Help! PPE at Oxford

[yellowleo]

Hi

I'm going into my second year next year and i want to study PPE at Oxford

My Predicteds are:

English A1 HL-6

Spanish A2 SL-6

History HL- 7

Economics HL- 7

Maths SL-7

E Systems -6

There is a TSA test to take and they said most score in the mid-high 60s, I've been practicing the test and so far I've been getting High 80s to low 90s

The website says they require 39, so I'm right there but do I have a significant chance? Does EE matter to them at all? And what will they look at apart from my predicteds and Test scores? I was in the American system so I didn't do GCSEs and I had only okay grades the year before due to some health issues.

Much appreciated

[Scade]

You stand an okay chance, not worse than others, but not much better either. Almost all Oxbridge applicants look strong on paper.

Yes EE and ToK do matter at least in the sense that the offers given are normally if not always inn terms of total points (and maybe some requirements in HL subjects, in your case also a 7 from math sl probably).

I don't know exactly how much Oxford looks at your previous results, but at least you should have good predicteds.

Other things that will affect your application are your personal statement (although not that much probably, it is more a starting point for discussion at your interview), reference, some written school work they might want you to send, and most of all your interview. Really almost all candidates are strong, so the interview is where they make the difference.

[Sandwich]

I expect they'll be interested to see some relevant extracurricular activities -- for instance, debating or anything which shows an active interest in politics/philosophy/economics -- and the usual sort of stuff Universities look for like evidence of leadership, evidence of teamwork, evidence of dedication to something and just generally extracurriculars which make you look as standout as you can possibly be. If your EE can be related to one of the three subjects, that might help support your application, but it shouldn't penalise you if your EE isn't related to PP or E..

They would also usually look at your GCSEs quite a lot (they're still the best predictor for how well students do in academia!) but as you haven't got any, I'm not sure how seriously they'll rate your last year's grades. If they were serious official examinations, they'll probably consider them, however if they were just school internal exams, it probably won't be too big a deal how you did because they won't know what sort of standard the exams were at anyway. Not that anybody can ever second-guess the admissions department, but that's how I think it would go

If there's a chance you could bump your English grade up to a 7, I expect that'd help quite a lot -- Philosophy and Politics both require that you're very comfortable with essays, and although History will help show that you can write essays, PPE is a really competitive course and so people who apply (besides yourself) will almost certainly be looking at 40+. It's not uncommon to be asked for 40+ points (39 is a minimum offer) with 7,7,7 at Higher Level. So if there's any way you could put some more effort in and bring English up to a 7, it would certainly help you.

Then you'll want to write an absolutely top-notch Personal Statement and, if you get an interview, practice for it like mad. My friend got in for PPE in '09 (although doing A Levels, not the IB) and, on top of perfect grades (which all A Level people are likely to have) had the most stellar extracurricular activities you could imagine.

Good luck!

[yellowleo]

What sorts of things would you suggest I include in my Personal Statement (sorry I'm a bit daft about these things because I was in the American school system)

Should I read any books and discuss them?

Secondly I read somewhere that an outsider didn't need to submit anything but my IB because Americans don't do standardised tests, so my grades would be somewhat useless (true?)

Finally what do you think of Mansfield and Lady Margaret Hall

P.S. Thank you soo much, i wish I could be of some use to you lol

[yellowleo]

Hey, sorry to be really obnoxious

but i looked over the requirements again and it turns out that i need a 39 with core points. i was counting a 39 without the core points (we know them as extras) so i think i would get the three extra points bringing me or 2 bringing me to 41 42. Unis view that as equivalent to 4 or 5 As at Alevel. Does that give me a significant boost then??

Again, much thanks

[Scade]

Well your IB grades pretty much mean that you are in the same category as everyone else, as it is very hard to stand out compared to other applicants since everybody is predicted/achieving high grades. As it was said, English A1 is something to work on.

Any ideas wat you are doing your EE on?

If you want to get an idea what a PS should be like, try reading some for example here's mine My PS. Your PS should be original and tell something about yourself, and of course show your passion for the subject. Yes try reading some books, if you mention them in your PS try to get something out of them instead of simply namedropping. Anyway the books might provide helpful at your interview.

[yellowleo]

@Scade, Thanks for the advice and PS

Problem is that my school does only November and May Predicted grades so I will have to apply with my May, so these are kinda set. Will English affect me greatly if I'm strong in History and Econ

My EE is on Nigerian history but touches a bit on politics

[Bishup]

PPE is such a popular course do not assume you'll get in. You do have a chance just like anyone else. Just work extremely hard on your HLs. Your EE is good don't worry about your topic choice. Just make sure you have things on your personal statement.

PS : Are you international or European? Because there aren't that many Internationals at Oxbridge since it is very expensive and very hard to get into.

[chrypton]

A classmate of mine got into PPE at Oxford and will be going there from October this year. I think he said that he got an offer of 39 points overall with one grade 7 at HL. So, your grades should be fine.

[yellowleo]

I'm international, but it's still cheaper than lets say the US. Is it harder for internationals?

[Caustica]

Your grades are fine; then again, almost everyone's grades are fine. As a result, grades aren't really used to differentiate applicants. From what I've read, the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) is an important factor, and the essay question it includes gauges your writing ability (it replaces the previous need to send in written work) - incredibly important. About 80% (or is it 60%? I don't remember) get selected for interview, which is possibly the most important part of your application.

I disagree with Sandwich; I don't think Oxford places much emphasis on ECs, unless they are 'directly related' the course at hand. Some mention of ECs in your PS might make it stand out, though; but it's not terribly important.

I'm international, but it's still cheaper than lets say the US. Is it harder for internationals?

Seeing as you're doing IB, it shouldn't be as hard as other applicants who follow a national curriculum Oxford aren't familiar with. That said, international applicants are usually only interviewed either by video conferencing or phone calling, and since the interview is so important and is really what makes you 'stand out', I think not being able to go to Oxford in person could possibly harm your chances.

As for reading books, read a few and understand them; they could definitely come out useful in the interview. I'd recommend you find a specific topic within P, P and/or E that you're particularly interested in, and read around that area.

Good luck! I'd love to read PPE @ Oxford too.

[Cynthia]

I disagree with Sandwich; I don't think Oxford places much emphasis on ECs, unless they are 'directly related' the course at hand. Some mention of ECs in your PS might make it stand out, though; but it's not terribly important.

This is true. The college I am applying to - Merton - recommends that you have about 1/4 of your PS space on your ECs and the rest of it on your subject, and it is only possible to properly talk about 2 or 3 ECs in that space. I myself included the EYP and vice chairmanships of two organizations (+ a few words on playing classical piano and what I like to read).

[Scade]

As it has been said, extracurriculars do not really matter that much when applying to Oxbridge. If they help to show an engagement towards the subject you are applying to, or otherwise really show your worthiness I wouldn't allocate much space to them. It is much more important to have something substantial, analytical and original to say about the subject. And even with this, the personal statement is not the most important part of your application.