Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 4

[Lightsabre]

New thread as our dc start the rollercoaster ride of interviews.

Thanks for the new thread. DS has 3 online interviews next week (one for each PPE subject). He's astonishingly laid back ...

Thanks Lightsabre - both interviews on Monday History and French - some prep going on but DD is playing her first solo clarinet concert tonight so nerves for that too .

Update from DDs Oxford medicine rejection - it would appear that the shortlisting algorithm had an error, which explains why her application outcome didn’t quite match up with the data that they had sent her. It sounds like it happened to a few others and it only came to light because they queried it. A small number of additional interviews have now been issued (after previous rejection) as a result. When you look at what they sent through, it seemed like the basis for a classic data interpretation question that you could pose in an interview, for maybe somewhere like Oxford perhaps 🤔

My DC’s school has had a good Oxbridge offer rate in recent years with post qualification applications ie grades in hand.
My DC went to Oxford and Cambridge straight from school at 18 and it worked well for them but the higher education landscape does seem to have shifted a bit since then and applying with grades in hands seems a sensible strategy to me.

Just checking in on this new thread. DS has interview for history on Monday.
Sybill I'd seen about that on the Student Room. That after the MAT test fiasco is astonishingly poor I think. Has your daughter now been offered an interview?

Thanks for the new thread @Lightsabre

DD has interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday. She had a session with a graduate in her subject last night which really helped - she was convinced she had no chance but is now looking forward to it a bit more. Currently on a webinar with that nice man from the Oxford YouTube videos. With a bit of prep this weekend for questions that might come from the PS she'll be ready.

Has everyone heard now, or is anyone still waiting?

@Sybill, this must be very stressful. Wonder if they're using the same technology that screwed up some of the tests. Hope your dd has been offered an interview.

Am impressed with Oxford’s seeming transparency when things go wrong as they seem to have several times so far this admissions year.

I wish everyone could apply with grades in hand - wish the whole system would shift. At least interviews will be over next week for dd so she can them focus on other things like homework

@Newgirls agree - everyone should have grades in hand before applying. Current system defies logic to me, yet it continues.

Still waiting for interview dates for next week here. It’s very difficult to plan anything for the week without knowing when it/they will be, as the interviews will be done at home and lifts to/from school might be needed depending on timing. Oh well…just working on basis it will be sooner rather than later.

@Sybill I am very curious about this medicine shortlisting issue. How did candidates know that an error had been made?

Dd had a maths practice interview yesterday which was pretty brutal with comments such as ‘ you didn’t think that out very well’, but she survived. 😁 Two more practice sessions next week.

Thanks for the new thread @Lightsabre

DD has an in person interview for Manchester next week Wednesday, and then online Oxford interviews Thursday and Friday. She also has a second college interview the next week Wednesday or Thursday, date and time not yet confirmed.

And in between all that she is supposed to be starting to revise for mocks, which start 8 Jan.

@Sybill did your DD get an interview? PMistakes like that really shouldn’t happen! One wonders about the subjects where admission test results aren’t shared until after offer day so decisions can’t be challenged until it is too late.

DD has Spanish interview on Monday and history on Thursday. She’s currently watching a Spanish DVD so taking up the whole living room as only place you can watch a DVD while Dh and I shiver in the kitchen.

Thanks for the new thread @Lightsabre.

DD is spending her weekend (after work) preparing for her interviews on Tuesday, she said she feels quite hopeful about the whole situation.

@ShanghaiDiva keep at it! My DD has done three mock interviews now with three different people. First one with two politics blokes and she said she was shaking the whole time. The last with the schools 'Oxford guru' also marked some of her practice written assessment essays (now done) and whom she didn't care for, but apparently the interview was much better, the feedback more positive and she definitely is less nervous! Of course one doesn't know what will get thrown at them in the actual thing, but just practising thinking on her feet has helped a lot. All over Wednesday afternoon!

DD2 just back from first term. I was shocked to hear that at her college for her subject they made 12 offers last year and 4 of them didn't make the grades! I guess often going to be one or two but that is really. A lot of predicted A* didn't happen....

Herts do you mean they still got in, or rather they didn’t?

looking at the stats for dd course they make about 30 more offers than places so that’s a lot if people who didn’t get the grades which is so tough

@Hertsessex DS's college took in 1/3 less students than usual this year due to missed grades so I wonder if they'll be able to take more students next year as they'll have extra space available accommodation wise?

No they didn't get in. Only 7 of them (one rejected the offer and four missed grades) when normally they would want 10ish.

But don't they know that? Surely they must over offer knowing that X percentage won't get the grades - wasn't that the issue in 2020-2021 with TGA snd so many kids getting grades they'd never had got if they had sat actual exams and unis overwhelmed!

Sorry for jumping on here but quick query and it will be fresh in your mind, I should think. For the various entry tests, when did your DC start revising/practising? My DD is in Y12 and a friend said her daughter is not going for Oxford now as she realised she left the revising for these tests too late and suggested you should start already in October of Y12. Is that right??

I meant to ask about whether they over offered at the open day but forgot. I guess, compared to other universities, the rate at which offers are turned down is low. That then leaves those who miss grades on results day. I thought that they then pick from the winter pool if they need to fill spaces?

That's Cambridge. Winter pool I mean