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Ada Sevimli

It is such a privilege and blessing to be able to enter a room as if it is your own living room and know every single person in that space can feel accepted and loved.

What made you decide to study at Oxford?

It’s Oxford! Also my course, which is a blend of social sciences, philosophy and history of science, only really exists here. I was also very excited about being a part of the collegiate system.

How did you find the application process, and do you have any advice for others preparing to apply?

While straightforward, the application is stressful and can be overwhelming. I found it helpful to take a lot of time to work on my personal statement, leave it for a couple days, read again, edit and repeat.

Did you specify a college on your application?

Yes, I chose Oriel! My hope was to be in a college that was central, traditional, not too big and not too small and beautiful. I shortlisted Oriel among some other colleges that satisfied the criteria I had in mind. Then as I looked at the MCR page and saw how active the MCR community was, I decided that Oriel was where I should go.

”The MCR as a physical space becomes the hub of college life and familiar faces become friends, friends become family”.

What do you think the benefits of the collegiate system are for postgraduate students?

Studying is difficult and can be lonely, but belonging to a college makes socialising extremely easy, natural and almost effortless. The MCR as a physical space becomes the hub of college life and familiar faces become friends, friends become family. I am truly profoundly grateful for the collegiate system and the Oriel MCR and believe that the benefits of belonging to a college and an MCR within a college are countless.

What do you enjoy about being a member of Oriel’s MCR community?

It is such a privilege and blessing to be able to enter a room as if it is your own living room and know every single person in that space can feel accepted and loved.

The MCR is incredibly fun! We had so many events, from black tie dinners and crazy nights of dancing and cocktails, to the Night of the Elephant, to crafts evenings, college exchange dinners, to pub crawls and all sorts of parties. The MCR is a wonderful community to make the most of postgrad life.

What do you like the most about being an Orielensis?

The accommodation and the strong and enveloping feeling of gratitude every single time I walk down Oriel Street.