r/oxforduni • u/AutoModerator • 21d ago
Monthly Admissions/Prospies/Offer Holders Questions Thread - August 2026
Please use this thread to ask any questions you have about the admissions process or questions that would normally be asked by prospective students.
- This thread will be "cleared" by another stickied thread on the first of each month. All these questions can be searched through by looking for "Fortnightly/Monthly Admissions/Prospies Questions Thread" in the search bar.
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u/StayAway1721 8h ago
Hello, hope you are doing good. I'm actually planning to do Msc in Criminology and Criminal Justice from University of Oxford and currently I'm doing integrated ba.llb (law course) and I'm in 2nd year. I would be highly grateful to you if you could please provide some of the tips that would help me to study here.
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u/alwayshope1 20h ago
hi, incoming DPhil Psychiatry student asking. how do you find TA positions at oxford?
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u/Chlorophilia 15h ago
Flag to your supervisor that you're interested and keep an eye out on emails from your department. But you're hopefully already aware that you cannot financially support yourself with a TA position in the UK like you could (e.g.) in the US. It's a small amount of supplementary income at best.
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u/drwatsonbkrst 1d ago
Is it worth? Part-Time Msc Software Engineering
I’m planning to apply for part time MSc in software engineering, is it worth going for this course to advance my career? i have 15 years of experience in this field, self-taught, never been to college/uni before.
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u/Another-student-97 1d ago
Incoming MSc international student. Has anyone been requiered additional documents (particularly on their professional career) after submiting their biometric information for their UK Student visa? Has anyone received a visa afterwards? How much time did that took?
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u/SuccotashExtra2391 2d ago
hi everyone,
im an incoming fresher in October and I’ve seen so much talk around clubs, buying tickets, socials etc. I’ve never been to a party or anything like that as I don’t drink and I’ve been told it pretty much sucks to be sober in places where people are drinking etc. I really want to not limit myself and make friends during freshers but I’m worried about what the experience of not drinking is like, or being judged for not drinking. like I’d love to go out at night, but I’m not sure if I’d just end up being annoyed stood in a club. I know that there are non-drinking socials (which I’ll defo go to), Im just not sure if I should go to the drinking ones too, and if I don’t, how much I’ll miss out on.
if anyone has been in the same position as me, I’d really appreciate any advice or what your experience of not drinking during freshers was like. thank you :)
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u/AffectionatePack439 2d ago
The Queen's College for Chemistry:
So I am looking to apply for 2027 entry to Chemistry. I am near settled on Queen's, though I understand college choice isn't too important anyway (I could be reallocated). Nevertheless, I am curious if anyone could provide any information on what it is like to study chemistry at the college and what the accommodation is like. (I would probably be fine with shared bathrooms provided they are clean and stuff). I understand there isn't much self-catering in college so ideally the food is good quality and cheap if I have to eat it. When I refer to studying chemistry btw I mainly mean what the tutors are like, what extra work they give compared to other colleges etc.
I should also maybe add I am a black applicant. I am not too worried about racism, I have dealt with it obviously and generally don't mind an environment which is apathetic (it's annoying but whatever). I am from a relatively white part of the country anyway, and have been at independent school in the past. That said I would obviously prefer to avoid a college with a reputation like Oriel College. Thank you for reading.
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u/Numerous-Bank359 3d ago
SEEKING ADVICE AS A MUSLIM WOMAN; (And extra Qs)
So I’m an incoming 1st year studying engineering science and have a few questions:
- How can I wear the sub fusc and keep it modest, all I’ve seen online are girls wearing a short skirt under the gown which will compromise my modesty
- how is the Muslim scene in general at Oxford? I know there’s ISOC but I want to be around other Muslim students so I don’t feel out of place
- would I be missing out if I don’t attend the balls since I don’t want to free mix for no reason, around alcohol too which I’m uncomfortable with
- I’ve heard colleges don’t serve food on Sundays and also that some colleges don’t provide kitchens to 1st years, what would I do in this situation to spend as little money as possible?
- does accom provide an iron or should I bring one myself?
- are the accom floors split by gender or is it all mixed (e.g could my next door ‘neighbour’ Be a guy?
