Oxbridge Admissions - Profiles

Application

University: Oxford

College (if made an open application, allocated college): St Hugh's

Course: Medicine

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 2005

Final outcome: open offer made (allocated to St Hugh's in the end)

Applicant

Qualification: A-levels

When did you apply in terms of your qualification? pre-qualification

Are you a home/EU/overseas applicant? home

What is your country of origin? United Kingdom

What type of school/college do/did you attend? Grammar School

GCSE or a similar equivalent taken: yes (4 A*,6 A)

A-levels

A2: Biology (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Chemistry (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Mathematics (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Physics (A at AS; predicted A; gained A at A2)

Details about the offer

Type of offer: conditional

Specific conditions: A in Chemistry

Other conditions: AAA

Have you accepted the offer? yes

Have you applied to other universities you consider very close, 'on par' or even better than oxbridge? (Ivies, Sorbonne, LSE..others for different subjects) N/A

Have you met the offer? offer met

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

Attracted by the academic reputation of oxbridge and the opportunities studying there would bring.

How did you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?

Visited Oxford, absolutely felt it was the right place to apply to. Always preferred oxford to cambridge.. dunno why.

Why did you choose this course?

The medical course at oxford is second to none in my eyes and methods of teaching and opportunity for research was a bonus. Option after third year to move either green, cambridge, london or stay put for clinicals.

Why did you choose this college/make an open application?

I applied to St Annes .. got interviewed there and at Magdalen .. but received an open offer and was allocated to St Hughs. Really Im just so happy to be studying at Oxford and all those colleges seemed great. especially St hughs! lol very friendly.

Preparation

Did your school/college give you any extra tuition or help prior to your interview or application? yes

Got a mock interview but it was very general and nothing like the real thing. However, it did give me some confidence.

Do you have any advice for future applicants in terms of preparation?

Read around your syllabuses and focus on something your interested in.. hopefully with any luck you'll be able to talk about it in the inteview. Get lots of work experience... anywhere and everywhere. Make sure you can write about what you have gained from it ..in the ps.

Interview

Did you have to sit any pre-interview exams (LNAT/BMAT/..)? yes

BMAT...3 sections. There's time pressure on all of them but do your best.. revise gcse stuff if you don't do for a level eg physics/maths. get the preparation book, practice tests and a critical thinking book or iq tests are pretty handy to do.

Did you have to submit any written work prior to the interview? no

Did you have to take any exams as part of your interview(s)? no

How was/were in general your interview(s)?

I enjoyed them...soem questions were obviously hard and I definitely didnt answer all the questions right. But through guidance I was usually able to come to a decent conclusion. The interviews at St Annes were more relaxed than at Magdalen but nothing to shout about.

Please comment further on any particular aspects/topics of your interview(s).

In some I was given an article to read beforehand .. and then discuss it. In another.. I was given graphs to interpet and hypothesize on the causes etc. Asked about proteins, homeostasis, heart transplants, my work experience in lebanon, nhs, and also weirdly.. what would you do if you are rejected from all ur medical schools?? lol

What questions were you asked during your interview(s)?

see above

What did you wear to your interview(s), and why?

Pin stripe suite, smart tie, shirt and shoes. Wanted to make an impression and if it makes you feel more confident then why not.

Impressions

What was your general impression of the college that you applied to/any others you visited?

St Annes nice college.. tutors seemed very enthusiastic and down to earth.
Magdalen... beautiful and grand but still people are very approachable
St Hughs..went to the familiarisation day in march.. everyone is great.. and i liek ti the best now! lol

If seen, please describe the college accommodation eg. size of rooms, facilities.

All the accomodation is reasonable.. some better than others

How was the food provided by the college?

Edible and cheap which is a plus point.

How did you find the tutors in the college?

Friendly, and interested

Generally, what were the college students like (from what you saw of them)?

Welcoming and wanted to make you feel at ease

Final stage

Please describe your feelings during the time you waited for the decision.

I was happy with my interviews.. but I still thought that ther must have been so many other excellent candidates that i just wasnt good enough. It was a nervous time.

Please describe what happened when you received the letter/the call telling you whether you had a place or not.

Shocked to say the least.. jumped around punching the air! lol

Looking back

If you were to re-live that year of your life again, would you still apply?

Of course .. with out a second thought.

What advice do you have for potential applicants based on your experiences?

BE prepared and be confident.. you have just as much chance as anyone else!

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