Oxford U & Cambridge U

bobbycheung

Any parents who have got kids applying to or studying in Oxford U or Cambridge U?  Not that mine is applying.  It's just that I have got a few questions I want to ask.  Thanks!

Birkin

What aspects/areas would you like to find out more about may I ask?  I may or may not be able to help you with your queries as my information may be outdated...

bobbycheung

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Thanks!  I read this.  http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Cambridge_Choosing_a_College
Under the section on "Tactical College Choice", it suggested that the acceptance rates do not actually mean anything because when the colleges do the calculation, they include the open applications as well.  Assuming what it said is true (or is it?), is there another way to find out  which college is relatively easier to get in?

Birkin

Back in my days, the really well-known ones, e.g. Trinity at Cambridge and Christ Church at Oxford, were usually regarded as being more difficult to get in as they would typically receive more applications than other colleges.  But applicants might be smarter these days and would avoid applying to these colleges in order to increase their chances of getting in.  It also depends on which subject the candidate is applying for...

What you can do is to do a bit of research on different colleges and ask around but I don’t think there would be any official figures on which colleges would be easier to get in.  One tactic that one could use is to put down the name of the college of his/her first choice and then leave the others blank, so other colleges that are interested might ask the candidate for an interview whilst he/she is up there.

bobbycheung

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Birkin, Thanks!

4eyesDad

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The official line is of course that there is no such thing as a Cambridge college easier to get into. There are nonetheless fashionable and unfashionable colleges. Are you thinking of advising your kid to apply to the least fashionable Cambridge college beacuse it may somehow increase his chance of getting in? Have you persuaded your kid to change his first preference from LSE to Cambridge?.

bobbycheung

4eyesDad 發表於 12-6-8 11:49
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The official line is of course that there is no such thing as a Cambridge c ...

4eyesDad,

I think you've mistaken me for someone else.  My kids are neither old enough nor good enough to apply to Oxbridge or LSE.  :)   I am asking on behalf of a 細侄女 who would like to apply to Cambridge.  She needs advice on how to choose colleges.

Bobby

4eyesDad

I've recently gone through the same process with my friend's daughter. Ideally, she needs to write down in order of priority what she wants from her Cambridge college. Then, the list can be compared with the distinctive characteristics of the colleges and find the best match - a very time consuming task indeed.
In reality, if you know someone who has been to Cambridge, you would rely on that person's advice. If not, you tend to ask which college is "easier" to get into because you do not believe all colleges are the same - and they are not.
Assuming your relative falls into the second category, she should first choose the subject because not all colleges offer all subjects.
If she is a risk taker, she might pick one of the big name colleges such as Trinity, King's, St John's or Emma.
If she wants to play safe, she might pick one of the less fashionable colleges such as Newnham, Fitz, or those colleges near the bottom of the Tompkins Table.

bobbycheung

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4eyesDad,

Thanks for the advice!

Bobby