Oxbridge 2015 #2

[Molio]

Continuing Roisin's thread.

I've even succumbed to TSR, having sworn I wouldn't. Still no news here and haven't heard of news from any other source in the same subject at the same college but being very uncool tbh as the reality is that rejection after an interview would be much kinder for DS than a no ab initio. Massively cheered by a late afternoon offer from Bristol though. I thought I was chilled, I'm clearly not .

Fingers crossed for everyone still waiting and hoping. It's very hard to see them disappointed, is the problem :(

How brave they are. You may yet find that all is well though, in terms of his performance, all things taken together. Sometimes our children are their own harshest critics - not that that is a good thing!

MadameJosesephine - Can I just say that I have had candidates who have done that in my interviews on occasion i.e. completely frozen and have been unable to recover even with very gentle questions or a break in the interview. I have also admitted candidates who have done exactly that. What I would say is that the interview is not a tie-break, instead it is another piece of information about the candidate. So we always look at all of the information that we have to seek out the potential the candidate has, rather than operating a numerical exercise of 'points scored' in each part. So if we can see enough from the other interview, any tests, the school record, the reference and personal statement etc then one bad interview is not a bar to an offer. If that happened I would generally see the interview as a nullity rather than a negative and I would just focus on what I could see elsewhere in the application. Obviously I cannot talk for the subject in question but I would be surprised if it were different elsewhere.

Good luck to everyone applying. I reiterate what someone said above - if they don't get in it relaly often doesn't matter. My daughters are London City lawyers (Bristol/Nottingham). They bright, often working with many Oxbridge people and there is no difference now in earnings and career path, that they are in their 20s at all. (They didn't apply to Oxbridge presumably because they wouldn't have got in). My siblings went and I didn't ( I didn't try - no one has ever been to Oxbridge from my school and my Head mistress said as I was a year young in the year I was too young which was ridiculous) and it has not made a jot of difference.

Great if you can get in. Not a disaster if you don't. I saw a client yesterday whose son got AAA* last year, didn't like the sound of Oxbridge and is really enjoying Bristol now. (I suppose he might have tried to get in and failed but that is not what his parent said).

That's really reassuring anacademic thank you. He's texting me now saying that the first interviewer asked him to draw s graph and them asked questions around it but he just realised he drew the wrong graph to begin with. Surely then the interviewer would adapt their questions to give him a fair go at pulling it back, they wouldn't just stick to the original questions about the other graph?

And whoever said they were their own worst critic you are totally right. Last year DS had a panic attack in a Maths exam and after had a huge meltdown about how he ruined everything. Come results day he got 391/400 UMS! 100/100 in 3 papers and 91/100 in the one with the panic attack. I'm going this may be the case this time too

*hoping this may be the case this time too

A very kind post/gesture anacademic; comforting to hear from the other side.
DS is regularly checking emails as eagerly awaiting news from UCL interview a couple of weeks ago which is due. I'd rather it come AFTER the Oxford interview now as a rejection would be a downer before Sunday. On a positive note, his tracker has just updated with a welcome Bristol offer; a well-timed boost.

gracefox the ball thing was worrying thats why I mentioned it.
Anyway thanks all for not shouting me down entirely. I've said my bit and said what I wanted to say. Where DD went was amazing with the reservations I have mentioned above.
As to her distance after going -I see a lot of her- at least fortnightly, and much of the holidays: she is coming on holiday with us next week, and speak with her nearly every day! After all she is still our lovely daughter even if we don't agree with some of her views anymore!

anacademic thank you for your words

MmeJosephine brilliant - your DS and the Maths. sometimes our kids are their own worst enemy and just lack conference in themselves!!!

ha..or rather condidence

Well done to those that had interviews today. It is undoubtedly a stressful experience for anyone so a particular well done to your DCs MadameJosephine and bobs123 for doing something far out of their comfort zones.

Your post was very comforting Anacademic its nice to see things from the other side and how much is done to try and make it a fair process.

DS is still fretting about the mock interview which worries me a bit as I think it is proving a distraction. I think the teacher just wanted to give him a bad experience so that he won't be thrown in the real thing he has taken it a bit to heart unfortunately. Oh well not long now, we could do with a little timetable of who has got interviews on each day so we can send good vibes along

Okay DD home now. Here are some observations if they might help anyone...

She loved the college, the people (current students looked after them) and the interviewers.

She found it more comfortable than the mock - still stressful though

The interviewers couldn't have done more to try to put her at ease. They explained the process, if she struggled they moved on. They didn't dwell on anything she found difficult, but did push a little at times.

The general impression she got was although it moved on very rapidly, when there was something mutually enjoyable to discuss it went very well.

They referred a lot to the personal statement and didn't mention the written work

She felt immediately at home and loved the comfy chairs where she was interviewed

The porters were really nice

All in all she made a lot of mistakes - some silly ones due to panicking, but she seemed to also enjoy some of the discussion

Anyway she's relieved it's over and I think quite proud of herself (I certainly am

Might be a bit late but I am a theology oxford grad (2001) and keep pretty close links as an alumni. If there is anything specific you want to know about the department/ interview post or pm - or if people are weighing up colleges.

Well done bobs's DD

I've been lurking here, wishing everyone's DC very well, and now Quokka has kicked me into unlurking... because I have an interview at Oxford for a second BA in theology and am quietly bricking it! I last went through this process at Cambridge in 1998 for MML and I swear I am far, far less confident now than I was then! Argh!

Good luck to all fellow interviewees and their parents!

Oh, way too many exclamation marks... I am nervous...

Massive well done to bobs and MadameJo's dc. Very brave of both of them to push themselves to do this when they have anxiety issues. You must both be very proud!

thecardinal, you will be fine. You have the huge advantage of having done it all before and being genuinely fired up about your subject (presumably!). Good luck to you and all the other interviewees, and I join in the admiration for the applicants with anxiety who put themselves through this. Good on them.

Well done, thecardinal for getting an interview. And bravo you for getting ready to do a second BA.

I take it you've got your clean shirt organised?

Thank you both very much, and I'm in no way agonising over what to wear (lies, lies)! I'm another anxiety/depression sufferer, and I let the college know about it -- they were very nice so I'm less worried about what happens if I do freeze up or get a bit shaky. But it's bad at the moment for unrelated reasons, which is really bloody inconvenient. Much solidarity to all the sufferers and their relatives!

I've prevailed on DH to drive me up to Oxford...!

Getting driven is a good way to get there - much less stress for you as a passenger.

Just allow plenty of time for getting to the centre of town - traffic is horrible and parking is expensive.

Yes, very good point! I can only imagine that Oxford is a bastard for cars.

Good luck thecardinal. Hope it goes well.

I can only imagine that Oxford is a bastard for cars.

Oh, I don't know... Morse and Lewis never seem to have a problem

Seriously though, good luck!

Good morning everyone. De-lurking finally! DD has an interview in Cambridge next week and we're staying over the night before to calm her frazzled nerves. I'd assumed that it would be ok to park overnight at Trumpington Park & Ride but have finally checked and it's not allowed! Does anyone know what other options there are?