Does money help?
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1d6f9852-4a2f-11db-8738-0000779e2340.html
In the Article that I read, it talks about how you can increase your chances of getting into Oxford or Cambridge. It also discusses the chances of someone wealthy getting accepted as opposed to the less wealthy getting accepted. Oxford makes a point to keep it as equal as possible, by not taking into account how rich someone is, everyone is considered equal whether they come from a prestigious background or not. Unfortunately those from wealthier backgrounds are able to not only afford better schooling in private schools but also are able to give they children special classes in preparing for the interviews.
I think that this alters greatly who gets in or not, because it helps a lot to be prepared for an interview and know how to handle the situation, but on the other hand the interviewers are able to tell if you’re answers are rehearsed. Here are some excerpts from the article:
Also, not everyone is convinced of the benefits of intensive interview preparation. Martin Stephens, high master of St Paul’s, one of the country’s leading academic private schools, does not believe dons are looking for a highly polished performance. “I think the interviewers want to see some rough edges on the candidates,” he says. “If you do too much preparation, you end up trying to work out what you think the interviewer wants to hear, rather than just answering the questions. Nothing shows up more than insincerity.”
Parks also recommends putting down anything that shows enthusiasm for the subject. “Genuine hobbies that illustrate an interest in a subject are also useful, so helping out in your local animal shelter will look good if you are applying for veterinary medicine. Helping at local archaeological digs or visiting historical sites is something that should be a natural thing for someone applying to study history to want to do.”
Whether or not the emphasis swings away from performance in a don’s study and towards performance in the examination hall, it seems likely that wealthy and ambitious parents will still be able to give their children an advantage.
As Whittow puts it: “What the university is trying very hard indeed to do is to create a level playing field where it doesn’t matter what your background is and what school you have been to. But we have to face up to a brute fact, and that is that education works. We all know that if you have more intensive teaching and more stimulating teachers, bright people will respond to it. You can’t ultimately get round that fact.”
While some parents believe specialist coaching is necessary, it seems that a good education, some intelligence and a passion for your subject are the three essentials for cracking Oxbridge.
I think that now days, it is getting tougher and tougher to get into these universities since so many people are preparing for it. It takes more than just good grades to get into a university now, you need to go above and beyond it with extra-curriculars, showing interesting in the field you want to go into and lots and lots of prep. I think that it is unfair on those who are just as gifted but aren’t able to provide themselves with the extra prep, because acceptance into a university shouldn’t be based or influenced by wealth. This is the next huge step that we will be taking soon, and it is scary, there is so much to think about and to consider. Enjoy high school while it lasts I guess!
In the Article that I read, it talks about how you can increase your chances of getting into Oxford or Cambridge. It also discusses the chances of someone wealthy getting accepted as opposed to the less wealthy getting accepted. Oxford makes a point to keep it as equal as possible, by not taking into account how rich someone is, everyone is considered equal whether they come from a prestigious background or not. Unfortunately those from wealthier backgrounds are able to not only afford better schooling in private schools but also are able to give they children special classes in preparing for the interviews.
I think that this alters greatly who gets in or not, because it helps a lot to be prepared for an interview and know how to handle the situation, but on the other hand the interviewers are able to tell if you’re answers are rehearsed. Here are some excerpts from the article:
Also, not everyone is convinced of the benefits of intensive interview preparation. Martin Stephens, high master of St Paul’s, one of the country’s leading academic private schools, does not believe dons are looking for a highly polished performance. “I think the interviewers want to see some rough edges on the candidates,” he says. “If you do too much preparation, you end up trying to work out what you think the interviewer wants to hear, rather than just answering the questions. Nothing shows up more than insincerity.”
Parks also recommends putting down anything that shows enthusiasm for the subject. “Genuine hobbies that illustrate an interest in a subject are also useful, so helping out in your local animal shelter will look good if you are applying for veterinary medicine. Helping at local archaeological digs or visiting historical sites is something that should be a natural thing for someone applying to study history to want to do.”
Whether or not the emphasis swings away from performance in a don’s study and towards performance in the examination hall, it seems likely that wealthy and ambitious parents will still be able to give their children an advantage.
As Whittow puts it: “What the university is trying very hard indeed to do is to create a level playing field where it doesn’t matter what your background is and what school you have been to. But we have to face up to a brute fact, and that is that education works. We all know that if you have more intensive teaching and more stimulating teachers, bright people will respond to it. You can’t ultimately get round that fact.”
While some parents believe specialist coaching is necessary, it seems that a good education, some intelligence and a passion for your subject are the three essentials for cracking Oxbridge.
I think that now days, it is getting tougher and tougher to get into these universities since so many people are preparing for it. It takes more than just good grades to get into a university now, you need to go above and beyond it with extra-curriculars, showing interesting in the field you want to go into and lots and lots of prep. I think that it is unfair on those who are just as gifted but aren’t able to provide themselves with the extra prep, because acceptance into a university shouldn’t be based or influenced by wealth. This is the next huge step that we will be taking soon, and it is scary, there is so much to think about and to consider. Enjoy high school while it lasts I guess!
posted by Kyla Mandel at 7:42 PM
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