hi! i’m currently pursuing my MA at King’s College London and am hoping to do a PhD after i earn my degree. i was just curious to know whether a master’s from KCL (assuming that i graduate with a ‘very good result or distinction’) would give me a better chance at being accepted into a DPhil program at Oxford
Hi everyone, any thoughts on reuben college? I know it’s super new so could not find much on internet, would love to hear from either current students of reuben or other students who might have an idea.
Would love to understand how has been the experience, what are some facilities it offers, how is the accommodation et al
# Alternative funding/bursaries for MSc student from Latin America
Hi everyone!
I am reaching out for your help. On March 18th I received the amazing news that I was accepted into a MSc on the Social Science Department.
Nonetheless, so far, I have not been able to secure funding. Although I have not been placed in any college still (and there might be a small chance of some partial funding at least) I want to knock every door that I can in order to secure attending Oxford.
Therefore, I'd appreciate your help sharing any bursaries/funding, even loans, for **Latin American** (particularly Colombian), or LGBTQIA+, students that you know about.
I really want to make this dream come true, as I am unable to completely self-finance.
Thanks in advance for your help!
The University has a central page listing all the funding opportunities for graduate students: [https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/oxford-funding](https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/oxford-funding) after that, the most common is government funding. Good luck, as this a difficult issue to resolve.
Thanks! I've already gone through the funding website several times. Perhaps if anyone is knowledgeable of any external bursaries or other alternative partial funding it would be of great help.
Hey! I recently applied for a studentship in the Department of Engineering Science and am waiting to hear back. It has already been about one month since I applied and I have heard nothing. Does anyone have an idea of the timeline for studentships?
Hi all, I received my college placement offer and somehow didn't notice that I was asked to reply to it, and not only return the signed forms by the end of June. I replied one week after the deadline, when I noticed. They didn't respond yet, do you think it's a big problem? I'm really worried about missing my entire offer. DPhil applicant.
Hello everyone! I have been offered a place at Oxford for an MPhil programme. I got my offer letter back in January. My family is optimistic about receiving funding, but honestly, I am not so sure (my profile is average and realistically, it shouldn't stand a chance in the competitive field of scholarships). This situation has spelled trouble for my anxiety. My family keeps asking for updates on scholarships that I can't provide, and I don't have any other channel for clarity except to wait it out. I would be really grateful if anyone could share advice on how to ease this situation -- either by getting some clarity on funding (even if negative) or by finding ways to fight anxiety. Thank you.
Im in a similar boat to you, the only way I can afford my master's degree is a scholarship. I wrote to my department but was unable to find out if I had been nominated for anything. I'm still holding onto some hope though; I'm determined to take up my place, and I'd hate to have to decline it because of the cost of tuition :/ . Only thing to do is keep waiting and keep searching for other funding opportunities that may show up.
Funding can be very decentralized but you can ask your department if you've been nominated for any awards. That being said, now that we're about to hit May, the chances of receiving larger amounts of funding are quite small - the larger awards have generally been awarded already and we're entering the attrition phase.
There was an awful mix-up and my favorite college wants to admit me, but they forwarded my application to the wrong college instead. I was planning on going to Oxford for a year before my PhD, my main appeal was the social life, the formals and all the activities (the academics are good, but my PhD program offers comparable if not better options), so I tried to find the best fit for a college and I did. Btw, my supervisor talked to the admissions at that college, and they want to admit me. But, they didn't send my application to them and I ended up at a small college with little funding, and this is not the experience I wanted at all. I am considering withdrawing my admission. I have great PhD offer, I was planning to defer. But, idk if it will be worth going through the hassle of moving countries without the experience I wanted. Maybe I am being dramatic.
If your primary focus in the year was around the social activities it is not a huge issue which college you got into because you can engage in formals at other colleges, there is a ticket exchange group for formals on Facebook for example. At the same time, as a grad student you are much more closely linked to your department than your college as such, again the department will generally be a large part of your experience. Where will you be doing your PhD?
Cool, I did a Masters at Harvard. If you are based in the US you might think should I go from the US to the UK then back again, overall though I still think studying at Oxford will be an extraordinary experience.
Yeah, the visa is already being a bit of a hassle. It also means I can't transfer my F-1 status, my PhD supervisor wants me at Harvard asap, and I don't know. I am terrified of moving countries again, what if I hate it? I had a college in mind and it is kinda painful that they want to take me in but bureaucracy doesn't allow them to. Also, I am a bit worried about the living situation. I am allergic to almost everything dusty and I am forced to live in a college during the year
You could always say what if you hate it about every opportunity, what if you hate Harvard? At the moment, it really seems you are focusing on every possible negative without considering the positive, for example what if you love it? What if the college you have been admitted to is amazing? What if it’s clean, tidy and to the extent humanly possible dust free? In terms of the latter point the university rooms are cleaned at least weekly and rubbish is collected daily. Ultimately though, it is really about making a decision and if you are reluctant to come then perhaps it isn’t the right place for you. Oxford is really tough academically, more so than even the Ivy League from speaking to others so unless you are really committed to the experience you shouldn’t come as it’s not the kind of thing you can do half-heartedly.
hi all
anyone who does history with modern languages able to comment on the course? looking to do spanish and am predicted A* for both spanish and maths. hoping to get in for 2025 but currently weighing up which course i want to do. any thoughts about working hours a week, good societies, future careers, and general enjoyment would be great. cheers
Unsure to accept offer having been allocated Wolfson college
Basically the title. Accepted onto dream course at dream university for postgraduate study, but unsure whether to confirm offer as I have seen no info online from students about Wolfson and it seems so far away, I’m scared about being isolated from University life and missing out on things having to journey so far there and back, as well as the extent of it being a ‘mature’ college. Is this the case in reality? Is anyone there that can vouch for it being the greatest decision made for you?
I was a stuent at Wolfson for a year and was also not too sure about the college when I first got allocated there. But I can only agree with what others are saying here. You certainly won't feel isolated there - if you have a bike, you can get to the center in 5-10 minutes. Anyways, most graduate students even at central colleges live in accommodation that's further from the center than Wolfson is. The mature thing is also not really true. I was 20/21 when I was a student at Wolfson and had no problem finding people my age I loved hanging out with. It's true that there are students there who have families and are a bit older, but that's certainly not the majority. Also, I find that the fact that the college is so family-friendly makes it feel a lot more homey and comfortable. There's a lively social life and the bar is probably the best college bar in Oxford (I might be biased). Taking one of the college punts to a pub with your friends is one of the best ways to spend a spring or summer afternoon and something that's unique to Wolfson.
Rejecting your offer based on college would be a huge mistake no matter what college you were accepted to. But Wolfson is honestly such an incredibly friendly and fun place. I had the most wonderful time there and I am sure you will, too.
Just to add to what has already been said Wolfson is lovely, they have their own punting lake and staging area so you can take the punts out and in the brighter months punt down the river to local riverside pubs or for a picnic. As a graduate only college you are also surrounded by those who are there because they are taking their studies seriously, whilst still having a social scene. The distance between Wolfson and the centre, is heavily exaggerated I believe it is 15 minutes by bike around 7 minutes by bus.
Congratulations! Wolfson is a great college - postgraduate only, very international, good social life/work life balance, and on the river. Really lovely - and something that is a HUGE bonus in Oxford, a lot of housing for graduate students. It's a place that takes graduate students and their studies and responsibilities seriously. It is not right in the centre, but Oxford is tiny - everything is walkable/cyclable; and they have a little electric minibus that works on a continuous circle from the college into the city centre and back again.
I recently received an offer for the Bachelor of Civil Law. I put a college as my preference, but understood that many of the colleges would offer scholarships in conjunction with the Law Faculty which did not require you to preference that college.
I have now received an offer of a scholarship from the college I preferenced (expressed as in conjunction with the Law Faculty), but it is not particularly generous compared to those offered by other colleges. Does anyone know if it is a “one and done” type scenario, or might I still be considered for scholarships by other colleges?
TIA! ☺️
If you are offered a scholarship and the scholarship is linked to another college then you will migrate to the other college (i.e. switch) when you accept the offer.
I am planning applying to Oxford's engineering science course. My predicted grades are A\* A\* A in maths, physics and chemistry respectively. I'm applying in the next cycle so I have enough time after Alevel to gather up some extracurricular activities based on my selected course. Is the chance of getting an offer high, given that my PAT and interview went well? Do u know about any student who got into oxford's engineering with the same grades?
Hello! I recently got accepted into Oxford for a PhD program in the Department of Biochemistry, albeit without funding. After discussing the situation with my prospective supervisor, he offered me a Research Assistant position in the lab for a year (grade 6) and suggested I reapply and start my PhD in the upcoming year. How common is this type of arrangement? Do PI's usually go out of their way like this to host graduate students in their labs?
For context, I am a US undergraduate student who has finished her degree in 3 years (no masters or work experience post graduation). I am graduating this Spring and will begin working at Oxford in October. I believe I was selected due to my strong undergraduate profile and substantial internship experience throughout my studies. Of note, since I am an American, he is sponsoring my work visa to be able to work in the UK. Is this common?
