Oxford Admissions

Applying to College
1

<p>Im a high school junior thinking of applying to UK schools,most preferably The University of Oxford, because of the experience I would receive and the cost.
I had some questions concerning the SAT II vs. AP, SAT vs. ACT and the PAT </p>

<p>Right now im in the middle of my junior year, on Winter Break actually and I want to apply to Oxford in the fall.Taking that into account I don't have that much time. I know I either have to submit 3 SAT II's or 3 AP's and I wanted to know wich was easier. The benefits of the SAT II include the opportunity to take them in the summer which means more study time but I'd also like to take the AP's on the offshoot that im not accepted.<br>
My major will most likely be physics. I took AP Physics B my sophomore year, but unfortunately I didn't do so hot so Im self-studying it this semester. I'll also be doing Calculus
because Oxford needs 3 AP's/ SAT II's. I was thinking Calc AB and AP Physics B and C. This brings me to another problem. I probably wont be able to take one of these tests because of time. I'd like to know which one of these exams, whether taken in the summer or in May would best prepare me for the Physics Aptitude Test required for Oxford Admission. Is it hard? I've read a few posts and some say its somewhat like the A-Levels in Physics, but I have no idea how to convert its difficulty level to AP tests.
Speaking of Difficulty level would it be better to take the ACT or SAT? I've taken the SAT and I don't think I did so hot, i've skimmed over the ACT test and all it seems like is a fast paced how fast can you solve medium level math problems and reading based passages. </p>

<p>Back to the PAT though, how hard is it? Is it like AP Phys C, Mechanics and E&M? Is it still Calc based? Because I read that they're dropping standards? My teacher recommends I study Calc 1,2 and 3 This semester and in the summer than take AP Physics C my senior year. The only problem with that is the PAT is apart of the application process and i'll need to know the very information i'll only just begin to study.
Which brings me to a question that's just been gnawing at me. If I perform well on the PAT but have not yet submitted all my scores will they still give me a conditional offer? What if I don't give them any scores but still perform well, will I still get one then?
What might I expect on an interview? Will it just be academics? </p>

<p>Thanks advice would be appreciated preferably from one @ Oxford of people who have been through the admissions process. </p>

<p>XP</p>

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<p>My main comment is you seem to be aiming to obtain the bear minimum qualifications to get in. Given the strength of the applicant pool, it is very unlikely you will be accepted in this case. Most US applicants will have far more than 3 APs or SATIIs and will have taken the hardest classes available. If what you want is an easy road, perhaps Oxford is not for you. You would probably hate it if you got in!</p>

<p>You do not have to submit any scores in advance if you haven’t taken taken them. Most UK students have not yet taken A-levels and it is the normal to submit “predicted grades” given by a teacher and hope for a conditional offer based on these.</p>

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<p>I’d suggest you take a look at The Student Room, a forum like CC but for UK students: <a href="http://www..co.uk/%5B/url%5D">http://www..co.uk/</a></p>

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<p>Sorry the link didn’t show, but just google “The Student Room”</p>

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<p>I applied as a domestic applicant for Cambridge, for which the application process is very similar. </p>

<p>Our universities don’t have “majors”. You pick a subject, and in almost every case, that is all you will study. There are a few universities that offer more freedom, but it is generally only in the earlier years and can only form a small part of your course. If you want to do physics, you had better be committed to it.</p>

<p>You’re going to be disadvantaged by a year as it is. In terms of the PAT, you’re going to have to be significantly better than the other applicants just to get to same score. Don’t underestimate how important this is. I’m convinced that I did well in your exams simply because of my seniority.</p>

<p>If you’re willing to consider other similar institutions, I would recommend Cambridge simply because its natural science degree allows you more freedom, at least within science, and you can avoid entrance exams. UCL and Durham, also excellent universities, have natural science programs, one of which I will probably end up on.</p>

<p>However, I’m slightly concerned that you seem to think that it will be cheaper? Fees for domestic applicants just increased massively here, and international applicants are already paying ridiculous fees to help offset them. I’m sure that some courses at oxford are £20,000 (humanities) - £50,000 (medicine) per year. Are you sure that you’re looking at the right level of university? The lower cost of study in the USA is one of the reasons I’m applying. HYPMS will only charge around £3,000 per year including living costs, whereas my subsidised fees here will be £9,000 before living costs. </p>

<p>One slight advantage is that physics seems to be for more rigorous in the US. My sole preparation for maths and chem SATII was a practice test for each. Physics, on the other hand, was a week of solid study. I did slightly better on physics though, so it could simply have been that the revision book was more difficult than the test.</p>

