Economics at Cambridge vs E&M at Oxford

Hi, I’m planning to apply for Economics at Oxbridge but I’m still not sure whether to go for Economics and Management at Oxford or Economics at Cambridge. I’d really appreciate some advice from anyone studying the course

I’m taking Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics for A level. I prefer the maths side of economics and I’m not that good at essay writing. Also will they be teaching you about how to structure your essays and making citations.

I’ve heard that the Cambridge course is a lot more mathematical, but if you choose all the quantitative modules at Oxford, is it a similar level? Also, people say you have to write essays every week at Oxford, but does that continue after first year if you pick the more maths-based options? At Cambridge there’s the history and politics paper and a dissertation, so that probably means more writing too.

I like the Oxford course more overall, but I’ve heard Cambridge gets very applied and stats-heavy in third year, which also sounds interesting. I’ve also heard that how quantitative the course is can depend on the college at Oxford. Is that true, and which colleges are known to be more quantitative?

In terms of getting in, which one might give you a slightly better chance? Do they weigh the personal statement, interview, admissions test, A levels and GCSEs differently?

I think I’d do better in the admissions test and A levels, since my TSA and TMUA practice scores have been above average, but I’m weaker at interviews and personal statements. I also heard some Oxford tutors don’t really read the personal statement much – is that true? Does Oxford care less about the interview compared to Cambridge since Cambridge interviews almost everyone?

Also, Cambridge has a higher acceptance rate, about double Oxford’s, so I’m wondering how that affects the difficulty of getting in.

For anyone actually studying these courses, could you share what it’s like? How’s the workload? Do you find the course interesting and useful? What’s student life like? And do you have any regrets about choosing your course or uni?

Thanks a lot for any help or advice.

Reply 1

thegeek888

If you get A*A*AA then Cambridge is an option for you, otherwise it might be easier to meet the A*AA offer for Oxford as A-Level Maths can be an A* or even an A grade. 😛 lol

I would suggest Pembroke College, Oxford for BA Economics & Management if I was not applying for BA Law at St. John's College, Oxford.

Also, you've got to prepare well for the TSA Section 1 test. 🙂