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Oxford PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Students and Applicants

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Reply 3280
Pikullos
Hi AG27,
Bookswise I can't recommend Johnathon Wolff's "An Introduction To Political Philosophy" enough in politics. That was only really academic politics-y book I read; other than that The Economist is superb, or a weekly digest magazine like The Week to keep atop of current events.
Philosophy - I read Russell's "The Problems of Philosophy", it's quite tough going and I didn't really get it the first time but I think the quality of prose and trying to copy his clarity of thought really helped me. I read On Liberty by Mill too but I wouldn't really recommend it, it was good to put in in the personal statement and I got asked about it at interview but I think that finding a good book covering a variety of philosophical ideas in reasonable depth would serve you in better stead for interviews.
Even though you didn't ask I'll plug "The Worldly Philosophers" by Heilbroner simply because it's amazing and got me into economics.

Thanks, I suppose I don't mind economics either!
Metamorphosis_S
Private schools are great, the food is much nicer. I'd pay just for that tbh.


:biggrin: That's one great reason to choose oxford, three meals a day cooked for you. Very nice.:yep:
Reply 3282
rosa.s.
Heya, I know how much i wanted the answer to questions like this only about a month ago so i am more than happy to help with any- if you want to see my Personal statement or anything like that just PM me (not that it's amazingly good, but i know how badly i wanted to know stuff like that from successful applicants).

Anyway, sorry, in answer to you're actual question I read:

Problems of Philosophy, Russell
Political Philosophy from Plato to Mao, Martin Cohen
(i didn't read this in as much detail, and only certian sections- but it is REALLY good for giving a brief overview of the most important Pol Philos works, and it uses alot of extracts from books and accompanies them with a commentry which when you've got something like Leviathon or Wealth of Nations, which are like 500 pages is alot more realistic for a not-yet-undergrad)
The Republic, Plato (this i spent seriously about 75hrs+ analysing, annotating and making notes on. I didn't say a word about it at interview, however as a wise friend of mine pointed out, spending that kinda time analysing a pol and philos book improves you're skills, and makes you think, well, more analytically- so for this it was more the skills than the content- also i probably didn't even scrape the surface of what 3rd years get out of it at oxford. I enjoyed it though, and i think that it did make me take a new perspective on many issues, perhaps most importantly that of the use of argument and analogy)
On Liberty, Mill (No where near- or so i found!- as conceptually difficult as Plato, and he does labour the point a bit, but none the less i found the way one can apply the more ethical side of Mill to situations arising in today's, or conceptual, politics fascinating- and this did come up briefly at interview)
The New Rulers of The World, John Pilger (a journalistic text, getting older now, but i just love Pilger so it was a personal passion really, mentioned in my PS- i think it's nice to have the odd journalist who one attaches to- it shows one must read a fair amount to find these journalists)

I also regularly read the Newstatesman and The Economist, so as to get a healthy balence! (75% of those who apply and read the economist get in for PPE...but then 'there's lies, damn lies and statistics!'... But i like it as reading material personally)

I also meant to read the J-Curve, but only got 1/4 of the way through before interview! You've got plenty of time though, so maybe make room for it- i'm sure knowledge from it would have come in handy.

I'm sorry if this is just a load of rambly uselessness, but i hope it's of some vague help. Finally, i would just say, each of the books above i knew inside out- i had highlighted, annotated, and then written a whole load of notes on them- 30 pgs for the republic!- and that worked better for me than kinda knowing 25 books.

Thanks a lot, nice of you to give a brief overviews of each book. And thanks for the offer of help, probably will PM you during 2009, providing that I'll apply. :smile:
Reply 3283
Leviathon
Too little I think, but they let me in anyway.:wink: I too read Mill's "On Liberty" but that was part of my philosophy course, as was Palto's "Republic". Outside of my course I read a book called "Arguments for Sociailism" by Tony Benn and "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" which is a great book on climate change and relates to philsophy, politics and economics nicely, it was written by Thom Hartmann. In terms of having things for generally just improving my knowledge I didn't read anything specific. I was fine with philosophy because I do it at A level and I have been interested in politics for so long and read plenty of articles, watched various programs and had many debates so I knew what I was talking about. In economics I knew very little but fortunately no economics really came up in the interview, just maths and logic. I'll extend the same offer as Rosa, so if you want to read my PS just PM me and I'll be happy to show it to you.

