New College, Oxford. Anyone know about it?

[KittyTwoShoes]

I'm applying there for my MSC at Oxford.

I'm just curious about its reputation really, what its like to live there, what the students are generally like, that sort of thing. Figured this is the best place to get an honest opinion! I don't have children or anything, it'll just be me living there (if I get in, that is!) :)

[TotalChaos]

despite the name it's actually several hundred years old. The college is in central office, 5 minutes walk off the High St. not sure where postgrad accomodation is located though, it may well be offsite. At postgrad level - sweeping generalisation to come - student body tends to be less mixed than at undergrad level - more of an international hard working feel. whereas at undergrad level there's more of a mixture of sporty types, trendy slacker types etc. At postgrad level I think the subject you are doing and it's faculty are likely to influence social life etc more than the college tbh

[KittyTwoShoes]

Thanks :) I knew it was old but that's more or less all I know! You think it would be a good choice, though? I know what you mean about subject and faculty but I think my department will be quite small.

[Unprune]

Are you likely to be living in the college itself? College accommodation for graduates is often outside the college, then everyone gets together in the MCR (if they want to) and there's a good lot of socialising. I agree about the international hard-working feel.
Dinners are good! Um, the gardens are lovely...
One of my friends is a prof at New College and he loves it.

[KittyTwoShoes]

Probably, yes (to living in college accommodation). It seems the most sensible option.

Do you know the general age of the graduate students? Are they mostly straight from their undergrad or mature students coming back, or an even mixture?

Thanks for your help :)

[Eleison]

I was there years ago, so I don't know how relevant my experience of it now. It is central, lovely buildings, ugly but adequate graduate accom in college, just near to the Garden Quad which has Barbara Hepworth sculptures (in case that's a dealbreaker for you )

Generally regarded as a mainstream place, quite a few grads, very international.

Beautiful chapel and dining hall. Um, good Star Wars videogame near the bar (might be gone now). Quite upperclass in my day, plenty of hoorays, including Hugh Grant. But grads not as bad.

[Eleison]

Re age of grads: mostly straight from undergrad years in those days. I don't know if that has changed now.

I do recall that grads in colleges that are predominently undergraduate can feel a bit marginalised. When I was a grad I moved to Nuffield, which is a grads-only college and looked after its grads a bit better.

[Unprune]

You tend to get a mixture iirc (dh was a graduate at another college and we had friends at the time at New). All in all the graduate social scene is good. There are the Rhodes scholars, who tend to be a really proactive lot (this is why they are Rhodies, I suppose), and I remember a good number of Americans on other scholarships too. DH always socialised with the people in his department as well as the ones he'd clicked with at the many MCR events - ranging from revues to evenings watching the X-Files (that dates him, ha ha).
So yes a mixture of people who've just finished their first degrees, and people who've worked a bit and gone back to academia. Also some rather young people, eg aged 16, who were usually doing maths.

[KittyTwoShoes]

Thanks! That's all really helpful, thank you.

[LoudRowdyDuck]

It's got a lovely dining hall and they do fantastic Christmas formal halls (3 course dinner, everyone dresses up). I wasn't there, but I have friends there and it is lovely.

Got a reputation for being friendly, too.

Congratulations.