Another great video Dr. Williams! I applied last year and was rejected post interview and am re-applying this year, this time to Jesus College (while attending a different university). I’m not sure why but I’m still struggling with feelings of shame this second time around. Is there any general advice you would give to those re-applying to Oxbridge? Thank you! You are the sole reason for my making it to interview last year!
Hi there, thanks for your comment! This video may be of some help in regards to the feelings of shame (SPOILER: you have nothing to be ashamed of!!): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fIjDn2mEc0E.htmlsi=qSALIfLoG_oWiD9I
My results aren't released until the 23rd and I'm so nervous! To anyone reading this: Dr. William's videos are so helpful so make sure to check them out! Best of luck everyone tomorrow! 🙏 Also P.S. These type of videos are super fun and helpful! Reddit always has interesting content haha 😆
Do you have any idea why Oxford doesn’t have something like the August Reconsideration Pool which Cambridge has? It essentially gives those invited to interview who were rejected a second chance if they meet the minimum typical offer come A-level results day and if there are spaces left.
Dr. Matt, Do you have any advice for those applying to subjects which require written work? I'm planning on applying to archaeology and anthropology next year (unless I change my mind) and my school doesn't offer coaching or anything for Oxbridge application. Thank you! Your videos have been so enjoyable, interesting, and helpful so far.
Thanks! You don't need school coaching. Most of our applicants don't have anything like that. Generic guidance on written work is here: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/written-work For specific advice, contact: Tel: +44 (0) 1865 278121 Email: ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk
Hi! Thanks for this video - I saw some of these posts on reddit, and its very helpful to get official feedback on these points! I just wanted to ask, for the test registration on Pearson VUE, it says that our names have to match our legal documents. However, I have a middle name on all of my legal stuff, and there isn't a middle name option on the registration webpage. Do I just omit my middle name, or put it in with my first name (both of which won't match my official documents. I checked on both the Oxford Guidance and on Pearson VUEs own website, and couldn't find anything about this. I found out online that someone was prevented from taking their Pearson exam for this same issue (a cultural name with a middle name). *Do you have a specific email I can contact to ask about this* - I couldn't find one on the Oxford QnA page or the Pearson website.
I assume they just need your first and last names to match the legal documents. Someone will check your name against the ID, so those names need to match. You could contact Pearson to clarify the situation: home.pearsonvue.com/Contact-Us.aspx
I am applying for History and English this year. I am not sure how to structure my personal statement. Should I talk about my supercurricular activities in English in first two paragraphs, then the next two for history and then one paragraph for explaining the influence of the two subjects upon each other?
That can work, provided that you are applying for History with English at all of your uni choices. There's no correct way to structure a PS, so if your approach broadly makes sense to readers, that should be fine.
In my grade 10 board examinations (that's the Indian equivalent to GCSE), I scored something like a 95-96% overall, but it dropped to around 93-94% because I scored 87 in Hindi. All my other subjects, especially, English, were high. Can this score negatively impact my application? (Generally, 87/100 would be considered A2, but in my year, a percentile system was used and I was given B1 in Hindi. I have A1 in all other subjects)
This is unlikely to affect your application. We focus more on whether the CBSE results are eligible. You can check here: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/for-international-students/international-qualifications
I'm applying for undergraduate History and English course and I'm not sure whether I have to write 2 separate personal statements or one combined? It's pretty difficult to fit the readings in two subjects in just 4000 character limit.
You would need to write one single combined personal statement. Be careful if you are not applying for H&E at other unis, as they won't want to read a personal statement that does not focus on the subject you're applying for. So, write the statement to the common denominator of all your applications. But, yes, you may have to hone down the statement to core evidence of your interest in H&E.
What’s the point of Oxford having entry requirements for some subjects at AAA? It’s very unlikely that someone with AAA either predicted or achieved would actually get an offer compared to someone with higher grades. Unless, if Oxford would give an offer to someone with relatively lower grades like AAA but who does really well in the admissions test or interview. I’m not sure if that’s how it works but maybe that could be the case.
Dear Matt, Is it true that Oxford is more harsh on people who are reapplying after doing their A-levels? By this I mean Oxford would expect higher admissions test scores since that person would be a year older and more advanced/intelligent than the other applicants or are all Oxford applicants treated equally?