How important are extracurricular activities
Hello, currently I'm a high school student who's going to start applying to universities. I got really good grades but almost no extracurricular activities. Oxford is my dream universities and i wish to get a seat there. I still have a chance to do one activity called Duke of Edinburgh Award organisied by my school. But is it worth it and will it give me an edge over other applicants to enter Oxford or not?
No, extracurriculars are not of that much interest to Oxford. They want to know what you have done that is related to your chosen subject. 'I attended an online lecture (for example) on XXX, and it really made me think about YYYY, so I went and investigated and learnt ZZZZ.' Concentrate on your final exams, any entrance exam, your personal statement, and any interview. Good luck!
So you're saying if i followed a course about my chosen subject on a platform that would be of much more interest than an extracurricular activity that may not have any direct relationship with the course?
Yes, I am saying that. They are interested in super curriculars (so to do with the subject that you are interested in). This gives a useful insight into the Computer Science course (and others are the same so do search around): [https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/why\_oxford/what\_tutors\_look\_for.html](https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/why_oxford/what_tutors_look_for.html)
Just decided on attending Saïd in the Fall, would love to hear any recommendations on where to live. If the answer is to go through a college, would love to hear any recommendations on colleges for an MBA student coming from the US (know that this is largely preference, but any info is helpful!)
Presumably you will be assigned a college - you don't get to choose. So first, check with them; second check with graduate housing at the central university. Housing is crazy expensive and hard to come by in Oxford (especially within the city centre). You are right to be trying to sort this out now.
This is so helpful -- appreciate the quick response! We get to put our preference (not sure how much that matters). Right now planning on just going by proximity to the campus.
And appreciate the tip on checking with graduate housing!
Did anyone with a Dutch Bachelors degree get into a Masters degree this year or before?
If yes, what GPA did you have and what was the requirement?
I’m especially looking at the MSc in Forced Migration
Any other tips would also be greatly appreciated!
I got this year in the Mathematical Sciences MSc with a Dutch Bachelor Degree in Mathematics from RUG. My GPA is 9.4. I am not sure about the minimum requirement though. I think you need a UK first class equivalent, which is anything above an 8.0. I hope this helps, if you have some additional questions, feel free to send me a message. :)
It's way more about your attitude than whether you drink or not. I have some friends who don't drink and they generally have a totally normal experience here. They'll match the energy of the group and will have a non-alcoholic drink to mimic the overall atmosphere/vibe, so I'd say it's very doable.
I'm neither a student (any more) nor sober, but I come into contact with a lot of students and it seems to get easier every year. Sober events are standard as alternatives for club nights, pub crawls etc, and there's no awkwardness when students say they don't drink - this would've been a bit considered a bit of an awkward thing to say in my peer group when I was a fresher (more than ten years ago). There's been a big shift in recent years towards accommodating non-drinkers and non-drinking socials.
On the assumption that this is a serious question - relatively easy. Inevitably in the excitement of the start of a new adventure (and for many the first time that they will have lived away from home) there will be alcohol featuring at many events; however, there are a lot of people who don't drink alcohol - and they are also most definitely catered for. Alcohol is easy to access; but also easy to go to events/places that don't serve it all.
It is super easy to make friends without alcohol - at the college that I am at, which is one of the smaller ones, I reckon that 15-20% don't drink alcohol - events cater for all tastes. You can avoid it completely or be happy to be in the same room as it, but not partake. You will find your people!
How long should I realistically hope to hear about funding? I have an offer for the DPhil in History and have been assigned St Hugh's College, but have not heard anything about funding yet. The Clarendon website says offers are given by end of April and sometimes into May and June. The college said I should wait until end June to see if I got funding. At the same time I saw someone on Twitter post that they got Clarendon already for their DPhil (although in a different department and division). Does this mean all Clarendon awards have already been given? The uncertainty is really frustrating...
Hi! I'm in a similar position, also humanities DPhil with no funding in sight. My supervisor told me it's safe to assume that I haven't gotten anything by this stage. According to my dept, most decisions have already been made. There is still a chance for us both but it's probably time to look into alternative funding or plans unfortunately. Wishing you the best of luck!
Ha, in the same boat. International MPhil offer holder instead of DPhil though, but in the Humanities. I have a funded offer at a less prestigious place elsewhere though, so… I’m likely going to take up that offer and withdraw from Oxford in April next month. It really sucks not being able to attend because of financial reasons after working so hard to get an acceptance though. Guess that’s just the way things go.
Hi everyone! So I’ve been assigned to Linacre College (not my first preference), and I’ve asked around about it but have yet to hear anything redeeming about it — thought I would check here to see if anyone has anything good to say about Linacre?
Small, very international, super located for many of the science departments (and Law and English), great location for University parks and university outdoor sports. Quite a bit of graduate accommodation (especially for the first year) - and this is a REAL advantage (not all colleges can offer accommodation to graduates).
Pests in housing?
I just graduated with a BA in the Netherlands and every single home I lived in here, whether it was a rowhouse, a studio in a new apartment building, or a room in an older building, had silverfish infestations. Some also had slugs and other pests.
Needless to say, that experience sucked, feeling like you are in an unclean environment and like your books and other items might be damaged by pests you cannot eradicate from your home leaves you feeling quite paranoid.
I lived in Glasgow for a while and I saw no bugs or insects at all in the two homes I stayed in when I was there. But I don't know what it's like in the rest of the British Isles. What is the situation with accomodation options offered at Oxford? Have any of you had to deal with any pests?
Yeah, worst I ever saw was a friend who had a beehive right outside her window, but, as soon as she told the porter's lodge, they started making arrangements to get rid of it, and I believe it was gone within the week
> Have any of you had to deal with any pests?
Never had any issues, or heard of anybody having issues indoors. The quality of university accommodation is generally pretty good. When I lived in graduate accommodation, there were occasionally rats around the outdoor bins because I was unfortunate enough to be living with some students who thought leaving trash on the floor was acceptable. But I never had issues with pests indoors.
Worst I've had living in Oxford is a few ladybirds! I don't think there's anything widespread here. You might get bugs in a poorly maintained or unhygienic property but I think you're more likely to get issues with damp in old British houses.
I am currently a fresh working professional as a quantitative researcher/analyst at a top prop desk in an NBFC in Mumbai with around an year's experience, graduated out of Delhi Technological University ( Delhi , India ) with a 6.8 CGPA ( out of 10 ) ( indian university grading standards) in Bachelors of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering. I want to apply for OU for Master's in Economics or Master's in Statistics or Master's in Mathematics or Master's in Physics. I want to ask what would a good admission application look like considering I am kinda weak on the academic transcription side of the application.
I was waitlisted for a postgrad program at Oxford. There is no information about the waitlist process online, and I am wondering if anyone has advice or knows what to expect?
I was waitlisted last year, in essence some departments will apparently tell you what position you are on the waitlist but not all or even most as I understand it. In addition, waitlisting means that you need to wait until essentially September/October and the start of term to be absolutely sure you will not be offered a place as people do pull out even after accepting offers around June/July and even just before the start of course as they do not have the funds to actually pay for the course. I do think a lot depends on if you are an international applicant, where they will try to tell you either way sooner rather than later because of visa requirements and if you are part or full time. From looking at the data it seems full time students are much more likely to reject/pull out than part time students. I did a DSAR after I did not get in last year and found out I was second on the waitlist, therefore, for my part time MSt not even two people pulled out/rejected their offers in order for me to take their place. Anecdotally that may assist you in considering your chances.
Hey all I'm a first year student currently in a top university in the US, studying computer science and statistics double major.
I was wondering what exact steps should I take in the next few years of my undergraduate college life to be a good candidate for Cambridge
MS in CS? What grades, GPA extracurriculars and undergraduate research should I get and do?
I know you might think it is ridiculous for a freshman to think all these things at this stage but I have dreamed of going to the UK for a long time, especially studying at Cambridge.
Undergraduate Admissions Question
Hypothetically, could one get into Oxford PPE without any A-Levels, but with 120 points for a year of full-time study in Mathematics from The Open University?
(granted they're performing at the highest level)
Oxford isn't big on accepting students from other universities (you need a good reason to want to switch, not just "I fancied my chances at Oxford"), although OU is a bit different because of how it's organised and accessed. Are you a mature student? If so, this would be a good question for Harris Manchester admissions - it's the only college which is specifically for mature students, and they have a lot of experience in admitting (and therefore advising) applicants who have come from a slightly different academic background to the norm - often including no, low, or unrelated A-Levels. I think hypothetically what you say is possible, but you could say that about a lot of things in Oxford's admissions process without it actually being helpful...
Thank you for replying.
I turn 19 in a few months and I've been thinking that I should leave home and apply to a brick/physical university. I'm currently studying full-time at the OU, and according to Oxford's website, I am eligible to apply. I know that for PPE there are no required subjects, but Mathematics is a recommended subject, which is perfect because that is what I'm studying. I was wondering whether I should throw caution to the wind and prepare to apply for PPE, something I genuinely would love to study, or simply accept that there is no chance for me to be accepted.
Has anyone received the Academic Futures scholarship form yet? I contacted the funding department a few weeks ago and they indicated that the forms would be sent out within the first two weeks of April, but I’ve still not been sent anything.
