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

Is English Lit, Maths, French and History a good A Level combination for the course? Would you guys recommend I swap something for something else? (Further Maths is out)

I'd swap French for further maths and history for additional further maths and possibly English lit for a statistics a level. Other than that ... :biggrin:

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Reply 7041

Poppyxx

11

Original post by Goods

I'd swap French for further maths and history for additional further maths and possibly English lit for a statistics a level. Other than that ... :biggrin:

Posted from TSR Mobile

I assume (hope?) you're joking because your suggestion is really not necessary for PPE.

Reply 7042

bluewoodchairs

13

Original post by Goods

I'd swap French for further maths and history for additional further maths and possibly English lit for a statistics a level. Other than that ... :biggrin:

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Hope your joking :tongue:

Reply 7043

bluewoodchairs

13

Original post by tooambitious

No, this is a really good selection

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Ok, cool.

Reply 7044

Goods

16

Original post by H_Aple

Hope your joking :tongue:

of course. you have a nice balance there

Reply 7045

PolarBearSlayer

1

Hello all,

I would like to put forward a competitive application to study ppe at oxford but need some advice following my AS levels.
I was always an all rounder at school and was not sure what to study at university and so went for science a levels, considering them to be the most versatile. My options were:
Physics
Chemistry
Maths
Further Maths
Politics

I was aiming to get an A* in normal maths this year but after making some pretty major errors can assure you I will not get more than an A.
I found chemistry dry and boring, whilst further maths, I think, is now out of the question given Michael's Gove decision to get rid of january exams which would mean 7-8 maths modules next summer for I would have to retake one or two A2 normal maths modules to get the A*.
I therefore would like to continue Physics, Politics and redo the Maths modules alongside History AS and A2 in a year.

Essay subjects are my forte (despite my earlier assertion that I was an all rounder, I think this only applied to GCSEs so I basically did not know my weak points until A level), and History is a a 'preferred' option according to the PPE site.

At GCSE I obtained 11A*s and an A in AS critical thinking in year 10.
I am going to the UNIQ Summer School this July (PPE summer school at oxford) which will obviously give me a better idea about the course.

I go to a state comprehensive if that makes any difference.

Grade-wise I aim to get the A* in maths come retake and also in politics and physics; I will aim for an A* in history.

Basically this year i've been demotivated because i've been studying subjects I don't really like in classes that were usually quite disrupted.

Will I stand any chance with the game plan I have laid out, and will the A in normal maths be a problem?

I understand entry requirements are AAA but I'm taking into account the high attainment of applicants.

Kind regards and any reply much appreciated.

Reply 7046

PolarBearSlayer

1

Original post by tooambitious

No, this is a really good selection

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hey sorry to post twice but thought I'd quote you as you seem in a good position to offer advice:
Hello all,

I would like to put forward a competitive application to study ppe at oxford but need some advice following my AS levels.
I was always an all rounder at school and was not sure what to study at university and so went for science a levels, considering them to be the most versatile. My options were:
Physics
Chemistry
Maths
Further Maths
Politics

I was aiming to get an A* in normal maths this year but after making some pretty major errors can assure you I will not get more than an A.
I found chemistry dry and boring, whilst further maths, I think, is now out of the question given Michael's Gove decision to get rid of january exams which would mean 7-8 maths modules next summer for I would have to retake one or two A2 normal maths modules to get the A*.
I therefore would like to continue Physics, Politics and redo the Maths modules alongside History AS and A2 in a year.

Essay subjects are my forte (despite my earlier assertion that I was an all rounder, I think this only applied to GCSEs so I basically did not know my weak points until A level), and History is a a 'preferred' option according to the PPE site.

At GCSE I obtained 11A*s and an A in AS critical thinking in year 10.
I am going to the UNIQ Summer School this July (PPE summer school at oxford) which will obviously give me a better idea about the course.

I go to a state comprehensive if that makes any difference.

Grade-wise I aim to get the A* in maths come retake and also in politics and physics; I will aim for an A* in history.

Basically this year i've been demotivated because i've been studying subjects I don't really like in classes that were usually quite disrupted.

Will I stand any chance with the game plan I have laid out, and will the A in normal maths be a problem?

I understand entry requirements are AAA but I'm taking into account the high attainment of applicants.

Kind regards and any reply much appreciated.

