Application

University: Oxford

College (if made an open application, allocated college): Keble

Course: Mathematics

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 2008

Final outcome: offer made

Applicant

Qualification: A-levels

When did you apply in terms of your qualification? post-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? Comprehensive School

GCSE or a similar equivalent taken: yes (10 A*,1 A)

A-levels

A2: French (A at AS (284 UMS); predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: General Studies (A at AS (280 UMS); predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Mathematics (A at AS (291 UMS); predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Mathematics (Further) (A at AS (266 UMS); predicted A; gained A at A2)

A2: Spanish (A at AS (286 UMS); predicted A; gained A at A2)

Details about the offer

Type of offer: unconditional

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) yes

Have you received offer(s) from them? yes

Oxford is better than my others, although I still consider some of the other universities I applied to to be ‘good’ universities, close to Oxford.

Have you met the offer? offer met

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

None of my family has been to university before, and I wanted to go somewhere with a very academic atmosphere to get a good education, and to achieve my absolute potential – Oxford is the place to do this.

Why did you choose this course?

Mathematics has always been inspiring to me, always a part of me. I could not imagine my life without Maths. I chose this over modern languages as I feel I can keep them up as an extra-curricular activity, whereas Maths is harder to be kept up as an extra.

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

I loved the location, atmosphere and attitude of Keble

Preparation

Did your school/college give you any extra tuition or help prior to your interview or application? no

None.

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

No.

Interview

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

A Maths test sent out by Oxford themselves.

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

No.

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

Not during the interview period.

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

Fairly enjoyable: I felt I responded well to hints as well as using my own knowledge and intuition, and I felt I transmitted my passion for Maths well.

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

Various Maths/probability/logical thinking problems.

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

I wore trousers to a couple and dresses to a few (I had six interviews in total) because I wanted to feel comfortable for ME and look smart.

Impressions

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

I liked Keble, and also really felt welcomed at New College, where I had two interviews.

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

Fairly spacious, basic, but everything required was provided.

How was the food provided by the college?

Excellent: great variety and plentiful too.

How did you find the tutors in the college?

Pleasant and welcoming, but professional.

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

Nice, friendly, passionate about their subjects.

Final stage

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

Nervous, but I only had to wait two days for my phone call.

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

Someone phoned me and I kept thanking her over the phone, in a crazy manner.

Looking back

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

Yes.

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

Don’t over-prepare. Be relaxed, and if you are unsure of a question, always say what you are thinking. Really show how much you love your subject(s).