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?

nottirednow and funnyperson So in fact a student from a low income family can get nearly £6000 grant from student grant and from Oxford Opportunity Bursaries.
That covers all up to 2011/ 2012 fees, and substantial part of the 28 week accommodation at the College. (around £1100 per term). This bursary has assisted my family greatly.

Full time undergraduates studying for their first degree do not usually pay a college fee.

We must wait to see what else will be in the news about the Oxford assistance to the low incomed student on the increased fees from 2012.

How did dominus get shortened to don? why not dom?

There are further bursaries offered to students who are in receipt of Oxford Opportunity Bursaries and these are the Enhanced Bursaries: Opportunities for First Years. An extra £1000 To be eligible the student must be in receipt of the OUB as well

This is the link

www.ox.ac.uk/feesandfunding/prospectiveugrad/university/enhanced/

funnyperson the link you gave on Oxford Summer programmes is missing.

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/working_with_schools_and_colleges/uniq/new_summer_school.html

cut and paste

how do I create one of those blue link things?

Cambridge results of friends and family- pooled - 1, offer-1,
not heard yet-most of them, including nephew.

or try: google- Oxford summer schools uniq 2011- and then click on that link

Oxford University has a section on "Widening Participation and working with schools and colleges" to to help them understand what they could gain from further or higher education, and what type of study might suit them best.. This is here

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/working_with_schools_and_colleges/index.html

It includes residential programmes, workshops,
programmes specifically for pupils carers for an ill relative at home; and many others.

For the years 12-13 Oxford offers the following in
this is the link This programme has school visits, E mentoring, target schools, chemistry connect, physics, UNIQ, women, Sutton Trust, computing and more.

So for target schools Oxford also cares.

One should acknowledge that Oxford students, some from low income families, go to visit distant state schools to give talks on Oxford. The costs of travel are not always reimbursed so these students pay out of pocket to go to and from: schools that never had any pupil going to Oxford. No first class tickets. The only thing these Oxford students get is: one meal!

Here is another worth mentioning thing run by the OU Students Union: "Target Schools" is the Oxford University Student Union's flagship access programme. here
The OUSU Vice-President (Access & Academic Affairs) works full time on issues related to access and admissions and can be e-mailed.

There is a shadowing scheme where each student will be matched to an undergraduate for a day, going to their lectures, labs and tutorials, as well as having a tour of Oxford, talks on student life, and an Interview Training session.

Oxford summer schools : there are selection criteria designed to attract students who will be academically able to apply to oxford University.
here

Am feeling gloomy. My sister hasn't heard yet about my nephew. I really really want him to get in and he is really really bright and if he doest get in he will go to Manchester because although he has an Imperial College offer according to her Manchester is better than Imperial for Physics. But it seems ever so far away.

Does anyone know what automatic pooling is? Also how are the pooled candidates ranked? DD boyfriend has been pooled.

funny, I know lots of people got Camb letters today. Here's hoping for your nephew. GREAT to see all the Oxford Wdening participation stuff being posted here.

We never use babysitters because we live in a village with no bus, where everyone is about a hundred...

It's me for whom dining in hall seems like work. Siegmund doesn't mind.

Yes, well, gotta give a bit back you know- still really pleased DD has got an offer.

.

My nephew has been pooled for natural sciences. Does anyone have experience of this? Is there anything he could/should be doing at this stage? Are the chances of getting an offer close to zero or is there a realistic chance still of getting an offer? Thanks anyone who knows.

What do you mean by 'pooled'? This word is now used to mean reallocated to another colelge, and also to mean given a second interview.

I believe that one in four pooled candidates at Cambridge win a place. Fingers crossed if so.

Hello - this is Cambridge so the term 'pool' is their term. Apparently not all pooled candidates get a second interview though some do

possibilities as I understand it are

pooled and then rejected anyway
pooled and given an offer without another interview
pooled and asked to come for a further interview and then rejected/given an offer

Is it one in four pooled candidates offered a place?
If re interviewed what are the panel looking for? Same as at the first interview - which was totally academic by the way.
He applied to Trinity Hall first which is a small college. Does that affect his chances in the pool?
He wants to read physics which is apparently as part of natural sciences. Impeccable grades of course.

