Applying to Oxbridge for 2023 intake

[riverpebbles]

Not sure if there is already a thread on this? My son is hoping to apply to Cambridge for Computer Science for October 2023 start.

I'll be joining you.
Dc2 is planning to apply to Cambridge for HSPS.
DC1 is already there (different course) so it's nice that we have some prior knowledge but also we know how much of this process is down to luck.
Dc2 says that he's not going to be too focused on C to the exclusion of his other choices but I can already see that he is really keen to go, especially now that he's visited and seen it for himself.

Great, @Thepaintedgarden, nice to have you with your previous experience!

My son seems to have either had some questionable advice or misinterpreted the advice he's had:

1. that Oxbridge undergraduate degrees are research based, when they are obviously taught

and

2. that extra curricular activities are irrelevant for your application, when they probably matter a bit at least, especially for something like CS where they want to see if you are a well-rounded person. I mean, my son is who he is and does what he does, and either they take him or not, so it's not like we'll be going out and signing him up for a load of stuff just for his application, so in a way it doesn't matter.

Anyway, any perspectives on these would be useful.

No, they don't care whether you're a well-rounded person or not.

I think extra-curricular activities are relevant to the extent they evidence your interest in the degree subject you're applying for, eg if you're applying for a modern languages degree and you've been going to Italian evening classes in your spare time, I think it would be worth mentioning that, but not that you're captain of the school netball team.

I don't claim any expertise at all! but yes it does make it a bit easier to be going through it for a second time...
They don't care about extra curricular stuff at all. DC1 put nothing in the personal statement other than reasons for studying her subject and demonstrating commitment to that. (The school reference did include some additional things such as music and prefect duties etc).
I don't totally understand the point about research based? Dd is doing a humanities degree so has less contact time than her science friends but still has a few hours a week - but probably 25+ hours a week is spent researching herself in order to write the weekly essay. But I get the impression that's less the case with science subjects (I don't know if there are any CS students among her friends though).

Hi Riverpebbles and all

My son is also hoping to apply for computer science at Cambridge. We are from Scotland. He has big boots to follow as his elder sibling is currently studying law at Oxford.

I look forward to getting to know everyone better during the trials and tribulations of the next year or so.

Hi All, My DD is hoping to apply to Cambridge for a humanities subject. She goes to a comprehensive school that gets tends to get a couple in every year, but is very aware that it’s a long shot. Looking forward to sharing the inevitable bumpy ride with you all! 😀

Can I join for my own sanity ?

My DD wants to study law at Oxford. Just joining for the ride. I feel like it's all so rushed. My main concern is to stop her getting too obsessed though. Its not really an ambition of mine for her to go to Oxford as I'd like her to also experience the fun, relaxed side to university years and she's naturally quite intense.

But obviously will support her as much as I can.

Can I join too? DS wants to study MML at Cambridge. His (independent) school doesn't have a huge history of sending loads to Oxbridge, but is very supportive and has sent the last year or two upping its game.

@70smillie I could have written your comment about trying not to get too obsessed. My DD is also very intense and I want her to be invested in and excited about her other uni choices too

Joining in too….DS is wanting to go for Oxford and physics. Has discounted Cambridge as he wants to do physics right from the start. So he’s made a note of the PAT exam date and is now working towards that.
Plenty of planning with friends regarding visiting other unis this year too.

Hi all, can I join too? My DD is hoping to apply to Oxford for a humanities subject. I can't believe how quickly it has all come around. I'm new to the whole university process, fortunately DD is very organised. Looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Welcome all. I wish I could be a wise guide through this whole process but, um, no.

Hope we can share information as needed and worries as they arise.

Two observations I have:

1. CS at Cam now has entrance exams! It didn't 25 years ago, but things change, who knew.

2. My son was told that there's no point applying to London universities if he's applying to Oxbridge. Any views on this?

@riverpebbles

Two observations I have:

1. CS at Cam now has entrance exams! It didn't 25 years ago, but things change, who knew.

2. My son was told that there's no point applying to London universities if he's applying to Oxbridge. Any views on this?

