Chance me for Oxford PPE?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm currently a junior, so I still don't have all of the materials I will be submitting in my application yet. However, based on what I currently have, what would you say are my chances of getting into Oxford are?</p>

<p>SAT (Superscore): 750 (M) 800 (CR) 790 (W)
Individual Attempts December 2010: 670 (M) 720 (CR) 790 (W) and January 2011: 750 (M) 800 (CR) 720 (W)
<strong>I'm not sure if Oxford superscores, so if anyone has any knowledge about that please let me know</strong></p>

<p>SAT ii Subject Tests: 740 Lit, 740 Chem, Planning on taking US History subject test after the AP exam in May -- I'm predicting somewhere in the 700-800 range given my grades in history this year--</p>

<p>AP's
<strong>my school does not offer AP or IB, instead they offer AT, which is a very slightly modified version of AP courses. We essentially learn the same material, but we are not done with the curriculum before the AP exam, there's more in-class discussion and debate. AP is also only offered to students beginning junior year</strong></p>

<p>I plan on taking APUSH, AP Stat and AP Spanish. I don't have available scores, but my teachers and I predict 4's or 5's. I know Oxford requires all 5's on 3 relevant AP's or above 700's on three relevant Subject Tests, and I know I have a higher chance of meeting that requirement with my subject tests.</p>

<p>Senior Courseload:
Mandarin, AT Macroeconomics, AT English Literature, AT Bio, AT AB Calc
I plan on taking AP's in at least three of those.</p>

<p>Lastly, I know Oxford doesn't care about extra currics unless they pertain to the course I'm applying to, so here are a few that I hope will help:
- President of Mock Trial (our team is first in the state)
- Interned with Senator Gillibrand this past summer
I also heard from a somewhat unreliable source that Oxford values community service (please correct me if I'm wrong) but if so:
- Piano Teacher for underpriveleged children in the Bronx
- Volunteer Music Therapist working with autistic children</p>

<p>I know I haven't given much to work with, but any input would be appreciated.
THANKS:)</p>

2

<p>Oxford wants 700+ on all sections, which you have, and APs, which you’ll have. Don’t dwell on your ECs in your personal statement. Do well on the TSA. After that, everything will depend on the interview.</p>

<p>There’s really no point in chancing you as numbers matter very little to Oxford, as long as they’re above a certain threshold. After you take the TSA, the interview will be the sole deciding factor.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the advice, Ghostt.
If you don’t mind my asking, how would you recommend preparing for the TSA and interview? I know that the interview deviates a lot from the typical US university interview… what should I expect?</p>

4

<p>The TSA is very similar to the SAT in content, although the types of questions are slightly different (and a little harder, imo, but at least there are less of them).</p>

<p>Here you can download and go over a few of the real TSA tests that have been administered recently:</p>

<p>[TSA</a> Oxford Test Preparation | University Admissions Tests from Cambridge Assessment](<a href=“http://www.admissionstests.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/adt/tsaoxford/Test+Preparation]TSA”>http://www.admissionstests.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/adt/tsaoxford/Test+Preparation)</p>

<p>There’s not much else you can do to prepare, but the test is meant to be taken without preparation anyway.</p>

<p>The interviews (and if you’re applying for PPE, there will be more than one) are entirely academic in nature. You will most likely be given a philosophical problem, a political text or a question about economics shortly before the interview, and you’ll have to talk the tutors through your response in the interview. Over the course of the conversation, they’ll most likely ask you questions about their subjects, but you are not expected to know any facts and figures (unless you’ve bragged about knowing them in your PS). The interviews are designed to test your aptitude for the subjects and your responsiveness to the tutorial-based system.</p>

<p>At the end of the interview, when the tutors ask you if you have any questions about the course, make sure you have an intelligent/pertinent question at the ready. It makes a good impression.</p>

5

<p>You also asked about community service. This isn’t a factor that Oxford will be interested in. You may have been hearing about the Rhodes Scholarships where “truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship” is one of the selection criteria, but that is because Cecil Rhodes specified it in his will rather than it being an Oxford requirement.</p>

6

<p>oldspc - alrighty. thanks for that.
one more thing: am I at an enormous disadvantage for not being in an IB program? It isn’t offered at my school.</p>