The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
hellohello
Hey, I've never heard of anyone applying to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same year, and was wondering why this is...
Are there rules against it?



yep u cant do it

unless ur applying for an organ scholarship (or summin like that neway)
Reply 2
yup, only organ scholars can apply to both
Reply 3
dont know why we aren't allowed to, but the public in general is only permitted to apply to one of those institutions...bit twisted, but hey, thats life! (except organ schlors)

why is this the case?

PK
well i think if you aplied to both, you would get way too many applicants.
Reply 5
Does this rule only apply to undergraduate applicants? I am currently a US student, and applied for graduate admission to BOTH schools. I have already been accepted at Oxford (MPhil in IR) and am eagerly awaiting a reply from Cambridge. Am I likely to be denied becuase I have applied to Oxford?
Reply 6
Cellardore
well i think if you aplied to both, you would get way too many applicants.


yeh that's a good point. i guess most potential oxford applicants would try for cambridge as well, and vice versa
Reply 7
robmoore
Does this rule only apply to undergraduate applicants?

Yes, at least as I understand it. Good luck with your cam application (although Oxford's much nicer than Cam anywhere)
Reply 8
Hoofbeat
Yes, at least as I understand it. Good luck with your cam application (although Oxford's much nicer than Cam anywhere)



lol...you're going to cause increased competition at Oxford next year cos of that:biggrin: don't you know how much people take these comments on board :rolleyes:

PK
It's a bit sh*t that you have to choose one, but that's just the way it is. I suppose it would cost each institution a fortune to interview twice as many candidates, but they're bloody minted anyway!
Reply 10
I think the rule is at least partly based on the idea that if you are good enough for Cambridge you are good enough for Oxford, and vice-versa. Therefore you should apply to the one you actually want to go to - you would have got two offers or two rejections, so applying to both is just a waste of everybodies time.

Of course this point of view is totally flawed since it is something of a (heres that word again) lottery whether or not you get an offer. But the principle is sound, no?

And of course there is the other side to this - if everyone applied to both and got offers from both, everyone would choose to go to Cambridge coz its best. And that would hurt Oxford's feelings. Hence the rule to keep everyone happy. (In case you can't tell- Kidding! :biggrin:)
Reply 11
Oxford and Cambridge kind of rely on the fact that most people who get offered places accept them. Besides, there's little point applying to both...if you get accepted to both, what's the point of putting one down as insurance when they're both likely to give you AAA offers?
Reply 12
This does not really make any sense at all IMO. Oxford and Cambridge are the 2 best unis in the country therefore they should be the most competitive. The decreased commpetition at these places has more to do with people's misconceptions about Oxbridge than not being able to apply to both IMO. Even if every Oxbridge applicatnt was to apply to both, they still woudn't be that much more competitive than the likes of Nottingham and Leeds and they have more places available!

As for not allowing it because a Cambridge student is good enough for Oxford and vice-versa, you could also say that an Imperial student is probably good enough for UCL but you still get people who get accepted by one and rejected by the other - different unis have different opinions on what is important and Oxbridge is no exception

But what makes organ scholars so special?
Reply 13
Squishy
Oxford and Cambridge kind of rely on the fact that most people who get offered places accept them. Besides, there's little point applying to both...if you get accepted to both, what's the point of putting one down as insurance when they're both likely to give you AAA offers?


you may like one over the other - apply, and then look around based on where the offers are coming from.

PK
Reply 14
shyopstv

But what makes organ scholars so special?


high demand for the best? (& relatively few people this must involve interviewing if they even apply to both - most i know didn't)
Reply 15
shyopstv
Even if every Oxbridge applicatnt was to apply to both, they still woudn't be that much more competitive than the likes of Nottingham and Leeds and they have more places available!

...

But what makes organ scholars so special?


Competition isn't just about applicants-per-place, it's also about the quality of the applicants. At the moment the Oxbridge interview system is already quite strained, and if you added on an extra few thousand people then it just wouldn't work. The alternative is to abolish comprehensive interviews, in which case Oxford and Cambridge would be little different from any other UK university.

And organ scholars are special because there's a demand for them.

Phil23
you may like one over the other - apply, and then look around based on where the offers are coming from.

PK


I'm sorry, I don't really get what you're saying.
Reply 16
Squishy

I'm sorry, I don't really get what you're saying.


i donno...i applied to ox coz its easier to get in for maths, apparently, but cambridge course is better, so i'd have put it as first were it not for intence competition. I was in a predicament, cos i really wanted an offer, but knew that it'd be harder at cam, but better, and little worse off at oxford, but easier. I was not willing to gamble.

Anyway, if i had got opportunity to apply to both, and i had got cambridge offer, i'd put it as first, probs, and if i didn't, oxford is oxford...equally good, but less reputable maths course.

thats all...hope there is not an uproar by oxford undergrads due to my post:biggrin:...i will hopefully become faithful in the future, if i get in:biggrin:

Phil
Actually..... you can apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. There's no obligation to use a UCAS form. I know 3 people who just sent a letter to all 60ish Oxford and Cambridge colleges, and got multiple offers.
Jools
Actually..... you can apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. There's no obligation to use a UCAS form. I know 3 people who just sent a letter to all 60ish Oxford and Cambridge colleges, and got multiple offers.

i think i was told it wasnt recommended for maths.
I think maybe the principle might be that in order to have two world class unis at the very top, then people can only choose to go to one, i.e. Cambridge doesnt become full of Oxford rejects, or vice versa. Hence, everyone at Cambridge chose cambidge over oxford, they werent obliged to go there instead. Is that clear?

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Actually..... you can apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. There's no obligation to use a UCAS form. I know 3 people who just sent a letter to all 60ish Oxford and Cambridge colleges, and got multiple offers.


Really? that is so cool. I wish I had thought of it (but it does sound a tad risky; surely if it was a viable alternative everyone would do it? And you may get found out and expelled?)