Reply 7047

Koalagate

15

Original post by PolarBearSlayer

Hello all,

I would like to put forward a competitive application to study ppe at oxford but need some advice following my AS levels.
I was always an all rounder at school and was not sure what to study at university and so went for science a levels, considering them to be the most versatile. My options were:
Physics
Chemistry
Maths
Further Maths
Politics

I was aiming to get an A* in normal maths this year but after making some pretty major errors can assure you I will not get more than an A.
I found chemistry dry and boring, whilst further maths, I think, is now out of the question given Michael's Gove decision to get rid of january exams which would mean 7-8 maths modules next summer for I would have to retake one or two A2 normal maths modules to get the A*.
I therefore would like to continue Physics, Politics and redo the Maths modules alongside History AS and A2 in a year.

Essay subjects are my forte (despite my earlier assertion that I was an all rounder, I think this only applied to GCSEs so I basically did not know my weak points until A level), and History is a a 'preferred' option according to the PPE site.

At GCSE I obtained 11A*s and an A in AS critical thinking in year 10.
I am going to the UNIQ Summer School this July (PPE summer school at oxford) which will obviously give me a better idea about the course.

I go to a state comprehensive if that makes any difference.

Grade-wise I aim to get the A* in maths come retake and also in politics and physics; I will aim for an A* in history.

Basically this year i've been demotivated because i've been studying subjects I don't really like in classes that were usually quite disrupted.

Will I stand any chance with the game plan I have laid out, and will the A in normal maths be a problem?

I understand entry requirements are AAA but I'm taking into account the high attainment of applicants.

Kind regards and any reply much appreciated.

1) You don't need an A* in Maths to get in, so retakes would be optional. Especially if you're being predicted/are getting A*s in all your other subjects.

2) Having done the subject, I'm not sure about the practicality of doing both History AS and A2 in one year. Even if you love and are good at it, bear in mind that it's very demanding and entails a large workload. Oxford say they like History but it's not an almost de facto requirement in the same way Maths is (a lot more people haven't done it), so it probably isn't worth it unless you genuinely have a love of History for its own sake.

(Also, bear in mind that you don't know that it's going to be your forte until you've actually tried it.)

3) For clarification - is doing Further Maths 'out of the question' because you don't want to do such a large number of maths exams next summer? Because at the moment I can't see the problem.

Reply 7048

PolarBearSlayer

1

Original post by Koalagate

1) You don't need an A* in Maths to get in, so retakes would be optional. Especially if you're being predicted/are getting A*s in all your other subjects.

2) Having done the subject, I'm not sure about the practicality of doing both History AS and A2 in one year. Even if you love and are good at it, bear in mind that it's very demanding and entails a large workload. Oxford say they like History but it's not an almost de facto requirement in the same way Maths is (a lot more people haven't done it), so it probably isn't worth it unless you genuinely have a love of History for its own sake.

(Also, bear in mind that you don't know that it's going to be your forte until you've actually tried it.)

3) For clarification - is doing Further Maths 'out of the question' because you don't want to do such a large number of maths exams next summer? Because at the moment I can't see the problem.

Hey thanks for the reply and I fully understand your points.
To address (2), firstly, essay subjects in general were very much my forte rather than the sciences and I feel that given the nature of the course and large number of set essays, a solid grounding in this area would help me enormously.
(3) is more or less dependent on (1). If I did further maths I would want to bring the normal maths up to an A*, this would entail retaking 1 or even do A2 maths modules. I would then have to take s1 s2 s3 d1 fp1 and fp2 in the summer- 6 modules. Collectively that would be 7-8 papers and fp2 is notoriously difficult. I'm really not too sure to be honest :/ . I understand history in a year will be difficult but then so would 6 modules of further maths. Prior to the abolition of January exams, 3 modules would be sat in january and 3 in june and this would spread the workload.

Ermmm, I'm not sure what else to say really, thanks for the advice, what are your thoughts apropos the points I explained?

Thanks for your time

Reply 7049

yellowgiraffes

Hey all! First-timer on the forum here. :smile:

I have to decide the subjects I want to do for my A-levels [not the UK ones, the modified Singapore-Cambridge GCE A levels that my country does] in a few months, and I'm wondering if having a more 'science-y' combination like Biology, Chemistry, Economics and Maths will be detrimental to a PPE application. My school has very strict rules on subject combinations and only offers traditional subjects [e.g. no languages since I've already completed my credentials for my second language, no politics/psychology etc.], so most of the subject combinations I see on this thread are impossible for me.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 7050

sellerofdreams

13

Original post by yellowgiraffes

Hey all! First-timer on the forum here. :smile:

I have to decide the subjects I want to do for my A-levels [not the UK ones, the modified Singapore-Cambridge GCE A levels that my country does] in a few months, and I'm wondering if having a more 'science-y' combination like Biology, Chemistry, Economics and Maths will be detrimental to a PPE application. My school has very strict rules on subject combinations and only offers traditional subjects [e.g. no languages since I've already completed my credentials for my second language, no politics/psychology etc.], so most of the subject combinations I see on this thread are impossible for me.

