Choosing an Oxford College

1. I wonder if there is a correlation between coming to an open day and showing up in October for overseas offer holders. I think it would be fairly interesting, and you should have the information (since there was a sign-in sheet during the open day).

That's great feedback - thanks.

Yes we do have the data - I just haven't got around to running it yet this year. It's on the to-do list.

It's been noticeable in previous years that we get a lot of international students who haven't visited for an open day, coming to the "Tea Cake and Sympathy Drop in Sessions" we run during the interview period. International students who've come to that event (and who get offers) do tend to start their course. But the numbers are pretty small, so it's hard to draw firm conclusions.

If we were to do something like a virtual open day, would that help? Been thinking about maybe running something on Facebook. Or maybe more of a webinar style event using conference software.

I've heard it mooted by a couple of people, but there's a bit of a concern that this is very much an area for students to talk, and we might be seen as unwelcome encroachment on this. I'm going to a meeting in a few weeks to discuss the type of outreach we've been involved in this year and what's worked, so I'll certainly take your feedback along to that :-)

That's great because I certainly think it's somethign that should be expanded to other departments/collges.You just have to look at how popular the"Ask an admissions tutor" thread was that was on the Cambridge forum where, for a week, the Corpus Christi admissions tutor answered loads of applicant's questions. As far as not wanting to encroach on the student's private space, perhaps a seperate thread could be set up that is the only thread the tutor's monitor. Then there would be no encoroachment, just an added resource for applicants (and probably easier for you to check too!)

I'm going to risk the inevitable neg's that will come form doing this, but I'll outline for you the stereotypical reputations of each college from my experiences of being at Oxford. In no way am I saying they are accurate or fair, simply putting them out there for your consideration.

Merton: Nerdy but friendly and not socially selective. Has fewer people who are 'going out sorts' compared to most colleges and is infamous for being very hard working and academically demanding. Does incredibly well in university exams but has a reputation for being 'the place where fun goes to die' (see student newspaper articles on this for confirmation that I didn't just invent that quote!) It's also incredibly beautiful and has one of the best choirs in the university.

Christ Church: public school and traditional. It's often viewed as one of the traditional Oxford colleges in the sense that it retains a large number of things like all male drinking societies (which are socially selective- no private school education or stacks of cash and you're probably not invited) and isn't famed for being a popular choice amongst state school students. The latter I certainly disagree with as the statistics show otherwise, but it is a perception which I've found quite prevalent in the university. Student politics are arguably more prevalent here than at many other colleges, which may be something you like or it may not. Christ Church is also incredibly beautiful, though does get rather invaded by tourists on a daily basis.

I'm going to risk the inevitable neg's that will come form doing this, but I'll outline for you the stereotypical reputations of each college from my experiences of being at Oxford. In no way am I saying they are accurate or fair, simply putting them out there for your consideration.

Merton: Nerdy but friendly and not socially selective. Has fewer people who are 'going out sorts' compared to most colleges and is infamous for being very hard working and academically demanding. Does incredibly well in university exams but has a reputation for being 'the place where fun goes to die' (see student newspaper articles on this for confirmation that I didn't just invent that quote!) It's also incredibly beautiful and has one of the best choirs in the university.

Christ Church: public school and traditional. It's often viewed as one of the traditional Oxford colleges in the sense that it retains a large number of things like all male drinking societies (which are socially selective- no private school education or stacks of cash and you're probably not invited) and isn't famed for being a popular choice amongst state school students. The latter I certainly disagree with as the statistics show otherwise, but it is a perception which I've found quite prevalent in the university. Student politics are arguably more prevalent here than at many other colleges, which may be something you like or it may not. Christ Church is also incredibly beautiful, though does get rather invaded by tourists on a daily basis.

Although that said, I certainly don't think the Merton stereotype is at all accurate. We've had collections - mock exams - where the average mark has been around 40% and no tutors minded. I've never heard of anyone having penal collections in Merton, and they can be very common in other colleges. Our year's results for maths most definitely aren't above average! Also, we have tons of entz and our bops go on later than any other college I've heard of.