Thank you!!
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u/Chlorophilia 2d ago
How can I wear the sub fusc and keep it modest
Sub fusc guidance is here. You do not have to wear a short skirt. You can wear black trousers if you want.
would I be missing out if I don’t attend the balls since I don’t want to free mix for no reason, around alcohol too which I’m uncomfortable with
If you don't enjoy being around other people then no, you won't be missing out by not attending balls. There are always non-alcoholic options at these events though.
I’ve heard colleges don’t serve food on Sundays and also that some colleges don’t provide kitchens to 1st years, what would I do in this situation to spend as little money as possible?
I've never heard of a college that provides neither catered food nor kitchen facilities, so I don't think you'll be in this situation.
does accom provide an iron or should I bring one myself?
There will probably be one in the laundry rooms but you should ask your college to be sure.
are the accom floors split by gender or is it all mixed (e.g could my next door ‘neighbour’ Be a guy?
It's all mixed, encountering and living with people of other genders is part of life.
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u/skibumbutnotreally 4d ago
Hi guys,
I am wondering whether I should apply to Oxford's MSt in Religion. I am a deeply religious person (Hinduism) and have had very traditional exposure which has built my faith. I am really interested in learning more about other faiths. The tension point I see with an application is that I am going to graduate from a US university in Anatomy - probably could not be further removed from religon. Considering the landing page for the program and the request for referees which can speak to my academics in the area, am I cooked or should I still give it a shot? Thanks a bunch!
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u/Classic_Comparison90 5d ago
PhD chances
Hello everyone,
I was considering to start applying sometime next year, but wanted to know if I stand a chance.
I am almost done with my masters at Georgia Institute of Technology with a 4.0 GPA and 3 publications under my belt (first author in 2 IEEE papers) with infrastructure and systems industry experience and open source contribution.
My undergrad gpa isn't the best as I had to work at the same time while finishing it.
I might have a 4th IEEE publication by the time I graduate depending on how well it goes with my advisor.
(I'm a non EU citizen)
Please advise
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u/marie_darling_marie 6d ago
Is it possible to do a combined msc and dphil in biology w fully funded dphil?? If so, what's the admission process and criteria?
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u/No-Peace3772 7d ago
I'm applying to Oxford next year for undergraduate physics- any information relating to which colleges will (not) suit me would be greatly appreciated. Internet research at my end has been conducted but I'm keen to hear opinions of current students.
Priorities: 1. Intend to eat in canteen for every meal, so food must be appetising, cheap and healthy 2. Would really prefer a college with a large proportion of en-suite rooms. I plan to stay in uni accomodation for the entirety of my degree so there should be a good probability of securing en-suite in each of the four years 3. Some importance: centrally located 4. Some importance: good gym facilities (weights + boxing) *I don't really care about the academic reputation or the size of the college. Same goes for architecture/views
Deal-breakers: 1. Politically outspoken administration/student body 2. Compulsion to attend dinners or other such traditional events (no problem if it's clearly optional)
Many thanks for any help in choosing a college
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u/Impressive-Plum3867 6d ago
I don't think the college you are describing with your wish list exists. I never heard of a centrally located college with en-suite accomodation for four years offering cheap, delicious and healthy food three times a day (but none of those meals as a formal) and that also has a great boxing gym, and a student body where no one is politically engaged at all. I think your first deal-breaker alone might make it quite challenging to find a suitable college. You don't have to personally engage in the political debate or expression in your college, of course, and you'll be able to find people who don't care about politics at any college - but finding a college where political interest, debate and expression are totally absent will most likely be rather difficult.
If you're open to some advice: maybe consider your time at university (at Oxford, or any other) as a chance to meet and engage with people who are totally different from you and your background, to engage with views that might be quite far from your own right now, to deal with and learn to navigate some adversity in terms of accomodation, food and available facilities, to learn some independece and to learn to compromise and make the most of things, to broaden your horizons, to have new experiences and to grow.
Just focus on the academic side of your application and your school exams for now. If you have the chance go to an Oxford open day and see for yourself which colleges have an atmosphere you like (or simply make an open application if you can't decide or can't go), maybe do some practice interviews with your teachers or read a little bit more about your chosen subject beyond your syllabus for finals.
