Oxbridge Admissions - Profiles

Application

University: Oxford

College (if made an open application, allocated college): Queen's

Course: Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 2006

Final outcome: rejected

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? United Kingdom

What type of school/college do/did you attend? FE College

GCSE or a similar equivalent taken: yes (2 A*,5 A,3 B)

A-levels

AS: English Language and Literature (B at AS (221 UMS))

A2: Biology (A at AS (251 UMS); predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Chemistry (A at AS (240 UMS); predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Mathematics (B at AS (235 UMS); predicted A; gained NA at A2)

Other universities

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

Have you received offer(s) from them? yes

ABB Offer from Imperial

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

Apart from the prestige and popularity of it etc etc. Very Highly rated for my course. Their course is a four year MBiochem, and has many aspects to it which appealed to me i.e. Organic Chem unit, Biophysics unit. I thought i'd give it a go as i had absolutely nothing to lose!

How did you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?

Cambridge don't offer straight Biochem. Their nearest equivalent NatSci is broader and allows specialism only in the final year. It's also far too popular given what it is.

Why did you choose this course?

see above ^

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

Queen's has a central location, and is one of the older college's too. Also has a nice double quad, and it's not one of the uber-competitive colleges

Preparation

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

well, I had a mock, which was nothing like the real thing!

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

Make sure you know your subject. Know the syllabus content from the AS & A2 year. Also, know why you want to study it! (got asked 3 times!) Although i say this, it dosen't mean you should necessarily cram the night before. Just relax before the interviews

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)?

Not too bad. The 2 at queen's were more testing than the one at somerville however. I thought i put myself across well enough and answered the questions adequately.

Please comment further on any particular aspects/topics of your interview(s).

First two interviews were both Half chemistry/half maths. The somerville one was half chemistry/half biology

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

Can't exactly remember them all. But i'll do my best.

1. When I snap this glow stick, why does it produce a funny colour?

2. If a general reaction is written A + B = C + D, can you work out the equation for the equilibrium constant.

3. (following on from the above question) If Kc = 3, C = D = 2, draw me the curve for the rate of reaction when changing one of the variables.

4. Talk to me about the book in your personal statement

5. *A question about the force of intermolecular attractions between amino acids and proteins*

6. *A big long question about amino acids in solution, and buffers*

7. *Questions about side chains and bonding in proteins*

8. *Question about Logarithms*

. Why Biochemistry

. Why Oxford

etc
Basically. Revise chemistry, maths and biology topics.

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

First day: Checkered short sleeved shirt, brown cords, brown trainers (DC's)

Second day: Similar to above, but with a polo shirt instead of shirt.

Impressions

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

Very impressed. The buildings are inspiring. The JCR is also pretty cool. The sofa's are comfy and it's a decent place to just chat and relax with people. Also there's a pool table and a table tennis room =)

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

Fairly large. Had a sink, bed, chair etc. It was comfy enough

How was the food provided by the college?

Nice. Alot nicer than I expected.

How did you find the tutors in the college?

For my subject? Fairly accomodating and nice, but business-like

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

From what i saw, they were very nice and helpful. Always willing to answer questions

Final stage

Please describe your feelings during the time you waited for the decision.

Fairly apprehentious. Optimistic, but it was annoying waiting for it (although to be fair they are quick)

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

Naturally I was disappointed to read the letter, but i accepted it!

Looking back

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

100% It was a very cool holiday and it was a great chance to showcase what i had to offer them.

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

Go for it. If you get an interview, it's an opportunity which you should be optimistic about.

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