Lots have been pooled - reactions of parents are so variable- from 'we just have to wait a little longer' to 'there is no hope, a pool is the same as being rejected'.

DD has been reminded how lucky she is and has her head down for mocks.

Your possible scenarios are correct. I understand that one in four of those pooled candidates - at Cambridge specifically - will be successful. It is not the same as being rejected but there is an "automatic pool" for those rejected by their choice of College who have very high marks in their AS levels which widens the pool somewhat. As you stated in your opening post all those "sleeps" ago, many very credible candidates will be rejected. Good luck to your nephew.

Thank you. I still don't understand the difference between automatic pool and any other type of pool.However, I am going to leave that to my sister and her family now. Nephew has offers from Imperial, Bristol and Manchester anyway.
Feel sorry for a couple of the truly outstanding and really nice girls at DD school who have been pooled though. Hope they get in. Fingers crossed.

There isn't any difference - they are all swimming together in theory. It's just that if you did really well in your AS levels you get pooled anyway, so you are further discussed just to make sure you feel you have been given every chance and full consideration. In truth though, some of those with super marks will not interview as well as, or have the raw ability of other pooled youngsters with lesser marks. I am a sixth form tutor though, not an admissions tutor, so this is just my observation.

And knowledge like this does not affect the outcome for the individual anyway so it is not useful except as something to keep an anxious auntie awake at night.

Timebends, you are absolutely right and this is what research of educationalists says. "Some of those with super marks will not interview as well as or have the ability of other with lesser marks". A levels marks would not distinguish levels of ability. For instance working fast with a calculator gets marks but a calculator marathon does not prove a great student. A computer does a better job. Entrance tests and Interviews find out.
The Oxford Entrance exams mitigate the problem.

Academic ability is what gets students in.

Some people would do great on both Tests, A Levels and interviews.

Then there are those gifted doing well in interview but not at A level because they are bored due to the A Level being below their ability and don't credit a marathon of calculator but their speaking ability is high enough to do well at interview

Then those gifted who dont do great on either because they are uncomfortabe at interview and bored with the A Level being below their ability.

A Levels syllabus should perhaps change.

Funnyperson The ones I feel most for are those who are pooled, called for re-interview & then rejected again! That is real torture.

DD got her pool letter on a Saturday and we got a phone call on the Sunday, late afternoon, offering her a place with no further interview. That was such a roller-coaster weekend (she is now in her 2nd year).

Good luck to all the othes still "swimming".

Milliways I dont like to ring my sister's house in case they think it is Cambridge. I expect I will hear from her if there is news. There was no pool letter, only an email sent yesterday morning. You are right about the re interview though- when I did speak to sis yesterday she was worried as reinterview dates actually clashed with further maths A level modules next week.
Part of the reason I hope the young fellow gets in is that he is very bright, very self directed, would do well in tutorials because he is a bit Aspergerish, and I think he will fit in well and thrive there- he isn't really a 'city boy' in terms of Manchester/Imperial. In fact it is quite interesting that he is a scientist at all as his parents are not. I think it could be a throwback to his Berlin roots as his paternal grandmother is Jewish and her older sister was a Professor at Berlin University before she was gassed.
Oh well, what will be will be I suppose. I do think that people tend to end up being in the place that is best for them, by and large.
Still cant get my head round the way my sister thinks he has been 'rejected'. He has amazing gcse and AS module results. She says the chance of a physicist being fished out is practically nil. I think she must be a pessimist or perhaps just developing armour. [hmmm] Thank goodness Oxford are so much clearer and prompt with decisions.

"I do think that people tend to end up being in the place that is best for them, by and large."

I think you're right, funnyp - in probably 95% of cases - certainly DS2 really didn't take to to Oxford (from his admittedly limited experience) & was happy to be rejected.

I'm sorry your sister is reacting like that; I hope her son will be offered something from the pool but, even if he isn't, that she will support him in whatever choice he ultimately makes (am surprised she thinks Imperial inferior for any science )