Oxford response time

[cookery_as_literature]

Looking for anyone who has experience with when one gets a response from Oxford.

Additionally advice on what to do if they don't get back to me in time.

Background-

I have applied to three schools

University of Toronto - where I am currently doing my MA in English/Book History and Print Culture

University of Alberta - where I did my undergrad

Oxford - where I would most like to do my Phd.

I have received an offer of 30,000 CDN guaranteed in my first year and 28,000 in my next 3 years (4 year program) from Alberta. Additionally my wife has a very good paying job which she can return to in Edmonton, Alberta. However, the Early Modern English program is not the strongest there.

I have been given until March 15 to respond.

I would prefer to attend Oxford based on the program, the reputation and a supervisor that has informally agreed to take me on. I have a scholarship of 15,000 CDN/year confirmed and available to me if I am accepted. I have also been forwarded to Ottawa for SSHRC but there is not other guaranteed funding if attend there (though I have applied for all the available scholarships)

I have also not heard yet from Toronto.

I am wondering if there is any chance that Oxford will get back to me before the 15th of March and advise on what to do if that date is approaching and I have not heard.

[wreckofthehope]

Hi Cookery,

I would approach the admissions office at Oxford with your situation - tell them you have a funded offer in Canada that is asking for a decision by X date and ask them if you will be likely to receive a decision from them by then.

They may very well come back to you with their decision almost immediately (I've heard of it happening before), or they should at least be able to tell you when you will hear back.

p.s. INCREDIBLE funding from Alberta!

Edited February 22, 2012 by wreckofthehope

[Burkis]

I agree; great funding from Alberta! Congrats.

How were you able to secure $15,000? Is it from Oxford? Just contact them if you'd like to know when you can expect to hear from them. That's what I did. Good luck!

Edited February 29, 2012 by Burkis

[Spriteling]

Definitely email them and tell them about your deadline. I did that with several of my unis, and I always got a favourable response.

[cookery_as_literature]

I did email Oxford and got a fairly terse, seemingly form letter from the English grad department saying they would be sending letters out near the end of this month (March) so they could not guarentee a response by the 15th.

The 15 thousand is from a community foundation scholarship that provides founding to University of Alberta grads (which I am) to want to attend Oxford. (Pending my acceptance, of course).

Another update: U of T accepted me with a $23,000/year offer and given me until April 1st.

[Burkis]

I did email Oxford and got a fairly terse, seemingly form letter from the English grad department saying they would be sending letters out near the end of this month (March) so they could not guarentee a response by the 15th.

The 15 thousand is from a community foundation scholarship that provides founding to University of Alberta grads (which I am) to want to attend Oxford. (Pending my acceptance, of course).

Another update: U of T accepted me with a $23,000/year offer and given me until April 1st.

Sorry, I should have specified that you should contact your potential supervisor at Oxford, if you've already lined one up. Looks like things are working out well for you though; $23, 000 from UofT is awesome!

[oxforddphil]

Did you mention in your email that you have a hard deadline on a funded offer? When I applied--under analogous circumstances--Oxford was willing to give me an early response. That was in law, not English (though they're in the same building, funnily enough), but I would be shocked if they were not willing to accommodate you.

It may be that they simply haven't completed their selection process, in which case nothing can be done for the time being. But the internal deadlines for departments (i.e. the time at which selection committees have to send their list of offers to the administration) are usually very close to March 15th (a bit before or a bit after, not sure for this year), so the department should have made its decision before then.

Edited March 3, 2012 by oxforddphil

[cookery_as_literature]

Sorry, I should have specified that you should contact your potential supervisor at Oxford, if you've already lined one up. Looks like things are working out well for you though; $23, 000 from UofT is awesome!

Thanks. Emailed my hopeful soon-to-be supervisor and she was able to give me good news. No news on funding there yet though.

[Burkis]

Thanks. Emailed my hopeful soon-to-be supervisor and she was able to give me good news. No news on funding there yet though.

Glad to hear it! You're on a roll. Best of luck.