open application or particular college?

**sviestine_muse** · 29-09-2006, 09:13 PM

i can't decide whether to choose an open application or to apply to a particular college. could anyone explain me the system thouroughly: if i apply to a college and do not satisfy its requirements, my application is sent to the pool from where it may go to any other college? if so, what's the point of choosing an open application?

i can't get something...

there are those two, which do not follow the usual procedure: emmanuel judges not only by bmat, but also by preparatory study at interview; peterhouse judges by bmat and school/college essay. maybe applying to one of these might make it easier to get in, for example, this preparatory study? has anyone tried it? what is it actually like?

btw, i am from eu and applying for a deferred entry...

any advice is highly appreciated (:

**Apollyon** · 29-09-2006, 09:42 PM

With an open application your application is allocated to a college as soon as all the applications have been received. After that, you will be treated like any normal (direct) applicant to that college. You can make an open application, be allocated to a college and then get pooled too. Allocation is designed to even out the numbe rof people applying for a particular subject to each college so that there is an even applicant to offer ration at all colleges.

**sviestine_muse** · 29-09-2006, 09:54 PM

so it actually makes no difference? i mean, if i like one college more than the rest, it is advisable to apply to it, since if i don't get in the result is the same as for open application, isn't it?

**bryony** · 30-09-2006, 02:32 AM

You're not necessarily pooled if you don't get in to your college, only if you narrowly miss getting a place there.

If you like one college better (or if you're trying to avoid certain colleges such as womens or ones with preparatory study), apply direct. If you honestly can't decide, apply open. Your chances should be about the same.

**dsn** · 01-10-2006, 05:48 PM

I believe, from a policy document I found on the internet, that everyone with at least 91% UMS in all ASs (i.e. at least 271) should automatically be pooled. Alas, not me!

**thund734** · 12-11-2006, 10:08 AM

If you submit an open application, be prepared to go to churchill/peterhouse/newnham and bring a bike

**psyche87** · 13-11-2006, 05:19 AM

Not necessarily, though, you may well be open-apped to Downing and Corpus (and yes, it has happened for Medicine)! =) I know people who got open-apped to King's and Queens', though not for Medicine. It's just that the possibility of being open-apped to a girls' college or a further-away college is higher, but it's definitely not 100%... Haha...

Selwyn's actually further away than Newnham from Downing/NewMuseums. And Peterhouse is REALLY close to Downing/NewMuseums...! =P

**thund734** · 13-11-2006, 02:00 PM

I love the way you don't defend churchill hahahaha

**Apollyon** · 13-11-2006, 02:20 PM

No offense to anyone at Churchill because they are all really nice people but my god the building is ugly. Even walking past it dead drunk in the middle of the night the hideousness was just too much to bear.

**mairi** · 13-11-2006, 09:15 PM

No offense to anyone at Churchill because they are all really nice people but my god the building is ugly. Even walking past it dead drunk in the middle of the night the hideousness was just too much to bear.

*falls over laughing*
*hopes she doesn't get pooled to Churchill*