Oxbridge Entry 2015

[Roisin]

Do we have a thread already?
ds1 has decided to definitely apply to Oxford to do Biochemistry. He will probably apply to St John's.

ds1's interview invite implies that all candidates will be seen by at least two colleges initially.

A friend of mine had an interview at Mungo's College about 20 years ago and was then sent round a whole string of other colleges. She was confused and thiught she was performing poorly. But actually Mungo's offered her a place and subsequently told her that they sent her round the other colleges because they wanted to show off their "state school pupil" to other cooleges! :-o

No problem AllMimsy. I didn't see the point of getting too immersed in the finer details, but can completely understand it if your dc has a big chance.

Roisin - I've just read Jeanette Winsterstone's book and that was a real eye opener to 1970's Oxford! Especially the bit when she first arrived.

I think the degree between letting go - even pushing a bit to get them out of the nest - and nurturing, is very much on my mind.

My daughter is one of the youngest in her year - late August birthday - and at the moment isn't minded to take a gap year. She's sensible and independent minded in some ways, but has one or two areas of vulnerability. Innocence even.

I find myself weighing up her various university options not in terms of the way in which the focus of the courses differs - I've left all the research up to her - but in terms of how much nurture I feel the individual environments might offer. (This is about comparing one Cambridge college, one University of London college and three provincial cities.)

The choices will of course, be all hers, once the various offers are in.

I genuinely feel that one way I can support her this year, is not to rush in and give her too much support. (If that makes sense.) While continuing to very much keep an eye on her.

Roisin, it sounds like your ds1's interview letter is slightly more informative than my ds's which basically says "you must be here by 10am on the 15th on pain of death and you must stay until the 17th, possibly until 6pm - you might have to go to other colleges too".

Oh, it's so hard. I'm not worried about dd1, but I do fret over dd2 (y12). When she said she was interested in Manchester, I got quite worried, it's a long way from us! At the moment she likes the look of Leeds and Cambridge, which are fine - not that near us, but with good friends of mine in place to look after her if needed!

Roisin that's standard now for most sciences. All applicants will have interviews at their college of choice or allocation plus another. Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts are different - they do pooling on an ad hoc basis, hence the different phrasing on the invite. Although things change all the time, with more centralization in decisions for certain faculties etc.

(the email was in his spam folder!!)
- a lesson for all of us!!

Indeed, DontGotoRoehampton!!

Everyone take heed and make sure your dc check their spam folder!!

DS's college are sending interview invitations/rejections by post so no need to check the spam folder just the vagaries of royal mail instead. DS is holding his nerve I wish the same could be said for me.

Webwiz is that St John's Cambridge , cos DS1 thinks they are e-mailing as well. He is applying for Nat Sci.

Yes St Johns - DS seemed to think it was just letters. He got it from the applicants website. It seems odd to not email as well though.

Given that everywhere else does it would be odd if they didn't, but who knows I guess they can do what they want. Hopefully not too much longer to wait, we are in Scotland so will need to book flights so would like to know sooner rather than later. I am at a work conference tomorrow & Tuesday so he is under strict instructions to text if he hears anything.

We are only 30 miles from Cambridge so travel isn't a problem I think I'd be having kittens if I had to sort flights out as well. Hopefully there will be news soon.

Just want a flipping decision now. My head is exploding with all the random information my dd2 is regurgitating.

If it is a 'no', just please someone send the e mail & stop the tsunami of historical information. My head hurts! She has gone into hyper-drive! At least I know she has chosen a subject she loves for university.

Littleham - they say the darkest hour is just before the dawn...

Littleham DS didn't hear for history until Dec 5th last year, though admittedly his college was last.

The phrase "shot at dawn" comes to mind...

I bet that will be the college she has picked then!

I hope your dd gets (good) news very soon.

Oh ffs. Having said that dd's hopeful college post a list of subjects whose decisions have been made, her subject was on it by 5 o'clock this afternoon, but she's had no sodding email!

Oh dear Atia. Maybe time to email the college admissions tutor in a couple of days' time, if she still hasn't heard anything.

But is it one of the rare colleges which still notifies by post? Also, rejections and invites almost always go out together, so no need for despondency yet. Hang on in there!

I wonder if your DD has picked the same college as mine Littleham, no-one has heard yet according to Student Room, but interviews are supposed to start on 8th December, so we should hear one way or the other any day now..

Own daughter seems a bit more chilled now, which I am glad about. I think this was partly as a result of a conversation where I said if the Cambridge College offer her a place, and she didn't want to take it up because there were alternative offers that she felt would suit her better, I was totally okay about her turning it down.

Isn't your DD trying for Cambridge though BlueStringPudding?