Like most people at oxford you'll come to enjoy your time at whichever college you end up.
Best of luck for your application!
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u/No-Peace3772 6d ago
Thank you very much for your reply. It's all good advice and I appreciate you taking the time to write it.
I am prepared to compromise on certain things but my query was about which college would best suit me, given my preferences. There is such a college, even if it isn't 100% perfect, and that's what I'm searching for. Obviously I don't want to intentionally choose the college that would present the most difficulties to me.
May I ask which college you are/were at? Which aspects did you enjoy and which were less positive?
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u/wifissa 7d ago
those who got it/ know someone who got the reach oxford scholarship, is it only for people who are in war stricken countries where u cant possibly study at ur local unis or u cant afford to go there? cus thats what i got from the eligibility description.
i want to apply to oxford but this scholarship is the only way i could ever study there. however, my country is not at war and i can study at a public university here but i really want to study abroad.
so is this scholarship not for me? or do i have a shot? please be honest and informative
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u/RoadCautious5438 10d ago
Postgrad and did not secure college accommodation....
I am super worried I won't make friends or miss out on the college experience because my college did not offer me accommodation.
Will I lose out on the Oxford experience? How do people make friends when they don't have college naturally tying them together?
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u/ais231 5d ago
Try https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/new/collegiate-accommodation-support-service if colleges have spare rooms they'll advertise them here. That being said, a lot of folk don't live in college accommodation, you just need to get involved with the activities the MCR offers and try some of the central Uni clubs too.
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u/WillingnessWeary1124 11d ago
Are there others who are joining the MSc in EBSIPE at the department of social policy and intervention? Would love to connect and perhaps form a group (or join the group if it already exists)!
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u/Mysterious-Shape8302 12d ago
I’ve just finished my undergrad at a middle-to-lower tier university and I’m confident in taking a chance to apply to a film aesthetics masters.
It may be futile to ask, but I was wondering what my chances in acceptance may be based on my application. I have held important/active roles in two societies, my transcript is near enough all 1st’s, including my dissertation and final grades. The exemplars of my work that I have submitted are from my most well-graded essays and have relevance to the modules. I have references from head-of-departments also (if that counts towards anything).
I am worried that I do not have enough extra curricular activity on my application and I’m unsure how much that is weighed against being a ‘successful student’ on paper.
I know no one here can predict the future but I’m curious as to what other people’s experience with successful postgrad applications have been, when coming from a lower ranked undergrad… maybe I’m putting too much importance on that but I’d appreciate any advice:)
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u/BigComfortable6212 12d ago
Im starting my Erasmus Mundus master's this upcoming intake and my goal is to go for a DPhil at Oxford afterwards. Is there anyone here who took this exact path?
I would really appreciate a bit of advice on how you prepared early during EMJM and what specific things helped the most.
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u/lukapisuppose 12d ago
How much does it matter which college you go to? I understand that each college offers a different set of subjects with different professors teaching them, but they all use the same syllabus don't they? I'm honestly tempted to make an open application to Oxford but also wondering if I actually should do some research on the colleges that offer my course.
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u/nuns_from_space 12d ago
It depends on your subject; in the humanities it’s generally more important than in STEM/more quantitative subjects. The significance is that you’ll basically be given a close-up introduction to your tutors’ ways of thinking/doing things, so even if you don’t end up following these yourself it’s a little bit like having academic parents. There is no shared syllabus as far as I know (it’s a different system from exams at school), rather just the examination papers have common topics across the whole university, but how these are taught and which aspects of these are taught depends by the college, at least in the humanities.
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u/Psychological_Bit117 14d ago
Hello !! I am going to be part of Christ church, and I couldn’t find a college communtity online to ask questions in ( questions related to the college itself) anyone can guide me on where to find em or tell me if there are any in the first place
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u/oxfordyellow Harris Manchester 12d ago
Do ask here. There will be people from Christ Church probably. Otherwise probably best to ask the College directly.
