Maddie goes to Oxford

Hello, my name is Maddie, and I am going to beg your dollar for a cause that might seem a bit frivolous - but please hear me out.

I've just finished a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in English Literature and German at the University of Auckland and, much to my surprise, been offered a place at Oxford University to do a Master's in English.

The degree would be amazing. Oxford is the number one university in the world for English Literature studies, the programme I am entering is rigorous and wonderful, and Oxford is an incredibly literary (and beautiful) city. A Master's from such a prestigious university would incomparably set me up for future study, and help me to be the great teacher, thinker, and writer I hope one day to be. I cannot even tell you how excited I am to have an offer: it's something I have dreamed about all my life.

The problem is, as an international student, my one-year degree at Oxford will cost more than NZD$70,000. I'm covering as much as I can of this with my own savings, and I've applied for every scholarship I can think of. But the fact remains that it's a scarily big sum, one I'm hesitant about borrowing, and one big enough to put me off wanting to go. I'm doing everything I can to raise it - working multiple jobs, selling my possessions, fundraising with chocolate... but it's hard work.

Given this, if you could give even a few dollars towards my education, it would really mean the world to me. I promise to send you a postcard - or a poem :)