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

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to be honost i'd question how important the PS is , ive read quite a few PS's on here for PPE all far stronger than mine and these are from people who didnt even get to interview. I was told by my school straight up that my Personal Statement was quite frankly rubbish, and i didnt get a great response from the PS Helpers, i mean ive read loads of books but didnt feel the need to mention any in my PS and spent half of it talking about what im going to do on my gap year. Yet i still got a place. So i really doubt it can be that improtant, then again what do i no!
Reply 1301
Avatar for Budgie
Budgie
12
The personal statement is looked at and is important to get to interview, but I think it's reasonable to speculate that the interview to a large extent replaces the personal statement as a means of assessment - both are intended to convey how passionate one is for one's subject and demonstrate one's interest in it, but the interview does the job much better. Anyone could write your personal statement but it requires genuine passion and motivation to interview well.
Even if your personal statement is taken into little consideration you're still going to be applying to other universities who will take it into consideration. Not every university is like Oxford and takes into account test scores, interviews etc.
yeah i guess so
Budgie
The personal statement is looked at and is important to get to interview, but I think it's reasonable to speculate that the interview to a large extent replaces the personal statement as a means of assessment - both are intended to convey how passionate one is for one's subject and demonstrate one's interest in it, but the interview does the job much better. Anyone could write your personal statement but it requires genuine passion and motivation to interview well.


True ... but as you said, you have to get to the interview first ... and for that the PS plays a crucial role!!
Reply 1305
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Budgie
12
thegluups
True ... but as you said, you have to get to the interview first ... and for that the PS plays a crucial role!!


Well, it plays a role. I very much doubt they wouldn't interview someone with 5+ A*s at GCSEs and 4 As at AS on the basis of their personal statement. Of course, it could be the tipping point for other applications, but I think it's going too far to describe it as 'crucial'. I may be wrong though! :smile:
Budgie
Well, it plays a role. I very much doubt they wouldn't interview someone with 5+ A*s at GCSEs and 4 As at AS on the basis of their personal statement. Of course, it could be the tipping point for other applications, but I think it's going too far to describe it as 'crucial'.


Quite a lot of people with straight As at GCSEs and AS levels get rejected without an interview ... so Oxford can't make their selection on grades ... so they're only left with the PS and written work ...
Reply 1307
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Budgie
12
thegluups
Quite a lot of people with straight As at GCSEs and AS levels get rejected without an interview ... so Oxford can't make their selection on grades ... so they're only left with the PS and written work ...


And the reference. Although are you sure that's true? About 80% get interviewed, and I would be surprised if many of the bottom 20% of applicants have 5/6+ A*s and 4 As. Of course, if your PS is dire they may reject you, but I don't think it's crucial - unlike with other universities.

I remember reading (on here somewhere) someone quoting a tutor (might've been Cambridge) about the personal statement, saying "if you spend 10 minutes on it it's fine, if you spend 12 minutes on it you've wasted 2 minutes". I doubt that is true or representative of the attitude of most tutors but nonetheless I do think personal statements are overvalued.
Reply 1308
Avatar for *BCM*
*BCM*
11
Hey y'all i got an offer from christs for Biological NatSci. :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

Ill prob do Chem, Cell bio and physiol but the last isnt for certain..

I didnt do physics coz i did double maths instead and i wish i did single maths and physics coz atm the ENDLESS ****ing maths is killing me :confused: (those doing FP2 and FP3 know what im talkin about)

QUESTION: howmuch essay writin is involved in physiology coz i kinda hate essays... :s-smilie:

Good luck to everyone sitting exams in Jan btw, must be a worrying time.
*BCM*
QUESTION: howmuch essay writin is involved in physiology coz i kinda hate essays... :s-smilie:


My supervisor set us an essay a week, with an exam style title. In the exam you have 1 essay, some short answer questions and multiple choice. I think. Cells also involves essays; all the biological subjects do, so unless you take physical options, you can't avoid them I'm afraid!
*BCM*
Hey y'all i got an offer from christs for Biological NatSci. :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

Ill prob do Chem, Cell bio and physiol but the last isnt for certain..

I didnt do physics coz i did double maths instead and i wish i did single maths and physics coz atm the ENDLESS ****ing maths is killing me :confused: (those doing FP2 and FP3 know what im talkin about)

QUESTION: howmuch essay writin is involved in physiology coz i kinda hate essays... :s-smilie:

Good luck to everyone sitting exams in Jan btw, must be a worrying time.


I am seriously jealous of your EE offer....!!!

FP2 = die. I have that exam in a fortnight and I really don't know it properly... oh dear.
Excalibur
I am seriously jealous of your EE offer....!!!

FP2 = die. I have that exam in a fortnight and I really don't know it properly... oh dear.


Heh, but you don't need an A in Further Maths as part of your offer, do you? Module marks no longer matter so you can just relax and get on with Biology and Chemistry on which your offers are based. :smile:
Reply 1312
Avatar for *BCM*
*BCM*
11
*Joanna*
My supervisor set us an essay a week, with an exam style title. In the exam you have 1 essay, some short answer questions and multiple choice. I think. Cells also involves essays; all the biological subjects do, so unless you take physical options, you can't avoid them I'm afraid!


Oh no - never mind ill have to deal with the essays then...

Out of interest - how many pages are the essays that the supervisor sets? And would you have a supervisor for every option ie 4 in the 1st year or would you just have one?

Thanks for your help!

Excalibur
FP2 = die. I have that exam in a fortnight and I really don't know it properly... oh dear.


Ouch - i dont envy you :s-smilie: - good luck then hope it goes well
Okay, I'm 17 and looking to apply for oxbridge next year, and possibly for PPE. I have a very strong interest in both economics and politics, but, honestly, I know nothing about Philosophy really (although it sounds interesting as well)...
I got 5 A*s, 6As at GCSE, predicted 5As at AS (Economics, English Lit, Maths, Physics...General Studies...), I'm MD of our Young Enterprise (theres 21 of us in the company) and I think we should end up doing quite well, I volunteer at our most local Labour MP's office in Nottingham most holidays. The best thing I can say about philosophy is my RE A*, which of course has nothing particularly to do with it anyway.
Unrelated Extra Currics: DofE gold by then, Queen Scout by then, Black belt Shotokan hopefully...

Wanted to know: Is it a no starter? Do you need all 3 componants?
Why isn't this in the Oxford forum?

No, you can take PPE without taking philosophy at A-level, I believe. It'll just be hard, and you'll have to demonstrate some (small) understanding of philosophy in the interview.
You don't need any extra-curricular activities for any of them. Just read a book.

I'd recommend "Think" by Simon Blackburn
If you are interested in politics and want to get interested in philosophy why not try political philosophy, while having a skim through a basics book like the one above, or Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton. On Liberty by JS Mill and the Social Contract by Rousseau are the political philosophy books I'd recommend.
Reply 1317
Avatar for geetar
geetar
16
My brother is about to finish a PPE degree from New College, Oxford. He read some of Russell's History of Western Philosophy, Thomas Nagel, Rousseau and Mill. He ended up dropping the subject at the end of his first year (only an insane few continue with three). He also said that there was a great emphais on logic.
History of Western Philosophy is _excellent_. If you only read a single book then that would probably be the best bet.

I read about 20 philosophy books before deciding not to apply for PPE :p:
Heh, I have mechanics 2, statistics 1, further pure 1 and further pure 4 coming up. My offer doesn't need further maths and I've really stopped caring about them. That's kinda bad isn't it?

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