Applying to Cambridge when in USA

[beardediris]

Hi my DS will apply next academic year with his exam result, his predicted grades are AAA*. Due to a very significant and sudden bereavement he's had a rough time and for a while lost some interest in university and despite encouragement from the school Oxbridge was never on his radar. But now he's better and thinking about applying to Cambridge (the top ranked university for his subject) if he gets the grades. I believe they interview in the autumn term but he is very lucky and has successfully applied for a job in the USA for 4 months, he will be back the week before Xmas. If he was offered an interview I guess we could pay for him to fly back for a few days if necessary but that seems a bit if a bore and also letting down his employer. I'm assuming overseas pupils don't come to the UK for an their Oxbridge interview so do they do an interview by Skype or something similar?

[cathyandclaire]

I know someone who was interviewed by Skype from Japan, I think she felt is was a disadvantage though and didn't get a place. When DD was interviewing there were lots of people who had flown in specifically for the interview.

[disquit2]

Overseas students do usually come to interview.

Skype is possible but it doesn't work in quite the same way and perhaps does put candidates at a slight disadvantage.

[Leeds2]

I know a girl whose home is in the States, and she flew over for her Oxford interview. Don't know whether she could have made alternative arrangements though.

[BoboChic]

I think your assumption is incorrect, OP.

[OzzieFem]

//www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/interviews

[redhat]

I'm not sure they'll look very favourably on someone not attending an interview because they've decided to go out to the US for a few months.

[RhodaBull]

When ds was interviewed last year there were people who had flown in from the US and Australia amongst other places.

I think the skype interviews are for people who are domiciled in certain countries, not on holiday there.

[elephantpig]

Personally, if I was a tutor and an applicant was working in another country and skyped in I would be very supportive. They are showing dedication to the job, and I would assume that dedication when they came to the university. I would much rather I skyped them due to a job rather than they sat at home doing nothing to be there on the day of interview.
They aren't on a jolly, they are doing something productive and it's obviously not just a job in walmart to have moved country for.
Obviously I'm not a tutor though...

P.S - from your OP he doesn't seem to be applying on a gap year as you've given predicted grades but say he is doing a job until xmas.
Does he 'graduate' this summer, spend the autumn in usa, then apply for cam during autumn too?

[disquit2]

But it is much harder to get the same rapport, and to push the applicant on harder questions, over Skype than in person.

[boys3]

op DS1 currently at Cambridge. His interview took place only just over a week before Xmas. Seems the majority are certainly into December. I would not get too carried away with the 3As prediction, that will be par for the course for the vast majority of applicants, and some 2/3 of those will go on and achieve 3As or better in the actual exams

[newname99]

Yes for STEM subjects A*s are standard.To get to interview stage they need to declare all AS levels UMS, which need to be around 95%.

He maybe able to push for an interview date later but it's subject/college dependant.Could he end his job a few weeks earlyif he got an interview?

[beardediris]

Thanks for all the replies very helpful. In response to some of the comments.
"I'm not sure they'll look favourably on someone not attending an interview because they've decided to go to the US for a few months"
Redhat he's applied for and has got a full time job there (as said above obviously not in Walmart), as already said it's not a jolly, a few months travelling around doing nothing so if a university are unipressed well personally I think that's rather sad, we're delighted, after all he's been through, that he now feels able to not only apply for a job abroad but that he got it as well.
Ozzie thank you question answered.
Newname it's not a STEM subject.
Elephant he leaves school this year but will do his UCAS form before going to the US.
His main motivation for applying is that where he's going in the US he can further his main interest and passion which also happens to be the subject he's applying to do at uni.
boys he's not due back till the 22nd of December.
I guess we'll just fly him back if he applies to Cambridge and gets an interview.
Thanks for all your comments.

[beardediris]

That reads badly!
Should have said Not a few months travelling around!

[beardediris]

The job is unrelated to what he wants to study, he's been desperate to go to this part of the US for ages and this was the only way he could be there for a substantial time rather than a couple of weeks holiday and therefore have lots of opportunities and time, but he will have to do it in his spare time. He's also very keen on and reasonably good at a particular sport and he'll have lots of chances to practice this with those he's working with which is also brilliant for him. I think it's great that he'll experience something very different to what he's used to and hopefully move on a bit.