Queen's College Oxford

[Aurea]

Has anyone got any positive or negative thoughts on this College, particularly for Law.?

Thanks

[horsemadmom]

DH loved his time there. DD’s best mate currently there but doing languages and loves it.

[BasiliskStare]

Ds's great friend is there , quite big ( i.e. in area considering how central it is ) , v central , 1st year accommodation can be outside the college itself in a more modern block ( but near the squash courts ), but very walkable back into college , but Ds's friend really likes it. Upside I think is that later years they give you rooms in college or v nearby. Please ignore if those who are more au fait say more.

There will l be those with more knowledge than me. Take their advice

If your DC has chosen it , nothing I have heard would make it other than a nice choice.
Re subject - DS's only thought was he wanted to go to a college where there were a decent number doing his subject. So if they have a decent number of Law u/gs I would say it is good.

My thoughts are vicarious but based on Ds's very great friend being there.

[BubblesBuddy]

It says it takes around 6 students for Law. The other law courses are joint honours it would appear. If you are looking at Law on its own, is 6 enough? Other than that possible query, what’s not to like?

[PatriciaHolm]

I loved it ;-) Great location, beautiful library.

[KatharineHilbery]

I hated it. Full of northern chemists.
This was 30 years ago though.

[TheLastSaola]

It’s quite a fun college with a good central location - fairly typical and average (in a good way) of Oxford Colleges.

Nice rivalry with Teddy Hall, good kebab vans nearby.

If there’s six law students in each year, then I’d say that was more than most colleges, but I’d not put too much weight on numbers of places. If you’re good enough then you’ll get pooled into another college.

I’ve never heard anyone say they’d rather have gone to another college, so it really doesn’t matter too much IMO

[BasiliskStare]

For context Ds ( a small college ) had ( I think ) 6 - 9 studying his subject - it was more than enough to have friends studying your subject. And of course you make friends doing other things.

I agree with @TheLastSaola - few ( well amongst Ds's friends ) do not think the college they go to is not the best college - those who apply and get into first choice and those who are pooled alike.

[Alaaya]

Apparently they like northerners there. Or so I was told by the professor who interviewed me at Christchurch to explain why I'd be better off there. :p

Honestly, it's lovely, Central, friendly, not as pretentious as a lot of colleges, comparatively down to earth but with the Oxford pretty stuff too. My first year accommodation was modern and off site, but very close by and really friendly.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Queens 30 odd years ago had a real reputation as a northern college, all whippets and flat caps! Not really sure why, I only knew one person there and he was from Surrey

[BasiliskStare]

Well ,we have been to Queen's with Ds's very great friend ( who is not northern , in fact has lived largely overseas )

I am somewhat sad we did not see the Queen's Whippet ( in the spirit of Univ's tortoise ) I like Whippets.

Ds's college has a reputation for being a bit reformist . The one down the road has a reputation for being Welsh . I think in this day and age , it doesn't really go along those lines.

@AtiaoftheJulii - I wold be prepared to give ( a very modest ) amount to Queen's having a college whippet - ha ha - that has made me laugh.

So OP - not sure you have seen any negative comments here , but "positive or negative" a broad church as far as a question goes.

I wish your DC well
Basilisk

[Aurea]

Thank you all.

Is Scottish as good northern? and state school educated as well.....!

The other colleges he's considering are Brasenose and Trinity, both of which are popular colleges.

He's applying with a reasonably strong application as he's already done his Highers at age 16 (between A Level and As in standard) and achieved 5As and a B (no A* available). Only 2500 students a year manage 6 Highers in Scotland as it's an intense work load to do that many in just a year.


His school has very little experience of Oxbridge so it's a gamble.

He does love his subject and can back this up on his personal statement.

Any other comments on the colleges mentioned above would be hugely helpful as we are unable to visit.

[goodbyestranger]

Yes I definitely know contemporary Queen's only problem is I'm with children in Florence on a beautiful terrace looking over the City under blue skies eating pastries for breakfast so not really time to reply properly for the mo.

Really really lovely college but a few things to think about. I'll post later :)

[goodbyestranger]

My children (well seven of them - one can't get away from a new job :(), not just random children and not small ones mercifully :)

[mateysmum]

Hi Aurea.
Those are all great colleges - but so are all the others! So don't sweat the choice too much. The pooling system is much better these days and your DS may well be interviewed at colleges he has not applied to.
If the school is Oxbridge inexperienced, there is so much out there now to help you as well as the MN threads.
The Oxford.ac site has masses of official info, each college has its own site often including an alternative student prospectus as well. There are lots of outreach and open events.
So I would encourage your DS, supported by you to research the application process, course and expectations thoroughly to make sure it's for him.
There are loads of people on MN happy to help.
Good Luck

[BubblesBuddy]

I really would try and visit. There is an open day in September. There are also subject open days throughout the year but I assume he is applying for 2019 so has missed these. However, I think looking for yourself and asking the questions pertinent to you is invaluable.

When I said there were 6 law places, this discounts the 5 courses which are Law and European Law (French, German, Italian, Spanish and European) so plenty of law undergrads around.

I don’t think any Oxford College for your subject is a wrong choice. Trinity is slightly smaller at 289 undergrads and Brssenose is 365 with 333 at Queens. All are central and all are beautiful! Goodbyestranger will have all the inside info though!

[Aurea]

Thank you!

He did go down on his own for the Law Open Day last March but did not have the time to visit many Colleges. He absolutely loved it! He is now back at school studying for advanced highers and cannot spare the time for another visit unfortunately.