I agree it's not accurate per say; I have a few friends at Merton and they seem happy enough. My reference to exam results was really a reference to the Norrington table which Merton always does ridiculously well in though it's interesting how lenient your tutors have been. Every college has entz -undergrad entertainment events in normal speak- (not saying yours isn't good, just putting it out there for anyone who isn't a student reading this) which has its plus and minus points. How late do Merton bops go on?

If someone got 40% in collections at my college, one particular tutor would kindly make your life a living hell (in fact, he's done this to someone who averaged only about 50% in prelims - making them sit collections on all five papers upon her return).

2am


40% was the average! I think the lowest mark in that particular one was 21%. And this isn't confined to maths - I know that in one set of collections three second year chemists' marks added together came to less than 40%.

Do you have anything similar to say of Balliol and/or Wadham? I'd be very grateful!

That is very late I must say. Though at my college bop's tend to be followed by going out after if people want to/have time- seems Merton keeps to its reputation and misses out the going out bit entirely!! (I jest obviously; I'm secretly quite jealous)

The stereotypes for my college certainly have elements of truth in from my experiences there! !

Having said that, overall you are almost certainly correct though. Wadham does really tangibly have a gay bop. Merton does score 2 or 3 more firsts than average per year. I'm not sure that makes a difference to individuals though. Even if there was a college where half of people locked themselves in their room to doing work all evening... that still leaves like 50 sociable people to get drunk and get kicked out of junction with. What will make the difference to your life will be the people you become friends with, the people who spend your time with. Hence why i always say: pick by real factors: Because those are predictable.

You also have to consider the impact your advice will have. If we could guarantee that everyone got into the place they applied to though stereotypes would be great. We could just send all of the rugby boys to Teddy hall and let the rest of us be rid of them! (although you probably would hear the bar-night banshee-screaming from Hugh's...)

By spreading stereotypes you increase how true they become, and when over a third of people end up at colleges they didn't apply to, i'm not sure acting to polarise college atmospheres like that is productive.

Given I'm involved in access work I appreciate this. But I take the view that if people are silly enough to think 'ah that stereotype accounts for everyone there' then they are foolish and have let themselves be convinced that way. I put caveats on each of my posts and simply put them out there to give people an insight into what people at Oxford have said in my experience; how much credability or value they place on that is entirely their issue.

The kind of stereotypes we aim to combat are that Oxford is only for 1 type of person when actually it's for absolutely anyone regardless who they may be or where they come from. That doesn't mean we need to pretend every college is identical as if we live in some Communist utopia. It would be like a council education officer saying every school in the Borough of Bromley is the same and doesn't have a different character; they really do.



We don't tend to call them 'children'- it's a bit patronising. A lot of people are put off for a variety of reasons- I doubt hearing Merton College is quite good academically compared to others is one of them. If I said 'oh EVERYONE is so middle class here... all went to private school' then yes I'd be spreading the kind of rumour that is likely to put them off applying. I've not done that.



Well I'm an access rep and I let anyone who wants to get involved get involved. I also feel my approach has been very successful as it is honest and relaxed rather than the PR propaganda type of operation some colleges pursue. But I also don't try to paint an unrealistic picture of Oxford not having its quirks and differences between the colleges and I also don't try to deny that people have their assumptions about other colleges but always put caveats in place. If you want to get involved in access work then there is a great deal you can do without your college- I'll happily send you details if you wish



I still think you're over-reacting. You make Oxford students seem so uptight and dramatic! Chill- we're all on the same side

Hey all. Quick question, and I'd honestly like a truthful answer. Trinity College (Cambridge) has been known to be quite vindictive with its offers and also the way it works when providing offers to people from the pool e.t.c. Does Christ Church also operate a similar format? I know people say "it's not any more difficult to get into one college than the other" but on this years STEP 2013 thread, it was obvious that Trinity was quite nasty with the way it did things and it was very idiosyncratic. Does C'Church operate a similar policy?

Thanks.

Not with A-levels.
Potentially with IB (where the offer is a range and HL 7 can be specified)
[this is true for all Oxford colleges]