Thanks, i recently attended a politics conference where i heard Tony Benn speak - knowledgeable person. Also, thanks for your offer to PM as well.
Reply 3284
[QUOTE]
rosa.s.


I also regularly read the Newstatesman and The Economist, so as to get a healthy balence! (75% of those who apply and read the economist get in for PPE...but then 'there's lies, damn lies and statistics!'... But i like it as reading material personally)

QUOTE]

Also just wondering where you got the 75% success of people who read the economist stat? (Because if it's from a newspaper (particularly a broadsheet) it would sound a lot reliable than somewhere from internet (as anything can get published of course))
Reply 3285
Did anyone have practice interviews with Oxbridge applications? If so what did they involve and how helpful were they?
Buffyboy
Did anyone have practice interviews with Oxbridge applications? If so what did they involve and how helpful were they?


My college couldn't give me any mock interviews, BUT from what other people said during my interview days they were a complete waste of time. But keep in mind that's just what I was told by other people so it's up to you how much you trust it.
Reply 3287
Buffyboy
Did anyone have practice interviews with Oxbridge applications? If so what did they involve and how helpful were they?


The practice interview my school put on wasn't helpful at all, it was basically a chat with one of the governors about nothing in particular. That's not to say practice interviews can't be helpful but I think they're better as a rehearsal for the real thing rather than as a teaching tool.
However, what I think the crux of your question is, "is what preparation can you do for interviews?". I personally believe that preparation is everything, although it's not necessarily the formal preparation that's helpful. Take any opportunities you can to argue with people academically, every interview I had was the tutor drawing an opinion from me and then forcing me to defend it or adjust it in light of their criticisms, and you can never practice too much. Debate, debate, debate. The interview booklets we got given basically said that they don't care what you know, they're more bothered about whether you can argue intelligently and see the points being made (although a background knowledge of the subject is really helpful too :rolleyes:).
Secondly, make sure you're happy and comfortable enthusing about your subject to other people without cringing or sounding insincere (if PPE is right for you it shouldn't be too hard).
Thirdly, try not to take it all too seriously, impossible as it sounds. Of the interviewees at Magdalen the ones I know who got in were the ones who sat in the common room laughing, joking and generally enjoying the experience. The tutors need to want to teach you so if you stress out in interviews your best side tends not to come across.

Sorry for wandering off topic and I feel a bit preachy now :s-smilie: But if you've got any other questions feel free to PM me...
Buffyboy
Did anyone have practice interviews with Oxbridge applications? If so what did they involve and how helpful were they?


Do you mean the outside company that does practise interviews in exchange for munitary payment? :o:

If so, don't bother doing it. Talk to your college, ask a Senior Tutor/Head of Year/whatever to organise a mock interview with you, that or just ask if you can speak to one of your relevant subject teachers about anything in some free time.

I had one mock interview. It was useful to help me to understand how I have to balance my arguments etc, but tbh it wasn't much like the real thing. My real interviews were very much responses to problems or questions that I got at the time/just before.

But don't bother paying money to people to help you. If you are good enough/enthuse enough and have a little bit of luck with you, along with a strong profile, you stand a chance. End of.
Reply 3289
Right, yeah thanks, I was wondering about the actual company Oxbridge Applications, but any advice on any other interview practice is great.
They charge an absolute bomb for their services! One of their weekend preparation events cost £900; and when they emailed me about that I replied telling them to bugger off!
Reply 3291
I read this guide and it was incredibly useful!
i applied for PPE at St Peters for 2009 entry
i come from a state school, recently failed Ofsted :eek:
but then passed on its yearly review about a week b4 my interview lol - woohoo on achieving 'satisfactory' :yep:

I was so worried when it got to the interviews, every there seemed so clever! but having read the guide and realising that everyone really is in the same boat - private school tutoring certainly doesnt guarantee success - i was a lot less nervous than i expected

Naturally, i thought my interview went awfully when i heard the stories from the other people

but... I GOT ACCEPTED
woop woop :biggrin:

sometimes i just think people come out of the interview with the sole intention of making everyone else feel worse about theirs lol

--------------

back to current topic:

i had only one practice interview at a local private school who kindly opened up their training day for their students to schools in the surrounding area for free :biggrin:

it was very nice of them and certainly helps if you really have no clue what to expect in interview stages of application (like me)

there may be schools running things like this all over the country, you just need to find them! get your school ringing up the local private schools (they tend to have more applicants to Oxbridge than state schools - i was the only one at my school :cool: - so will likely be running some sort of training for them that us mere mortals can barge in on :biggrin: )

lol, great guide!
You can do all sorts either continue into a PhD, work for pharmaceuticals/oil companies/chemical companies, IT, management, finance and loads more.
nasirjones
Apply, Apply, APPLY! you have nothing to lose. look at me.

