<p>Anybody know what standards are for this school? I understand that you apply through UCAS and because British standards are so different i'm not really sure what the admissions will be looking for in me.</p>
<p>I've heard that British schools don't weight GPA as heavily as schools in the US, and that AP scores matter most.</p>
<p>I have gpa 3.4 with difficult courses
sat1 2340
ap 554
sat2 760 760 760</p>
<p>should i just forget it?</p>
<p>you should apply if you can prepare yourself well for the interview. you have good numbers, which is all they care about, except for your gpa, which is weighted less than the CB testing however. i'd try and improve your gpa though with the time you have left before applying and you should have a good chance.</p>
<p>yea, the interview i heard was very important, however I am sure you will do just fine......</p>
<p>Take more AP's and you'll be fine. Find a subject you are passionate about. Write a stellar essay.</p>
<p>And yes, the interview is not just very important, it's ~different~. They don't ask you about your EC's or the creative way you spent your summer - they are more likely to ask you to analyze a poem or to describe the process of protein synthesis. :)</p>
<p>whaaat theyll ask you specefic academic questions? that's whack...and so does that mean i have to fly to england just for the interview? i can't do like a webcam interview or something? i'm not sure how i feel about blowing a grand on plane tickets...especially during the middle of the school year when i'm applying to everywhere else.</p>
<p>is it absolutely necessary to do the interview? (they'll only ask for the interview if they think you have a chance right? they wouldn't ask for one and then reject me.... :(</p>
<p>anyhow, i know with my gpa it will be impossible for me to make the top US universities, so i was hoping england might be worth a try</p>
<p>no... the interview's in NY, NY, but the admissions staff only flies over for a few days... you'll have to schedule it with them</p>
<p>They give interviews to about 90% of applicants, or so I've read. So yeah, they schedule interviews for most people who then get rejected... But just imagine how chances of acceptance fall if you don't have an interview, compared to the people who they've actually questioned. That's one of the main reasons I didn't apply to Cam - they don't provide interviews in the US. Take a few days off, and fly over to NY. You'll have a blast.</p>
<p>GPA doesn't really matter for UK unis, as long as you have a handful of 5's on your AP's.</p>
<p>And yes, the interviews are totally academic, where they attempt to figure out how much you reeeally want to study your subject as well as how "teacheable" you are. Most subjects even require you to pass specific tests. That's why UK uni's are only for those applicants who are certain about their major.</p>
<p>I only took three APs this year, all in different subjects and maybe even got a 4 in english lit and comp. i will be taking five exams next year, but that will be too late correct?</p>
<p>And how are they supposed to figure out how teachable I am? They teach you stuff and then ask you questions? Will they actually give you tests at the interview?</p>
<p>Shoot... I think my tests are too well rounded, I'm not really specialized in anything like you said.</p>
<p>All three of my SAT IIs are in different subjects, and only one of my SAT IIs overlaps with my AP, which are all in different subjects.</p>
<p>I think i'll give it a shot though...Do they weigh SAT I heavily? I did well in that...</p>
<p>you do know that schools in the UK are generally specialized -- they expect you to take all classes in your major from day 1, so you have to know exactly what you want to study.</p>
<p>uk universities sometimes give you conditional acceptances that depend on how you do on one of the AP exams you're taking senior year</p>
<p>One... or more. So no; it's not too late. They might accept you on the condition that you earn certain grades (4/5's) on several AP tests. For example, if you are applying for chemisty, you might need to ace AP Chem, Calc, and Physics. Do you have several AP's somehow related to your subject?</p>
<p>"They teach you stuff and then ask you questions? Will they actually give you tests at the interview?"</p>
<p>No, they just sort of talk to you, leading you in certain areas, but you have to answer the questions. They might be very blunt & fact-based, or they might require some thinking & elaboration.</p>
<p>SAT I's don't matter.</p>
<p>I may be completely off course here, but I was told by my guidance counselor that Oxford does not accept undergrad admissions from the USA.</p>
<p>Is this right?</p>
<p>Why would anyone assume that the interview would be "just fine"? I've never met someone who has thought that the interview went well. It's very difficult and academic.</p>
<p>you were incorrectly informed -- Oxford does indeed accept a number of US students each year (it isn't a tremendous amount, though).</p>
<p>Keep in mind that financial aid is not available (other than some loans) and the costs are fairly high (total cost of attendance per year ~$30,000).</p>
<p>I just had a crazy idea.
Let's say i apply to college next year and don't get into oxford or anywhere great (as in no better than Vandy)
What if i took an extra year in high school and just MASHED APs?</p>
<p>I don't even know if public schools let you do that...but anyways i'm sure i could handle the tests and get 5s on them.</p>
<p>so say i take 5 APs next year and get 5s on all, that would give me 8 APs to apply with the NEXT year, plus 6ish more on the way.</p>
<p>am i crazy?</p>
<p>Hmmm...I do not think that your public high school would let you do that...</p>
<p>It's not crazy though, its just a weird idea.</p>
<p>And Thanks for informing me about Oxford's acceptances...do you know if legacy affects applications to Oxford? My grandfather went there, would it help even if I am a US citizen?</p>
<p>The US system of legacy preferences shocks the folks at Oxford - they see it as very unfair. And I tend to agree... =)</p>
<p>y7 - that is a crazy idea, lol. You don't need 14 AP's - 8 is sufficient; I'm graduating with 8. Actually, Oxford's website suggests only 3 ( but u don't want the bare minimum.)</p>
<p>Oh, and koolcrud - I liked my interview. Nice to meet you. :D Was it difficult? Yes. Did I know everything? No. Did we have a valuable conversation where I was able to demonstrate a passion for my subject? absolutely</p>
<p>I liked my interview. I felt like I didn't perform well. The two are not mutually exclusive. Out of curiousity, what subject did you go for?</p>
<p>did you guys get in?</p>
<p>Going back briefly to the 14 AP idea. That would increase the likelihood of getting an interview, but it wouldn't increase the chances of getting an acceptance offer. Almost everyone who applies will have very similar grades (in the UK that will mean they are predicted to get 3-4 A grades at A-level, otherwise they won't even apply to Oxbridge); that's why the interviews and the subject-specific tests are so important in separating out the extremely good from the merely very good.</p>
<p>What subject would you be aiming to study BTW? Remember you have to apply for a particular course.</p>