Oxbridge info/ support thread 2014

[lismore]

Does anyone else with a DC applying for Oxbridge this year feel like having someone to share the highs/ lows/ questions- if so, please join in!
I have a DS who has just applied to Cambridge- our family has no Oxbridge background and he's at a state school which gives absolutely no advice so definitely feel at a bit of a loss how to support him.
I think he's incredibly brave even trying, especially as 80% get rejected unfortunately.

[HoratiaDrelincourt]

If he doesn't meet his weekly deadlines (that means failing to do supervision/tute work) then he'd get sat on pretty quickly. In general he would only get kicked out if he failed end-of-year exams, and he would usually have missed lots of opportunities to pull his socks up.

I know only two people who were asked to leave.

One had spent a lot of time rowing. But he was doing all right until second-year exams. His subject exams were later than most, and he didn't have the motivation or whatever to keep revising once the rest of us had finished and were sunbathing/playing cricket/having long, lazy lunches. He failed and was not allowed to come back for final year. He went elsewhere and is now doing very well in London.

The other rowed a lot (see a pattern?) and having got 2.2 in first and second year slipped to a Pass in his third year of four. The university converted that result into a (not honours) BA and did not permit him to stay for his fourth year (the MSci year). He went elsewhere and is doing very well now.

[HoratiaDrelincourt]

If you doubt his self-motivation then "going under the radar" could be disastrous - nobody would know he was struggling until it was too late.

[funnyperson]

ucl is vair vair expensive and living in london not much fun unless vair vair well off parents pay for central london accommodation competing with the bankers for rooms. 'unite' is a rip off.

[venturabay]

Thanks Horatia. Yes, you're quite right about the possible danger of being allowed to go under the radar - good point.

That aspect is one which filled me with gloom when he applied to UCL funnyperson. Problem is, he combines a nice line in stubborness with a faint lack of realism too.

Actually, since he may not get the grades anyway, perhaps I shouldn't worry too much :)

[funnyperson]

Perhaps I could share with you that DD rang up just before Christmas with very palpable pride in her voice to tell me that she had just finished her 90th essay! (she still has lab reports a dissertation and exams to go before she graduates) I was suitably impressed and we chatted amiably about how far she had come since her first year and her first tutorial and essay. (when she felt she didn't know anything!)
On reflection I must admit to feeling very pleased, not only that her undergraduate education has been 'value for money' and not only that she has clearly learned the basics of her subject thoroughly, but that she has also developed a set of skills in question interpretation, research, analysis of evidence, writing and time management which will stand her in good stead all her life and whatever career path she follows. This, to me, seems a major goal of a university education, and that she has made good friends and engaged in a variety of activities along the way is simply an added bonus.
Obviously the only reason she has learned anything is because she has engaged with her studies, motivated partly by the need to face her tutor with some degree of self respect every week.
I don't think Oxford and Cambridge have the monopoly on good undergraduate teaching. Ultimately a student goes where they think they will be happiest.

[funnyperson]

My DS is very happy in London, as is my nephew, but DS went through a bad patch when he was living in a slum rather far out and spending a lot of time and money on tube travel in his second year. Because the other second years also lived all over the place, social life wasn't that great and coming back in the early hours not nice. Looking back we should have budgeted a lot more so that he could stay closer to the centre and this is what we have done for his final year so he is much much happier.

[PurplePotato]

Hi funny, I have to say, looking at the cost of accommodation has made us gasp. DS is planning to share a room in halls for the first year. Probably a whole other thread in the making!

What you say about your DD is just wonderful - that's what it's all about, isn't it? DS can't wait to start his degree. He is finding this year quite dull and I think is ready for all the additional stimulation he'll get form being with a lot of other people who love the same subject.

[secretscwirrels]

Sorry to hear that purple. Hopefully he can now look forward positively to his alternatives.
venturabay DS1 has an offer but not made a decision yet on acceptance. He certainly has the work ethic, he is very driven and single minded. I think it would suit him.

[Shootingatpigeons]

funnyperson and I have different experiences of DCs at London unis. My DD is now in her third year of student flats. First year very nice flat in Finchley, 20mins on bus to uni, second year, council flat nearer in in Holloway, very shabby but they loved it, third year very nice flat even nearer in, 10 min bus ride, in Camden. All £550 per month each. She has great flatmates, lots of friends live (d) in the same areas, so a great social life. Next year she is contemplating being a bit more hip in Dalston, the latest cool area of London. She is very pleased she didn't get fished from the pool at Cambridge because it has worked out so well for her socially and academically, now her Masters, PhD and career path as a research scientist with great sponsors / mentors is all lined up. I has similar concerns about her being in London but none have been realised.

[Shootingatpigeons]

And two of her flatmates are on bursaries, far from having rich parents, they get no financial help at all from their parents. They manage actually slightly better than those on student loans topped up by parents, on the maintenance grant and with support from the uni.

[venturabay]

Was your DD at Imperial Shootingatpigeons? (since you mention science). Does UCL have a particularly 'rich kid' ethos? I've certainly heard a number of other people say the same as funnyperson, although it's always been specifically in relation to UCL.

