<p>nevermind,.</p>
<p>I know that they don't like ECs as much as American colleges do, and that's why they're awesome!</p>
<p>A few personal remarks about Oxford for potential US applicants:</p>
<p>1) If you are interested in physical sciences, math, or engineering, I'd personally suggest applying to Cambridge rather than Oxford, as their programs in those areas are much stronger. Oxford is pretty good though in arts, humanities, and for pre-med/biological sciences studies in general.</p>
<p>2) A standard Oxford BA requires only 3 years of study beyond High School, as opposed to 4 years in the US. That is basically because the British equivalent of High School has an additional 13th grade and, on top of that, the undergraduate curriculum in England is generally more focused than the broader American curriculum. The standard undergraduate engineering degree (deceptively called an MEng at Oxford) and the now most frequently-awarded initial degrees in math and science (e.g. MMath, MPhys, MChem, MBioChem, MComp Sci, etc.) take however 4 years to complete, like in the US. </p>
<p>3) Oxford, like Cambridge, is a federation of university departments/faculties and colleges. The university awards degrees and, through its departments/faculties, is responsible for organizing lectures and practicals (labs), as well as administering and grading exams. The colleges on the other hand are independent, self-governed bodies that serve as student residencies and also take part in undergraduate education by organizing private tutorials that complement the university lectures. Unlike in the US though, the colleges are solely responsible for handling undergraduate admissions so that prospective applicants must apply to a college of their choice as opposed to a central university admissions board. Once a student is offered membership in a college, he/she becomes automatically eligible to enroll as a university student.</p>
<p>4) Admission to Oxford (or Cambridge) requires a minimum set of academic credentials. For UK students, that normally means at least 3 Advanced Level certificates at the maximum grade (i.e. AAA) in 3 subjects considered relevant to the intended major. Successful US applicants are normally expected to have taken three or four AP exams with a score of 5 in each of them. Note that neither Oxford nor Cambridge make offers to US students based on SAT scores, as SATs are considered too elementary by European High School standards. On top of the minimum qualifications, domestic British applicants and sometimes internationals are also required to have an interview with college tutors during or prior to which the candidate is usually required to take additional specific tests (normally something like ten or so written questions on a specific subject related to the student's intended major and/or perhaps a logical reasoning/aptitude test). Extracurricular activities and other subjective criteria normally do not matter in the admission process, as colleges focus mostly on academic aptitude instead. </p>
<p>4) The education system at Oxford (or Cambridge for that matter) differs greatly from what we're used to in the US. Lectures are available throughout the school year, but attendance is not compulsory (much of actual learning process takes place in the college tutorials and by individual self-study, as opposed to learning in the classroom). Lab sessions and other practicals are however compulsory and lab reports are usually assessed for credit, even though they may count only for a small percentage of your final marks. Apart from labs/practicals, there isn't in general any form of continuous performance assessment like e.g. quizzes and midterms in the US; homework may be handed out in the lectures and is supposed to be completed for tutorials, but it is not normally graded. Students are required however to take a series of comprehensive final written exams known as "papers", which must be passed for the awarding of degrees and are used to classify the students in the different "honours" categories (first, upper second, lower second, or third class). Contrary to finals in the US, university examinations in Oxbridge are a big deal: a Board of Examiners including external members from other UK universities is specifically appointed for each examination and examiners cannot see the candidate's name while grading the papers. Oxford students and examiners in particular must also wear formal academic dress (gowns, etc.) on examination days. </p>
<p>5) At Oxford in particular, the preliminary university examinations are taken at the end of the first academic year, while the final honours examinations are normally taken at the end of the third year for the ordinary BA degree, although, in some courses like math, the honours examinations may be split between the 2nd and 3rd years. Students who are enrolled in four-year courses (e.g. engineering, physics, chemistry, etc.) must also pass an additional university exam at the end of the 4th year and complete an year-long individual research project. The number of papers a student has to take for each university examination ranges between four and eight depending on the major. In some majors, one or two honours papers may be substituted for a graduation dissertation or extended essay.</p>
<p>6) Although not quite as expensive as an Ivy League education, an Oxford degree for a US student requires however a considerable financial committment. Non-EU students are normally not eligible for financial aid and must pay full university tuition (arround 11,000 pounds/year) plus college fees (approximately 4,500 pounds/year). On top of that, a minimum of 7,000
pounds for room/board plus living expenses is normally required for students who are in residence at the university for 9 months/year. Just to figure out how much that means in US dollars, keep in mind 1 pound is currently worth roughly 1.96 US dollars, so the actual dollar figures are approximately twice the British pound figures.</p>