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Higher education

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

Original poster

Oxbridge 2015 #2

999 replies

Molio · 27/11/2014 19:14

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 Grin.

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

OP posts:
DontGotoRoehamptonUniversity · 13/12/2014 16:17

Much better to send out afterwards. In my day, rejections were often received on Xmas Eve Sad

SecretSquirrels · 13/12/2014 16:49

To all those who had a hard time.
This time last year DS had the most gruelling interview at Cambridge. He was shell shocked afterwards, it was brutal. No welcome niceties, no pleasantries just question after harder question. He knew it had gone badly and shrugged it off. It was nice that his Durham offer came in the day after. By the time the result letter came he had pretty much got over it and written it off as an experience. He was very surprised to find a pleasantly worded offer of a place at Cambridge.
As far as Durham goes, he was hoping to use that as insurance as it was a much more achievable offer than his other possible insurance. On the offer holder trip (overnight in April) he found that almost everyone he spoke to was an Oxbridge reject. (He sensibly kept quiet about his offer).

SecretSquirrels · 13/12/2014 16:53

Random I don't think we can visit anywhere else before next June when exams are over
Most unis have "offer holder" days in early spring so they can visit again before they put their UCAS choices in.

Please everyone, don't rush to accept offers before this as lots of DC change their mind when they make a second visit with a realistic view to spending 3 years there.

Original poster
Molio · 13/12/2014 16:58

Oxford now sends all decisions on the same day in Jan RandomFriend but that's because it's come to be seen as fairer and less stressful for the applicants than the very random system which used to have each college notifying on different days in different ways (phone/ e-mail/ letter). No-one knew when to expect an answer, or by what method. Also it was obviously a nightmare for the admin teams to be that super busy every year in the immediate run up to Christmas.

For history at least, the tutors in each college get together either on Thursday evening after both interviews are over or on Friday morning to decide who they'll definitely take at that college, who they'll send home and who is thought to be of an appropriate standard to have a further interview at a second college. Then there's a massive flurry of e-mail and phone activity while colleges try to match up shortages and surpluses and by about 1pm on the Friday most students know if they need to stay on or can go. By the time the last students go home in the late afternoon, all decisions are made.

OP posts:
bobs123 · 13/12/2014 17:05

Random my DD has had invites to open days at 2 of the unis that have offered her places - around Feb time. I don't know if she will go as she has already seen them.

Re other unis, has anyone's DC been emailed any "sweeteners" from other unis? DD has been offered free tutor fees if she stays on for an MA after her BA (free just for the MA!!).
She's also had an unconditional offer from her 5th choice uni. All wonderful but only if she makes that particular uni her firm choice!

webwiz · 13/12/2014 17:47

bobs123 my older DDs found the post offer days really helpful, it was a chance to look more closely at the department and get a feel for whether you really wanted to go there without the chaos of a big open day. The biology department at UEA were so nice that I would have quite happily taken DD1's place and gone there myself!

bobs123 · 14/12/2014 11:59

I will leave it to DD to decide. She did look extensively round the department and talk a lot to the students on the same course at 2 of the unis she visited.

She has received an email from on of the unis (at the other end of the country) saying that one of the students is going to telephone her (unless she opts out) to answer any questions she might have.

thecardinal · 14/12/2014 15:20

Much sympathy to all the frazzled/disappointed/worried post-interview DC. That time between interview and decision is just awful, and while speculation is useless, you do it anyway...

Having been through this process for my first BA at Cambridge (three interviews in a day and I remember thinking I'd failed utterly) I was sure I'd be better prepared this time but I was still caught on the back foot. My admissions interview was really lovely, enjoyable but with a few tough questions, but my subject interview at my chosen college... completely disconcerting. I was prepared for it to be confrontational and challenging, and in fact the interviewers were perfectly polite and a bit distant, and didn't really follow up on any one topic, although they had clearly read not only my application materials but my published work as well. It all felt very superficial and they kept saying "very interesting, thank you," which felt rather like the kiss of death. I really struggled with the reading exercise as well (which I know was meant to be impossible, or close to it) so far outside my wheelhouse. So I came away feeling very down about it.

I had a third interview at another college and that was really, really difficult and stimulating much more what I expected and the interviewers were quick to tell me what they liked about my work/answers along the way. I had a lot more to say about the reading exercise too, possibly because I was feeling more confident. So I ended up feeling a lot better, but I have no idea what any of it means.

Anyway. All this just goes to show that interviewers work in mysterious ways, and that even a relatively old hand has no real idea what to expect. Give your DC lots of hugs and I hope they get the best outcome for them -- which, as someone said further up, may be Plan B after all.