[leosdad]

Although UCL and student life in london is more expensive there is much more opportunity for casual work. As rental contracts are for the full year they can take advantage of this over the summer.

[CakeExpectations]

Hi Purple, sorry to see that your DS's news wasn't what he was hoping for. It's rotten that you were in limbo for so long too.

Imperial is fantastic. Wishing him every success (and a lottery win to help with the accommodation costs.)

[HoratiaDrelincourt]

£550 a month? Holy fuck.

[PurplePotato]

Thanks cake and secret. An Horatio, yes that was my immediate reaction! But having had an initial chat about funds with DS I am pleasantly surprised to find out that he has saved up over £2k this year from his Saturday job and is fully expecting to contribute this and work in the summers to top up his income. I feel a lot better knowing that he has given it serious thought and has a vague plan.

[Shootingatpigeons]

Ventura I do try and be a bit discreet when sharing DDs experiences but it is certainly not the experience of her peers that UCL is full of rich kids, quite the contrary. In contrast to places like Exeter, Leeds and Nottingham that are notorious for high concentrations of private school "rahs" she would describe UCL as more indie (as in music not school) less tribal, more mixed culturally and socially. It is certainly true of her flatmates, two ex private school but down to earth middle class, one ex public school with a "countra house" they go to for a weekend in the summer, one Chinese but also two who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Two are from single parent families, one's father is a chef in an Indian restaurant, but they are all bright and funny and rub along really well.

[Shootingatpigeons]

Also they have all had no problem at all getting casual work, in bars restaurants etc. not just in the holidays but during term as well. There is a network of contacts and once you get in the know, you can basically get shifts whenever you have spent your loan want them. They also do promotional work, DD has an interesting range of random branded fleeces for shaving companies etc. Her course is recognised as the most demanding after medicine and architecture so she hasn't worked that much but her other flatmates actually save.

And whilst £550 sounds a lot looking at the cost of uni and private accommodation where DD2 has offers, although cheaper, it is not that much cheaper. They are saying most in private accommodation pay around £85 a week, and I know there won't be the same opportunities to work.

[leosdad]

It may seem strange to some people on this thread but DD knows people on her course who had Oxbridge offers and turned them down for the UCL place.

[venturabay]

What course leosdad? Very interested.

[Shootingatpigeons]

Should add that DD says that Imperial parties have a particularly interesting dynamic, no getting away from the fact that Imperial is male and Science geek dominated but LAMDA is just down the road, as the actress said to the Scientist

[HMF1]

Hello all I hope your DCs have a successful & happy time when they start uni later in the year. I am looking for advice my oldest DS is in 5th year at a good Scottish state school. He is interested in Physics & is expected to get 5 good As in his highers (prelim results were all in the 90s). He is looking to apply to Cambridge later this year. DH & I want to support this aspiration as much as possible. The school while supportive is not very successful with Oxbridge applications & not many apply (there are no fees for Scottish Unis for Scottish residents). Any advice? The school are taking him to open day in Glasgow & he has applied for headstart course (expensive option) & is applying for a Nuffield research placement as well for the summer holidays. The school don't have a history of doing interview prep although his physics teacher is very helpful.He is looking at reading lists for interviews but we want to try & put him on a level with any private school kids who have more school support. I am aware that this is all dependant on his higher results but I suspect August is too late to start the preparation & even if he goes elsewhere it won't be wasted.

[venturabay]

HMF 1 I wouldn't get too hung up on 'interview prep'. There are many, many, many state school applicants who don't have any sort of prep and I'm not at all sure that it actually helps. What will help is reading beyond his course but the rather over the top prep that some private schools do (once a week for a year!) may just make those kids less natural in their responses and possibly rather samey too. If your DS is himself and listens to what they're asking in an interview and queries the tutors if he thinks he doesn't understand and then responds without hurrying his answers, that's really all he needs to do.

[HMF1]

Thank you Venturabay. I know I am overdoing everything but I think it probably comes with the territory. Although his dad & I are both graduates we didn't do the Oxbridge thing so this bit is new to us.

[Shootingatpigeons]

You are aware that at Cambridge you study Natural Sciences with a particular specialism rather than single discipline Sciences. It gives the flexibility to study interdisciplinary modules which are increasingly seen as important, a lot of the advances in Science don't fit neatly into the disciplines. Single discipline Science is taught at Oxford which your son may or may not see as preferable, certainly less competitive, for Biology at least.

[secretscwirrels]

My DS has an offer from Cambridge (Maths), Oxford may be different in some respects and subjects may differ slightly . His experience is that it is the grades that count above all else. Although they may make an offer based on AAA in reality many students will achieve all A at A level. Cambridge interview a higher percentage of applicants than Oxford and much of the selection is based on AS levels, not just the grade but the UMS.
He goes to an ordinary sixth form college and got little in the way of help from school. If you read this thread you may notice that many of the DC had a similar experience at their interviews. They were very, very subject focussed, like an oral exam in many cases. Interview practise would not have helped. What does help with the whole process is knowing your subject inside out. Knowing much more than the curriculum. Reading widely about it and understanding it.
I can highly recommend the Masterclasses. DS went to the physics one and the Maths one.They do sample lectures and there are talks by staff and students about the application process.