Geeky DD wants to go to Cambridge but won't make the effort socially........(sorry long)

[Bossybritches22]

Ok sorry for the ramble!
DD1 is a sweet natured,bright girl, always been straight A* student from primary, but inclined to hide behind her books rather than socialise. Walks around welded to the latest tome rather than talk. Doesn't help that we live in the country & DD2 is only 2 yrs younger & they get on well, & they don't get the chance to socialise much with peers. That said we've always made the effort to encourage her to have friends home or to go into town to meet up with her "gang", but unlike DD2 she doesn't seem bothered.

Her interests are all Geeky ones, crafts,knitting, watching TV nothing to set her personal statement alight if she wants to get into a RG uni. Part of me doesn't want to push her too much but the other part thinks that IF she got in to somewhere like Cambridge, she'd be with other like minded students, (her one friend is going there apparently) socially there would be smaller groups of folk on her wavelength (hopefully) & if I'm paying £9k to any Uni I'd rather it was Cambridge than the local poly-turned- Uni. (sorry to sound a snob)

Also being a single parent, I'm told they have private burseries which can help a lot.

Dd wants to do either Linguistics or Classics. She is doing A-level English Lang & Lit, Biology (because she wanted to do Human Biology but they don't do it at her school) & Classic Civilisation. I'm going to have a chat with her form tutor soon, I despair of getting her to DO anything outside the house. If I suggest anything she says "mmmn maybe"

She has a lovely group of chums in her year, she's always talking about them, & when they all came over for her birthday (I nearly fell over when she asked, that was a first) it was so lovely to have a house full of teenagers doing normal pizza/DVD/sleepover stuff but although she enjoyed it we've never persuaded her to repeat it.

I'd hate her to waste her brain & miss her opportunity just because of lack of effort on her part & equally ,although I could arrange more I feel SHE should take responsibility for developing her own hobbies/social activities. She has always been painfully shy & yet delightfully articulate when talking within her comfort zone to folk she knows. She is great fun to be with, but although I enjoy her company,I'd hate her never to leave home!

Any advice welcome!

OP -- pleased to hear your daughter has a plan! Re A levels, DD's friend who is currently reading Classics at Cambridge did not have Latin beyond a couple of years at the start of secondary and no Greek at all, hence being packed off to the two summer schools I mentioned in earlier post.

So am not sure if A level Latin tutoring is required, given possible budgetary and time constraints. From memory DD's friend did Maths and futher Maths at A level plus Classical Civilisation (which has no language element, is all History and reading stuff translated) and sciences. Will check to get accurate information, and agree with the poster who said there is no merit in doing more than 3 A levels.

The summer school stuff does sound like a good idea, because it'll give your daughter an idea of whether she does want to go down this route and be useful ammunition for the PS and any interview.

OP great to hear the update and it sounds like your DD is on track with her plans - good luck to her.

I read English at Cambridge and most of my uni friends are classicists - I strongly recommend that your daughter takes some Greek/Latin courses, both for her own interest and to show some initiative for her application. I don't know any classicists from my time (matriculated in 2002) who didn't have at least Latin or Greek to begin with, but like other posters have said there's G(r)eek camp the summer before first year.

May I just make a vote for Newnham college? Absolutely fantastic classics staff (Mary Beard among them - read her blog 'A Don's Life' for occasional updates on classics at Newnham/Cambridge), right over the road from the classics faculty, and a really beautiful place to live. I didn't apply there but was pooled and loved every moment, plus I have a wonderful extended network of college friends (yes, including boys!) who still form the main part of my friendship group.

Speaking as a fellow massive geek I'm sure your daughter would fit right in. One more thing to check is that when I applied, my Psychology A-Level couldn't be counted towards my offer because it wasn't deemed an arts subject, and I needed three arts As - I had Eng Lang, Eng Lit, Latin, Psychology, and Critical Thinking, and they wanted As in the first three when I applied. Your daughter might want to check with admissions that the biology A-level would be acceptable.

Seriously though - good luck to her. I had the time of my life at Cambridge - in fact I'm going back this weekend for a reunion

While I'm at it, I second the idea of going to see the Greek play which runs every other year. Also, check out what the classics faculty are doing in terms of talks/lectures at the moment - I'm in publishing and we went to a classics evening at Heffers in Cambridge a few months ago, with the excellent Paul Cartledge (Clare College), Mary Beard (Newnham), Tom Holland, and Michael C. Scott (Darwin. and he's hot).

For interest, it's worth tracking down a few of the classics lecturers and finding out what books they've been writing recently (Simon Goldhill, Mary Beard, Paul Cartledge - check out his inaugural lecture as AG Levantis Professor of Greek, linked on his webpage) etc.

The Very Short Introductions to Classics/Archeology etc are fun little reads (stocking fillers?). Longer term, if your daughter gets an offer I very much recommend that she spends some time firming up her historical knowledge as there's not much time for dates/timelines once you're actually at Cambridge and it's amazing how much assumed knowledge there is! This book about Mithradates is a really fun read (disclaimer: my company published it).

Oh I'm pleased to see it's all coming together now and she has a plan. Hope it all works out for her.

ghosteditor - would the Mithradates book be a suitable read for a 13-year-old? My ds is interested in the subject matter, and I note that one reviewer's complaints might in fact make it more relevant to a less sophisticated customer!

Thank you for the vote of confidence in Newnham.. we have a great deal to offer (I think!)

gramercy the book was written with the (educated) general reader in mind (rather than scholars) but not a junior reader. Not sure if you can read a sample on amazon perhaps which might allow you to judge? Wouldn't want to give you bad advice!

is a nice video made by Newnham students. video is just great fun!

superb!