General Qs

Student Lounge International Students
1

Hey guys! I’m looking to apply to Oxford next year. Looking for some answers on the following qs:

  1. I’ve taken 13 APs. I’ve received 5s on 10 and 4s on the other 3. Is this an issue? Are Oxford admissions OK with a few 4s if there are many more 5s?

  2. Does Oxford consider rank or GPA? I’m ranked 1 out of my class of about 600, but I’m not sure if they’ll consider that.

  3. How do I register for the TSA as an American? I’m fortunate enough to be relatively close to one of the few test centers in the US, but I can’t find much on how to register - do I call the test center?

  4. What’s the best method to study for the TSA? Just past papers?

Sorry if these are some stupid questions - the whole process is very confusing!

Thanks in advance.

2

Some color for you:

  1. You have to report all of your AP scores on your UCAS. Three AP 4s are not fatal if they are not associated with your intended course of study. My son got a 4 in AP English Literature and it had no impact on his Maths/CS application.

  2. No. Oxford never saw my son’s HS transcript nor did they ever ask for that information as part of the admissions process.

  3. Find a test centre | Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing

Search for a center near you and make sure that they offer the TSA. My recollection is that the registration doesn’t open until early September. You register directly with the test center.

  1. My son did past papers as his primary method of test prep for the MAT. Since I’m not as familiar with the TSA, paging @collegemom3717 for her advice.
3

Agreeing with @HazeGrey. Past papers are the best way to prep. Consider backing it up with logic problems/puzzles, which US students don’t always have much experience with those.

4

Thank you, this was very helpful!

5

Great, thanks! I’ll use those to practice.