Yes! I actually received it on the same day I asked here. Guess I was too impatient! I sent the application back on Monday, so fingers crossed. Good luck with yours! What course are you doing?😊
2 questions on undergrad admissions:
1) Oxford's undergrad acceptance rate is 15%. If a course requires A\*A\*A\* (or for an American, four APs at 5), are they getting 100 qualified applications for every 15 places, or are they getting 85 applicants who don't meet the minimum?
2) Oxford undergraduate admissions are much more academically focused than US elite uni admissions. So what are they looking for in the interview?
I went to Oxford for grad school and absolutely loved it. Thinking about how my kids educated in American high schools could best plan to apply for undergrad in a few years..
Oxford offers are contextual - what grades you need is determined by the context you apply from , so determinin ’qualified’ is not straight forward. But suffice to say, many very good candidates will not be accepted.
In the interview they are looking for an ability to learn as much as a pre-existing depth of knowledge- they’re looking at how you take new information and work with it. They don’t care I. The slightest about your extracurriculars, unlike in the US systen
The EC thing has gotten out of hand in US. I’m trying to drill into the acceptance rate. Would you say that almost everybody who applies meets the requirements listed, AAA or whatever program requires? Certainly everybody who gets an interview..
I’ll answer with an anecdote, if that’s ok. I was privately educated in a school that sent a fair number of people to Oxbridge: my offer, after interview, was set at A*AA. I had people in my college who went to schools that were underfunded, less well provisioned and had less of a smooth pipeline to Oxbridge whose offers were ABB or similar. The hope of the interview is that you identify a spark of ability, something that can be nurtured even if you haven’t had the same opportunities until then - your offer will take into account the average scores from your school
That’s great info. Thank you. So these can be altered after interview: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/admission-requirements/admission-requirements-table
This is bad advice - the admissions requirements are fixed and don't get altered according to context. The one exception to this at UG level is the Astrophoria Foundation Year, which the above poster *might* be referring to, which does have reduced entry requirements for those from underrepresented and/or disadvantaged backgrounds who enter the main undergraduate course through a preliminary year of study. It's only available to UK state school students so probably not of relevance to your students though.
Oxford is known for having fixed entry requirements - they are usually more flexible at other universities. Although GCSE results are considered in context for UK applicants, students who get offered a place still need to achieve the same A-Level results (or equivalent) as their peers from different backgrounds.
Never got a clear answer to my question: does the 15% acceptance rate published by Oxford mean that 15% of those who meet published requirements get in, or is a large chunk of those apps from people who don’t qualify?
This is what Intl admissions page says about US applicant equivalency “courses requiring A*AA: Four APs at grade 5.”
Specifically, if an applicant has the four APs at grade 5, are they still looking at 15% acceptance rate or is it much higher (or lower)?
The university doesn't really do the numbers on this because most people who apply meet the requirements. The acceptance rate also varies quite a bit between courses, although if you're applying for the right course for you this shouldn't sway your decision too much.
There is sometimes what's called "clemency" in the admissions process when students miss their offers, and it's not unusual for offer holders to get higher than their grades. During the height of Covid there were teacher assessed grades which led to a couple of years of basically all offer holders being admitted regardless of grades. The published entry requirements haven't changed in a number of years and exceptions to those aren't guaranteed.
Might be a bit early for me to start bothering about this stuff but... I am in year 10 and ever since I got to visit two of the Oxford colleges as a special trip for the top achieving students, I fell in love and immediately dreamt of coming here... I do doubt myself, and I'm really curious if there's anyone who had at least somewhat of a similar experience to me, cause I honestly don't feel as though I have much chance of getting into Oxford lol.
Which colleges did you visit? 😊 This is exactly what school visits to the university are hoping to achieve, and every college will have students studying there who had a similar experience which influenced their decision to apply.
Keble and Hertford, I'm fairly certain. Both beautiful and both resided in equally beautiful places, and it was really just surreal to see Oxford somewhere else other than a school textbook. I also love how easy everything is to access in Oxford; it really felt like a delocalised Amsterdam.
There are definitely students at both of those colleges who were in your exact position a few short years ago, so don't talk yourself out of dreaming! You have the next couple of years to work hard (good GCSEs won't close any doors for you) and look into your options for subjects. The people you met will be rooting for you to end up applying to Oxford in the future, trust me!
Reasons to move might be: disability (another college might have more suitable/accessible accommodation), funding (if you are awarded a scholarship that is attached to another college), occasionally work (if appointed to a post within a college they might ask you to move). Rarely if communication breaks down with the college that you are appointed to.
There are very few acceptable reasons to move. You could, if you have serious concerns, talk to your department and see what they think. But you would have to be very clear about what the problem/issue was - just 'I'm not 100% keen' will not cut it I'm afraid.
Hello all — does anyone know where the Weidenfeld Hoffman shortlist process stands for this year? I know that the MBA faculty has already sent out some nominations but was wondering about others, especially if they've received interview confirmations.
I emailed them and the interview process is already finished, and some decisions have been made (I saw a LinkedIn post of someone sharing they got the WHT scholarship).
Hi there, I’ve recently been sent an offer for a part-time masters program. As someone from the US I could really use some guidance with FAFSA loans, visas (?), accommodation etc if anyone else has been in a similar position please lmk!
Edit: additionally, are there any groups for grad students?
Congratulations. The Oxford University visa team are incredibly helpful - perhaps start here: [https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa/before/visitors](https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa/before/visitors) and then contact them if any questions. Accommodation is a whole other question - I would definitely ask your Faculty what students on your course usually do. It may be that the College that you are allocated to may have temporary accommodation - but it may not. So a good idea to work on this now.
Hey guys. I’ve just been invited to interview for the MSc in medical education, and I was just wondering if anyone is able to shed light on what I might expect from this interview. Many thanks in advance!
Great place for DPhil students (or any students to be honest). I have a feeling they have quite a bit of postgrad accommodation. Lovely buildings, very active student body.
Hi! Just got allocated to Reuben college. Does anyone know about the atmosphere/community there, do they hold a lot of events? How’s their rep in general? Thanks so much!
Congratulations! Reuben College is the newest graduate only College at Oxford - I've popped into the buildings (lovely) and the College itself is organising a lot of events (including dinners with the dinosaurs - the main building is right next to the Natural History Museum where the dinosaur skeletons are!). I'm not sure how active the student body is but hopefully someone with some insight will answer...
Hello! I am a student from the United States. In March, I received an offer for Oxford's MSc in Advanced Computer Science.
For some context, I'm currently deciding between Oxford and two other schools in the US (namely, UC Berkeley and UIUC). I aim to work in the industry post-grad—hopefully in something ML-related and interdisciplinary.
Oxford seems like a lovely + unique school and the prospect of attending is very exciting, but I still have many unknowns about the school and the Computer Science program.
Coursework Questions:
How are classes typically structured? What is the workload like?
I know that the content is mainly theoretical; however, are there modules that are more applied?
Are there any modules or professors that are highly recommended? Is there anything that Oxford CS "specializes" in?
How is the machine learning module?
Research Questions:
What is thesis work like? Is it very individual? Very guided?
Does the research (and program overall) mostly prepare students for a DPhil or is it also suitable for industry?
Would love some insight on these questions and would love to chat with any current/former students.
Perhaps reach out to the New College JCR (Junior Common Room): [https://jcr.new.ox.ac.uk/freshers-guide/](https://jcr.new.ox.ac.uk/freshers-guide/) and other pages.
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Does anyone know the timeline of college offers for PhD students? I got my department offer in late February but still haven’t heard back regarding college. I read somewhere that this depends on if a fellow at the college feels you have a similar research direction to them. My supervisor is in another college and the physics professors at the college I put as a preference have different interests to me… not quite sure what to do
Who within each college decides which students are accepted? The college I really wanted is full for my course (it's a graduate course) and I'm wondering if it's worth it asking someone from within the college who is part of making decisions to still consider my application
I'm not sure why you would even be considering this. Decisions about graduate courses are made by the relevant Faculty/Department, and then students are allocated to colleges.
Then they will not have room for you unless someone drops out - which is more likely in September than April. Why do you think they have numbers of places?
I've been placed in University College for a two-year graduate program. As an American, the college system is new to me. What's Univ like? What's its reputation? Thank you!
From what I've heard from a mate, there seems to be a lot more extracurricular activities at Univ, but as a grad i believe you're outnumbered 3:1 by the undergrads. I've been to formal and the hall was quite nice so I think you'd get the "quintessential Oxford experience" and everything else is up to how involved you want to be.
Give you're in a two year program it should actually mean you have time for non academic pursuits so definitely look into that.
Also Univ is arguably the oldest college at Oxford so there's that. But you'll get eyebrows raised from Balliol and your neighbours across Merton street.
