Oxbridge Admissions - Profiles

Application

University: Oxford

College (if made an open application, allocated college): Balliol

Course: Biological Sciences

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 2002

Final outcome: offer made

Applicant

Qualification: A-levels

When did you apply in terms of your qualification? pre-qualification

Are you a home/EU/overseas applicant? N/A

What is your country of origin? N/A

What type of school/college do/did you attend? Grammar School

(Selective Grammar School)

GCSE or a similar equivalent taken: yes (7 A*,3 A)

A-levels

A2: Biology (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Chemistry (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: General Studies (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: German (A at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

Details about the offer

Type of offer: conditional

Specific conditions: A in Biology, A in Chemistry, B in German

Have you accepted the offer? yes

Have you applied to other universities you consider very close, 'on par' or even better than oxbridge? (Ivies, Sorbonne, LSE..others for different subjects) N/A

Have you met the offer? grades pending/unknown

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

For the tutorial system really, the idea of one to one teaching appeals to me and i think it suits my style of learning.

How did you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?

Didn't want to do natural sciencs, just biology, so had to be Oxford.

Why did you choose this college/make an open application?

Looked round at an open day June 2002 and thought it was a good size, with all the right facilities and decent accommodation. also liked the central location and it seemed really friendly.

Preparation

Did your school/college give you any extra tuition or help prior to your interview or application? yes

Oxbridge applications are a big deal at my school so we had an oxbridge conference and an optional interview day organised by an outside organisation. I had 3 mock interviews with staff at school.

Do you have any advice for future applicants in terms of preparation?

Don't be afraid to leave the Oxford application form blank if you can't think of anything. If you do write something, make it different to your personal statement.

Interview

Did you have to sit any pre-interview exams (LNAT/BMAT/..)? no

Did you have to submit any written work prior to the interview? no

Did you have to take any exams as part of your interview(s)? no

How was/were in general your interview(s)?

I had an interview at Balliol and one at Keble.

What questions were you asked during your interview(s)?

At Balliol I was questioned as to my favourite area of biology and the discussion centred around that, so I was fortunate in being able to lead the discussion into an area I knew a lot about. I was also given an article the previous night - in the interview I had to sum up the main points of the article. At Keble I was given electron microscope pictures to look at and was questioned on recently featured areas of biology such as BSE.

What did you wear to your interview(s), and why?

I wore a jumper and some smart trousers and boots - we were told to wear whatever we would feel comfortable in in that environment.

Impressions

What was your general impression of the college that you applied to/any others you visited?

I also looked round St Johns, Jesus and Keble. All were a good size, without being too large or small and all had good facilities, particularly St Johns. Jesus had a great, friendly atmosphere and Keble's accommodation was good as a large proportion of the rooms are en-suite.

If seen, please describe the college accommodation eg. size of rooms, facilities.

My room ar Balliol was quite big, but basic. It had a large desk, a book case, wardrobe, handbasin, bed, a couple of chairs and a notice board. The shower was on the same floor.

How was the food provided by the college?

Good. Balliol doesn't make you pay for your meals up front, which is good if you're on a tight budget (as most students are!)

How did you find the tutors in the college?

Really friendly and easy to get on with. Obviously very enthusiastic about their subject, as all Oxbridge tutors will be!

Generally, what were the college students like (from what you saw of them)?

They seemed friendly, although I didn't really see a lot of them. They were all happy to help, or answer any questions.

Final stage

Please describe what happened when you received the letter/the call telling you whether you had a place or not.

Oh, it was fantastic. I was actually on a weekend away when the letter came but it was near my house so I came home, got the letter and went back. Knowing you've succeeded is an indescribable feeling!! It was great because I was able to celebrate with the people I went away with!

Looking back

If you were to re-live that year of your life again, would you still apply?

Absolutely. Whether you get in or not, it's a great experience as all of us will have interviews at some point if not during the uni application process. It was a god opportunity to spend a couple of days in a new place and do some shopping, generally relax and have a good time.

What advice do you have for potential applicants based on your experiences?

APPLY! If you do and you don't get in then you'll have tried. If you don't apply you'll always wonder what could have been. If you don't get in it isn't a failure and if you decide that you don't want to go after receiving an offer you don't have to accept the place - you're not obliged to.

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