I have only 2 A* and 1 A; i applied to law as well as PPE, i got a B in maths GCSE - and i still beat those other three freakin eton fools to get a place at the best (well, its open to discussion) college in oxford.

you have nothing to lose.


Just how full of **** are you? You can't POSSIBLY have written a personal statement to cover Law, Anthropology, Politics, Philosophy and Economics - there is simply NO way. And LSE are ridiculously snobby about personal statements not geared 100% towards their course, so you must have written one based on principally Law and Anthropology, which then begs the question, how did you get an offer for PPE?

Next up, "freakin eton fools" - somehow, I don't think a boy with such narrow-minded views on education will ever become Prime Minister. Then again, I know a lot of people who have the exact same delusions as you: "I'm going to be the first PM who's Chinese", one person told me, yet they can just about string a sentence together.

The point I object most to, however, is your ridiculous claim that Regents Park Hall (incidentally, that isn't even its correct name) is somehow "the best college in Oxford". It's not even a college, and - if it was - its Norrington score would make it 31st out of 38 (if you counted all the PPHs as colleges, which you don't).

This seems like a rather silly rant, but I just found your attitude extremely irritating.
Deipnosophist123
Just how full of **** are you? You can't POSSIBLY have written a personal statement to cover Law, Anthropology, Politics, Philosophy and Economics - there is simply NO way. And LSE are ridiculously snobby about personal statements not geared 100% towards their course, so you must have written one based on principally Law and Anthropology, which then begs the question, how did you get an offer for PPE?

Next up, "freakin eton fools" - somehow, I don't think a boy with such narrow-minded views on education will ever become Prime Minister. Then again, I know a lot of people who have the exact same delusions as you: "I'm going to be the first PM who's Chinese", one person told me, yet they can just about string a sentence together.

The point I object most to, however, is your ridiculous claim that Regents Park Hall (incidentally, that isn't even its correct name) is somehow "the best college in Oxford". It's not even a college, and - if it was - its Norrington score would make it 31st out of 38 (if you counted all the PPHs as colleges, which you don't).

This seems like a rather silly rant, but I just found your attitude extremely irritating.


first off, i apololigise for my attitude, it was in the heat of excitement and i lost my mind - and have you ever heard of typos. i guess not.

I was supporting regents park "permanent private Halls" to such an extreme because they accepted me. Of course they are not the best. use your brain and read between the lines.

About the personal statement, here it is: (also if you want i can send you a picture of my ucas screen)

My interest in the Law was sparked during work experience in a dental practice. Through verifying letters and contracts and liaising with patients, my awareness of legal language grew, as did my enthusiasm for Social sciences and policy.

Reading the works of Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan has cultivated my interest in moral ethics and justice. This area deals with the assessment and measure of the rights of people and solutions that seem to damage the least number of people.

My combination of A levels has provided me with an array of skills. Chemistry and Biology have developed my analytical and mathematical ability, whether employing standard deviation or algorithmic techniques to predict a reaction. These subjects have enabled me to grasp complex concepts with greater ease, such as in learning about the human transport system. English literature has developed my abilities in rhetoric and articulate speech, and has moulded me into a concise and clear essay writer. It has developed my use of reason, selective use of material and capacity to construct and critically assess arguments

Reading around my subjects has introduced me to the world of philosophical debates on the essence of human nature, and has encouraged me to submit my own articles on jurisprudence and effects of the recession to discussion sites set up by aspiring Mensa applicants. I strongly believe I have a lot to offer university in terms of ideas. Regular reading of the Times legal, political and economical supplements has made me appreciate the extent to which society is an intricate amalgamation of the law and economical ideology, as is the case with the legal versus security syndrome. My skills have been rigorously applied through participation in our school debating club, where I have successfully won a seemingly unwinnable debate on size zero models, and have participated at national level in front of established debaters' and politicians such as Andrew Selous.

The area of Social science that interests me are the anthropological aspects, as the nature of human thinking and civilisation is an area on which i am currently writing an article. How anthropology has had a profound effect on female liberation and social equality on a global scale are issues i would like to adress at degree level.

