<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>Just a quick question- does anyone know if Cambridge University (UK) and/or Oxford accept transfer students? I looked on the website and couldn't find anything about transfers. Just trying to research some options. Thanks.</p>
<p>Basically the answer is no. There is no such concept of transfer in the UK. You would have to apply to enroll in the first year. By far the easiest way would be to apply to study abroad in the UK through your home (presumably US) college.</p>
<p>Deadline for Oxbridge applications for October 2007 matriculation is in the middle of September for internationals, so quite soon.</p>
<p>I'm going to be a freshman at UC Berkeley this year.</p>
<p>So if I wanted to attend Cambridge, I'd have to apply as a freshman this year, and then if I got in I would basically start college over next year? Does Oxbridge care if you are already enrolled in college and applying as a freshman?</p>
<p>Any reason why you don't want to stay at UCB?
It's probably one of the best schools in this nation and perhaps in the world. </p>
<p>If you really want to study at Oxford or Cambridge, why don't you consider applying for something like a Rhodes Scholar when time comes?</p>
<p>don't waste you time, golden boy. it's not worth the hassle. Your application has to be in by the 15th of October and you can only apply to either oxford or cambridge, not both. There is no such thing as a transfer in the UK</p>
<p>I think Golden Boy is similar to myself. I'm not crazy enough to think that I could transfer to Cambridge, but I would like to go there at some point. Perhaps you should just wait until you have received your bachelors degree. Has anyone gone to Oxbridge grad school after getting an undergrad in the U.S? And what's a Rhodes Scholar? I personally think Cambridge is the most beautiful school in the world...Harvard may be ranked #1, but it's not near as awe-inspiring as Cambridge.</p>
<p>
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So if I wanted to attend Cambridge, I'd have to apply as a freshman this year, and then if I got in I would basically start college over next year?
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Yes
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Does Oxbridge care if you are already enrolled in college and applying as a freshman?
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No. In fact they prefer it if you are coming from the US education system. It's really rare for US students to be admitted straight from high school (though not impossible. There is someone who posts in the parents forum who's son was admitted). </p>
<p><a href="http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/int/%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/int/</a></p>
<p>On the Oxford web-site, linked above, it says
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Please note that it is not possible to transfer into a degree programme at Oxford University - you must start one of our courses from the beginning, or apply as a graduate for a Second Undergraduate Degree, in which case the course length may be abbreviated.
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It is the same for ALL UK universities. There is no concept of transfer. All applications are handled by UCAS (<a href="http://www.ucas.com%5B/url%5D">www.ucas.com</a>) and they have no method of transfer application. This question is asked again and again on this board.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/int/usa/%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/int/usa/</a>
Application deadline for Oxbridge is 20th SEPTEMBER 2006 for matriculation October 2007 as an undergraduate. The 15th October deadline is for UK and EU students. The page linked above goes into great detail about the application process for American students. Here is a similar page on the Cambridge web-site
<a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international/apply.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international/apply.html</a>
As Miat said above, you cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same year (but you can apply for up to 5 other UK universities at no extra charge. There is only one common application form. See UCAS link above)</p>
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Has anyone gone to Oxbridge grad school after getting an undergrad in the U.S?
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There are about 700 US graduate students at Oxford at any one time. Including those on year abroad programmes.</p>
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And what's a Rhodes Scholar?
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A very prestigious scholarship (having said that, since it's only available to foreign students, people in the UK have no idea what it is and are not impressed).
<a href="http://www.rhodestrust.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.rhodestrust.com/</a>
Rhodes is the most famous scholarship but most foreign students are not "rhodies". It's not the only source of funding.</p>
<p>Thanks cupcake...that is some good information. I would be more interested in Cambridge, personally, so I don't guess the Rhodes scholarship would work (and I doubt I could get it :) )</p>
<p>I definitely plan on studying abroad there, and depending on how it goes, I will apply there for grad school. I love England! Something's gotta give though since all the family lives over here and is having a big enough problem with me being interested in New York. HAHA.</p>
<p>
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Any reason why you don't want to stay at UCB?
It's probably one of the best schools in this nation and perhaps in the world.