Littleham · 14/12/2014 15:40

Well done for getting through it the cardinal. Very brave and it sounds like you gave it your best shot. I'm full of admiration for you and anyone else brave enough to go for it.

thecardinal · 14/12/2014 16:39

Thanks Littleham. Hope your DD is recovering well! Can't imagine (though I can dimly remember) how much scarier it is to do all this the first time round.

MarianneSolong · 14/12/2014 17:28

I think there are two parts to this.

Some children really want a place at Oxford or Cambridge for themselves. So it's a tough process for them, especially if they feel they'd have liked the interview to have gone more smoothly.

Then there's parental ambition. Wanting opportunities for our children, and having our own views/prejudices about what is 'best.'

I found the whole business quite fraught, but had a good conversation with my daughter about it all. I feel a bit clearer about her preferences and ambitions now, so that will probably make the coming months easier.

Littleham · 14/12/2014 18:59

I feel fraught too. My dd is pretty much back to her old self. That is the trouble with children. They drag you along on their roller coaster ride, then walk away smiling, while you are left green & shaken in their wake.

The long wait for the interview was the killer bit.

RandomFriend · 15/12/2014 11:04

My DD is also back to her old self! She is now on to other things, leaving me and DH to speculate about the significance or otherwise of every aspect of her interviews.

I am trying not to think about it.

Raidne · 15/12/2014 11:33

Well, I dropped ds at Oxford this morning. He was very calm. I reminded him to call me this evening but I am not expecting him to remember!

Classicsgirl · 15/12/2014 13:21

My DD came back last week convinced she's mucked up the interview but even more in love with the place than before, to the extent of not really wanting to consider her offers. She is very young in the year - August birthday - and pretty nervous so tbh may not have interviewed well (although who knows???). Does anyone know how they look on people reapplying the next year - or is it a no go?

Decorhate · 15/12/2014 15:49

I was dropping off today too Raidne. Hadn't been there for years & had forgotten how beautiful it is. Can see why my dd fell in love with it

RandomFriend · 15/12/2014 15:57

Classicsgirl I know of a few people from DS's school that were turned down last year and have reapplied this year.

It is possible to get feedback on the interview. Apparently, the feedback will allow you (or the school) to understand whether the candidate was very close to those that were accepted (in which case, it would be worth applying), or very far (in which case, no point in reapplying).

The info on how to get feedback (and the deadline for asking for it) is in the guidelines for interviewees - let me know if you need the link.

HMF1 · 15/12/2014 16:39

Random friend thanks for posting that. My DS has no idea how his interviews went, but he enjoyed the challenge of them. Whither close to or far from an offer I think the feedback would be useful, although I know he would go elsewhere rather than reapply. It's the first time my DS has done anything like this and any insight would be useful, he will be interviewed again sometime.

RandomFriend · 15/12/2014 17:03

Oxford's guide for interviewees (pdf document).

I think I found it more useful than DD did! At least, I read it from cover to cover, whereas she stuffed it in her bag and just did it.

The bit about feedback is on P.9.

YogaCats · 15/12/2014 19:05

My DS had his first interview at Oxford today, second one tomorrow. All he's said is that "it wasn't too good, but I don't know what they're looking for really". Then he said he'd just had a 2 hour nap and was feeling a bit brighter...

MarianneSolong · 15/12/2014 19:19

I think it is quite hard to really warm to people if their political opinions are a very long way from yours. It's okay with the sorts of acquaintances you just see once in a while. Or some friendships can work okay if you can respect the differences, and only discuss controversial matters carefully/occasionally.

But it's tough if you have to live or work together and people voice their opinions very freely. I gained an unfortunate impression of the young man who will probably become my stepson-in-law. On our first meeting the death of the newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson was in the news and my s-i-l- to-be proclaimed loudly and repeatedly it was absolutely obvious to him that Ian Tomlinson was seeking confrontation with and provoking the police in a manner that led directly to his own death.

I wondered at the time how my stepdaughter could tolerate his opinions Although this man has many other good/better qualities. I think I just have to hope he's become a little more open to the possibility that he may be/have been wrong as he has got older.

MarianneSolong · 15/12/2014 19:34

Wrong thread - sorry. This makes absolutely no sense!

Raidne · 15/12/2014 21:27

Decorhate, have you heard from your dd?

Yogacats, that doesn't sound too bad.

Ds said that his interview was "okay" but he would quite like to come home now!

RandomFriend · 15/12/2014 21:31

Yogacats, that sounds good, especially getting some sleep.

DD said that even having just one thing each day, the whole experience was intense and exhausting.

Decorhate · 15/12/2014 21:59

Yes Raidne. She only found out she was having two interviews each day when she arrived. Her first was around 30 minutes long but the second was very short so she doesn't quite know what to make of that... Two more in the morning at a different college.