He went down on the train (from North of Scotland) on his own and stayed in Pembroke for two nights (one night before and one after the Open Day) he said he believes he was the only state schooler there (out of the ones he spoke to). Some had flown over from a private school on Jersey. Others were from Winchester College and the ilk. What struck him as slightly bizarre was that he was the only one who was really keen on Law. The others were considering it as a post grad or just it in for the jolly. This is only for the ones he spoke to so should be taken with a pinch of salt.

I'm keen to research as much as I can from a distance. I have gone through as many prospectus as I can but everything looks so fantastic, it's hard to know which would suit him best.

I like Brasnose as it has a large department for Law but is very oversubscribed. I worry that this would go against him.

Any comments would be very gratefully received.

[wannabebetter]

My DS is starting at St Catherine's (Catz) this year (he is state school) and from what we've read they take one of the highest numbers of state school applicants, if that's an element you want to consider. He's not law though, languages....

[AtiaoftheJulii]

I honestly think that you can tie yourself in knots trying to work out the ideal combination that will give you your perfect college (let alone those who think they can apply in such a way to game the system). They are more alike than they are different, I think. Anyone who gets too firmly attached to the idea of one college may be (initially) disappointed if they end up elsewhere, so pick somewhere that you like the look of and don't worry about it too much!

One difference that is often commented on is accommodation - my dd is about to go back for her 3rd year of living out privately. There is plenty of private accommodation in Oxford, she's paid just under £100/week for the last 2 years which doesn't seem outrageous to me (see thread elsewhere about halls rents!), and although she could have gone back into college for her final year, she enjoys the freedoms of living out. (Also helps that her college is near the studenty area so she is still extremely close to food, the bar and the library!)

[mateysmum]

Aurea There is really no such meaningful thing as a "large department for law" in college terms and this should not be a deciding factor. You may have some tutorials in your own college but depending on the course or options chosen you will be sent to different tutors whichever college they are at.
After the first 2 terms (for history), I barely had any tutes n my own college. Lectures are whole university based and seminars will probably be with people from other colleges.

[fiddlesticks99]

Although all colleges are great, the original poster asked about Queen's. Queen's would be an excellent college choice : it is on the High Street (handy for shops and even handier for buses as the bus stops right outside). Queen's is a very beautiful college. It is unusual in Oxford as it is mainly Georgian. It has an extraordinarily beautiful library, with a recently opened modern extension to the library which has been deftly built underneath one of its quads. The college has huge playing fields, lots of sport available, plus a busy music society and one of Oxford's best mixed choirs. The college offers accommodation for all four years which is a bonus. My ds is very happy there as a current student. I couldn't recommend the college more highly - but I imagine the same recommendation would apply to all colleges. I don't think your sone could go wrong choosing Queen's. There are historic links to the north, but his friends seem to come from the north, the south and the rest of the world.

[BubblesBuddy]

Aurea: your DS only met a tiny snapshot of hopefuls when he stayed at Pembroke. Law is hugely over subscribed (7.4 hopefuls for each place) so many grads do another course and convert to law via the GDL. DDs friend did Music at Oxford and is now a barrister. Solicitors and barristers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and academic study. It is totally possible and normal that other students would consider converting to law after a first degree. That’s why it is such a competitive field when it comes to training contracts and pupillage. It’s not confined to law grads. The extra bright from many academic fields will consider converting to law ensuring a diversely skilled workforce.

[TuckMyWin]

I loved it. It's traditionally quite northern and State school. Which isn't to say that there isn't a good mix of people from all backgrounds. Not pretentious, but still a 'traditional' college. Friendly. Accommodation was provided in college buildings for all years - not all in the main high street building (only final year students tend to be there) but it means you only have to pay for term times rather than renting a room in a shared house for the whole year. Centrally located, with a major bus stop right outside. I can't think of any negatives!

[BasiliskStare]

Ok Aurea - I would say this .

If he wants to study law and didn't meet any u/g or potential u/gs who wanted to study that , then may be unfortunate. In Ds's experience those ( and he was not Law ) he met and were friends on same course actually really wanted to study their subject

Ds's close circle of friends and I am almost bored of saying this , included 1) State 6th form 2 ) Comprehensive school 3) Grammar ) 4) private and 5) if you care to differentiate - which I am willing to bet once they make friends the u/g''s dont, public schools e.g. "the ilk of Winchester" - All that group got on very very well.

Most undergraduates in Ds's experience just mix in with shared interests. There may be those who feel the need to trash a restaurant whilst wearing a dinner jacket - most don't. DS's circle of friends didn't It's a very big university - approx 12,000 undergraduates. Everyone can find their own place if they choose to.

But your DS must find his own way - I wish him well
truly - good luck to him whatever he decides

basilisk x

[BasiliskStare]

Oh and Ds and Ds's friend at Queen's - they played squash on a friday afternoon - v handy for the Queen's 1st year accommodation
I rest my case .

[goodbyestranger]

I see another poster has a DC currently studying there so also knows Queen's as it is now. I agree that Queen's is beautiful and a lot of its merits have already been listed. I would possibly be a little wary of the accommodation situation in the next couple of years because there are plans for the renovation or replacement of the first year Florey Building which has a knock on impact on all other students in college. As far as Law goes, Queen's isn't 'known' for Law but that said, no college is anything other than very very good. Also, the LNAT is critical in terms of getting an interview, even post Highers/ A Levels, so your DS absolutely has to get to the threshold in that. Brasenose can take its pick generally, so those applying do so at their own risk. And yes to the northern thing being a red herring. The historic links to the north have absolutely no noticeable impact on the geographical mix of the college, which is pretty standard (ie more from the SE than anywhere else). Good luck to your DS.