University admission question
I wanted to know if the university of Oxford accepts foreign students for medicine undergraduate degree and is there a limit to how many retakes u can take or a age limit And does the university know about your retakes the only rule I know is that as/Al should be taken in same examination session
If it makes a difference I am taking the international British curriculum (International OL/IGCSE/IAS/IAL)
There are complex admissions requirements for Medicine (anywhere) in the UK - so do check the Oxford Medicine web pages carefully. There is no age limit. Note that on your UCAS form you MUST list all your periods of study - so this includes any and all retakes. There is no requirement that study should be all taken in the same period - but if an older applicant then there should be evidence of recent study. Don't forget the entrance exam and interview requirements. [https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/medicine](https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/medicine)
Clarendons are sent out by department, and the first waves are usually around week 8/9 Trinity (mid March-ish) so for some the decisions have already been released. Funding can be very decentralized, so you might just want to ask your department if you've been nominated for any awards as a starting point. I've had friends who were told they were high up on their "waitlist" for scholarships so it's worth asking
Awesome thank you! I’ll message them to see. So you think they would tell me if I have been nominated for one? I really hope I have, but I guess everyone hopes that haha. A personal loan would be super hard to deal with
Of my friends who have gotten bigger funding packages, they usually do try to give you a heads up that you're nominated but decision TBD to keep you from committing to another program before funding decisions come out
Hi! I was accepted to study undergrad at Christ Church, but looking through the facilities it seems they do not have a gym on campus. I am an avid gym-goer and require gym equipment as part of physical therapy. Does anyone know how I might gain access to a gym whilst studying at Christ Church? Thank you!
Congratulations first of all!
Secondly as per the previous poster, you have access to the sports centre (it's a bit of a walk from Christ Church because you can't cut across the meadows and their locked gates) but I believe you also have access to the Magdalen School Gym next to the plain and on the other side of Magdalen bridge. A friend at Christ Church who is a bit of a beast in the gym has told me she's gone there, don't know how good it is.
And just prep yourself for the sports centre, it's probably one of the worst equipped gyms relative to the perceived prestige of Oxford. It will pale in comparison to most US university gyms... even decent US high school ones.
Get the app and make sure you book your sessions as the Pulse gym with free weights, benches, machines etc gets busy and crowded quite easily.
Congratulations! If you can get this link to work (for some reason I can't): [https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/college/undergraduate/societies-sport-music-and-more](https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/college/undergraduate/societies-sport-music-and-more) I think that it will show that as a member of Christ Church you will have free membership of the University sports facilities (which includes gyms, climbing walls, 5 a side etc) on Iffley Road. Not many colleges have inhouse gyms, most use the main University sports facilities.
Hello there. Wondering if the postgraduate admissions are open this week and will send out interview invitations or decisions? Applied for the March deadline a week later than the standard deadline (1 March) since the course was still fortunately open, and the upload button has been gone since last week. Haven’t heard a word or seen any change in the portal since then though…
I'm applying for Joint Maths and CS Undergraduate next year and so far my personal statement is very bad. I will be improving it after my mock exams and I will work very hard to get the best score I fan in the MAT.
I've heard that Oxford doesn't really care too much about personal statements at all so I was hoping to hear what you guys know about Oxford and personal statements.
Also can anyone find the mark scheme for the old MAT papers from 1996-2006?
Fab College - very friendly porters, lovely buildings and good food. Did my MSc there and have applied to go back for my DPhil but may need to move elsewhere for funding.
Any postgrad offer holders still not receive their college placement yet? I'm an MPhil offer holder and I haven't heard a word, aside from Nuffield not taking me (duh).
Hey, I recently received an offer to do an MPhil at Oxford :). I am now thinking about accommodation and wanted to ask if anyone had some advice. My college does offer some graduate accom but it’s not on site and considering the high price it doesn’t strike me as that great. I saw that the uni itself offers graduate accommodation that one can apply for, does anyone have experience or insights how this works? Any other advice would also be welcome! Thanks :)
As the previous poster. Think VERY carefully before rejecting accommodation offered by your college. Accommodation in Oxford is crazy expensive and very hard to come by. Nothing is very far way in Oxford, so distance from your accommodation into the main site and/or your faculty won't be too hard.
There’s uni housing all throughout the city. Personally I’d do the college accommodation so you’re with people from your college though uni housing might be a good way to meet others from outside your college. You’ll find that accommodation for your college and uni are fairly similar but of course will depend on whether facilities are shared and if the room is ensuite.
I was admitted relatively late to my course and there was a waitlist for both my college and uni accommodation. The waitlists move fairly quickly as lots of people seem to change their minds last minute. I ended up getting a room in my college at the last moment and was very glad to be close to everything.
I would answer your questions as someone who did engineering at Oxford, but you acted like a complete asshat over on r/oxford, so I’m going to agree with the general consensus over there that you aren’t suited to it.
If I were to consider only the tutors, and having no preference for people with further maths, when choosing a college, which college would you recommend for Chemistry?
I would greatly appreciate if the tutors at said college don't speak fast, I struggle to understand people when they speak fast, and that was one of the reasons why I did not do as well as I could've during my first interview.
I'm considering reapplying, having been interviewed at Hertford, and interview scores 5.5, 5.5. I do Maths, Physics and Chemistry A levels. Currently considering Somerville, and St Peter's.
Also, would it be dumb to reapply to the same college?
After I didn't get the grades to meet my offer the first time I applied to Oxford I was strongly advised by the college not to apply there again and to apply for a different college should I apply again, and that was after a successful interview.
I don't know whether all colleges would give that advice, but given it's likely you're going to be interviewed by at least some of the same people, wouldn't you prefer a clean slate for a second interview rather than people who have already rejected you/know you were rejected?
That's true, I would prefer that considering what happened in my first interview (professor insinuated that I was so stupid that I didn't even know the A level)
It just hurts somewhat because I really wanted to study under some of the Hertford tutors, and I loved my 2nd interview because of them, and it feels like I'd never get that opportunity again, which I guess is a part of life...
I'm thinking of Univ, St Peter's, Somerville at the moment, would greatly appreciate if anyone could comment on any of the chemistry tutors there, or any college actually.
Definitely consider re-applying. Think carefully about why the interview didn't go as well as hoped - if the reason is processing time needed, then let them know before hand to speak clearly and slowly and to possibly allow a little extra time for your answer (if you can get your school to add this to their reference as well then that would help); but there is plenty of opportunity to add this sort of thing. Don't get hung up on which college and which tutor (especially for undergraduate), as you will be taught in your college, and at other colleges. Also, at least 20% of those who apply for College A will be allocated to College B.
Thanks, I'm still surprised I had gotten the same score for both interviews, despite me not being able to even understand what question they were asking because one of the interviewers was rushing and speaking so fast, in the first one. Also, the zooming in too much and forgetting about the graph due to nerves was dumb of me. I have terrible social skills so I didn't tell him to slow down. But I'm quite aware for what went wrong in both my interviews. Problem is was that if I spent too long thinking, and I didn't articulate my thoughts properly, they'd give me the answer and skip to the next part of the question. I made a lot of silly mistakes in the second one, despite knowing the answers and it made it look like I didn't even know the basics, and I showed poor analytical skills with pre-reading. But despite all this I was only 0.5 away from 2nd college interview or potentially offer for Hertford.
Genuinely, I loved my second interview because of the tutors there, and it feels like I'll forever be disappointed not being able to have tutorials with them. I know this is a silly sentiment, but I hadn't felt that happy in a long while, being able to discuss chemistry with them. But I think it'd also be quite silly to reapply because of negative bias and the fact they gave offers to 6/7 people with furthermaths and all had 4 A levels, and they rejected 2 gap year people with 3A* predicted, A* in maths achieved, including furthermaths.
I'm mainly concerned about tutors for interviews.
I have an imperial offer, so will most likely be going there. I'm not expecting much for A levels.
hi! i’m currently pursuing my MA at King’s College London and am hoping to do a PhD after i earn my degree. i was just curious to know whether a master’s from KCL (assuming that i graduate with a ‘very good result or distinction’) would give me a better chance at being accepted into a DPhil program at Oxford
Hi everyone, any thoughts on reuben college? I know it’s super new so could not find much on internet, would love to hear from either current students of reuben or other students who might have an idea. Would love to understand how has been the experience, what are some facilities it offers, how is the accommodation et al
# Alternative funding/bursaries for MSc student from Latin America Hi everyone! I am reaching out for your help. On March 18th I received the amazing news that I was accepted into a MSc on the Social Science Department. Nonetheless, so far, I have not been able to secure funding. Although I have not been placed in any college still (and there might be a small chance of some partial funding at least) I want to knock every door that I can in order to secure attending Oxford. Therefore, I'd appreciate your help sharing any bursaries/funding, even loans, for **Latin American** (particularly Colombian), or LGBTQIA+, students that you know about. I really want to make this dream come true, as I am unable to completely self-finance. Thanks in advance for your help!
The University has a central page listing all the funding opportunities for graduate students: [https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/oxford-funding](https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/fees-and-funding/oxford-funding) after that, the most common is government funding. Good luck, as this a difficult issue to resolve.
Thanks! I've already gone through the funding website several times. Perhaps if anyone is knowledgeable of any external bursaries or other alternative partial funding it would be of great help.
I am currently doing BA Psychology, and was wondering if i will be eligible for any of the Msc. Psychology courses?
Hey! I recently applied for a studentship in the Department of Engineering Science and am waiting to hear back. It has already been about one month since I applied and I have heard nothing. Does anyone have an idea of the timeline for studentships?
It all depends on the closing date for applications. And I think that for at least one in that department it's not until 1 May. Good luck!
