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.

All I know about the detail is that at interview none of them were asked about extra curricular activities because the maths master told me.

DS friends don't take drugs, he says its not that common where he is (London) but he says there is a v small drug taking set - more seriously, he says there is a substantial seriously drunk crowd, especially at ucl, he says their halls smell of vomit and alcohol. No one in his shared house this year drinks that seriously or smokes. I gather its possible ( as ever) to have a very wonderful time without taking drugs or getting drunk everyday.

lemonbalm what you say about state schoolers at Oxbridge is much more than 'a bit' of a generalisation. A great many of them come from the selective sector anyhow, which some tutors rail against as bastions of middle-classness and inequality.

Of course state schoolers can access drugs there if they want to and they may well have just as much money, if only from the Opportunity Bursaries. My girls have very mixed sets in terms of school backgrounds. Even OE's do now mix.

yellowstone I am in awe of your 3 DD. i echo Beeguese' congratulations to yu and them. Also I am envious of your QC DH. Which colleges do they go to? How will you take all 3 up at once? What subjects do they study? Are their experiences very different?

sorry...Betelgeuse ....you....

Betelguese, the head teacher is crucial, and the governors...

No funny! I didn't marry the obnoxious QC! (I envy his income but not his wife).

They do Law/ History/ Law but of course DD3 starts next w/e too, so no experience yet.

The other two, yes, similar experiences though all three at different colleges, by design. They like being at the same university but being at the same college would be just too much.

Two will come up in my car, one will meet me there (she's just summered in China). They have very few boxes compared to my niece who has just left my house with a car packed full to the roof to start elsewhere. But DD3 will help unpack DD2's things, then DD2 (and possibly some of her strong useful friends) will help with DD3's. She's quite pretty and they seem keen to help :)

Betelguese the Maths teachers are good I think, not sure how they will feel about DC applying if she does. DC had already looked at STEP questions and said "they are really hard" I have passed on links to the Oxford tests as well.

Slight crossed wires I think DC is doing Further Maths A level. Thanks for the suggestions, seems unlikely at the moment that she will apply for Oxbridge, but the advice is helpful anyway.

Have to say this has been an interesting thread but hasn't put me in a frame of mind to encourage her!

DC thinks grades demanded are too high, she also said "Oxford and Cambridge aren't necessarily the best for me".

She is tbh very much an all rounder, how she ended up with Maths is a bit of a mystery, passionate about the subject - not really...

I did think she would like the tutorial system, the chance to argue her way round a subject is something on which she thrives. I also thought she would thrive by being with some very 'bright' people and through the extra curricular benefits that Oxbridge could offer. The thread made it sound one hard slog with very little else.

If she was really enthused by either University it could be just the catalyst she needs to really work and get there, but we have probably missed the boat on that front by not visiting (long story).

She went to the school we wanted for her, think the University has to be her choice.

Not sure about 'very little else' OP! Hard work yes, probably wise not to be under any illusion.

University should never be the parents' choice, but it's probably wise to think seriously with more than three weeks to the deadline to spare.

Anyhow, there are plenty of very bright people elsewhere and plenty of extra curricular opps too, so if she's not keen on Ox or Cam it may be better not to squander the fifth choice.

ucas DD2 seriously considered applying to Oxford for Maths but got derailed by glandular fever in year 12. She underachieved in her non maths ASs and so chose to work on her resits rather than prepare for the Oxford entrance exam.

She could have risked one of her choices on Oxford as she got five offers from her universities but the timing was just wrong for her really. She has just happily started at Bath but I think if she hadn't have been ill she certainly would have applied. Bath quite like their applicants to take STEP as well but the requirements in it certainly aren't as high as Cambridge's. DD2 had some help from her further maths teacher and there are resources available to help with tackling the questions. I agree though that its a bit scary to look at it now as its based on the full A level syllabus.

Oxbridge is not for everyone. One of those at my children's school said they'd spent enough time in a highly pressurised environment so wouldn't apply. The high grades are needed for many other universities now but Oxbridge have shorter terms, a different teaching style and both places are still fairly dominated by university life. It's hard to know if that will suit a young person until they start there.

As far as bursaries go Oxbridge are rich enough to offer the most generous funding in this country, a few American universities are better.