<p>Has anyone who’s applied to Cambridge been invited to interview yet?</p>
<p>Too early! Go find the Cambridge applicants for 2014 thread on the student room website- you’ll have more fellow travelers there…</p>
<p>The D of our friends has been asked to write a supplemental essay on a specific topic, which they will use to determine if she gets an interview. It was exactly the same for my d. They may do this for French students routinely, though I have heard it is rare for others.</p>
<p>DC received Cambridge interview invitation earlier this week.</p>
<p>congratulations!</p>
<p>Congrats. Our d went through that last Dec. (She thought it went badly, but enjoyed engaging with the questioners anyway and, once “pooled” was immediately offered a place.)</p>
<p>Why do we need to submit personal essay while applying for study abroad? An academic editor at [url=<a href=“http://www.assignmentlabs.co.uk%5Dassignmentlabs%5B/url”>http://www.assignmentlabs.co.uk]assignmentlabs[/url</a>] told me that I must have to submit a personal statement or personal essay and in some cases portfolios with my admission application. So I just want to know does this policy vary university to another university or it depends on particular country’s policy?</p>
<p>Yes to both questions. While everything they ask is variation on a single theme, each will ask for its own that you have to customize for them. They want to see what, and perhaps more importantly how, you think. </p>
<p>My d looked at them as an opportunity and worked hard on them, but as she did more it was easier as she had thought everything through already. Believe me, they read the one she wrote for Cambridge and asked her very pointed questions about it.</p>
<p>Kayseria, if you are applying for a study abroad program, as opposed to direct enroll, the entry requirements are determined by your particular program and may be completely different from direct enroll entry requirements. You need to check with your program.</p>
<p>Kayseria, if you are using a paper-writing service I think you have some challenges ahead of you.</p>
<p>As cupcake says, if you are planning on doing a semester or a year of a Study Abroad program, that program will have it’s own admissions requirements. </p>
<p>If you are thinking of applying to Oxford or Cambridge for your full-time university, then you have to follow the admissions requirements that all applicants have to follow. </p>
<p>In the UK, every applicant to every UK university, submits a “Personal Statement” (but unlike the US, you only do one, and it is sent on to all of the unis you are applying to). The Personal Statement is an essay in which you demonstrate your interest and aptitude for the subject that you are applying to study. In the case of Ox/Cam, it is important to reference study that you have done in that area beyond the classroom (eg, books you have read outside of class, work you have done in the field you want to study, etc.). </p>
<p>Depending on the course and the university, additional work may be required. Portfolios are required for arts courses, because they are a better way to evaluate your aptitude for the course. Some Oxford and Cambridge courses ask for writing samples, either a piece of graded school work (Oxford) or a supplemental essay about your subject area (Cambridge). Some Oxford and Cambridge courses also require an aptitude test. You can find out if these will apply to you by looking up the webpages on the subject that you want to study.</p>
<p>Given your use of a paper-writing service, you might want to be aware that if you are applying for a humanities subject, most of your schoolwork will be essays- depending on the subject, typically 1 or 2 research papers (6-8 pages + references each) per week. If you are applying for a science, know that the scientists think that the humanities students have it easy.</p>
<p>What is pooled?</p>
<p>It’s a bit like being waitlisted. </p>
<p>Pooled means they think you are good enough and want to take you, but there is no space in your first choice college. So your application is put in a ‘pool’ for colleges with spaces to pick from. The pooled college may re-interview you, or may not. </p>
<p>I applied to Caius and was pooled to Murray Edwards (and got in).</p>
<p>Thank you Cupcake for the explanation! Son had Oxford interview through Skype last week. No update or second interview from the college. Now he just have to wait for the result.</p>
<p>It’s a nervewracking wait, but good luck to your son!</p>
<p>Thank you boomting! Son got the acceptance email this morning from oxford.</p>
<p>Congrats to your Son, SFBayareaParent! is he holding out for US options, or confirming Ox? (also, any conditions?)</p>
<p>He will go since the tutoring system fits his learning style well. He had a couple early action acceptance, and a few application for regular decision. Once he cleared his condition, he will withdraw all his US schools. The condition he go from oxford college is certified all his test scores before march 1st. He submitted all his test result through college board. Why they need the certification from his high school? His school never done that before but willing to help.</p>
<p>Congratulations to him - what a fantastic achievement! </p>
<p>The reason they want his certificates is just - to put it bluntly - to check he’s not cheating. This will be normal practice for all international students, with UK students providing proof in a slightly different way, via their exam boards.</p>
<p>Great to know that it is a common practice.</p>
<p>I was curious as to the experiences of other people at Oxford so googled it and ended up here. My daughter is a third year at an Oxford college and it’s been a great experience for her. Academically it’s as good as it gets. I went to an Ivy in the US; she chose a different path and it’s worked out. A couple of comments:</p>
<p>(a) it’s academically extremely rigorous. She went to one of the Phillips Academies in New England (which are pretty rigorous in themselves). Her college experience has been different than mine in that my first year of college after prep school was basically a review of what I’d learned in high school; she had to work a lot harder than I did. I think one issue is that UK students already know their history; Americans have a tough learning curve to get to where the UK students are, naturally, by the time college rolls around.</p>
<p>(b) the social life is quite different, revolving as it seems to around what they call “bops” or “fancy dress parties”. Colleges have different vibes, and the college matters. Some are literally ancient and medieval in style, like something out of Brideshead Revisited. Hers – which is still older than Harvard – is still quite hoary and ancient, with a few modern buildings. Some of the newest colleges are architecturally modernist and very different than the image one has in one’s head.</p>
<p>(c) the three-years-to-graduate thing is pretty fast. She will graduate at the age of 21. That seems pretty young to me from my perspective, but it gives her time to goof off, afterwards.</p>
<p>(d) it’s not clear what the alumni network is like in the US, yet.</p>
<p>All in all she’s had a fantastic experience. She regularly relates to me tales of Americans who come to college for a semester and a year and who pronounce themselves jealous of her prescience in choosing to attend for her whole college career. But she works extremely hard and if you go to Oxford, do expect to work.</p>