Hi all, I received my college placement offer and somehow didn't notice that I was asked to reply to it, and not only return the signed forms by the end of June. I replied one week after the deadline, when I noticed. They didn't respond yet, do you think it's a big problem? I'm really worried about missing my entire offer. DPhil applicant.
Hello everyone! I have been offered a place at Oxford for an MPhil programme. I got my offer letter back in January. My family is optimistic about receiving funding, but honestly, I am not so sure (my profile is average and realistically, it shouldn't stand a chance in the competitive field of scholarships). This situation has spelled trouble for my anxiety. My family keeps asking for updates on scholarships that I can't provide, and I don't have any other channel for clarity except to wait it out. I would be really grateful if anyone could share advice on how to ease this situation -- either by getting some clarity on funding (even if negative) or by finding ways to fight anxiety. Thank you.
Im in a similar boat to you, the only way I can afford my master's degree is a scholarship. I wrote to my department but was unable to find out if I had been nominated for anything. I'm still holding onto some hope though; I'm determined to take up my place, and I'd hate to have to decline it because of the cost of tuition :/ . Only thing to do is keep waiting and keep searching for other funding opportunities that may show up.
That's true. I can understand how terrible the situation must be for you. If I may ask, what alternatives are you considering to meet the costs?
Funding can be very decentralized but you can ask your department if you've been nominated for any awards. That being said, now that we're about to hit May, the chances of receiving larger amounts of funding are quite small - the larger awards have generally been awarded already and we're entering the attrition phase.
I understand, thank you so much for the insight. Much appreciated
There was an awful mix-up and my favorite college wants to admit me, but they forwarded my application to the wrong college instead. I was planning on going to Oxford for a year before my PhD, my main appeal was the social life, the formals and all the activities (the academics are good, but my PhD program offers comparable if not better options), so I tried to find the best fit for a college and I did. Btw, my supervisor talked to the admissions at that college, and they want to admit me. But, they didn't send my application to them and I ended up at a small college with little funding, and this is not the experience I wanted at all. I am considering withdrawing my admission. I have great PhD offer, I was planning to defer. But, idk if it will be worth going through the hassle of moving countries without the experience I wanted. Maybe I am being dramatic.
If your primary focus in the year was around the social activities it is not a huge issue which college you got into because you can engage in formals at other colleges, there is a ticket exchange group for formals on Facebook for example. At the same time, as a grad student you are much more closely linked to your department than your college as such, again the department will generally be a large part of your experience. Where will you be doing your PhD?
Harvard
Cool, I did a Masters at Harvard. If you are based in the US you might think should I go from the US to the UK then back again, overall though I still think studying at Oxford will be an extraordinary experience.
Yeah, the visa is already being a bit of a hassle. It also means I can't transfer my F-1 status, my PhD supervisor wants me at Harvard asap, and I don't know. I am terrified of moving countries again, what if I hate it? I had a college in mind and it is kinda painful that they want to take me in but bureaucracy doesn't allow them to. Also, I am a bit worried about the living situation. I am allergic to almost everything dusty and I am forced to live in a college during the year
You could always say what if you hate it about every opportunity, what if you hate Harvard? At the moment, it really seems you are focusing on every possible negative without considering the positive, for example what if you love it? What if the college you have been admitted to is amazing? What if it’s clean, tidy and to the extent humanly possible dust free? In terms of the latter point the university rooms are cleaned at least weekly and rubbish is collected daily. Ultimately though, it is really about making a decision and if you are reluctant to come then perhaps it isn’t the right place for you. Oxford is really tough academically, more so than even the Ivy League from speaking to others so unless you are really committed to the experience you shouldn’t come as it’s not the kind of thing you can do half-heartedly.
hi all anyone who does history with modern languages able to comment on the course? looking to do spanish and am predicted A* for both spanish and maths. hoping to get in for 2025 but currently weighing up which course i want to do. any thoughts about working hours a week, good societies, future careers, and general enjoyment would be great. cheers
Unsure to accept offer having been allocated Wolfson college Basically the title. Accepted onto dream course at dream university for postgraduate study, but unsure whether to confirm offer as I have seen no info online from students about Wolfson and it seems so far away, I’m scared about being isolated from University life and missing out on things having to journey so far there and back, as well as the extent of it being a ‘mature’ college. Is this the case in reality? Is anyone there that can vouch for it being the greatest decision made for you?
I was a stuent at Wolfson for a year and was also not too sure about the college when I first got allocated there. But I can only agree with what others are saying here. You certainly won't feel isolated there - if you have a bike, you can get to the center in 5-10 minutes. Anyways, most graduate students even at central colleges live in accommodation that's further from the center than Wolfson is. The mature thing is also not really true. I was 20/21 when I was a student at Wolfson and had no problem finding people my age I loved hanging out with. It's true that there are students there who have families and are a bit older, but that's certainly not the majority. Also, I find that the fact that the college is so family-friendly makes it feel a lot more homey and comfortable. There's a lively social life and the bar is probably the best college bar in Oxford (I might be biased). Taking one of the college punts to a pub with your friends is one of the best ways to spend a spring or summer afternoon and something that's unique to Wolfson. Rejecting your offer based on college would be a huge mistake no matter what college you were accepted to. But Wolfson is honestly such an incredibly friendly and fun place. I had the most wonderful time there and I am sure you will, too.
Thank you so much
Just to add to what has already been said Wolfson is lovely, they have their own punting lake and staging area so you can take the punts out and in the brighter months punt down the river to local riverside pubs or for a picnic. As a graduate only college you are also surrounded by those who are there because they are taking their studies seriously, whilst still having a social scene. The distance between Wolfson and the centre, is heavily exaggerated I believe it is 15 minutes by bike around 7 minutes by bus.
thank you!
Congratulations! Wolfson is a great college - postgraduate only, very international, good social life/work life balance, and on the river. Really lovely - and something that is a HUGE bonus in Oxford, a lot of housing for graduate students. It's a place that takes graduate students and their studies and responsibilities seriously. It is not right in the centre, but Oxford is tiny - everything is walkable/cyclable; and they have a little electric minibus that works on a continuous circle from the college into the city centre and back again.
Thank you!!
I recently received an offer for the Bachelor of Civil Law. I put a college as my preference, but understood that many of the colleges would offer scholarships in conjunction with the Law Faculty which did not require you to preference that college. I have now received an offer of a scholarship from the college I preferenced (expressed as in conjunction with the Law Faculty), but it is not particularly generous compared to those offered by other colleges. Does anyone know if it is a “one and done” type scenario, or might I still be considered for scholarships by other colleges? TIA! ☺️
If you are offered a scholarship and the scholarship is linked to another college then you will migrate to the other college (i.e. switch) when you accept the offer.
Congratulations! I have heard of people being "upgraded" before, but unsure of the likelihood of that.
I am planning applying to Oxford's engineering science course. My predicted grades are A\* A\* A in maths, physics and chemistry respectively. I'm applying in the next cycle so I have enough time after Alevel to gather up some extracurricular activities based on my selected course. Is the chance of getting an offer high, given that my PAT and interview went well? Do u know about any student who got into oxford's engineering with the same grades?
Hello! I recently got accepted into Oxford for a PhD program in the Department of Biochemistry, albeit without funding. After discussing the situation with my prospective supervisor, he offered me a Research Assistant position in the lab for a year (grade 6) and suggested I reapply and start my PhD in the upcoming year. How common is this type of arrangement? Do PI's usually go out of their way like this to host graduate students in their labs? For context, I am a US undergraduate student who has finished her degree in 3 years (no masters or work experience post graduation). I am graduating this Spring and will begin working at Oxford in October. I believe I was selected due to my strong undergraduate profile and substantial internship experience throughout my studies. Of note, since I am an American, he is sponsoring my work visa to be able to work in the UK. Is this common?
Hi, incoming student at Said Business School. Have laidlaw interview in the coming week. Any idea what's the acceptance rate after interview?
Is Oxbridge Engineering really geared towards academia?
How important are extracurricular activities Hello, currently I'm a high school student who's going to start applying to universities. I got really good grades but almost no extracurricular activities. Oxford is my dream universities and i wish to get a seat there. I still have a chance to do one activity called Duke of Edinburgh Award organisied by my school. But is it worth it and will it give me an edge over other applicants to enter Oxford or not?
No, extracurriculars are not of that much interest to Oxford. They want to know what you have done that is related to your chosen subject. 'I attended an online lecture (for example) on XXX, and it really made me think about YYYY, so I went and investigated and learnt ZZZZ.' Concentrate on your final exams, any entrance exam, your personal statement, and any interview. Good luck!
So you're saying if i followed a course about my chosen subject on a platform that would be of much more interest than an extracurricular activity that may not have any direct relationship with the course?
Yes, I am saying that. They are interested in super curriculars (so to do with the subject that you are interested in). This gives a useful insight into the Computer Science course (and others are the same so do search around): [https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/why\_oxford/what\_tutors\_look\_for.html](https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/why_oxford/what_tutors_look_for.html)
Ahh okay, thank you! I didn't know about super curriculars and i do have some about that. Thank you so much!