All applicants are treated equally. There can be a concern that students on gap years/mature students may have blunted their skills in subjects like maths, but we use the admissions test and interviews to test for that.
Is it true that Oxford is dubious about predicted grades as teachers are likely to inflate their student’s predicted grades? Is there another measurement which gives Oxford a better insight into a candidate’s abilities?
Dr Matt, Would you say it is more difficult to gain a place to study law at Oxford than Cambridge simply because Cambridge has more spaces for law (260+) compared to Oxford with just 240 (of which only 192 are for jurisprudence)? Would it therefore be better to apply to Cambridge for law over Oxford?
Law is marginally more competitive at Oxford (a ~3% difference). But you should apply to the course you prefer, rather than get fixated on the numbers.
Hi. I’m going to sit the LNAT this year and I really enjoyed watching your LNAT advice video and found it useful. However, it makes me wonder - why exactly does nobody ever seem to get full marks or close to it on the LNAT. The average for Oxford is 29/42 and really high scores are like 38. What exactly makes the LNAT so difficult in your opinion and what would need to be done to get full marks in the multiple choice section?
The hardest part about the LNAT is how tiring and time constrained it is. Anyone could get full marks if they had five hours to finish the test, but it’s so time compressed and full on that nobody gets there.
It varies from subject to subject at both unis. I'm not sure which subject you are referring to, and so I'm also not sure why there is a price differential I'm afraid. If you can tell me the course, I may be able to find out.
Hello, I received my GCSE results on Thursday, but I was a little disappointed since I don’t think they are high enough for Oxford. I got: Drama - 7 History - 9 Maths - 7 RS - 8 (2 marks off a 9) Biology - 7 (2 marks off an 8) Chemistry - 8 Physics - 7 Spanish - 6 English language - 7 English Literature - 8 Would I still have a chance with these grades?
Oxford (and most other universities) don’t care about your GCSE grades. It’s your predicted A level results, admissions tests scores and your personal statement that will be the main deciding factors in your application.
Hi Matt, I would like to study history & politics at Oxford. However, in my A-levels I got A* (maths), A* (politics) and a surprise B in history (so frustratingly 1 mark off an A even after a remark). Being honest, would it still be possible to get into Oxford? What do you recommend I do - should I resit history or try pick up another subject? Thanks, Henry
Hi Henry, I'm afraid that you would need at least AAA to be eligible for H&P at Oxford. It seems harsh, given your A*s, but the uni is looking for consistency across disciplines. You can resit, or take up a place at another uni and come to Oxford as a grad student, as I did.
Dear Matt, Please could you answer this. I had an offer at Oxford but I missed the grades and got BBB due to severe medical issues. Would I be able to reapply while resitting my A-levels or would I be disadvantaged? Would Oxford accept my extenuating circumstances?
You could reapply with resit A-levels. The application would be treated afresh, so a previous application would not be held against you. Oxford can consider extenuating circumstances, but you would still need to be on course to obtain the required grades. Take a look at the foundation year, as you may be eligible for that: foundationyear.ox.ac.uk/eligibility
You don't need work experience to be competitive, although it's rarely a bad idea to obtain some work experiences as preparation for the job market. You could seek experiences in related fields -- such as occupational therapy -- or more tangential fields -- such as the military, where psychological management of young recruits is essential. The most impactful thing you can do now is read. Look up books and academic papers on psychology.
We interview fewer candidates because we spend more time with each interviewee. We admit roughly the same proportion of applicants as Cambridge, but they spend less time gathering interview data. I'm not sure that we do place any greater focus on GCSEs than they might. For degrees with an admissions test, the test is the most important pre-interview data (providing a candidate is on course to meet A-level grade requirements). It is not true that an applicant needs perfect or near perfect GCSEs to be competitive. There are actually no formal GCSE requirements, except that someone has passed the science practicals if they are applying for medicine.
That is about the right level. I say "about the right level" because the level will change every year. We divide the cohort into quartiles, so the results vary year on year. But, ~70%> is typically a competitive level. Keep pushing. Every extra question you get right will make a big difference.