I assist in many youth projects in my local area, and have become particularly involved in the Boyhood to Manhood scheme, set up to help teenagers develop into mature adults by making them socially aware of their environment, and also providing opportunities for them career wise.

Motor sports are one of my main passions, to the extent that I co-founded an engineering club within our school. As presiding overseer and chairman I have led a team of eight students in constructing an electric powered mini car, and entering into regional races. My role has also involved negotiating and securing a GBP 10,000 funding package with our sponsors, Winkworths estate agents, as well as managing finances.

I hope to develop the intellectual capacities to challenge the aspects of Law, whether it be economical, philosophical or political. This can be exemplified by J.S. Mill who asserted that: 'Tyranny is found in the deeper slumber of decided thought'. Our Psyche cannot hold onto an ideology so firmly that it cannot be questioned. I agree with Mill in saying that the duty of analysing and questioning accepted ideologies falls on scholars.

2. why i have such a big interst in law was the first question i was asked in my general interview, and i was expecting, and it worked in my favour.

again, if taht aint enough, do you want a screen of my ucas?
nasirjones
first off, i apololigise for my attitude, it was in the heat of excitement and i lost my mind - and have you ever heard of typos. i guess not.


I don't think I ever picked up on your atrocious spelling (until now!)

I was supporting regents park "permanent private Halls" to such an extreme because they accepted me. Of course they are not the best. use your brain and read between the lines.


Don't patronise me when you seem incapable of consistency.

My interest in the Law was sparked during work experience in a dental practice. Through verifying letters and contracts and liaising with patients, my awareness of legal language grew, as did my enthusiasm for Social sciences and policy.

Reading the works of Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan has cultivated my interest in moral ethics and justice. This area deals with the assessment and measure of the rights of people and solutions that seem to damage the least number of people.

My combination of A levels has provided me with an array of skills. Chemistry and Biology have developed my analytical and mathematical ability, whether employing standard deviation or algorithmic techniques to predict a reaction. These subjects have enabled me to grasp complex concepts with greater ease, such as in learning about the human transport system. English literature has developed my abilities in rhetoric and articulate speech, and has moulded me into a concise and clear essay writer. It has developed my use of reason, selective use of material and capacity to construct and critically assess arguments

Reading around my subjects has introduced me to the world of philosophical debates on the essence of human nature, and has encouraged me to submit my own articles on jurisprudence and effects of the recession to discussion sites set up by aspiring Mensa applicants. I strongly believe I have a lot to offer university in terms of ideas. Regular reading of the Times legal, political and economical supplements has made me appreciate the extent to which society is an intricate amalgamation of the law and economical ideology, as is the case with the legal versus security syndrome. My skills have been rigorously applied through participation in our school debating club, where I have successfully won a seemingly unwinnable debate on size zero models, and have participated at national level in front of established debaters' and politicians such as Andrew Selous.

The area of Social science that interests me are the anthropological aspects, as the nature of human thinking and civilisation is an area on which i am currently writing an article. How anthropology has had a profound effect on female liberation and social equality on a global scale are issues i would like to adress at degree level.

I assist in many youth projects in my local area, and have become particularly involved in the Boyhood to Manhood scheme, set up to help teenagers develop into mature adults by making them socially aware of their environment, and also providing opportunities for them career wise.

Motor sports are one of my main passions, to the extent that I co-founded an engineering club within our school. As presiding overseer and chairman I have led a team of eight students in constructing an electric powered mini car, and entering into regional races. My role has also involved negotiating and securing a GBP 10,000 funding package with our sponsors, Winkworths estate agents, as well as managing finances.

I hope to develop the intellectual capacities to challenge the aspects of Law, whether it be economical, philosophical or political. This can be exemplified by J.S. Mill who asserted that: 'Tyranny is found in the deeper slumber of decided thought'. Our Psyche cannot hold onto an ideology so firmly that it cannot be questioned. I agree with Mill in saying that the duty of analysing and questioning accepted ideologies falls on scholars.


