History at Oxford

Student Lounge International Students
1

Hey guys,
I am posting after a really long time and I just have a couple of questions about undergraduate admissions at Oxford University. I am interested in their History major and I am currently a junior at a Texas public high school. I know that Oxford does not consider GPA and class rank, instead, they would like to see the SATs and SAT subject tests/AP tests. I was wondering what subject tests should I take? I know that I will have to take History. I am also planning to take literature which is my strong point. Also, do you think I should visit Cambridge for the interview? or take it in the US? I am so nervous for the application process, specially for Oxford since I haven’t visited the campus yet and just recently decided to pursue a career in History. Also, I am terrible at Math, I hope they don’t take my math scores too seriously? I am just not a math person, Specifically Algebra.
Thanks for your help!

P.S: I didn’t find an Oxford University forum here!

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From Oxford’s website:
Minimum USA requirements:
SAT Reasoning Test with at least 1,400 in Critical Reading and Mathematics and preferably also 700 or more in Writing, giving a combined score of at least 2,100
OR
ACT with a score of at least 32 out of 36.

AND

Grade 5 in three or more Advanced Placement Tests in appropriate subjects
OR
SAT Subject Tests in three appropriate subjects at 700 or better.

A combination of APTs and SAT Subject Tests (or other equivalent qualifications) is also acceptable, if they are in different subjects.

Obviously, you will need to do very well on the SAT in order to even be considered. Note that having the minimum requirements DOES NOT guarantee acceptance, ESPECIALLY for Oxford. Unless you are a complete superstar, you will likely be given a conditional acceptance that hinges on your senior year AP grades. This means that you may not know whether or not are accepted or rejected until July before your freshman year in college. They will consider every section of your SAT, even if you are not good at math and are interested in the interview. If I were you, I would take SAT subject tests in World/American History (preferably both) and Lit. Also, your application will need to be complete by October 15, so you cannot retake the SATs or ACTs in November or December.

If you are shortlisted, Oxford will offer you an interview. They want you to attend the interview, but if it’s too expensive, they do occasionally offer Skype interviews, or they’ll just consider your application sans interview. Keep in mind that these interviews are not “low-key” like many American interviews. They involve intense debates and test your mastery of your intended field.

I hope that helps!

3

But remember that they are looking for kids with the potential to be scholars in that field (it would be a history prof interviewing prospective history applicants). I doubt you may interview in the US. In terms of APs, ones related to history would be what they care about most.

BTW, you have done a tiny bit of research already, right? For instance, you know that Oxford has a History and English bachelor’s?

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@qwerty568 Thank you so very much for your help! The more I get closer to applying, the more I get nervous. I guess it’s just the part of this process.

@purpletitan Yes I did, and that’s another thing I am confused about. I am really really good at English, specially literature. But I enjoy studying History and just learning about our fore fathers. I even published a book four months ago, and have a very famous blog. Thanks for your help :slight_smile:

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The interview at Oxford is NOT optional- nobody is accepted without an interview. Skype is a standard, frequently used option for people who can’t fly in. I’m not sure whether this is a typo:

“Also, do you think I should visit Cambridge for the interview? or take it in the US?”

or whether you are also considering Cambridge University? (you can only apply to one or the other). Either way, neither Cambridge nor Oxford interview in the US, and Cambridge does not do Skype interviews.

For math, as long as you can get the SAT to within shouting distance of 700 (I know somebody who got a place at Oxford in English with a 680 math), it won’t rule you out.

For Oxford, you will have to take the History Aptitude Test (HAT) and that can take a time to organize, especially if your school hasn’t done it before and there is no British or International School nearby. Be sure to start organizing that early, as the registration deadline is October and the test is in November.

If you are applying for History take as many APs / SATIIs as you can- US, Euro, World. Comp Gov only counts as 1/2 an AP, but it is actually helpful with some of the first year modules, and is a pretty easy self study. If you are applying for Hx + Eng, you will also want Lit & Lang, which are also easy self-studies.

Also, it’s not exactly a History (or History & English) major. It is a History (or History & English) degree- and that is all you study. First year you choose one British History class, one General History class, one Historical Methods class and an Optional Course (page 5 of this doc has a list of the options from a couple of years ago: http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/ohf/documents/History_at_Oxford_2012_FINAL.pdf). Compare that to the classes that you would take if you did History + English: http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/prospective/undergraduate/studying/joint-schools/history-and-english.html

and decide which one you would love more :slight_smile:

Your Personal Statement (PS) - the essay- is where you make your case for why you are well suited to history (or history + english). To quote from an Oxford admissions podcast (find it on iTunes), “we want you to love our subject as much as we do”. One of the ones that you demonstrate your love for the subject is by the time you spend on it outside of the classroom- reading you do on your own, for example, or ECs that link to what you love about your subject. You will want to work on your PS over the summer, b/c it takes several goes to get one that is mature, thoughtful and concise (it’s a brutally short word limit).

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collegemom3717 - That was a 4.0 reply! The OP should take you out for tea & scones if they get in as a small repayment! :slight_smile:

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@collegemom3717 Thank you soo very much! I literally took a picture of your reply because of it’s certainty. And yes I forgot to mention Cambridge, I did not know that that was the case. Thanks again for telling me, you were incredibly helpful! :slight_smile:

@nugraddad Haha I know right

8

You do understand that Oxford and Cambridge universities are separate institutions? Re-read your original post. It does not inspire confidence. Which one do you want to apply to?

9

@cupcake I was planning to apply to both, I didn’t notice the error in my post. Hope it makes sense now? I did not know that I can not apply to both.

10

I spent a year as a grad student in Scotland. Met Plenty of graduates of Oxford and Cambridge there. Those two universities are clearly the top two in the U.K., which makes them very difficult to get into . So having a backup plan would be wise. Are you aware that there are other excellent old and historic universities there that are much easier to get into? Check out Edinburgh , Glasgow , Dundee, Aberdeen ,and St. Andrews in Scotland, ;Durham and various.campuses of the U of London in England; and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. There are lots more excellent universities there, but those are some of the ones that might best fulfill an American’s idea of a British university (though Ireland isn’t British).

11

There are AP exams in US History, European History, and World History. You should probably take all of those and maybe Human Geography and US and/or World Government.

The facts that you know you want to study history and are not good at math make the UK more suited to you.

There are like 50 people from the US who get into Oxford or Cambridge out of high school. You would be at a big disadvantage having the less specialized US system and being from a public high school in Texas. As the other posters implied, there are other schools in the British Isles that can be a backup plan if you want to study there.

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There is one history and one government and politics A-level, so I would take at least one government and politics AP exam and probably human geography to simulate 3 A-levels. However, probably best to take all 3 history AP exams and both history SAT IIs, even if they may only count as one A-level.

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Take as many of the tests as you want, but know that Human Geography, Comp Gov and US Gov only count 1/2:
https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/entry-requirements/tariff/tariff-tables/966

Comp Gov is worthwhile, though, as it is helpful with the first year modules. World and Euro history are strongly recommended, for the same reason: they don’t just help you qualify for admission, they are part of the background knowledge that your tutors will expect you to have.

If you do the US History AP and the US History SATII you will only get ‘credit’ for one of them (ditto worlld hx), but Oxford doesn’t look at it as ‘get your 3’- they look at it as ‘show us that you have your history background is deep enough and strong enough that you are ready, willing and able to do the intensive level of work that we will throw at you’.