I'm going to do the cie gce a levels too, in Malaysia, and it's very annoying that most colleges only offer the most traditional subjects and often no humanities at all.

Reply 7051

Koalagate

15

Original post by yellowgiraffes

Hey all! First-timer on the forum here. :smile:

I have to decide the subjects I want to do for my A-levels [not the UK ones, the modified Singapore-Cambridge GCE A levels that my country does] in a few months, and I'm wondering if having a more 'science-y' combination like Biology, Chemistry, Economics and Maths will be detrimental to a PPE application. My school has very strict rules on subject combinations and only offers traditional subjects [e.g. no languages since I've already completed my credentials for my second language, no politics/psychology etc.], so most of the subject combinations I see on this thread are impossible for me.

Welcome to TSR!

Those subjects are completely fine. Just concentrate on doing well in them.

Reply 7052

Rlove95

18

I recently decided that PPE was the right course for me. I found out that Oxford's entry requirements were AAA which I think I could possibly achieve if I work hard enough. I was wondering whether it's worth applying as although this is the minimum I'm not even sure if they accept anyone with AAA in reality.
Another worry is my AS Level subjects.
I do Psychology, Business Studies, English Literature and Government & Politics. These aren't that traditional or impressive so I'm not even sure if they would even consider my application so basically would there be any point?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 7053

bishonen

1

http://www.ppe.ox.ac.uk/index.php/applying-for-ppe

As this page states, you can apply with any set of A-levels. Although I think not doing maths puts you at a slight disadvantage - are you numerate, good maths GCSE etc.?

I wouldn't worry about the grades before you get them - apply, and if you get the offer Then you can think about getting the grades!

More importantly for Oxford I suggest background reading, genuine enthusiasm for the subject, ability to think creatively and flexibly etc. They won't worry too much about your subject choices if you can demonstrate those qualities. :smile:

Reply 7054

Alex360

14

Original post by Rlove95

I recently decided that PPE was the right course for me. I found out that Oxford's entry requirements were AAA which I think I could possibly achieve if I work hard enough. I was wondering whether it's worth applying as although this is the minimum I'm not even sure if they accept anyone with AAA in reality.
Another worry is my AS Level subjects.
I do Psychology, Business Studies, English Literature and Government & Politics. These aren't that traditional or impressive so I'm not even sure if they would even consider my application so basically would there be any point?

Thanks :smile:

Typically, an oxford applicant would be predicted grades above AAA. PPE is the/one of the most competitive courses at Oxford when it comes to applications. English Lit is good and traditional, Politics is traditional, psychology - less so, and business studies - even less. However the main issue is Maths. On the Oxford website it says "around 90% of the applicants who were offered places for PPE had studied Maths to at least AS-Level" because the Economics element of PPE is heavy on Maths, thus lowering your chances. You could pick it up at AS however during A2, or self teach perhaps? if you still feel PPE is the course for you. If you have the GCSE 'requirement' of 6+ A/A* and get at least AAAB at AS Level, I would say to apply and see what happens, you never know.

Reply 7055

überambitious_ox

14

I'm not an admissions tutor, but I don't know how they consider those doing both BS and Pyschology. Perhaps a good idea would be to e-mail them directly or to visit the next open day, which is in September.

Hope that helps.

Reply 7056

Redolent

10

You can apply for Oxford as a sort of gamble choice if your other 4 choices are already sufficient, but honestly I wouldn't recommend you get your hopes up. It's a very tough course to get onto, and even the "lesser" PPE courses at places like Warwick and York are very competitive because there is such a spillover. Not having maths, while not a dealbreaker, is definitely a disadvantage. Find some other universities/courses you are interested in first and foremost before you set your sights too strongly on Oxford.

Reply 7057

Rlove95

18

Thanks for all the replies, yeah I think I'm not going to bother. Realistically it's very unlikely I'd ever get in since I have a GCSE Maths B and I don't have that much to include in my personal statement that'd be impressive lol.