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

My Economics interview was the last one on Monday, at like 5.40 pm and hence I was both nervous and tired, not a good combination! How did you solve the puzzle?
And yes, my Philosophy interview was on the last day and I had those three syllogisms but we managed to talk only about the first two because time was over soon.

On a different note, I have to email my half-year report to them and whilst it is probably better to send it to the college than to the university(?), I'm unsure whether to address it to the Admission Officer, the Tutor for Admissions or the Admissions office in general. What would you do?

I feel for you on the economics - I'm glad you only got through the first two because the same thing happened to me and i thought that was a bad thing!

I would send it to the college admissions secretary - that seems most appropriate.

Thank you!

I feel most confident about my Philosophy interview but unfortunately, that won't help me as we have to do great or at least reasonably good in all of the interviews. (I am therefore happy to report that the competition got a little easier for you guys.)

The TSA also plays a big role - there was a previous applicant from my school whose feedback said all his interviews were mediocre but he was saved by his TSA!

Wow! Do not underestimate how much this boosted my confidence! I for my part hope my personal statement'll save me - I think that was the strongest part of my application...

Keeping my fingers for you!

Sadly I'm less convinced the personal statement plays a huge role - which is sad because I liked mine!

My fingers are crossed for you too!

Bummer...

Keep me posted on the outcome of your application, okay?

Of course - you too.

Hello, my dream is PPE at Oxford, I achieved 2A*'s 3A's and 5B's at GCSE without revising because I was lazy. Stay with me here.

In year 12 I decided that to accomplish my dream I would have to step it up a notch and have achieved 100% attendance and A grade predictions for AS levels. However, the teaching standards at my college are abysmal. Teachers mark mock exams wrong, others don't mark mocks/homework, they taught us the wrong syllabus, they told us we'd never amount to anything and that we were the ones to blame for everything. We didn't finish some of the courses until a few days before the first exam, which left virtually no time to revise, we hardly ever work on exam technique and in my case personally, my english teacher has made a series of sexual advances on me. Because of the above factors I don't know that I'll be able to hit my grades and will most likely end up with a mixture of A's B's and C's.

Naturally, my parents are disgusted with the college and are going to transfer me into private education. The sixth form that I'm going to is outstanding and has a high Oxbridge acceptance rate, however they require me to start year 12 again if I am to join, which I have no problem with, as I don't think I'll hit straight A's this year anyway, because of what I've mentioned above.

Will Oxford look unfavourably upon me for retaking year 12, or will they understand?

There really are no other eligible institutions in my area that are that good and this sixth form won't take me unless I start again. As for my teacher, she constantl hugs me in class, reads highly erotic and sexual poetry to me with passion and action, tells me about how she wants me to take her out for drinks and talks to me about her sex life. She's about 43 or something, and although I may have been a little harsh in calling it sexual advances, I hardly consider the behaviour even mildly appropriate for a teacher. The only reason I haven't reported her for it, despite my class mates telling me I should, is because she has kids and I don't want her to be out of work and unable to provide for them.

I was under the impression that Oxford weren't entirely against retaking though?

Yeah I probably should report it, but I'm still here, despite it affecting my english, and it is at the expense of her children.

I'm in desperate need of some reassurance.

I got excellent results in secondary and then transferred to a local college to do A levels. At the start of the year I was predicted to attain AAAB I was also told that I could get AAAA though throughout the year and my tutor pegged me as a possible Oxbridge candidate. I was ecstatic about this prospect, as it's my dream. I also attained 100% attendance. However, throughout the year problems have occurred. My father was very ill at the time of my exams and died of cancer last week and my college has taught the wrong syllabus for one of my courses, only finished one course three days before the exam (leaving virtually no time for solid revision alongside other exams), one teacher also gave us our mock exam (the one that should have been done in January with the others) a week before our actual exam and then made some of us mark our own mocks. We were also only taught exam technique a day before the exam for English Literature and the teacher never marks our work and even did an awful job with coursework for everyone. It's just been a monumental mess up this year. One teacher even openly said that they didn't care what we got in our exams as they would still have their salary at the end of the year.

My mother, alongside being stressed about my father, has been very stressed about my education and I'm actually transferring to a private sixth form, where I was offered a scholarship, to retake year 12. The school I'm going to will definitely get me the grades I need for Oxbridge, but I'm so depressed that this year hasn't worked out. I spoke to Oxford and they said it won't be a problem if I retake year 12 and it shouldn't hinder my application because of the circumstances, but will other universities feel the same, do you think?

I'm so stressed. I got ACCD in my AS levels (the D was History, I got a B in one unit and an E in the other, but I can't comprehend why and will probably get it remarked to get the score up). I really am miserable at the moment because of my father and now this too.

I know I have a chance to retake and I'll definitely get the grades next year, but right now I'm in need of some reassurance.

P.S. sorry for the essay.



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