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</p>
<p>I'm just researching some options. Most likely I'll just stay at UCB, but I just want to see what else is out there. Aren't Oxbridge known for their great undergraduate educations?</p>
<p>Thanks for the links cupcake. I'm mostly interested in attending Cambridge, but I knew Oxford was quite similar in its application procedures. I've always been interested in Cambridges' strong science programs (I don't know too much about its engineering though. UCB is one of the best in the world I know) + Stephen Hawking! :P</p>
<p>brand- There are other scholarships you can get for Cambridge...the Bill and Melinda Gates one for example, and I believe the Fullbright Scholarship as well.</p>
<p>I did Natural Sciences undergrad at Cambridge and the only time I ever saw Stephen Hawking was when I had to stop at a crossing (in a car) to let him go past! So I wouldn't recommend going to any university as an undergrad to work with a specific professor (that's what PhDs are for). You might never even meet them!</p>
<p>For some reason people seem to think they must go to Cambridge to do sciences, Oxford to study arts. But having been a Nat Sci undergrad at Cambridge and now having given some tutorials to Oxford Biology undergraduates I can tell you if you choose the same options the courses are almost identical! Basically you have more choice at Cambridge to do other sciences. eg I did Chemistry in my first year along with Biology. But really there is very little difference. I am sure no employer is going to turn you down because Oxford is "bad" at sciences or Cambridge is "bad" at arts (I am doing a PhD in Biotechnology at Oxford and already have a job lined up - in law, not science - for when I graduate. It was only the second interview that I attended).</p>
<p>It's all historical anyway. Over it's 800 years of existance Oxford produced more arts scholars than Cambridge. But really what happened in the last 795 years doesn't affect you right now very much! Despite their differences Ox and Cam are more similar to each other than anywhere else is to them. (However Durham, <a href="http://www.durham.ac.uk%5B/url%5D">www.durham.ac.uk</a> in the north of England is somewhat similar. One of the colleges is a 900 year old castle. Dungeons and all. If you can't/don't/won't get into Oxbridge, you might like Durham as a substitute).</p>
<p>Apart from the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford and the new Gates Scholarships at Cambridge there are also the Marshall Scholarships. These are funded by the British government and are open only to US citizens to study at any university in the UK, although most seem to end up in Oxford, Cambridge or London. Their value is very similar to the Rhodes or the Gates.</p>
<p>Right...I meant Marshall scholarship, not Fullbright. Gah.</p>
<p>cupcake, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about Oxbridge. Any idea what standing their engineering programs are held in (perhaps compared to US programs such as Berkeley's)? I'm still debating between pursuing engineering or pure science during my undergrad years. Also (forgive my ignorance of the UK system) how do multiple majors work at UK schools? I know in the UK they expect you to dive more in-depth into your chosen field rather than the broadness of US schools, so is something like multiple majors allowed/easy?</p>
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cupcake, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about Oxbridge.
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Only because I've been here 7 years and am hence institutionalised!
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Any idea what standing their engineering programs are held in (perhaps compared to US programs such as Berkeley's)?
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Not really in terms of employers. I mean the average American on the street either cannot name any univeristy outside the US in the whole world or if they can they only know Oxford. If there are specific employers you are interested in, ask them. They may have programmes they rate highly. Generally people don't have difficulties finding a job when they graduate from Oxbridge. So I think all courses are well respected.
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I'm still debating between pursuing engineering or pure science during my undergrad years.
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Then really UK education may not be a good choice for you. You CAN'T CHANGE. I have only known about 3 people ever who have changed subject. You have to name the subject you are applying for on your initial application and stick to it. If you are someone who will change their mind, you would have to drop out and re-apply (and then they might reject you). I wuld also advise you to take extra maths if you intend to study sciences (apart from Biology) in the UK. A-level maths is a lot harder than the maths most US high school students study and it's compulsory for those entering physical science and engineering.
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Also (forgive my ignorance of the UK system) how do multiple majors work at UK schools?
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They don't. If you read the prospectus there are some combined subjects you can apply for, such as French and German, Economics and Management etc. But these have to be specified on application.</p>
<p>Less traditional universities do have more flexibility to change. My sister went to University of Lancaster and initially studied History. In her first year she had to study two extra "minor" subjects and she chose French and Politics (bear in mind these are not random choices. She already had A-levels in French and Sociology which were required. In most cases in the UK what you are allowed to study at uni is governed by what you studied at high school). She enjoyed French so much that in her second year she switched to "combined honours" French and History and did a year abroad in France. So her whole degree took 4 years rather than the usual 3 for a BA in England and Wales. She was the only person in her entire university to do this combination though. So it's not common.</p>
<p>Scottish universities are somewhat different in that students study for a 4 year MA. In the first year there is a wider choice of subjects. I often see on this board people saying Scoittish universites are so like American ones. They are not! The main subject applied for still has to be specified on application. It is easier to change subject (Prince William changed in fact. But then who would stop him?) but there is not the flexibility to choose any unrelated subject you like as in the US. People don't change from maths to art for example. Whereas Maths to Physics would be ok. Like I said above, in most cases you could only change to a subject you had A-levels or the equivalent in (APs). Few subjects are taught from scratch at university level and if they are related qualifications are needed (eg if you want to study Japanese it would probably be necessary to have an A-level in any foreign language to prove you had linguistic skills).</p>
<p>
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I know in the UK they expect you to dive more in-depth into your chosen field rather than the broadness of US schools, so is something like multiple majors allowed/easy?
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Having said all the above, UK unis fund themselves by charging oversees students a lot of money (there is no finiancial aid). If you chose a low ranked college they would probably accept you without question and allow you to change subject as long as you continued to pay.</p>
<p>My main point is don't apply expecting you will be able to change you mind about your course of study. It is possible but in the top universities rare, possibly expensive and not guarenteed. If you are unsure, you don't want to be trapped into studying a subject you hate for 3 years and possibly failing.</p>
<p>Edited to add. You could always apply and turn it down later of course. Oxford acceptances arrive in the post the week before Christmas and Cambridge the week after. So really early. But they are "conditional", which for UK students means they must achieve certain A-level grades the following summer (and if they don't, they really are rejected. However, everyone accepts a "second choice" univeristy offer which asks for lower grades. If you don't get the grades for the second choice there is a process called "clearing" which matches students with available uni places. I wouldn't want to be assigned a random place myself though!). For US students the conditions are usually based on APs.</p>