Hi all,
I am a high school junior living in the United States. I am applying to Oxford University for either PPE or History and Politics in the fall. Can anyone give me an idea of my chances?
I attend an all-girls private high school, and have a weighted GPA of around 4.2 (unweighted 3.9 something, I believe). I know Oxford doesn’t super-score, so my best SAT scores were as follows: 780 writing, 670 reading, 710 math. By the end of senior year I will have taken 5 AP courses all related (either directly or indirectly) to what I want to study.
I don’t play any sports, but volunteer often. I am a member of Mock Trial. I have studied Latin for 3 years and am currently teaching myself Russian. I attended a summer program at Yale University for three weeks last summer and interned briefly at a courthouse.
Thank you everyone! I appreciate your help, and I hope you all do well in your college search.
Sounds like you are a little short:
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SAT Reasoning Test with at least 1,400 in Critical Reading and Mathematics and 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.
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Do you think I should retake the SATs to boost my critical reading score? I thought it might hurt my application if I retook the test in an attempt to boost it only 30 points (especially considering my writing score).
Also, thank you for the quick reply!
I believe those are minimum standards, and you don’t move on to the rest of the process if you don’t meet them.
So, you’ve either got to retake, or try the ACT. I don’t think you have any choice.
oxford does not make exceptions to their minimum requirements.
Take a look at this thread:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/united-kingdom/1817382-how-does-one-apply-to-oxbridge-international-baccalaureate-p1.html
PPE is extremely competitive. AP scores are generally more valued than SAT scores (unlike for US schools), and scores related to your proposed course of study are what matter most. Extreme talent in your proposed course of study matters much more than general ability.
Try TSA and HAT papers too: they play a huge role in determining whether you get shortlisted for interview.
You should look at some less competitive courses such as Classics or Geography.