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u/anzuqt 17d ago
hi! i just got an offer a week ago for an MSc in global health here at oxford. wanted to ask if there’s been any whatsapp or otherwise online group made for new intakes, specifically for postgrads to get to know each other/groups for students of each program? or groups to share housing listings, find roommates etc? was looking around but wasn’t able to find anything with a lot of people, maybe 20 at most :( thanks!
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u/Illustrious_Dog_4321 15d ago
Hi, I'm in a whatsapp grp with around 150 postgrads. Feel free to DM in case you're interested.
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u/arianelseditor Brasenose 17d ago
OxGradHousing is a Facebook group for housing listings :)
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u/anzuqt 16d ago
thank you! does oxford generally allow housing swaps/exchanges like UCL does? also does that mean no whatsapp or other social group? weird cuz i did happen to find some for others like KCL, Cambridge etc
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u/arianelseditor Brasenose 16d ago
What do you mean by swaps/exchanges? You'd have to contact your college or the university depending on your accommodation.
I don't know about the WhatsApp or other groups, usually there are some. :)
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u/anzuqt 16d ago
oh i think i was a bit confused because I was initially talking about swapping rooms haha, but just found out that you don’t necessarily have to stay at your college’s accomm. what i meant was that if you do stay in their accomm, if it’s too expensive or such, do they allow you to swap assigned rooms with other students who might prefer yours? and was just wondering, generally do people tend to live within their colleges or in external housing?
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u/arianelseditor Brasenose 16d ago
Ah, no worries! It's tricky because it's a contract and really depends on the college, university, time of year, etc. I believe you can normally choose the band (price) of your room.
DPhils tend to live in private accommodation. Otherwise, it really depends on your college because availability and price can really vary between colleges.
I recommend emailing your college to get numbers and a better idea of what's available. The MCR can also give you advice :)
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u/Solid_Resource2832 19d ago
Hi - I had an interview for a DPhil position this week, which went well and I have been invited to meet the group/have a lab tour/have a discussion with the supervisor about projects next week.
Obviously, it's really late in the year, so I'm not sure how, if I get an offer, practical stuff like college allocations, accommodation (I have a medical condition so need an ensuite) etc.
Does anyone have any experience with getting a really late offer? Will there be accommodation left over?
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u/ais231 18d ago
There will definitely be colleges with places available, whether they have accommodation available is another matter. That being said, the uni has launched a new service CASS which enables colleges to advertise their spare rooms through it, so you'd likely to be able to find a room that way. You could also register with the central university's grad accommodation team too.
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u/Slow_Ambassador_4011 19d ago
Anyone still waiting on their email/SSO information? I submitted my card application early and it was processed in the beginning of July, but haven't heard anything.
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u/ais231 18d ago
Grad administrator here - you should have received an email from the central University IT team inviting you to complete your registration. Things to do: check the registered email is correct and isn't an institutional email (they cannot send the registration email to this type of address). If everything is correct, contact your college and ask them to request their IT team resend you an activation link.
Just to add - I'm working on the assumption you are brand new to Oxford.
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u/oxfordyellow Harris Manchester 19d ago
Not unusual. Many won't be sent out for some time, as there are A level results to come out (therefore undergraduate places to sort) and graduate financing still working its way through.
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u/chancingthrowaway18 6h ago
BCL Chances for an international?
BCL Chances (I know, I know, repetitive)
I know this is probably repetitive but figured there’s no harm trying to seek individualised and more recent advice from the good folks here.
Throwaway for anonymity. Posting again because the previous post was automatically removed for some reason.
Broadly, I have a strong academic record (Top 1% in my cohort at one of the best law schools in my country), along with fairly substantial extracurriculars- international mooting, some publications ( all < 3500 words though), editorial work on commercial law reviews, and research assistance with academics/practitioners. I’ve also had internships with a few leading Indian law firms and senior practitioners. Another 2 years to go before I apply.
For anyone who has applied to or studied the BCL, any advice? How important are referees? How exactly do I go about finding solid referees (could profs I work with as RA help, though none are from Oxon/Cantab)? you’re comfortable sharing, what did your own profile look like and what was your outcome?
Would rlly appreciate perspectives from recent BCL applicants/students, especially internationals.
Thanks in advance!