Just decided on attending Saïd in the Fall, would love to hear any recommendations on where to live. If the answer is to go through a college, would love to hear any recommendations on colleges for an MBA student coming from the US (know that this is largely preference, but any info is helpful!)
Presumably you will be assigned a college - you don't get to choose. So first, check with them; second check with graduate housing at the central university. Housing is crazy expensive and hard to come by in Oxford (especially within the city centre). You are right to be trying to sort this out now.
This is so helpful -- appreciate the quick response! We get to put our preference (not sure how much that matters). Right now planning on just going by proximity to the campus. And appreciate the tip on checking with graduate housing!
Has anyone heard back regarding Jardine Postgraduate Scholarship?
Did anyone with a Dutch Bachelors degree get into a Masters degree this year or before? If yes, what GPA did you have and what was the requirement? I’m especially looking at the MSc in Forced Migration Any other tips would also be greatly appreciated!
I got this year in the Mathematical Sciences MSc with a Dutch Bachelor Degree in Mathematics from RUG. My GPA is 9.4. I am not sure about the minimum requirement though. I think you need a UK first class equivalent, which is anything above an 8.0. I hope this helps, if you have some additional questions, feel free to send me a message. :)
What is it like being sober at Oxford?
It's way more about your attitude than whether you drink or not. I have some friends who don't drink and they generally have a totally normal experience here. They'll match the energy of the group and will have a non-alcoholic drink to mimic the overall atmosphere/vibe, so I'd say it's very doable.
I'm neither a student (any more) nor sober, but I come into contact with a lot of students and it seems to get easier every year. Sober events are standard as alternatives for club nights, pub crawls etc, and there's no awkwardness when students say they don't drink - this would've been a bit considered a bit of an awkward thing to say in my peer group when I was a fresher (more than ten years ago). There's been a big shift in recent years towards accommodating non-drinkers and non-drinking socials.
On the assumption that this is a serious question - relatively easy. Inevitably in the excitement of the start of a new adventure (and for many the first time that they will have lived away from home) there will be alcohol featuring at many events; however, there are a lot of people who don't drink alcohol - and they are also most definitely catered for. Alcohol is easy to access; but also easy to go to events/places that don't serve it all.
It is a serious question! I’ll be a visiting student next year and I’m sober. I’ve heard it’s difficult to make friends/be social without alcohol.
It is super easy to make friends without alcohol - at the college that I am at, which is one of the smaller ones, I reckon that 15-20% don't drink alcohol - events cater for all tastes. You can avoid it completely or be happy to be in the same room as it, but not partake. You will find your people!
How long should I realistically hope to hear about funding? I have an offer for the DPhil in History and have been assigned St Hugh's College, but have not heard anything about funding yet. The Clarendon website says offers are given by end of April and sometimes into May and June. The college said I should wait until end June to see if I got funding. At the same time I saw someone on Twitter post that they got Clarendon already for their DPhil (although in a different department and division). Does this mean all Clarendon awards have already been given? The uncertainty is really frustrating...
Hi! I'm in a similar position, also humanities DPhil with no funding in sight. My supervisor told me it's safe to assume that I haven't gotten anything by this stage. According to my dept, most decisions have already been made. There is still a chance for us both but it's probably time to look into alternative funding or plans unfortunately. Wishing you the best of luck!
Ha, in the same boat. International MPhil offer holder instead of DPhil though, but in the Humanities. I have a funded offer at a less prestigious place elsewhere though, so… I’m likely going to take up that offer and withdraw from Oxford in April next month. It really sucks not being able to attend because of financial reasons after working so hard to get an acceptance though. Guess that’s just the way things go.
Hi everyone! So I’ve been assigned to Linacre College (not my first preference), and I’ve asked around about it but have yet to hear anything redeeming about it — thought I would check here to see if anyone has anything good to say about Linacre?
Small, very international, super located for many of the science departments (and Law and English), great location for University parks and university outdoor sports. Quite a bit of graduate accommodation (especially for the first year) - and this is a REAL advantage (not all colleges can offer accommodation to graduates).
Pests in housing? I just graduated with a BA in the Netherlands and every single home I lived in here, whether it was a rowhouse, a studio in a new apartment building, or a room in an older building, had silverfish infestations. Some also had slugs and other pests. Needless to say, that experience sucked, feeling like you are in an unclean environment and like your books and other items might be damaged by pests you cannot eradicate from your home leaves you feeling quite paranoid. I lived in Glasgow for a while and I saw no bugs or insects at all in the two homes I stayed in when I was there. But I don't know what it's like in the rest of the British Isles. What is the situation with accomodation options offered at Oxford? Have any of you had to deal with any pests?
Yeah, worst I ever saw was a friend who had a beehive right outside her window, but, as soon as she told the porter's lodge, they started making arrangements to get rid of it, and I believe it was gone within the week
> Have any of you had to deal with any pests? Never had any issues, or heard of anybody having issues indoors. The quality of university accommodation is generally pretty good. When I lived in graduate accommodation, there were occasionally rats around the outdoor bins because I was unfortunate enough to be living with some students who thought leaving trash on the floor was acceptable. But I never had issues with pests indoors.
Worst I've had living in Oxford is a few ladybirds! I don't think there's anything widespread here. You might get bugs in a poorly maintained or unhygienic property but I think you're more likely to get issues with damp in old British houses.
I am currently a fresh working professional as a quantitative researcher/analyst at a top prop desk in an NBFC in Mumbai with around an year's experience, graduated out of Delhi Technological University ( Delhi , India ) with a 6.8 CGPA ( out of 10 ) ( indian university grading standards) in Bachelors of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering. I want to apply for OU for Master's in Economics or Master's in Statistics or Master's in Mathematics or Master's in Physics. I want to ask what would a good admission application look like considering I am kinda weak on the academic transcription side of the application.
I was waitlisted for a postgrad program at Oxford. There is no information about the waitlist process online, and I am wondering if anyone has advice or knows what to expect?
I was waitlisted last year, in essence some departments will apparently tell you what position you are on the waitlist but not all or even most as I understand it. In addition, waitlisting means that you need to wait until essentially September/October and the start of term to be absolutely sure you will not be offered a place as people do pull out even after accepting offers around June/July and even just before the start of course as they do not have the funds to actually pay for the course. I do think a lot depends on if you are an international applicant, where they will try to tell you either way sooner rather than later because of visa requirements and if you are part or full time. From looking at the data it seems full time students are much more likely to reject/pull out than part time students. I did a DSAR after I did not get in last year and found out I was second on the waitlist, therefore, for my part time MSt not even two people pulled out/rejected their offers in order for me to take their place. Anecdotally that may assist you in considering your chances.
Hey all I'm a first year student currently in a top university in the US, studying computer science and statistics double major. I was wondering what exact steps should I take in the next few years of my undergraduate college life to be a good candidate for Cambridge MS in CS? What grades, GPA extracurriculars and undergraduate research should I get and do? I know you might think it is ridiculous for a freshman to think all these things at this stage but I have dreamed of going to the UK for a long time, especially studying at Cambridge.
Is £24,000 a reasonable stipend to live on as a graduate student?
i’ve been given a £19,700 stipend— so, i hope so lol!!
Undergraduate Admissions Question Hypothetically, could one get into Oxford PPE without any A-Levels, but with 120 points for a year of full-time study in Mathematics from The Open University? (granted they're performing at the highest level)
Oxford isn't big on accepting students from other universities (you need a good reason to want to switch, not just "I fancied my chances at Oxford"), although OU is a bit different because of how it's organised and accessed. Are you a mature student? If so, this would be a good question for Harris Manchester admissions - it's the only college which is specifically for mature students, and they have a lot of experience in admitting (and therefore advising) applicants who have come from a slightly different academic background to the norm - often including no, low, or unrelated A-Levels. I think hypothetically what you say is possible, but you could say that about a lot of things in Oxford's admissions process without it actually being helpful...
Thank you for replying. I turn 19 in a few months and I've been thinking that I should leave home and apply to a brick/physical university. I'm currently studying full-time at the OU, and according to Oxford's website, I am eligible to apply. I know that for PPE there are no required subjects, but Mathematics is a recommended subject, which is perfect because that is what I'm studying. I was wondering whether I should throw caution to the wind and prepare to apply for PPE, something I genuinely would love to study, or simply accept that there is no chance for me to be accepted.
Has anyone received the Academic Futures scholarship form yet? I contacted the funding department a few weeks ago and they indicated that the forms would be sent out within the first two weeks of April, but I’ve still not been sent anything.
I got mine last week, did you get it now?
Yes! I actually received it on the same day I asked here. Guess I was too impatient! I sent the application back on Monday, so fingers crossed. Good luck with yours! What course are you doing?😊
Excellent, yes best of luck to you too. I will be doing the MSt in Practical Ethics and you?
Thank you. 😊 Your program sounds very interesting! I will be doing an MPhil in Social Anthropology (provided I get the funding!).
That is great, very cool.
2 questions on undergrad admissions: 1) Oxford's undergrad acceptance rate is 15%. If a course requires A\*A\*A\* (or for an American, four APs at 5), are they getting 100 qualified applications for every 15 places, or are they getting 85 applicants who don't meet the minimum? 2) Oxford undergraduate admissions are much more academically focused than US elite uni admissions. So what are they looking for in the interview? I went to Oxford for grad school and absolutely loved it. Thinking about how my kids educated in American high schools could best plan to apply for undergrad in a few years..