Short answer, he’s wrong. Why does he think that to be the case?

That doesn't make any sense.
Maybe they mean that the offer is likely to be the same from UCL or Imperial as it will be from Cambridge?
But that doesn't mean he shouldn't apply.

@riverpebbles

Two observations I have:

1. CS at Cam now has entrance exams! It didn't 25 years ago, but things change, who knew.

2. My son was told that there's no point applying to London universities if he's applying to Oxbridge. Any views on this?

2 is incorrect. My son got offers from both Cambridge and Imperial. IIRC the Imperial one was 1 grade lower.

On the extracurriculars: they couldn't care less if you're a well-rounded person.

DS1 received offers from Oxford and Imperial.

I wonder if you've got the advice confused? There is theory that in your 5 slots you should apply for a mix of competitiveness. If you apply to Oxford or Cambridge you have to accept it could go either way even if you're on paper an outstanding student. So you might want to spread your bets a little and include no more than one other 'competitive' university.

But there are competitive universities outside London so not sure where the 'London' issue has come from.

Thanks everyone. It is ABSOLUTELY possible that my son got confused by the advice or took away the wrong conclusion. It wouldn't be the first time.

Hi, have namechanged for this to save complications ...

DS will be applying for an organ scholarship. Subject however still to be determined ... Maths, physics, music are all still contenders (and computer science and engineering deserve(d) a proper look).

Cambridge have an online organ open day tomorrow which we're looking forward to, don't yet know what Oxford are doing (but am assuming that they are holding off confirming a date in the hope of having it face to face again?).

I've been trying since last summer to help DS engage with thinking about university but it's been hard. He's good at too many things plus perhaps a little immature in some respects (though in others quite the opposite). Also, he's in a high-achieving group at school, so has for example expressed his concern that he isn't good enough to aspire to maths at Cambridge. My impression is that he definitely has the ability.

It's hard enough that Oxbridge deadlines are earlier than others. Organ scholarship applications are due on Sep 1st ... Then they audition them and get their results to them before the UCAS deadline so they know what to put on their form. Currently I still know more about the process than DS knows, hopefully that will start to change soon!

Regarding extra-curriculars, I agree that it's only things directly relevant to the subject they apply for that form a focus, from all I've understood. (DD tried for English at Oxford, currently on a gap year. The college would have had her for their choir very happily but she didn't make the academic cut. Alternative destination looking very positive for her)

If DS settles on maths he may have to sort out some compromises at school. There are both a coding club (that he used to be in) and a STEP preparation session that he can't currently attend due to clashes with music activities ...

@OxbridgeHopeful
DD’s BF is an organ scholar at Oxford.

I suggest you and your DS have a good look at the different amounts of commitment at the different colleges. There’s quite a wide range. And scrutinise those course descriptions to see if you can narrow things down. Eg You can’t do pure physics at C, it’s Natural Sciences. It and engineering have a reputation for a heavy workload, perhaps not the easiest to combine with an organ scholarship— but then again some brilliant individuals manage to pack a lot in.

DD’s BF is studying music, but again look at the courses at the two places because they are quite different.

Maths parents may be on soon, but my impression is that maths at Cambridge is for the genuinely outstanding only — the STEP requirement trips up quite a few candidates at the last hurdle, unfortunately.

Can I stick my oar in early and mention Oxbridge Launchpad?

They link state school pupils applying to Oxbridge with a mentor - a current student currently studying that subject.

Her mentor gave DD's Personal Statement a read through and also helped with a Practice interview. It was great and helped DD's confidence massively.

@riverpebbles

Two observations I have:

1. CS at Cam now has entrance exams! It didn't 25 years ago, but things change, who knew.

2. My son was told that there's no point applying to London universities if he's applying to Oxbridge. Any views on this?

You can apply to London universities and Oxbridge. DS had offers from both.

However the Imperial offer was higher than the Oxford one.

Thank you all.

Another general query - my son did not get straight 9s on his GCSEs (mostly 8s but 3 x 8s) but is predicted 3 A*s. How important are the GCSE grades, would you say?

Sorry, mostly 9s.