Hi everyone! Miki, thank you for all your responses, they are incredibly helpful.

In respect of the written submission, do you believe it will be disadvantageous to submit an essay which is shorter than 2000 words? More specifically, my best written work is a little over 1500 words (no footnotes and bibliography included) and I was planning on submitting it prior to finding this discussion. Also, would you suggest noting next to the word count that it does not include the footnotes and the bibligraphy or this is a given? Finally, considering the discussion above, would you suggest even leaving my footnotes and bibliography in the paper (they are done as per OSCOLA's requirements) or is it preferrable to leave them out?

Hi, 

Yeah it is better to make use of the word count given, but a slightly shorter essay will do just fine as long as it showcases good analysis, good research and good writing. Regarding references, I personally used Oscola because that's a UK-wide referencing system (also specific for Oxford uni) and in my view it is very clear, but I think other referencing styles will do just fine (provided that their usage is consistent).  In my view it is always good to include secondary sources (note that all the academic articles refer to the work of others, this is what academia is all about and not having any secondary sources can be a bad idea). At uni, I would reference (almost) every sentence with a footnote and this has scored me straight As at UG level and at Oxford. This also showcases the depth of your research; when someone has 0 secondary sources, it is easy to assume that the person has done no research (even though this might not be true.)

Regarding footnotes and word count, it is assumed that they are not included, but stating this at the beginning will do no harm.

[Edited by miki3999 on Jan 17, 2023]

Hi, 

Yeah it is better to make use of the word count given, but a slightly shorter essay will do just fine as long as it showcases good analysis, good research and good writing. Regarding references, I personally used Oscola because that's a UK-wide referencing system (also specific for Oxford uni) and in my view it is very clear, but I think other referencing styles will do just fine (provided that their usage is consistent).  In my view it is always good to include secondary sources (note that all the academic articles refer to the work of others, this is what academia is all about and not having any secondary sources can be a bad idea). At uni, I would reference (almost) every sentence with a footnote and this has scored me straight As at UG level and at Oxford. This also showcases the depth of your research; when someone has 0 secondary sources, it is easy to assume that the person has done no research (even though this might not be true.)

Regarding footnotes and word count, it is assumed that they are not included, but stating this at the beginning will do no harm.

I wish I had seen this earlier https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Oxford_College_Pros_and_Cons

For anyone who hasn't already submitted their application and was confused about college choice, the above may be useful.

Hi All

I have very recently sent my application in (if they review applications on date applied, I am doomed!)... 

Regarding word count, the "10% leeway" is not true.

I asked Admissions this very question and they stated "Please note that this is not correct - written work word counts must be adhered to.  Written work exceeding the published word counts may be rejected."

Hi All,

Does anyone know how strict the word count for BCL written work is? I have an essay that I'm shortening, but even after summarizing it to a great extent it still comes to around 2700 :( Does anyone know how far over 2000 I can go?

I believe someone in this thread or a previous year's thread said 10% over is fine. If it's part of a longer essay (which your comment suggests), write a preface (which isn't part of the wordcount) saying this so they know the essay you submit isn't the 'full' one. Personally, I cut out my conclusion to fit the word count:p 

That's so confusing and I really hope it's not true (I am at 2079)! I asked admission's the same question a few months ago over the phone and I was assured that they allow some leeway above the word limit especially since they are conscious of the fact that many applicants need to submit extracts from larger works.
Unless by rejected they mean they would reject it on the self-service page and not allow it to proceed for assessment so that you know in advance whether it was acceptable in the first place.

[Edited by Estoppel on Jan 20, 2023]

Hi All

I have very recently sent my application in (if they review applications on date applied, I am doomed!)... 

Regarding word count, the "10% leeway" is not true.

I asked Admissions this very question and they stated "Please note that this is not correct - written work word counts must be adhered to.  Written work exceeding the published word counts may be rejected."

Hi All,

Does anyone know how strict the word count for BCL written work is? I have an essay that I'm shortening, but even after summarizing it to a great extent it still comes to around 2700 :( Does anyone know how far over 2000 I can go?

I believe someone in this thread or a previous year's thread said 10% over is fine. If it's part of a longer essay (which your comment suggests), write a preface (which isn't part of the wordcount) saying this so they know the essay you submit isn't the 'full' one. Personally, I cut out my conclusion to fit the word count:p 

That's so confusing and I really hope it's not true (I am at 2079)! I asked admission's the same question a few months ago over the phone and I was assured that they allow some leeway above the word limit especially since they are conscious of the fact that many applicants need to submit extracts from larger works.
Unless by rejected they mean they would reject it on the self-service page and not allow it to proceed for assessment so that you know in advance whether it was acceptable in the first place.

