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 :(

Oh dear. So sorry to hear of some young people feeling dispirited after the interview. It might be worth mentioning that a tough interview can be a very good sign, as the interviewers don't bother pushing too hard with a candidate they've decided in the first five minutes isn't at the required level. At least, I'm sure I've read that here. Also, no interviewers are expecting the finished article.

On the other hand, it's lovely to hear about those who've enjoyed it and come back enthused for their future studies, wherever they end up. As I said upthread (I think it was on this thread!) I didn't make it to Cambridge and had a wonderful three years at UCL instead. I wouldn't change that for the world. My daughter is loving her time at another London college currently.

Can't wait for it to be over. DD has to hang around all day just in case. Comes home this evening.

I think I should plan a trip to York to cheer her up.

I've tried to remind him of your good point Mimsy but he still feels he floundered too much. Second interview was better but he was disappointed they asked him next to nothing about all the reading he'd done to back up his PS ( he's an Eng Lit candidate). I saw some chinks of light in his comments but tbh I'm expecting a No in Jan.

GraceFox - I am sorry your ds is feeling down about it. Dd was also interviewed for English at Cambridge. Her first interview seemed to go very well, so much so that I am worried that they just didn't push her as they didn't feel it was worth it. I too have read that if the come out thinking it went badly then it is probably good. Dd came out smiling and very happy!

She felt that in her second interview (on her PS) that she didn't get a chance to talk about everything she had read and felt she could have said so much more if she had the chance. She said the interviewers were doing the talking half the time and one of them steered it to talking about one of her set texts as he was interested in that even though that wasn't her particular area of interest.

I am very concerned for her as she loves Cambridge so much more than anywhere else. Can't bear to see what happens in January.

Thank you Mrs Bartlet, I think it's so hard to tell, isn't it? I've tried to help ds feel a bit more balanced about it but he needs to process the experience in his own time. And let's not forget that while the interviews are important, they amount to one selection criterion among the others...

I haven't had this much fun since grammar school entrance. (Another thing my daughter opted to do.)

But the admissions machine/UCAS process grinds on. As does A-level coursework.

I've moved on to being more fraught about the courier's failure to deliver a parcel. Which is progress.

GraceFox and Mrs Bartlet, it seems it's a bit of a theme with the English students on this thread, as my DS was also frustrated that the interviewer focused on one particular book from his PS for the entire interview, when his statement illustrates extensive reading outside of his coursework.
He mentioned it again this morning and I suggested that if a PS clearly demonstrates wide reading, they are content with knowing this, not testing it out and are more interested in the depth of understanding.
He was asked if he was comfortable discussing this particular book (he said he was), even though he was trying to steer the conversation onto other books he'd read, as like your DC, he was desperate to give a fuller account of his knowledge.
I suppose that was a long-winded way to say that actually it's a positive that they focused on less as they clearly ticked the well-read box!

Interesting point PD .

It does make sense though. On paper so many of the candidates are well read that what I guess they're after is that sense of intellectual depth and spirit of enquiry which is the basis for a demanding degree.

Very similar experience PD and GraceFox. Interviews were not what she had expected - no personal statement or submitted work discussions & no discussion about all the books on her PS. That threw her, plus the long wait for the interview magnified the panic.

Never seen her so tired, but she is much more cheerful now she is home. She says she is glad she went, so that is a relief.

Littleham, it is quite possible that what your DD thought afterwards were "really stupid things", were the results of her thinking at the time and may well have been things the interviewers found interesting. Just like in her HAT test. I am sorry if she didn't enjoy the interview, but as someone said above, they are all winners just for being there.

ShatteredMe, thank you for your post and for sharing your perspective. I don't envy you with having to make those decisions.

True - not sure what to think. She did come out of the HAT test saying it was a disaster, but it can't have been.

It is a real rollercoaster...very relieved it is over. What are all your dc's alternative choices?

I think your DD must be really clever, Littleham, but that she doesn't have the confidence to realise it yet.

Alternative uni choices for 2015: DD has received a very low offer from Bristol; and is waiting to hear from Edinburgh and Durham. Alternative choices for 2016: Apply to a conservatoire.

One good thing about having enjoyed her time in Oxford is that she is likely to favour being at a university for an academic course.

Gracefox - just came on to say my DD said exactly the same as yours after a Cambridge interview last year and she had an offer. I think they push the good ones to see exactly how they think. Her friend went for law and said she argued herself into such a corner that she said gingers ought to be illegal. She was very down but she got an offer as well - her argument must have been good. I don't think you can necessarily tell how the interview went.

Dd has offers from Warwick, York and Exeter and she is waiting to hear from Durham still.

English - offers from QML, Bristol and UCL. Still waiting to hear from Warwick.

We need a little spreadsheet so we can see who's finished and who is still to go

I think its very difficult to tell how an interview has gone because there is nothing to compare it to. It isn't even possible to compare the experience for the same subject as the different colleges seem to approach the interviews in different ways. I hope everyone can relax a bit over Christmas and not dwell too much on their interview experience.

It would be nice if Durham would hurry up MrsBartlet

It would indeed, webwiz. I would love dd to hear from them before Cambridge - as long as they make an offer that is

DS got a text alert earlier from UCAS and said 'that'll be my Cambridge rejection' with a wry smile. While he was logging on to the pc to check it we had achat about his interviews and while he is still disappointed with his performance and expecting bad news he has not given up hope entirely. I am right in thinking that Cambridge colleges send out all offers/rejections/pooled notifications at the same time in early January arent I ?

It turned out to be an A*AA offer from UCL which we are hoping will end up as his insurance so thats good news :)

I think going into depth about one book is probably more interesting and useful to them than doing a whistle stop tour of half a dozen - they want to know that the candidate has actually read and thought about the books they've mentioned

And I expect if the candidates compared notes on their interviews they would find out that the interviews were sparked by their personal statements - e.g. my dd had a long section about sculpture (which she'd written about) whereas another candidate was asked about some sort of burial rite, that my dd wouldn't have known anything about!

Think her frustrations were similar to those mentioned - that actually ten minutes on a topic wasn't enough to say everything she wanted to.

She has offers from Leeds, Bristol (these two are her next two choices probably), Glasgow and Royal Holloway.

Congratulations to your DS MadameJosephine on the UCL offer. I did think that all the Cambridge offers and rejections were sent out on the same day so we can all tremble in anticipation together in January.

Hi all with DDs going for English. I'm very jealous of you knowing so much about what actually happened in the interview! My DD said there was no point discussing the "v bad" interview - and wouldn't tell me any of the questions - "what's done is done". I have no idea what they asked her. All I know is that she feels her answers were vague and unsatisfactory. I suspect she's now moved on, which is more than you can say for me!

We're waiting for Durham. I really hope they make an offer. Not expecting to hear from them until early January. Again last night I was told she wouldn't get a Durham offer having applied to oxford. I know this is a wives tale but I do wish it wasn't so pervasive, especially as DD will be searching for an explanation if Durham reject her and this is such an obvious one.

We echo the English Angst! So many hours spent trying to read the entire breadth and history of English literature and so little chance to show that!

Still that's better than the feared tell me about " war and peace" .....errr I haven't read that. " ok tell me about The Satanic Verses" ... Errr I haven't read that .. Ad infitium for 30 mins.

Merry Xmas to all dc and congrats for all other offers, they have all do e brilliantly!

cathyandclaire DS said preparing for the English interview was like taking an exam when you didn't know the syllabus and you haven't seen any past papers!

Has anyone on this thread had an offer from Durham?