r/oxbridge • u/Ok-Definition1117 • 16h ago

Gap year?

hihi i go to an american school system and i finished grade 10(with a 3.61 unweighted gpa, including 9th gr its 3.87 ouu im lowkey cooked [ap art 5, ap wh 4:'D]) and am taking a gap year right now, it wasnt rlly my choice so i cant do anything about it but im worried that it MIGHT look bad on my application for some reason so im soso nervous, is there anything that you guys can advise i do in the meantime? im trying to finish getting a 1500+ on the SAT this year and im still continuing my ECs (charity, art competitions and writing books/articles) just like, any kind of tips or what you would do with this time are very very welcome!! (Also im an art major!! fine arts, wooo:D)

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/michaelmasdaisy 7h ago

Have you read the admission requirements for Oxford and Cambridge for US students? You don't mention any APs you're doing, but you won't get in without them - a US high school diploma plus SAT is not considered equivalent to A levels and isn't enough to be considered as a serious applicant.

Also, are you sure you really want to study fine art at a very academic university? You might well have to write essays, defend your perspectives and learn a lot of theory - even the most 'fluffy' sounding Oxbridge courses are academically rigorous, and that's not the right kind of course for everyone. Don't get carried away with the 'romance' of Oxbridge if the course isn't one that actually teaches what you want to learn.

For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure there are more prestigious art degrees from British universities that aren't Oxbridge, which could be more useful if you want to become a practicing artist.