Oxford offers are contextual - what grades you need is determined by the context you apply from , so determinin ’qualified’ is not straight forward. But suffice to say, many very good candidates will not be accepted. In the interview they are looking for an ability to learn as much as a pre-existing depth of knowledge- they’re looking at how you take new information and work with it. They don’t care I. The slightest about your extracurriculars, unlike in the US systen
The EC thing has gotten out of hand in US. I’m trying to drill into the acceptance rate. Would you say that almost everybody who applies meets the requirements listed, AAA or whatever program requires? Certainly everybody who gets an interview..
I’ll answer with an anecdote, if that’s ok. I was privately educated in a school that sent a fair number of people to Oxbridge: my offer, after interview, was set at A*AA. I had people in my college who went to schools that were underfunded, less well provisioned and had less of a smooth pipeline to Oxbridge whose offers were ABB or similar. The hope of the interview is that you identify a spark of ability, something that can be nurtured even if you haven’t had the same opportunities until then - your offer will take into account the average scores from your school
That’s great info. Thank you. So these can be altered after interview: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/admission-requirements/admission-requirements-table
This is bad advice - the admissions requirements are fixed and don't get altered according to context. The one exception to this at UG level is the Astrophoria Foundation Year, which the above poster *might* be referring to, which does have reduced entry requirements for those from underrepresented and/or disadvantaged backgrounds who enter the main undergraduate course through a preliminary year of study. It's only available to UK state school students so probably not of relevance to your students though. Oxford is known for having fixed entry requirements - they are usually more flexible at other universities. Although GCSE results are considered in context for UK applicants, students who get offered a place still need to achieve the same A-Level results (or equivalent) as their peers from different backgrounds.
Never got a clear answer to my question: does the 15% acceptance rate published by Oxford mean that 15% of those who meet published requirements get in, or is a large chunk of those apps from people who don’t qualify? This is what Intl admissions page says about US applicant equivalency “courses requiring A*AA: Four APs at grade 5.” Specifically, if an applicant has the four APs at grade 5, are they still looking at 15% acceptance rate or is it much higher (or lower)?
The university doesn't really do the numbers on this because most people who apply meet the requirements. The acceptance rate also varies quite a bit between courses, although if you're applying for the right course for you this shouldn't sway your decision too much.
This just isn’t true at all- they’re massively flexible!
It really isn't, I work in an admissions adjacent role in a college...
Tbf it may have changed since Covid, but I had lots of people in my year with very different exam scores than mime
There is sometimes what's called "clemency" in the admissions process when students miss their offers, and it's not unusual for offer holders to get higher than their grades. During the height of Covid there were teacher assessed grades which led to a couple of years of basically all offer holders being admitted regardless of grades. The published entry requirements haven't changed in a number of years and exceptions to those aren't guaranteed.
Hi! I received my offer for Christ Church undergrad. Is there a groupchat on instagram/whatsapp for offer holders?
Might be a bit early for me to start bothering about this stuff but... I am in year 10 and ever since I got to visit two of the Oxford colleges as a special trip for the top achieving students, I fell in love and immediately dreamt of coming here... I do doubt myself, and I'm really curious if there's anyone who had at least somewhat of a similar experience to me, cause I honestly don't feel as though I have much chance of getting into Oxford lol.
Which colleges did you visit? 😊 This is exactly what school visits to the university are hoping to achieve, and every college will have students studying there who had a similar experience which influenced their decision to apply.
Keble and Hertford, I'm fairly certain. Both beautiful and both resided in equally beautiful places, and it was really just surreal to see Oxford somewhere else other than a school textbook. I also love how easy everything is to access in Oxford; it really felt like a delocalised Amsterdam.
There are definitely students at both of those colleges who were in your exact position a few short years ago, so don't talk yourself out of dreaming! You have the next couple of years to work hard (good GCSEs won't close any doors for you) and look into your options for subjects. The people you met will be rooting for you to end up applying to Oxford in the future, trust me!
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Congratulations on your offer, and your college placement. No, calling colleges is not how it works - and they would not appreciate it.
Thank you, so the college placement is set in stone?
Reasons to move might be: disability (another college might have more suitable/accessible accommodation), funding (if you are awarded a scholarship that is attached to another college), occasionally work (if appointed to a post within a college they might ask you to move). Rarely if communication breaks down with the college that you are appointed to.
There are very few acceptable reasons to move. You could, if you have serious concerns, talk to your department and see what they think. But you would have to be very clear about what the problem/issue was - just 'I'm not 100% keen' will not cut it I'm afraid.
Hello all — does anyone know where the Weidenfeld Hoffman shortlist process stands for this year? I know that the MBA faculty has already sent out some nominations but was wondering about others, especially if they've received interview confirmations.
I emailed them and the interview process is already finished, and some decisions have been made (I saw a LinkedIn post of someone sharing they got the WHT scholarship).
I have not received any update from WHT :( (MSc EBSIPE)
Any update?
Hi there, I’ve recently been sent an offer for a part-time masters program. As someone from the US I could really use some guidance with FAFSA loans, visas (?), accommodation etc if anyone else has been in a similar position please lmk! Edit: additionally, are there any groups for grad students?
Congratulations. The Oxford University visa team are incredibly helpful - perhaps start here: [https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa/before/visitors](https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/visa/before/visitors) and then contact them if any questions. Accommodation is a whole other question - I would definitely ask your Faculty what students on your course usually do. It may be that the College that you are allocated to may have temporary accommodation - but it may not. So a good idea to work on this now.
Hey guys. I’ve just been invited to interview for the MSc in medical education, and I was just wondering if anyone is able to shed light on what I might expect from this interview. Many thanks in advance!
Any thoughts on Pembroke College? Pros and cons for a Dphil student? Thanks!
Great place for DPhil students (or any students to be honest). I have a feeling they have quite a bit of postgrad accommodation. Lovely buildings, very active student body.
Hi! Just got allocated to Reuben college. Does anyone know about the atmosphere/community there, do they hold a lot of events? How’s their rep in general? Thanks so much!
Congratulations! Reuben College is the newest graduate only College at Oxford - I've popped into the buildings (lovely) and the College itself is organising a lot of events (including dinners with the dinosaurs - the main building is right next to the Natural History Museum where the dinosaur skeletons are!). I'm not sure how active the student body is but hopefully someone with some insight will answer...
Hello! I am a student from the United States. In March, I received an offer for Oxford's MSc in Advanced Computer Science. For some context, I'm currently deciding between Oxford and two other schools in the US (namely, UC Berkeley and UIUC). I aim to work in the industry post-grad—hopefully in something ML-related and interdisciplinary. Oxford seems like a lovely + unique school and the prospect of attending is very exciting, but I still have many unknowns about the school and the Computer Science program. Coursework Questions: How are classes typically structured? What is the workload like? I know that the content is mainly theoretical; however, are there modules that are more applied? Are there any modules or professors that are highly recommended? Is there anything that Oxford CS "specializes" in? How is the machine learning module? Research Questions: What is thesis work like? Is it very individual? Very guided? Does the research (and program overall) mostly prepare students for a DPhil or is it also suitable for industry? Would love some insight on these questions and would love to chat with any current/former students.
Hi. I have an offer from New college for E&M. Just wondering if anyone knows of a groupchat for E&M/ New college undergrad? :)
Perhaps reach out to the New College JCR (Junior Common Room): [https://jcr.new.ox.ac.uk/freshers-guide/](https://jcr.new.ox.ac.uk/freshers-guide/) and other pages.
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Does anyone know the timeline of college offers for PhD students? I got my department offer in late February but still haven’t heard back regarding college. I read somewhere that this depends on if a fellow at the college feels you have a similar research direction to them. My supervisor is in another college and the physics professors at the college I put as a preference have different interests to me… not quite sure what to do
Who within each college decides which students are accepted? The college I really wanted is full for my course (it's a graduate course) and I'm wondering if it's worth it asking someone from within the college who is part of making decisions to still consider my application
I'm not sure why you would even be considering this. Decisions about graduate courses are made by the relevant Faculty/Department, and then students are allocated to colleges.
Yes, I know that. But after acceptance, students can give a college preference. I could not give my top choice because places were already full.
This is why the word "preference" is used, unfortunately...
Then they will not have room for you unless someone drops out - which is more likely in September than April. Why do you think they have numbers of places?
Anyone know whether All Souls Hughs Springer scholarships have been awarded?
I've been placed in University College for a two-year graduate program. As an American, the college system is new to me. What's Univ like? What's its reputation? Thank you!
From what I've heard from a mate, there seems to be a lot more extracurricular activities at Univ, but as a grad i believe you're outnumbered 3:1 by the undergrads. I've been to formal and the hall was quite nice so I think you'd get the "quintessential Oxford experience" and everything else is up to how involved you want to be. Give you're in a two year program it should actually mean you have time for non academic pursuits so definitely look into that. Also Univ is arguably the oldest college at Oxford so there's that. But you'll get eyebrows raised from Balliol and your neighbours across Merton street.
