Parent of oxbridge candidate-peersupportneeded

[funnyperson]

OK so my DD is applying to Oxford for entry in 2011 and has a 75% chance of getting rejected so I am told by the Oxford website so I reckon a new thread would be helpful for us parents who may end up with joy or grief but in any event need to keep sane enough to support our loved ones. Any tips on maximising chances of success at this stage?

Morning!

DS said lists finally went up yesterday evening at his college for PPE and only one name on the required for further interview list!

He said that he'd heard (from chat I think, not an official pronouncement from a DonInDisguise or similar ) that usually a random selection of names are "pooled" and go for further interview, not just the maybes from a college but also applicants who the college are intending to offer a place. This helps ensure that standards broadly similar across the university. Suppose that would stop a good candidate losing a place, because he happened to be at a college with a particularly strong applicant list, to a less able candidate who had performed well in a less strong field.

Seems this year from mumsnet posts (and mumsnet I am fast beginning to appreciate is the font of all wisdom on EVERYTHING ) that the pooling for PPE is not happening to any great extent, so dunno what that means - greater certainty this year as to standards?

Ah well, tis done now for my DS, I just hope that he, and all the DCs, got/get the chance to show a little of what they are capable of and their future potential. Has to be for the admissions tutors now to decide whether Oxford/Cambridge is the right place for our DCs.

Gawd I'm getting all philosophical so soon in the day and all - must get tea and have a shower....

So less of an ordeal than expected fifif will he stay up all three days then or will he come back?
poeticmum how is DS liking Wadham? Are the rooms warm? Is the food OK? Is there internet access? Because my DD will be having an interview at Wadham next week so it would be helpful to know. Have a nice day everyone
I have texted DS to remind him to hand in his uni essay before going on any demos as he is in bloomsbury where the demo starts tomorrow which is worrying.
There seem to be lots of boys being interviewed for PPE- no girls?

Just heard from DS and none of the PPE people have further interviews at his college and none are coming in to have interviews from other colleges either, so hopefully he'll be on his way soon.
Good luck to all our DC on the thread. This has really helped during this process - I think it's more of an ordeal for us than it is for our DC!!

Good luck for your DD Funny - let us know how she gets on - I'll check this thread regularly to check how she's doing! Thanks for being there for us...

He's on his way home funnyp.

Yes, does seem to be mainly boys going from the posts on here. DD shares a house with a third year girl PPE undergraduate so there must be some who apply and get through. Hope there is a reasonable mix wherever DS ends up - he's been taught in a boys only environment for the last few years so it would do him good to see what clever girls bring to the mix in lessons/tutorials.

I reckon he'd like the sound of a boho/goth girl with badly dyed hair so fingers crossed all round....

Hi all

Ds came home yesterday. (English ).

He did first interview which was good but he said he felt nervous so was less fluent than he would like.
Second interview was really tough and adversarial but he thought he got all the points across that he could and stuck up for himself.
He was told he could go home and the two students looking after him said that only three gad more interviews and that broadly it meant he was either in or out (based on their experiences 2 years ago).

He really doesn't know but he loved the experience, loved the cut and thrust of the process and felt that he reflected his views and abilities as best he could... If that isn't what they want well then, it isn't the place for him. If he isn't good enough he really can live with that.

So we'll see.
So interesting to hear the whole process though. And so glad he was able (eventually) to enjoy it.

Fingers crossed for you all.

funnyperson quick question for you (or anyone else with a view) regarding your comment/views ref RG unis. DS still waiting to hear from one of his choices but as it stands, currently has offers for 3, 2 of which are RG Unis. Do you really think it makes a difference whether they go to RG Unis or not? Views?

Finally managed to speak to elusive son. He says that there were 24 interviewees at LMH for 8 places on PPE. Four of them were pooled and asked to stay for further interviews and the rest told that they could go home.

RRocks

Interesting Rrocks
Pagwatch - hear, hear to your last post! It's exactly how we feel....

mos, RG are not the only top-flight group; you have to look at \link{http://www.1994group.ac.uk/memberinstitutions.php\1994 Group} universities as well:

* University of Bath
* Birkbeck, University of London
* Durham University
* University of East Anglia
* University of Essex
* University of Exeter
* Goldsmiths, University of London
* Institute of Education, University of London
* Royal Holloway, University of London
* Lancaster University
* University of Leicester
* Loughborough University
* Queen Mary, University of London
* University of Reading
* University of St Andrews
* School of Oriental and African Studies
* University of Surrey
* University of Sussex
* University of York

Does that help?

\link{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Group\wiki on RG}
\link{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Group\wiki on 1994 group}

'The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom.[1] It was established in 1994 to represent their interests to the government, parliament and other similar bodies'

'The 1994 Group is a coalition of 19 top "smaller research-intensive universities" in the United Kingdom founded in 1994 to defend their interests following the creation of the Russell Group by larger research-intensive universities earlier that year'

(not being an academic I don't get it at all!)

"to defend their interests"=
"To try to stop the RG Universities taking even more of the research grant booty."

Hmm. The list I see is a bit different, eg includes Glasgow and Edinburgh but excludes St Andrews:

The current membership of the Group is:[1]

University of Birmingham
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
Cardiff University
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
Imperial College London
King's College London, (University of London)
University College London, (University of London)
University of Leeds
University of Liverpool
London School of Economics, (University of London)
University of Manchester
University of Newcastle
University of Nottingham
Queen's University Belfast
University of Oxford
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Warwick

Not sure where the difference arises.

RRocks

Sorry, Ponders. Not looking properly. I see now that the list you have put up is the 1994 Group.

RRocks

Thanks for the info on RG/1994, very informative and will digest info properly tomorrow when I am not under the influence (of very bad fake barcardi)

Good to see that the 3 offers DS has are RG/1994 so that is of some comfort

harvalp, I did wonder if it's just about money...

oh good, mos I couldn't remember which places your DS had offers from but had an idea that the non-RG one would be a 1994 instead.

It seems to be about size mostly (that & the money)

RRocks, don't worry, I'm always misreading & misposting as a consequence!

Your RG list is great, now we can all look at both lists at once (nearly)

mos ... 1994 University, late in making an offer it's not Durham by any chance, is it? Not that I am saying that they are notorious or anything ...