what college should i apply to oxford graduate student
It'due south that fourth dimension of year. 6th form students all over the country are writing their university applications, hoping to gain a place at 1 of their five choices.
For many, Oxford and Cambridge seem like something completely foreign and many bright students are put off applying.
The Oxford experience may seem daunting but I'chiliad hoping to shed some light on how you lot should go well-nigh applying.
A common misconception is that all Oxford students practice is work, work, work, piece of work, work. All work and no play makes Jack a dull male child and Oxford is not full of dull boys (or girls).
One time you've decided to apply to Oxford, the next big conclusion is choosing an Oxford higher. The question on every prospective pupil'due south tongue is: which Oxford college should I employ to?
With 39 to choose from this tin seem like an impossible chore and I'grand sure many wonder how they could possibly selection the ane for them.
Let me help y'all with how to choose an Oxford college and find the best Oxford college for y'all. Here are 8 do's and don'ts when choosing an Oxford higher…
Do your research
Does your higher offer accommodation on-site for all three years of your caste? What bursaries, grants and scholarships are bachelor? What extra-curricular activities are there? Do they have a college tortoise?
These are the sorts of questions you should be asking yourself before choosing an Oxford college.
When you look at the finer details, the colleges offer their students very unlike things and information technology is worth finding out what sort of perks each one has.
For example, when I was a student at that place, Christ Church students were treated to one gratis cake a term, and who doesn't love free cake? Other colleges volition have their ain advantages.
Find out where your higher is based and how far that is from your subject's kinesthesia too.
Oxford is very pocket-size and most colleges are based in the metropolis middle, merely there are a few that scattered a little further afield and if you want to exist down at the river for 6am, maybe don't pick the college that is a xx-minute cycle away.
Don't forget to research the basics like whether it'southward a big higher or a small one too. When you lot've decided what features and facilities matter the near to you, I'd suggest trying this Oxford Higher quiz, which actually helped me whittle it down to just a few colleges.
This Oxford college chooser volition enquire y'all about your academic and college surroundings aims with some fun things thrown in for skillful measures.
Personally, I wouldn't bother looking at the Oxford Norrington table (which shows all the Oxford colleges ranked) because few people are going to gauge your academic ability on the college you went to.
Going to whatsoever Oxford college is quite an achievement and, in whatsoever instance, the Norrington table rankings change year on year.
Which Oxford College quiz is available here.
Don't believe all the stories
Oxford college reputations all start somewhere but that doesn't hateful that all the Oxford stereotypes are wholly truthful.
Supposedly, Christ Church is the poshest Oxford college, Merton is where fun goes to die and anybody at Wadham is left-wing.
In that location is a small element of truth to each of these stereotypes but for each person that conforms to their Oxford college stereotypes, there will be some other who doesn't.
Don't listen too much attention to the rumours most Oxford colleges' reputations considering they are frequently perpetuated by electric current and old students who just like to poke fun at other colleges.
Practice talk to current students
Knowing how to choice an Oxford college tin can seem impossible but the best way to find out well-nigh what life is similar at each college, or at Oxford University in general, is to speak to current students.
In that location are numerous open up days throughout the year, the dates of which can be found on the Oxford website.
They volition exist able to give you the best insight into what sort of atmosphere there is at that college and what sort of activities you tin can wait to accept office in whilst there.
You tin detect out more about Oxford open days here .
Don't effort to beat the system
Don't spend as well long studying statistics and definitely don't endeavour to judge which college will exist 'easier' to get in this yr based on how many applied and were accepted last year.
I don't really believe there is such a thing every bit the "nearly competitive Oxford colleges".
Remember at that place is also a pooling organisation whereby students who are 'Oxford textile' can be interviewed past colleges other than the one they applied to.
Teachers often try to persuade students to apply to certain colleges because they accept, for example, a loftier land school acceptance in that location or at that place are fewer applicants for history but I personally think this is bad advice.
Just apply to the college you want to apply to, don't worry about the residual. You should exist thinking "which Oxford college should I go to" and "which Oxford higher is right for me" , rather than anything else.
Do visit your higher earlier applying
If yous're stumped on how to choose a college at Oxford Academy and so actually visiting in person is going to be very helpful.
I knew from the 2nd I walked into Christ Church building that I was going to use there and nobody was going to arrive my way.
I was largely influenced past the fact that this higher inspired some of the scenes from Harry Potter (the Great Hall, for instance, is modelled on Christ Church building dining hall).
Some of my friends told me I was stupid for picking a higher based on such a flimsy reason simply with so many nifty colleges to choose from it often just comes downwardly to gut instinct.
Only being in the college and having a nose around can often aid yous make up one's mind whether you desire to go there.
Making sure your higher has a well-stocked library or a gym is important to some people and you lot tin can observe out all of this with a guided tour.
Check out these posts for inspiration:
10 reasons to apply to Christ Church
10 Best Oxford Colleges
Don't apply to the aforementioned higher every bit your classmates
It is generally seen equally a bad idea for lots of people from the same school to apply to the same college, particularly if y'all're applying for the same subject area.
There's plenty competition as it is, do you really want to make life harder for yourself by going up against your own classmates?
Given that you've been educated at the same school it is adequately likely that y'all accept similar backgrounds simply you need to be doing everything you can to stand out from the other applicants.
To give yous an example, two girls from my school both practical to the same college for Classics, deferred entry. Only 1 was accustomed.
The 1 that was rejected applied to Cambridge the following year and was accepted so she was plain brilliant enough to take been accepted by Oxford the first time.
Withal, with two very like students from the same school for the aforementioned subject, only i could exist offered a place.
Do detect out who the tutors are
If y'all're applying to English at Merton and the English language tutor there specialises in D H Lawrence but you hate early 20th-century literature, then perhaps yous would exist better suited to another higher.
Not all of your tutorials will exist with your college's own tutor, peculiarly as you progress, only I find it is nice to have mutual interests with your tutors and it can be useful for interviews.
If yous and the tutors interviewing yous are genuinely interested in the same topics then it is probable the interview will be a lot more natural and yous will get on a lot better.
DON'T STRESS
Lastly and nigh importantly, please please don't stress near this decision. Of class, the college you end up at shapes a lot of your university feel and information technology is a very important option.
Notwithstanding, y'all are probable to be very happy wherever yous terminate upward so you lot shouldn't worry likewise much.
During your interviews, y'all may well be called to another college as well and in the end, you may non become your first choice.
If you applied for maths y'all automatically go interviewed at two colleges, for instance. You can brand a spreadsheet with all the different qualities of each college (don't) or y'all can merely go with your gut and choose the one with all theHarry Potter filming locations š (Christ Church!).
So at that place you accept it, eight do's and don'ts when choosing an Oxford college! I hope this has helped you decide which Oxford college to choose and y'all feel more than confident making a choice now.
Good luck to all applicants! Delight don't hesitate to go far affect if you have any questions or want any more than Oxford application tips.
Did you consider applying to Oxford? Has this post been helpful for you? Permit me know in the comments below!
For more posts almost my fourth dimension at Oxford, check out these Oxford Academy web log posts:
What Happened at my Oxford Interview for Modern Languages?
What is it like to study French at Oxford University?
How Many Books Did I Read For My French Degree At Oxford University?
10 Reasons to Utilize to Christ Church
10 Most Beautiful Oxford Colleges
Inside eight of Oxford Academy'south Most Beautiful Libraries
[This mail was first written in 2016 and was updated in 2021]
Source: https://whatshotblog.com/5-dos-and-donts-when-choosing-an-oxford-college/
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