox.ac.uk/admissions-statistics

Reply 4

JE9

9

Original post by Anonymous

Okay, so in January I was recently rejected from UCL and Oxford floor which is a very competitive course and to be honest as much as I told myself I was interested in law. I wasn’t actually but being an African child I was pushed to study something in the big three medicine engineering and law. And I feel like such a disappointment because I tried so hard but the one test let me down LNAT. I’m being referred to as a bright kid when your siblings aren’t referred to as that is hard because they have so much expectations that they don’t have on others and it feels so crushing when you don’t live up to those expectations and my friend of seven years just got into Cambridge and my parents look of disappointment is too much. So here in my room, I’m considering taking the gap year and reapplying to Oxford and UCL for PPE. I understand that it’s so risky because my African parents do not like the thought of a gap year and if I don’t get in it will be so bad. I recently got accepted into Nottingham floor and I’m currently waiting on Warwick but I don’t know. I feel like even if I apply to PPE to Warwick in the future I think I could get in just a matter of getting the correct grades but I want to make my Oxford PPE application as strong as possible so that it would be a crime to turn me down and I want to ask PPE applicants or uni students who can tell me what I can do from now to achieve that I already know I need to study for the TSA, but is there any other thing like books or activities that would be recommended

Hi, I know this is a late reply, but if you’re still struggling to make a decision, hopefully I can provide some helpful insight-

Firstly I’m sorry you’re going through this situation- I know family expectations can be very difficult, and also comparison with others- but it’s by no means a reflection of you being in any way a ‘disappointment’- often in these situations, the expectations that surround you cloud your perceptions of your own achievements- don’t allow your families expectations or your comparisons with others to make you forget the huge success you’ve had to get in a position where the ONLY thing you could be rejected on by the best University in the world, was a pathetic, outdated multiple choice exam, on random extracts to do with flowers, restaurants and any other unrelated topic you can imagine.

the LNAT exam is half based on luck, and some of the smartest students( I’m sure yourself included) don’t always do as well as others that they may get much higher grades than( its very unpredictable and A- Level and GCSE grades are a much better reflection of your abilities( so getting rejected by Oxford may be very difficult, however never think for a second it reflects that you aren’t good enough, as you most certainly are- no matter whether it feels that way in comparison to your friend that has received her offer.

In terms of your question, I think there’s a few things to consider:

1.

Subject choice:

•

If you were to accept the Nottingham law offer, you’d be going to an excellent uk law school that would provide you almost identical opportunities to Oxbridge( whether it’s 5,10 or 20 ranks lower makes no difference to law firms)- however from what you’ve said, it seems you have been very much encouraged as opposed to naturally inclined to studying law-

•

If your interest lies in PPE, without any doubt you should pursue this- I know it may be hard with your families expectations, but it’s a hugely competitive, and highly respected degree, that undoubtedly rivals that of law( and one that you were interested in most importantly)

•

One thing you should heavily consider and not underestimate is how great the impact of being uninterested in your degree of choice is- law is far too difficult/ big of a commitment to pass without a level of interest- and I suppose in your families eyes- they’d prefer a first in PPE than a 2:2 in law because you weren’t interested- although I’d heavily encourage you to think for yourself and not for your family, as this is your life and career.

Although, one thing to warn you of(as you seem to be aware already) is that re- applying is hugely risky, to an institution such as Oxford, who seem to be able to reject just about anyone, for the most minor weakness in their application, meaning you’d need to perfect every factor of your application, with even more pressure next year-
But in direct response to your request in your thread, to maximise the competitiveness of your application for a re-application to PPE:

•

Perfect your personal statement, if not perfect already

•

Add to your reference what you aim to do in your year out( make it completely academic) talk about all of the things you will do on your year out that helps you to stand out from other applicants who won’t have had the same time as you- gaining lots of experience will majorly help you stand out compared to these other applicants

•

You’ll also be applying with achieved grades, so get your teacher who writes this reference to specify things like how far into the top grade you were/ how you performed above all of the classmates in your subject/ year etc… and make sure the skills they talk about are directly tailored to the PPE course

•

Prepare very hard for your admissions test( it appears from a previous comment from an Oxford PPE applicant that this is a very important factor in this selection process- so dedicate a lot of time( doing the right practice) to ensure you nail it)- p.s. you’ve already conquered the LNAT, and it surely can’t get worse than that!

•

Ensure you study very hard to ensure you get 3 As/A*s on your A- levels- bare in mind you’ll be applying with achieved grades, which are stronger than predicted grades, as they demonstrate you’ve already achieved their requirements- if you get 3 A*s, you will have far surpassed their entry grades of 3 As- and because you have achieved the highest possible grades, you’d be almost certain to get an interview( following a hopefully excellent admissions test score.

•

Then prepare very hard for your interview.

Overall, I think( from what you’ve said) it seems as though your interest lies with politics/ Oxford PPE course)-

If you were looking to stick with law because YOU had a personal passion or interest in it, I would recommend that you accept Nottinghams offer, as they’re a prestigious institution that will leave you with the same opportunities as Oxbridge( without the need/ risk of a gap year).

However, If this( as it seems) is a course choice based largely upon familial pressure and expectation, I would strongly suggest you focus on your own passion and opinion, despite how difficult this may be-

The key thing to reflect on is the fact that once you leave home for university, you’re by yourself forever, left with nothing but your degree that you are studying, and then the job you seek to use it to attain afterwards- by this point- how do you think you will feel if you have followed a path that doesn’t interest you, to satisfy your family who don’t have any influence on your career at that point- you will never regret chasing pursuits you hold a passion for, and will forever regret satisfying others at the expense of your own fulfilment-

So overall, I would really recommend you re- apply, and talk with your family to explain your decision( if you know you have an interest for politics over law)- and do all of the things I have mentioned in my list to maximise your application strength for next year- p.s. if Oxbridge don’t take you next year, another extremely well respected institution most certainly will-

Really good luck for your A- Levels and whatever you chose to do afterwards, and I wish the very best for you in the future- I strongly hope you follow YOUR passion, as regardless of the outcome, that is one thing you will never regret in 60 years time reflecting back on your life decisions.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reapplying for ppe

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