Firstly, there is SIMPLY no way that you have offers from all these universities with that personal statement. Not only do you use "economical" incorrectly twice, but you make a huge number of spelling and grammatical errors - most notably in the Anthropology section, which leads me to think you just wrote that section now to try and make it seem as if Anthropology was in your Personal Statement. You're telling me that LSE gave you an offer (admittedly for a chronically undersubscribed course) for Law and Anthropology when half your statement was devoted to vague references to what you consider to be Politics, Philosophy and Economics (incidentally, all your references were awfully vague: "I read a book by this guy and I liked it", sort of quality)

2. why i have such a big interst in law was the first question i was asked in my general interview, and i was expecting, and it worked in my favour.


Of course it did.

again, if taht aint enough, do you want a screen of my ucas?


No, because even then I won't believe you. I suppose a print screen of your Personal Statement with the Anthropology section showing MIGHT suffice, but even that could be falsified.

I just can't take you seriously, sorry.
nasirjones
first off, i apololigise for my attitude, it was in the heat of excitement and i lost my mind - and have you ever heard of typos. i guess not.

I was supporting regents park "permanent private Halls" to such an extreme because they accepted me. Of course they are not the best. use your brain and read between the lines.

About the personal statement, here it is: (also if you want i can send you a picture of my ucas screen)

My interest in the Law was sparked during work experience in a dental practice. Through verifying letters and contracts and liaising with patients, my awareness of legal language grew, as did my enthusiasm for Social sciences and policy.

Reading the works of Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan has cultivated my interest in moral ethics and justice. This area deals with the assessment and measure of the rights of people and solutions that seem to damage the least number of people.

My combination of A levels has provided me with an array of skills. Chemistry and Biology have developed my analytical and mathematical ability, whether employing standard deviation or algorithmic techniques to predict a reaction. These subjects have enabled me to grasp complex concepts with greater ease, such as in learning about the human transport system. English literature has developed my abilities in rhetoric and articulate speech, and has moulded me into a concise and clear essay writer. It has developed my use of reason, selective use of material and capacity to construct and critically assess arguments

Reading around my subjects has introduced me to the world of philosophical debates on the essence of human nature, and has encouraged me to submit my own articles on jurisprudence and effects of the recession to discussion sites set up by aspiring Mensa applicants. I strongly believe I have a lot to offer university in terms of ideas. Regular reading of the Times legal, political and economical supplements has made me appreciate the extent to which society is an intricate amalgamation of the law and economical ideology, as is the case with the legal versus security syndrome. My skills have been rigorously applied through participation in our school debating club, where I have successfully won a seemingly unwinnable debate on size zero models, and have participated at national level in front of established debaters' and politicians such as Andrew Selous.

The area of Social science that interests me are the anthropological aspects, as the nature of human thinking and civilisation is an area on which i am currently writing an article. How anthropology has had a profound effect on female liberation and social equality on a global scale are issues i would like to adress at degree level.

I assist in many youth projects in my local area, and have become particularly involved in the Boyhood to Manhood scheme, set up to help teenagers develop into mature adults by making them socially aware of their environment, and also providing opportunities for them career wise.

Motor sports are one of my main passions, to the extent that I co-founded an engineering club within our school. As presiding overseer and chairman I have led a team of eight students in constructing an electric powered mini car, and entering into regional races. My role has also involved negotiating and securing a GBP 10,000 funding package with our sponsors, Winkworths estate agents, as well as managing finances.

I hope to develop the intellectual capacities to challenge the aspects of Law, whether it be economical, philosophical or political. This can be exemplified by J.S. Mill who asserted that: 'Tyranny is found in the deeper slumber of decided thought'. Our Psyche cannot hold onto an ideology so firmly that it cannot be questioned. I agree with Mill in saying that the duty of analysing and questioning accepted ideologies falls on scholars.

2. why i have such a big interst in law was the first question i was asked in my general interview, and i was expecting, and it worked in my favour.

again, if taht aint enough, do you want a screen of my ucas?


Are you planning on doing a law conversion course after PPE? Since that seems to be your main area of interest..
Can we keep things civil and stop this nonsense? This isn't aimed at one member in particular. Thanks.
Seriously - this thread was to help people apply for PPE, not berate those who did!
I am thinking about planning to do NatSci at Cambridge because i loe maths chemistry and physics and quite frankly want to carry on with all 3 of them but would it be advantageous to do a AS level in biology next year (currently doing maths, further maths, physics, chemistry and economics). I teach maths myself so i could do it in my spare time after school and do biology in school or would it not show any significance benefit as i don't plan on doing biology anyway and would it be more beneficial to spend my time reading around chem/phys/maths.

Btw i plan on going into IB