Oxbridge Admissions - Profiles

Application

University: Oxford

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

Course: Classics

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 1999 (deferred entry)

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

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

A-levels

A2: French (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Geography (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Government and Politics (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Latin (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

Details about the offer

Type of offer: conditional

Specific conditions: A in French, A in Latin

Other conditions: AAB

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? offer met

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

The better education offered as opposed to other universities

How did you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?

I preferred the course offered at Oxford, and also the city, which does not feel so university dominated.

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

It is quite small, and conveniently situated in the centre of town. I looked round a few, and Jesus appeared to be the most friendly.

Preparation

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

I had one practice interview at school

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

Don't be afraid to argue your point of view, even if the interviewers are disagreeing.

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? yes

2 Latin essays, as requested by the college. I picked 2 I was confident talking about, even though they were not the best 2 essays I had written.

Did you have to take any exams as part of your interview(s)? yes

I had to do a Latin unseen. I prepared by revising my vocabulary and grammar.

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

I had 3 interviews. 1 philosophy interview on the evening I arrived, 1 subject interview and 1 ancient history interview (at Oriel)

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

In my subject interview at Jesus, I was asked why I was applying for Classics and specific questions relating to points I had made in my essay (the interviewers were arguing against my points). In my philosophy interview, which lasted 20 minutes, I was asked how to define living. Unexpectedly I enjoyed it, as I had time to develop an argument, and the interviewer quite often interrupted to disagree with me, which guided me onto another track.

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

I wore smart casual. I didn't know whether to wear a tie or not, but decided against it because it seemed too formal.

Impressions

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

It seemed friendly

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

Very good - I had a large sitting room and a small bedroom at interview. Better than accomodation I saw at some other colleges.

How was the food provided by the college?

Good

Some self-catering facilities would be nice, so that Hall food was not necessary every day.

How did you find the tutors in the college?

Friendly and helpful - made the interview process easier not harder.

Final stage

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

I applied for deferred entry, so obviously I was delighted. When I had got my grades, I received a letter from the college advising me how to keep my Latin ticking over through my gap year. Then, the summer before I came, my tutor sent me a letter with some ideas for reading.

Looking back

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

Yes, because the interview process itself was really good fun, meeting loads of other people in the same situation.

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

Don't not apply just because you don't think you'll get in: as long as you don't expect to it's fine. It's lovely then if you do get in, but you've lost nothing if you don't. And everyone's the same - it's not clique-y at all. Basically, if you think you'd like it, give it a go.

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