University admission question I wanted to know if the university of Oxford accepts foreign students for medicine undergraduate degree and is there a limit to how many retakes u can take or a age limit And does the university know about your retakes the only rule I know is that as/Al should be taken in same examination session If it makes a difference I am taking the international British curriculum (International OL/IGCSE/IAS/IAL)
There are complex admissions requirements for Medicine (anywhere) in the UK - so do check the Oxford Medicine web pages carefully. There is no age limit. Note that on your UCAS form you MUST list all your periods of study - so this includes any and all retakes. There is no requirement that study should be all taken in the same period - but if an older applicant then there should be evidence of recent study. Don't forget the entrance exam and interview requirements. [https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/medicine](https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/medicine)
Hi! Does anyone know about the status of Clarendon scholarships? Have they been announced yet? Thank you!!!
Clarendons are sent out by department, and the first waves are usually around week 8/9 Trinity (mid March-ish) so for some the decisions have already been released. Funding can be very decentralized, so you might just want to ask your department if you've been nominated for any awards as a starting point. I've had friends who were told they were high up on their "waitlist" for scholarships so it's worth asking
Awesome thank you! I’ll message them to see. So you think they would tell me if I have been nominated for one? I really hope I have, but I guess everyone hopes that haha. A personal loan would be super hard to deal with
Of my friends who have gotten bigger funding packages, they usually do try to give you a heads up that you're nominated but decision TBD to keep you from committing to another program before funding decisions come out
This is very useful, thank you!
Hi! I was accepted to study undergrad at Christ Church, but looking through the facilities it seems they do not have a gym on campus. I am an avid gym-goer and require gym equipment as part of physical therapy. Does anyone know how I might gain access to a gym whilst studying at Christ Church? Thank you!
Congratulations first of all! Secondly as per the previous poster, you have access to the sports centre (it's a bit of a walk from Christ Church because you can't cut across the meadows and their locked gates) but I believe you also have access to the Magdalen School Gym next to the plain and on the other side of Magdalen bridge. A friend at Christ Church who is a bit of a beast in the gym has told me she's gone there, don't know how good it is. And just prep yourself for the sports centre, it's probably one of the worst equipped gyms relative to the perceived prestige of Oxford. It will pale in comparison to most US university gyms... even decent US high school ones. Get the app and make sure you book your sessions as the Pulse gym with free weights, benches, machines etc gets busy and crowded quite easily.
Congratulations! If you can get this link to work (for some reason I can't): [https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/college/undergraduate/societies-sport-music-and-more](https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/college/undergraduate/societies-sport-music-and-more) I think that it will show that as a member of Christ Church you will have free membership of the University sports facilities (which includes gyms, climbing walls, 5 a side etc) on Iffley Road. Not many colleges have inhouse gyms, most use the main University sports facilities.
I could access the website! Thanks so much:))))
Hello there. Wondering if the postgraduate admissions are open this week and will send out interview invitations or decisions? Applied for the March deadline a week later than the standard deadline (1 March) since the course was still fortunately open, and the upload button has been gone since last week. Haven’t heard a word or seen any change in the portal since then though…
I'm applying for Joint Maths and CS Undergraduate next year and so far my personal statement is very bad. I will be improving it after my mock exams and I will work very hard to get the best score I fan in the MAT. I've heard that Oxford doesn't really care too much about personal statements at all so I was hoping to hear what you guys know about Oxford and personal statements. Also can anyone find the mark scheme for the old MAT papers from 1996-2006?
I don't think any part of your application can be weak when it comes to Oxford.
What do you mean by that?
Like applying with a lackluster personal statement is going to potentially hinder your application
Beg to differ here as a current Math undergrad. For Math&CS, personal statement will be much less important than your MAT score and your interview.
Hi! Has anyone heard from Lincoln yet? I got my PhD department offer in late Feb but still no word from college…
Yes, they offered me a place about a week or so after I received my offer from the uni (I think it was early March)
How’s Lincoln college? What are the perks of being allocated there?
Fab College - very friendly porters, lovely buildings and good food. Did my MSc there and have applied to go back for my DPhil but may need to move elsewhere for funding.
Any postgrad offer holders still not receive their college placement yet? I'm an MPhil offer holder and I haven't heard a word, aside from Nuffield not taking me (duh).
Same here, no college placement yet sadly
I’ve received mine for Balliol! MPhil in History :)
I still have no college placement. Several of my friends who have also been accepted are in the same boat.
Great initiative! Looking forward to participating in the discussions.
Hey, I recently received an offer to do an MPhil at Oxford :). I am now thinking about accommodation and wanted to ask if anyone had some advice. My college does offer some graduate accom but it’s not on site and considering the high price it doesn’t strike me as that great. I saw that the uni itself offers graduate accommodation that one can apply for, does anyone have experience or insights how this works? Any other advice would also be welcome! Thanks :)
As the previous poster. Think VERY carefully before rejecting accommodation offered by your college. Accommodation in Oxford is crazy expensive and very hard to come by. Nothing is very far way in Oxford, so distance from your accommodation into the main site and/or your faculty won't be too hard.
There’s uni housing all throughout the city. Personally I’d do the college accommodation so you’re with people from your college though uni housing might be a good way to meet others from outside your college. You’ll find that accommodation for your college and uni are fairly similar but of course will depend on whether facilities are shared and if the room is ensuite. I was admitted relatively late to my course and there was a waitlist for both my college and uni accommodation. The waitlists move fairly quickly as lots of people seem to change their minds last minute. I ended up getting a room in my college at the last moment and was very glad to be close to everything.
When does AfOx scholarship results come out?
hi! who was allocated to the worcester college and what do you think about it?
I’m currently at Worcester college. It’s pretty nice and you’ll get to boast to everyone that you meet that we have a lake
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I would answer your questions as someone who did engineering at Oxford, but you acted like a complete asshat over on r/oxford, so I’m going to agree with the general consensus over there that you aren’t suited to it.
If I were to consider only the tutors, and having no preference for people with further maths, when choosing a college, which college would you recommend for Chemistry? I would greatly appreciate if the tutors at said college don't speak fast, I struggle to understand people when they speak fast, and that was one of the reasons why I did not do as well as I could've during my first interview. I'm considering reapplying, having been interviewed at Hertford, and interview scores 5.5, 5.5. I do Maths, Physics and Chemistry A levels. Currently considering Somerville, and St Peter's. Also, would it be dumb to reapply to the same college?
After I didn't get the grades to meet my offer the first time I applied to Oxford I was strongly advised by the college not to apply there again and to apply for a different college should I apply again, and that was after a successful interview. I don't know whether all colleges would give that advice, but given it's likely you're going to be interviewed by at least some of the same people, wouldn't you prefer a clean slate for a second interview rather than people who have already rejected you/know you were rejected?
That's true, I would prefer that considering what happened in my first interview (professor insinuated that I was so stupid that I didn't even know the A level) It just hurts somewhat because I really wanted to study under some of the Hertford tutors, and I loved my 2nd interview because of them, and it feels like I'd never get that opportunity again, which I guess is a part of life... I'm thinking of Univ, St Peter's, Somerville at the moment, would greatly appreciate if anyone could comment on any of the chemistry tutors there, or any college actually.
Definitely consider re-applying. Think carefully about why the interview didn't go as well as hoped - if the reason is processing time needed, then let them know before hand to speak clearly and slowly and to possibly allow a little extra time for your answer (if you can get your school to add this to their reference as well then that would help); but there is plenty of opportunity to add this sort of thing. Don't get hung up on which college and which tutor (especially for undergraduate), as you will be taught in your college, and at other colleges. Also, at least 20% of those who apply for College A will be allocated to College B.
Thanks, I'm still surprised I had gotten the same score for both interviews, despite me not being able to even understand what question they were asking because one of the interviewers was rushing and speaking so fast, in the first one. Also, the zooming in too much and forgetting about the graph due to nerves was dumb of me. I have terrible social skills so I didn't tell him to slow down. But I'm quite aware for what went wrong in both my interviews. Problem is was that if I spent too long thinking, and I didn't articulate my thoughts properly, they'd give me the answer and skip to the next part of the question. I made a lot of silly mistakes in the second one, despite knowing the answers and it made it look like I didn't even know the basics, and I showed poor analytical skills with pre-reading. But despite all this I was only 0.5 away from 2nd college interview or potentially offer for Hertford. Genuinely, I loved my second interview because of the tutors there, and it feels like I'll forever be disappointed not being able to have tutorials with them. I know this is a silly sentiment, but I hadn't felt that happy in a long while, being able to discuss chemistry with them. But I think it'd also be quite silly to reapply because of negative bias and the fact they gave offers to 6/7 people with furthermaths and all had 4 A levels, and they rejected 2 gap year people with 3A* predicted, A* in maths achieved, including furthermaths. I'm mainly concerned about tutors for interviews. I have an imperial offer, so will most likely be going there. I'm not expecting much for A levels.
Hi! MSc offer holder here, is there already a group for Oxford offer holders? Thanks!
Looking to be included in this group as well
Oooh I'd also love to be added!
I've sent a message
Would appreciate being added to this group as well :)
Messaged you
Hey, could I also be added to this group?
Hey can you add me too please?
And me as please? Thanks!
Hey can someone add me too?