<p>I am an oversees applicant who is planning to apply to Oxford in October of 2009, but can't seem to decide between two courses. The Oriental Studies course and the Politics and History course interest me equally, and I would be equally happy studying either course. To help make my decision, I was wondering which course is less competitive in terms of admissions (i.e. which course has a higher admission rate) and was curious about some of the unique disadvantages and advantages of each course.</p>
<p>Politics and History will make you sound more intellectual to potential interviewers than Oriental Studies. </p>
<p>Oriental Studies sounds like you're either (a) one of those white kids crazy about asia, (b) one of those kids with yellow fever, (c) a dummy who went to study Oriental Studies at Oxford cause no other course would accept you. It doesn't matter how you rationalize, human beings are extremely judgmental. </p>
<p>Majoring in Politics and History will also help to develop your writing skills and critical thinking. And it sounds extremely intellectual.</p>
<p>I'm also an oversea student, applying to oxford this year:)</p>
<p>I believe the admission rate is listed on the oxford website. you just click into each course, and I think it's at the left-hand side.
or you may go to Oxford</a> University Gazette, there is deatailed admission stat for each individual courses over years.</p>
<p>According to Oxford’s undergraduate admissions website , the percentage of successful applicants over the past 3 years was 17.6 % for History and Politics vs. 28.2 % for Oriental Studies. It appears therefore that History and Politics is a far more selective course.</p>