It is incredibly confusing and I do not mean to cause undue stress/anxiety. This process is stressful enough as it is. That being said: I want to produce this information so there is some transparency and consistency out there!

To provide full context: I was initially told by the **Academic** Department that they had a 5% leeway "if necessary" in Sep 2022. 

I enquired again in Jan 2023 to **Graduate** Admissions to check if the leeway was 5%, or 10% - the initial response was what I quoted above. 

I provided them evidence of the email I received in Sep 2022 - confirming a 5% leeway. 

Graduate Admissions stated the following 

"The email you received was from the academic department and not this office. 

The Graduate Admissions Office processes applications before they reach the department and we review documents against the course page. We may reject written work that is substantially in excess of what is specified on the course page.  A minor excess such as 5% over may well not be removed as we cannot check every single document for an exact word count - but it is our policy to always advise applicants to adhere to the published word limits to avoid any issue. On receiving the application if it is complete and ready for assessment, it is at the department's discretion whether or not to consider written work that exceeds the published word count. 

Kind regards, 

Graduate Admissions Team 

Graduate Admissions and Recruitment

University of Oxford

Further enquiries and questions: www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/aq 


I think you will be fine - and I very much doubt they will reject any applications within 10%... The key word being "substantial"... 

That's so confusing and I really hope it's not true (I am at 2079)! I asked admission's the same question a few months ago over the phone and I was assured that they allow some leeway above the word limit especially since they are conscious of the fact that many applicants need to submit extracts from larger works.
Unless by rejected they mean they would reject it on the self-service page and not allow it to proceed for assessment so that you know in advance whether it was acceptable in the first place.

Thanks a lot for clarifying that!

It is incredibly confusing and I do not mean to cause undue stress/anxiety. This process is stressful enough as it is. That being said: I want to produce this information so there is some transparency and consistency out there!

To provide full context: I was initially told by the **Academic** Department that they had a 5% leeway "if necessary" in Sep 2022. 

I enquired again in Jan 2023 to **Graduate** Admissions to check if the leeway was 5%, or 10% - the initial response was what I quoted above. 

I provided them evidence of the email I received in Sep 2022 - confirming a 5% leeway. 

Graduate Admissions stated the following 

"The email you received was from the academic department and not this office. 

The Graduate Admissions Office processes applications before they reach the department and we review documents against the course page. We may reject written work that is substantially in excess of what is specified on the course page.  A minor excess such as 5% over may well not be removed as we cannot check every single document for an exact word count - but it is our policy to always advise applicants to adhere to the published word limits to avoid any issue. On receiving the application if it is complete and ready for assessment, it is at the department's discretion whether or not to consider written work that exceeds the published word count. 

Kind regards, 

Graduate Admissions Team 

Graduate Admissions and Recruitment

University of Oxford

Further enquiries and questions: www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/aq 


I think you will be fine - and I very much doubt they will reject any applications within 10%... The key word being "substantial"... 

That's so confusing and I really hope it's not true (I am at 2079)! I asked admission's the same question a few months ago over the phone and I was assured that they allow some leeway above the word limit especially since they are conscious of the fact that many applicants need to submit extracts from larger works.
Unless by rejected they mean they would reject it on the self-service page and not allow it to proceed for assessment so that you know in advance whether it was acceptable in the first place.

Hi, I'm (still) a current Oxford student, so feel free to ask questions about the process :) 

I think conditions are usually associated with the candidate's academic performance, not English language tests. You should be fine.

Hi, I'm (still) a current Oxford student, so feel free to ask questions about the process :) 

 

Hi Miki and all!

Do you believe that Oxford is likely to make conditional offers subjected to increasing my TOEFLS scores? While I obtained the necessary scores in each of the components, my overall score was 105, which is 5 points under the higher level requirement (110)

Hi, has anyone else received an email about a survey just now?

Hi, has anyone else received an email about a survey just now?

Hi, has anyone else received an email about a survey just now?

Based on the previous years, Oxford rarely ever sends out decisions until the beginning of March right? 

Hi, has anyone else received an email about a survey just now?

Hi, has anyone else received an email about a survey just now?

Not yet... What's it about?

Hi, has anyone else received an email about a survey just now?

yeah everyone should get it

Hi, I didnt apply this year to the PHD programme. I was wondering what would be the value of grades in the application. I have done fairly well in my professional carreer being a consultant for international organizations. I am a licensed attorneys in 3 countries including in Europe and the USA. However, I am very worried about grades and their weight on phd applications...anyone any idea?