<p>I'm currently a high school junior, and find almost everything about these universities appealing their communities, tutorials, etc. But I have a few questions.</p>
<p>1) I'm pretty sure I want to major in physics, but I also want to pursue chemistry a little bit if possible. Would it be advantageous then to apply to Cambridge, where my course is "Natural Sciences" and I can pursue both, rather than Oxford and immediately major in physics?</p>
<p>2) How difficult is it for an international student (US)? Do they factor in legacy at all (father was a Rhodes scholar)?</p>
<p>3) For the AP requirements, I will take the Physics B and Calculus BC exam this year. I'm also taking French literature, however this doesn't relate to the subject matter, so I doubt it would be accepted. Would an SAT II in chemistry suffice for the 3 AP's? I'm planning on taking more AP courses during my Senior Year.</p>
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1) I'm pretty sure I want to major in physics, but I also want to pursue chemistry a little bit if possible. Would it be advantageous then to apply to Cambridge, where my course is "Natural Sciences" and I can pursue both, rather than Oxford and immediately major in physics?
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<p>yes, because you cannot change your mind. I did Natural sceicnes at Cambridge.</p>
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2) How difficult is it for an international student (US)? Do they factor in legacy at all (father was a Rhodes scholar)?
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<p>I would STRONGLY recommend you do not mention this. British people are extremely shocked that you can get into a US university simply because your parents have been there. It is seen as unbelievably corrupt and is the kind of thing they've been trying to stamp out in the UK for decades. All UK schools are effectively owned by the government and admitting someone because their parents went there would theoretically be illegal (I don't think anyone has ever gone to jail for this, but it's possible). </p>
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3) For the AP requirements, I will take the Physics B and Calculus BC exam this year. I'm also taking French literature, however this doesn't relate to the subject matter, so I doubt it would be accepted. Would an SAT II in chemistry suffice for the 3 AP's? I'm planning on taking more AP courses during my Senior Year.
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<p>It would be much better to take as many science-related APs as possible. I agree it's likely they would ignore French AP. e-mail them and ask. If you haven't taken all your APs by the time you applied, you would (if accepted) get a "codntional offer" which means they would say they would accept you IF you got the grades. This is normal and nearly all UK students get such an offer. </p>
<p>You're far too late to apply for 2009 entry by the way.</p>
<p>As an applicant to one of the two (you can only apply to one) I will tell you that on their website the requirements are the MINIMUM. Oxford takes about 35 American undergrads each year, Cambridge even less, I'm not sure how many but maybe 10-20.
As for your questions:
1. You should pick the course which you are prepared to commit to. If physics is it, know that this is all you will study.
2. The international admit rate for both is ~10% which is on a par with HYPSM.
3. Like cupcake said your offer might be conditional. They only consider APs which directly relate to your subject - in your case Calculus BC, Physics B, and possibly Physics C.Be aware that on their website they say you need a 2100 SAT with 700 in each part, 3 SAT IIs with 700+, and 3 APs with a 4 or 5. I was told by my interviewer that these are absolute bare minimums and they usually want 2250+ on the SAT I, 750+ on SAT IIs related to your course, and minimum 3 5s on APs.
Also research the interview process - Oxford interviews in NYC and Vancouver on certain days for American students. Those are the only two locations, you will be given one week's notice and expected to show up for your interview. Cambridge you must go there to be interviewed, again with one week's notice.</p>
<p>In order to be competitive, you should take as many APs as possible. Like someone already mentioned, it would be advisable to take all math and science APs and perhaps also English Language and English Lit. Like cupcake said: DON'T even think about pulling the parent card. I'm from Europe and people there believe the U.S. system is extremely corrupt due to legacy admissions. You need to get in on your own merits, not your father's . If you're serious about Oxford or Cambridge, you should take a senior course load that is relatively easy and that lets you focus on your principal subjects and prepping for the APs. Your high school GPA will be completely irrelevant to the admissions tutors at either uni.</p>