<p>A word of warning: The admissions process is far more academic than what you’re used to. Universities are <em>only</em> interested in your academic ability. It doesn’t matter that you’re the CEO of your own business (unless you’re applying for business), that you’re the youngest member of the Olympics team (unless you’re applying for sports science), or that you’ve already had a No. 1 hit (unless you’re applying for music). Your interview is going to be academic in nature. You’ll be talking about your subject with actual professors, they’ll be leaders in their field, so don’t expect to blag your way through. They won’t give you much opportunity to talk about what you want to, and you won’t be asked about “your greatest weakness”. Instead you’re more likely to be asked the number of molecules in a glass of water, the energy stored in a human being, or what the causes of the arab spring were.</p>

<p>If you do apply, make sure to use the student room. They have a free personal statement service that will have you write your “essay”. The personal statement is very different from the writing section of the common app / supplements, and you’ll need to read a few articles before trying to write it. Be aware that writing in general is very different from the US. If you’re asked to submit written work, which is generally only required for humanities, most of it will generally be considered far too biased. </p>

<p>Finally if you want to compare academics, I have 2280 SATI, 2260 SATII. I took three times the number of a-levels required for entry into university, and got almost perfect grades in them. Suffice to say, I was rejected. :wink: </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Wrong. International fees vary but are somewhere between £12,000 and £18,000, depending on your subject. Preclinical medicine is £15,150 and clinical medicine is £27,550.</p>

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<p>"HYPMS will only charge around £3,000 per year including living costs, whereas my subsidised fees here will be £9,000 before living costs. "</p>

<p>Where in god’s name have you found that appalling piece of misinformation? You’ll be lucky to pay less than $40,000 a year at HYPMS unless you’ve got very very low financial status as it is.</p>

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<p>You’re a very friendly bunch, aren’t you? There’s no need to be quite so dismissive. Aside from the fact that I was right, simply describing a estimate as “Wrong.” is rude at best, and arrogant at worst. You have clearly misunderstood how oxford charges for it’s programs. You’ll have to pay for: tuition at £13,000 to £28,000; college fee at £6,000; living costs (less housing, but you’ll need transatlantic flights) at £7,000. Range of £26,000 to £41,000. If anything I was conservative with my numbers.</p>

<p>I can’t think of a more authoritative source than: [Harvard</a> College Admissions § Financial Aid: Harvard Financial Aid Initiative](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/financial_aid/hfai/index.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/financial_aid/hfai/index.html) The others seem to vary and some aren’t available, but where they report them are all fairly high. $60,000 roughly corresponds with the limit to receive <em>any</em> kind of support here. I’m assuming that there will be costs that they haven’t account for though such as flights, and I’d rather not get a job.</p>

<p>“Since 2006, students from families with incomes less than $60,000 who are accepted to Harvard under our regular admissions policies have had no expected parent contribution for their education. Beginning in the fall of 2012, this “zero contribution threshold” will be increased to $65,000”</p>

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<p>Get a grip.</p>

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<p>Oxford students from outside the EU would generally be advised to budget about $40,000 per year all-inclusive (tuition, fees, living costs, etc). Meanwhile, Harvard charges that much just for tuition etc.</p>

<p>If your family makes more than $60,000 per year (which is really quite a low amount for the sort of families who tend to send their kids to Harvard or Oxford), then Oxford will be cheaper on this basis.</p>

<p>Let’s also reflect on the fact that Oxford actually admits students based purely on academic ability, unlike Harvard.</p>

<p>On a more technical note:</p>

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<p>At good UK universities, there are 3 years of pre-clinical medicine, then 3 years of clinical. So to work out the average yearly tuition for medicine, you need to split the difference of the two, which comes to about 21000 pounds.</p>

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<p>Well I’ve also been thinking about applying to the University of Edinburgh. I can defiantly make the requirements and exceed them, the only problem is im dirt poor, I was thinking of scholarships but don’t really know a lot. Maybe a loan? Or a Grant?</p>

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<p>There is NO financial aid (need or merit) available for international students in the UK.</p>

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<p>Absolute nonsense. There are a fair number of extremely competitive merit-based scholarships for foreigners. Most obviously, there are the Commonwealth and Marshall Scholarships, and lots of universities have their own too.</p>

<p>Get your facts right.</p>

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<p>Previous PAT tests are available online to practice on. My son is currently in his 2nd year reading Physics at Oxford and downloaded them to practice as part of his application prep. The Physics degree is heavily maths orientated and is half the course in the first year. Students are recommended to take Further Maths A level here (UK) because of the Maths required in the Physics course. Contact time is also high because science students have tutorials, labs and lectures every week and the problem sheets take hours of time to prepare for the professors in the tutorials. His interview was a series of maths and physics problems where he had to work through to the solutions with the professors. Some were on areas he had not covered in any depth in his school courses and he was fed hints so they could see how he thought on the go.
He says his tutorials are still scary, when there is only one other student and the professor in with you - there is no place to hide if the maths /physics has lost you.</p>