How do you choose between Oxford and Cambridge?

[Justneedaflippingtemporaryname]

Namechanged for this as DD would not be happy if this post was too identifying.

She has been fixed on applying to Cambridge since year 10 (is in year 12 now) after going to a few talks and residentials at Cambridge university. She has never had the opportunity to visit Oxford and so is fixated on Cambridge due to familiarity. It is in her nature to not want to try new things at all.

She wants to study physics, so it would be Natsci at Cambridge and Physics at Oxford.

How does one go about choosing which to apply to?

We live in Manchester.

Thank you!

Oxford:
They only interview those who score above a certain level in the test (PAT).

The course is very mathematical compared to some physics courses. DS2 went to the open day and they said it is 50% maths.
The labs are fairly central.

Cambridge:
They interview anyone with high enough GCSE grades and predicted A-level grades. There is a test (NSAA) but the scores will not be used significantly for selection until the first cohort to take it (2016) have graduated and they have the data of the outcomes.
The course is structured differently from most physics courses (presumably she knows this if she has visited and attended talks).
The labs are over a mile from the centre of Cambridge.

TheFirstOHN

Thanks for that. We've not looked into the course content at Oxford yet so that is very useful. The two courses are very different then, so I guess this will probably be a very big deciding factor! Her A Levels are Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

I'm taking from what you said that if you think you are likely to smash the entrance test then apply to Oxford.

This is just my take on it. Yes, there is a place for analysis and deciding on course content etc but it’s also really important to follow your heart on which one to apply to. It is just a fact of life that most students applying for Oxbridge will NOT get in. That isn’t personal, doesn’t mean they aren’t high flyers, doesn’t mean they are failures, doesn’t mean they didn’t do well in the exams and/or interviews if they get that far. It’s simply because there are far more excellent applicants than there are places. For the many students who are rejected, it’s important to be able to move on - gave it their best shot, it didn’t work out and going to go to another excellent university. That must be much more difficult if the ‘Oxbridge’ you applied to wasn’t even the one you really wanted.

Forgot to say - best of luck! Hope it works out but if it doesn’t then there truly are other excellent universities. Maybe that is the thing to contribute - to be open to how good other places are as well? Not as a ‘don’t apply’ but just to help with the recognition that there are 4 other UCAS choices to be made and they can also be exciting?

The cities have very different atmospheres, even if the universities are similar.

I'd definitely visit both but try to do it in term time even if a Saturday as during summer vac both are tourist central and quite different.

I don't think it matters that much.

Of course there are differences and your DD should make as informed a decision as possible, but I often think you don't actually know enough about your subject and university life to make an informed decision until you've already been a student at one or other for some time - if that makes any sense!

That must be much more difficult if the ‘Oxbridge’ you applied to wasn’t even the one you really wanted.
That makes so much sense!

I'd definitely visit both but try to do it in term time even if a Saturday as during summer vac both are tourist central and quite different.
That's a good idea.

I often think you don't actually know enough about your subject and university life to make an informed decision until you've already been a student at one or other for some time
True!

My DC just liked one of the two and ran with it. It's not a big decision; one is as good as the other.

In the nicest possible way, if course content isn’t something that occurred to you/your DD as the major deciding factor, your DD is coming at this from a very odd angle. Why is Oxford even on her radar if she hasn’t already looked into the content of the degree?

Course content is overrated.

Yes, obviously what you are going to spend several years studying is entirely irrelevant to university choice.

Look at the course content and choose which one most appeals.
That said, if she has any interest in a career in scientific research and academia, I think NatSci is phenomenal. It’s incredibly demanding but terrific because of its scope, At 18 its s big leap to choose one branch of science.
Disclaimer: I didn’t do sciences but studied at both institutions and had friends who did Chemistry and Physics at Oxford, and NatScis at Cambridge.
It is a really, really tough course though.

Cambridge. I know some of the physics professors and they are amazing, and lovely.

Why hasn't she had the opportunity to visit Oxford? Why haven't you taken her?

The courses are v v important as indeed is happiness and it's important she likes the place and wants to live there for three years.

They are very different places with ery different vibes.

OP Oxford is an easier journey by train for your DD than Cambridge. (3 hours, no changes.) You say she’s never had the opportunity to visit - is it the cost of transport that has made this impossible? I think she would be well advised to take a day trip there soon.

(Knowing both places - Cambridge is breathtaking, Oxford is a massive car park - but addictive. Course content is important, but so is choosing a place where you think you’ll enjoy living ...)

I just didn't and still don't aged 42 like Oxford whereas I really liked Cambridge. One of my school friends felt the opposite. We both got accepted onto the "same" course and, whenever we met up in the holidays and even now
we were amazed at how different the courses are.8

Abhann the subject is important obviously but agonising about the precise course content is probably over the top, in terms of deciding between Cambridge and Oxford. With a tiny number of exceptions possibly (is Engineering one?). Mostly though, Law, History, MFL, Medicine - nothing in it compared to the general feel of the two places which are very different.

Why is Oxford even on her radar if she hasn’t already looked into the content of the degree?
Well she knows it's straight physics at Oxford versus keeping your options open at Cambridge and she likes the thought of that.

My DC just liked one of the two and ran with it. It's not a big decision; one is as good as the other.
Exactly. The reputation alone and the knowledge that you'd come out with an excellent degree is 'why Oxford is on her radar' as Abhaan asked earlier.

At 18 its a big leap to choose one branch of science.
I agree, and this is what appeals about the Cambridge course.

Cambridge. I know some of the physics professors and they are amazing, and lovely.

Why hasn't she had the opportunity to visit Oxford? Why haven't you taken her?
That's quite a presumptious question. You don't know our circumstances. She's got Uniq and school are taking her in September if that's ok with you.

Cambridge is the better uni for anything scientific or technology oriented. Oxford is the better uni for humanities/liberal arts oriented.
Since she wants to study science....Cambridge is the better uni. After Cambridge would be MIT or NUS before Oxford on the world ranking tables.

OP Oxford is an easier journey by train for your DD than Cambridge. (3 hours, no changes.) You say she’s never had the opportunity to visit - is it the cost of transport that has made this impossible? I think she would be well advised to take a day trip there soon.

Funny you should say this. The ease of the Uniq trip journey is what has made me start thinking of Oxford. So much easier.

We both got accepted onto the "same" course and, whenever we met up in the holidays and even now
we were amazed at how different the courses are.
Gosh, really?! Can I ask what the subject was?

Cambridge is the better uni for anything scientific or technology oriented.
I've heard this. I wonder how much it matters when it comes to job prospects.

Oxford is harder to get into. At least more applicants per place. The science thing in terms of uni rankings also isn't entirely true.

@goodbyestranger Don't know about the other humanities courses you mention but MFL is not the same at Oxford and Cambridge. MFL at Oxford is essentially a literature course.

I thought that, but looking at the admissions statistics I'm not so sure now. I've been looking at the freedom of information requests people have submitted. If you do well on the PAT you're practically guaranteed an interview. And then there's the sweet A*AA offer rather than Cambridge's Two A stars and an A. A YouTube vlogger did four A levels (like DD is doing) and her Cambridge offer (which she missed) was three A stars and an A 😬