Oxbridge again

[ucasfracas]

I know there are threads on this but difficult to trawl through them to get the information I would like.

Anyone who has or knows of DCs who got offers,

What grades GCSE did they have?

What was the offer?

What was the subject?

Did they have to sit a 'special' exam as well and how much did this affect the outcome.

Answers to any/some of these would be gratefully received.

I like the concept of illegally required.

Mine claim not to have gone down the ketamine or ritalin route. I don't press them for information really, it wouldn't make any difference.

I have to say that when DD1 went up I was surprised by the change in the drugs of choice, I'd never heard of ketamine.

Betelguese Maths is the subject and Cambridge seems to be the preferred option of the two, DC very confused altogether at the moment!

Digressing slightly, yes I remember the pro plus tablets!

Yellowstone I'm afraid you have got me completely wrong. I don't think every student with 10As is an automaton - in fact I married one (no As in those days, but the equivalent).

I just valued the fact that Oxford made a loud and clear statement that exams were not the be-all and end-all of existence. I got the feeling from earlier in the thread that that was no longer the case and found that disappointing.

I suspect the mix of interesting to dull-as-ditchwater students in Oxford is not dissimilar from what it was in my day - plenty of both around. In fact many of those who viewed themselves as interesting were just obnoxious twats.

My issue with it is about an institutional standpoint not individual cases.

ketamine=horse anaesthetic, causes memory loss. ritalin=methylphenidate prescribed for ADHD= neither enhance cognition particularly, what on earth makes intelligent students think they might?

2nd degree at Cambridge Betelguese- I can see the attraction slightly -but why not post grad at Cambridge? Only one year then.

I think there may be an argument than obnoxious twats at Oxford were marginally less obnoxious than the obnoxious twats elsewhere by virtue of their obnoxiousness being leavened slightly by at least a modicum of intelligence and a lack of a chip on their shoulder that they didn't fail to get in.

I might have that wrong.

Well I'm frankly lost re-reading that () but you may get the gist.

Bear in mind that just trying to 'have a go' at a STEP paper without any extra tuition or even having completed A level Maths and Further Maths is nigh on impossible. To put it in perspective, to get the highest grade for which you might be asked as part of a STEP offer, you have to give good (not complete) answers to four questions only.

Riven, I'm shocked about the ritalin and ketamine. Does the college do nothing to stop it? Is it a minority of students, or more mainstream?

If a student is opposed to drug-taking, how are they viewed?

DS is about to start second year Cambridge natural sciences - ge got 10. A gcse and ended up getting 3A and 3 A at a level. DS is v driven and diligent but no genius. The night before his interview a first year student japed to him ' unless you come out of the interview wanting to die' you're not in!!! DS rang me from a call box outside the interview and when he put the phone down I wept!!! He then took an intelligence test think - name escapes me... Anyway he got offer of A*AA !!!

I have skim read thread sorry - does Oxford now offer A*???

Sorry did not make it clear . One interview was AWFUL. with the interviewer haranguing ds about some molecular structure with ds attempting to answer and being asked 'yes ...why...more...why' until the second interviewer said 'enough' to the first

Second interview was better but both 100% academic based with no more than a swift 'hello goidbye' aside from that

Dd very much thinking she is not up to scratch this year with 7 A* and 7A gcse - but I reckon worth a bash

Riven - ds is v similar to your dd ... Cambridge has done huge damage to his self esteem and confidence this year. hoping second year better as his options may suit him more.
Not sure Cambridge is for everyone - obviously v course/ college specific but v v v intense

DD already has a 'drama parent' and she is thrilled to bits. How do you join the drama orchestra Betelguese? Also does anyone know how to find a trombone teacher in Oxford?- DD wants to continue if poss.

She says her Oxford interview was only academic.

At DS school 5 got into Trinity Cambridge for maths they were all asked only about maths at interview and all had gold in the UKMT senior maths challenge

readabikeswim your DS must have done really well at interview . In DD year one poor girl got an AAAA offer for Cambridge natsci. That was after the chaos and prolonged uncertainty of the January pool. Then she 'only' got AAA*A so got rejected by the ucas computer. 24 hours later -after correspondence and nailbiting-she was in, having not had any results day celebrations. Altogether a horrible experience for a lovely, very bright girl. Damage to her self esteem has started before she even walks through the door and she wasn't arrogant in the first place.
I was really really impressed at the efficiency of the admin for the Oxford admissions process. All done and dusted before Christmas. Letters were prompt. Interviews were arranged well with student support on hand.

Many things about the Oxford process are much kinder:
1.Tests prior to interview to help the weeding process.
2.Fewer applicants invited for interview (with the exception of a few sciency subjects and Classics), so fewer hopes and expectations raised.

1. Interview process much less hurried and made into an enjoyable experience on the whole.
2. OFFERS MADE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (even to far flung rural corners when the country has ground to a halt under a blanket of snow).

DD2 says these drugs seem widespread. It was ever thus. I'm not sure what colleges can be expected to do?

Funnyperson, I agree with you about the stress and regret the anxiety caused but from a different standpoint, I think it possible a very high offer might be made when the interviewer is not quite convinced by a student but thinks that if they hit the target set they will be all right at Cambridge. I believe it can happen with IB students where smaller gradations in marks are possible than with A Level, so a borderline candidate might be given a higher offer on the basis that if they make it they are right for the course. This can contribute to justified complaints about IB offers being unrealistically high.

At Oxford, if you get an offer, you are likely to make it as an offer of three A's is achievable quite easily by that calibre of student, but those on the cusp of getting an offer might be a bit more likely to be rejected. I'm not sure whether this theory is right but I think it might have some truth in it for some candidates.

We all want a tick list what hoops students should jump through in order to gain an offer but the process seems much more complex than that, which I think is what Discrete likes and is pleased to see remains the case.

My understanding is that Cambridge put a fair bit of research into offers and outcomes earlier and to a greater extent than did Oxford, especcially with regard to widening access but I admit I might be talking with people with some bias!

"obnoxious twats at Oxford were marginally less obnoxious than the obnoxious twats elsewhere by virtue of their obnoxiousness being leavened slightly by at least a modicum of intelligence"

it's arguable that they were actually more obnoxious because they were supposedly intelligent, while also being arrogant and lacking emotional intelligence or empathy.

The drug taking has probably started before they get to university. When I was young my school was noted for its drugtaking, it was actually less obvious at university. Naturally this is not something my parents knew.

Well my child has applied. We pointed out the possible drawbacks as well as the advantages but their school does its best to turn them into status obsessed academic snobs. Obviously I'd like them to receive an offer, I'd not be unhappy if they turned it down.

lemonbalm of course students don't have to take drugs to feel part of a set. It's not that sort of a place.

funny I think you're the third victim of A* bolding on the thread (I was victim #2).

ReadRide even I feel depairing when someone says 7A*/ 7A is perceived as 'not up to scratch'. Your DD sat FOURTEEN GCSE's in one go?!

ellis the obnoxious twat comment was particularly poorly phrased at the end of a very long day....I'm still scarred by the twat who bought two pet guinea pigs at the pet shop in the market and roasted them for one of his parties. That's vastly obnoxious and he wasn't that bright.

It pains me that he's become moderately famous.

When I compare him to the Cambridge twat I went out with (now a QC), the former wins hands down in those stakes. And that's saying something :)