Applying to Oxford

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Focus on the academics, SAT, and interview skills and send her to Cambridge if she wants to study physics. The town is also nicer, with most of the colleges in the historical center.

Cambridge does not have a physics major to apply to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what does "very good at it" mean, exactly? Does she know basic calculus? Has she passed AP physics 1 or 2 practice tests? How has she done on the f=ma exam?

If you want a source of challenging mechanics problems, check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Problems-Solutions-Introductory-Mechanics-David/dp/1482086921

OP here - Yes she does know basic college calculus and currently studying to advance her knowledge in it. She hasn't taken practice test on the APs yet. On the F=ma/USAPhO exam but she has done multiple of the past exams and has scored a 20 average on the F=ma and 19.2 on the USAPhO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - Yes she does know basic college calculus and currently studying to advance her knowledge in it. She hasn't taken practice test on the APs yet. On the F=ma/USAPhO exam but she has done multiple of the past exams and has scored a 20 average on the F=ma and 19.2 on the USAPhO.

We are planning to take it next year or the year after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what does "very good at it" mean, exactly? Does she know basic calculus? Has she passed AP physics 1 or 2 practice tests? How has she done on the f=ma exam?

If you want a source of challenging mechanics problems, check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Problems-Solutions-Introductory-Mechanics-David/dp/1482086921

OP here - Yes she does know basic college calculus and currently studying to advance her knowledge in it. She hasn't taken practice test on the APs yet. On the F=ma/USAPhO exam but she has done multiple of the past exams and has scored a 20 average on the F=ma and 19.2 on the USAPhO.

In that case she should start with the 5th edition of Halliday Resnick Krane, with these online courses first or as a supplement alongside: https://oyc.yale.edu/physics

The book's end of chapter problems are very challenging, more than the problems in the course (which she should also do).

If her calculus skills are holding her back, then you can have her go through MIT OCW

[Anonymous]

It might take two passes to get through the book, and that's okay too

[Anonymous]

If you have money and she can pass the placement, check out https://artofproblemsolving.com/school/course/woot-physics

Once she's finished HRK (which should take roughly one to two years), you can have her work through Kevin Zhou's handouts. They're the best source of olympiad practice, so I would take the time to understand each problem in as much detail as possible, and prefer skipping a problem and returning to it later instead of giving up and reading the solutions.

Make sure she takes the f=ma next year

[Anonymous]

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7428815&p=99022375 read this, OP

With your daughter's talent and the right amount of motivation, she has a good shot of reaching US universities that are even stronger than UIUC for physics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Focus on the academics, SAT, and interview skills and send her to Cambridge if she wants to study physics. The town is also nicer, with most of the colleges in the historical center.

Cambridge does not have a physics major to apply to.

You take the Natural Sciences major and specialize in Physics in year 2.

[Anonymous]

If your kid has wanted this school for years, it is with a heavy parent influence.

Look into Williams’ partnership with Oxford - for dual degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Focus on the academics, SAT, and interview skills and send her to Cambridge if she wants to study physics. The town is also nicer, with most of the colleges in the historical center.

Cambridge does not have a physics major to apply to.

You take the Natural Sciences major and specialize in Physics in year 2.

Yes, or maths in year 1 and physics in year 2 and onwards.

Technically you only declare physics in year 3, but you can take all math/physics courses in year 2 so for all practical purposes you can specialize in physics at that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has wanted this school for years, it is with a heavy parent influence.

Look into Williams’ partnership with Oxford - for dual degrees.

that's a study abroad, not a dual degree

[Anonymous]

My strong advise is to discourage focus on one particular university. It may be less of a crapshoot than the US, but there is still an element of luck, and you can be a good candidate and still not get in. There are many great colleges in the UK, US, and elsewhere. Just enjoy your subjects, study hard but not excessively, and you’ll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has wanted this school for years, it is with a heavy parent influence.

Look into Williams’ partnership with Oxford - for dual degrees.

OP here - I have never once influenced her dream. Can't a child have long term goals.

[Anonymous]

The admissions has stuff like: A*AA including at least an A in Mathematics, with the A* in Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Computer Science.

or AA/AAB how does that translate to US AP classes?

[Anonymous]

She should look at this if her physics interest skews at all towards the EIT projects. Free ride for 20 students.
https://eit.org/scholars/undergraduate

https://eit.org/scholars/undergraduate#undergraduate-selection-criteria

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/physics