Who /oxford/ here?

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Any Oxford students here? I have a question aimed specifically at maths students, but I have a second question for Oxonians in general:

(I'm an American applicant, so you may be unfamiliar with some of the things I talk about.)

I'm applying to Oxford this year, which is also my postgrad year (after having finished my 12th year of school). My high school was absolutely terrible; the majority of its graduates end up attending a community college after finishing school. (Enrolling in a community college is kind of like doing foundation courses in the UK). In short, its education standards (and many of its students' prospects) are mediocre. The most rigorous class I've taken is AP Calculus BC. Would you happen to know how this might affect my application? How do I inform Oxford about my circumstances?

It seems that Oxford likes it when A-Level pupils take Further Maths, which I imagine is more difficult/rigorous than AP Calculus BC, right? The most advanced concept we got to in BC Calc was Taylor series. Would that make me seem unqualified and/or hurt my chances?

Unrelated question I was curious about: do the students that apply at age 16 have an edge or a disadvantage in comparison to those who are 17/18 at time of application?

Second, general question:

How would you feel about Malala accepting Oxford's offer? Some say her offer exists pretty much solely because of her compelling story, and not because she fits into the Oxonian meritocracy. What do you think?


Thanks a lot friends