Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge Entry 2015

999 replies

Roisin · 01/09/2014 17:45

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.

OP posts:
uilen · 14/10/2014 20:55

Encouraging more borderline applicants to apply is not in their interest. Encouraging those who are highly qualified (particularly women, who are still under-represented) not to be put off by hearsay is in their interest. Most Cambridge maths students don't have experience of Olympiads, simply because their schools don't take part in them, and prospective students should not assume that Olympiad experience is necessary.

Of course there are good courses at other universities and a given student might prefer the content of another course. For example Warwick is well-known for statistics (so a student liking stats might prefer it) but Warwick is not in the same league as Cambridge for other topics e.g. mathematical physics.

Applying to Oxbridge is hard because for most of the students who don't get a place this is the first time they have to face rejection. But I don't think a student who has high UMS scores should avoid applying to Cambridge fearing the difficulty of the course: Cambridge academics are best placed to judge whether that student will be up to it.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 14/10/2014 21:15

Thanks guys and sorry for delay: yes, one way and another we had come to the understanding that it's a chance to say Cambridge-based stuff as well as the extra detail on things covered and points gained... I think it's just the 'ohmigod I can't be doing with this' mindset overtook her on Sunday.

But she was perhaps a tad hungover at that point Grin

Offer from Sheffield this evening which she is pleased about though!

AtiaoftheJulii · 14/10/2014 21:42

Well done for her offer! It's a nice feeling Smile Hope it gives her confidence for attacking the saq.

Molio · 14/10/2014 22:50

I think there's quite a lot of agreement with alreadytaken that medicine is not an especially demanding course intellectually, but that it is stamina-wise. The reason that grade demands are so high is purely about competition, but it's not a reflection of the academic demands of the course. In a sense, qualities other than intellectual are far more important for medicine. It's a funny one.

It's great to get an offer so early TOSN. Bound to give her a boost.

RandomFriend · 15/10/2014 10:33

I've just done pay and send! We got the clearance for the Personal Statement just yesterday evening.

I assume the school has the reference ready to go - the tutor has known for three weeks that he has to do one for DD by today.

We made a second choice that is probably going to be the insurance offer, and can add three choices later via track.

Molio · 15/10/2014 23:15

York History offer came through today - he's hugely pleased (me too!).

MrsBartlet · 16/10/2014 06:26

Excellent news, Molio! I did history at York (many years ago Grin and I loved it.

AtiaoftheJulii · 16/10/2014 07:11

Well done to him, Molio !

Original poster
Roisin · 16/10/2014 07:39

Well done Molio! It's so exciting to see these offers coming in.

OP posts:
Original poster
Roisin · 16/10/2014 07:40

Has anyone had a "lower than their standard offer" offers?

OP posts:
Molio · 16/10/2014 08:18

Bog standard AAA here, but it's an offer! :) A friend of his has an ABB offer for UCL which is significantly below their standard.

Littleham · 16/10/2014 09:00

Well done to Molio's DS. Smile

When did he submit his application?

MrsBartlet · 16/10/2014 09:03

The only offer dd has had so far (from York) is a standard AAA offer.

Molio · 16/10/2014 10:08

Which subject MrsBartlet? Is that History as well? I think English offers are coming through too - another friend of DS's has bagged one, again AAA.

He was early Littleham - third week of Sept. His brother was a bit later last year and got a York offer between three and four weeks later so the same sort of processing time. Some friends of theirs seem to be quicker. I expect your DD's offer will hit the mat soon :)

RandomFriend · 16/10/2014 10:36

Well done to Molio's DS and to MrsBartlet's DD.

I love hearing about these early offers!

MrsBartlet · 16/10/2014 12:15

Dd's offer is for English. Her application went in last Monday and she had the offer on the Tuesday. I think we have been spoilt as I am impatient for her to get another offer now!

Molio · 16/10/2014 13:32

Blimey!

MrsBartlet · 16/10/2014 13:40

Looking on the student room there were others who literally got offers a few hours after their application went in!

welshpixie · 16/10/2014 15:04

DD has now had 3 offers, 1 conditional from Glasgow and 2 unconditional offers from Birmingham and Leicester.

Original poster
Roisin · 16/10/2014 15:09

Wow! That's incredible welshpixie! Two unconditionals :-o :-o
What is she applying for?

OP posts:
welshpixie · 16/10/2014 15:45

Roisin, she is applying for Ancient and medieval History at Birmingham and History and Archaeology in Leicester, I am so pleased for her, but if she doesn't get into Cambridge she will have a guaranteed place somewhere.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 16/10/2014 15:48

Hello there, new to the thread but DD is at this point too.

Original poster
Roisin · 16/10/2014 15:50

Welcome Ratherbeonthepiste! What has your dc applied for?

OP posts:
Original poster
Roisin · 16/10/2014 15:51

Welshpixie - I think if ds got an Oxbridge rejection and an unconditional offer, he might not apply himself for the rest of the year! (Thankfully I don't think they give them anywhere for his subject.)

OP posts:
MrsBartlet · 16/10/2014 15:54

That is great welshpixie!