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 :(

Ryansbeat We are still waiting to hear from Durham. DD applied for "combinded arts". A few days ago she was asked to say which four subjects she wanted to study. Edinburgh also asked her for some further information on which pieces she could play. Earlier this week, Bristol sent an email with a form to apply for The Vice Chancellor's Scholarship, which she found very exciting. So lots to look forward to, but she is quite down just now.

Just popping on the thread to say 'well done' to all those who got offers and 'sorry' to those who didn't get one.

That's a shame RandomFriend [very big hug]. My eldest daughter is at Bristol and loves it, so if you have any questions let me know. Durham seems to reply really late - my dd1 didn't hear back from them until April last year (& it was an offer), so don't worry too much about that one.

Thanks heavens I organised the York trip! My dd2 is a very positive person and is bouncing back fast. She is busy looking at possible countries for a year abroad with York Uni - ( examples of places to go are University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Waseda University (where the devil is that?), Tokyo; the Sorbonne, Paris and the University of Madrid) How amazing is that? I just hope to goodness she doesn't miss the A Level grades for York ....can't stand the stress!

To think I have to go through it two more times with dd3 (year 11) and ds (year 9). Aaargh.

I guess it is time to move back to the other thread, but I'll pop back in at results to see how you have all got on. Best of luck everyone.

I've also continued the other thread (no. 3 had filled up). Come on over...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2276706-Starting-Y13-y12-support-thread-contd-number-4

oops - ignore me, there is already one going in secondary education.

Roisin Thank you.

We were told letters from Cambridge were going out first class tomorrow. So were are thinking Sat/Monday but does anyone know if they send an email too?
For those of you waiting for Cambs, are you expecting to hear on Sat?

Waiting to hear from Cambridge too. I'm not sure if there'll be an email too.

I think colleges some send e-mails and some don't, so best guess Saturday or Monday (especially if you live in the sticks like us, with horribly unreliable post.)
Has anyone's DC been fished from the pool? We've heard nothing here and although DD didn't want to go elsewhere she had started to think that her best chance was being fished by another college with more places for her subject. So thinking that no news could be bad news....

Waiting to hear from Cambridge - apparently letter to be posted tomorrow and email not til Monday.....so hoping for post to work but as the letter for interview never arrived (only the email) suspect it will be a long weekend

Grammar we are waiting to hear and are hoping to hear on Saturday, one way or another. Dd has applied to Emmanuel and they post tomorrow but also send an email on Saturday. I think each college does their own thing so worth looking on the college website to see what they do, as that is where dd found the info relating to her college.

cathyandclaire - dd has not been fished and I am thinking the same as you, that no news could be bad news. I am dreading Saturday as dd has her heart set on Cambridge. I know she will get over it if she gets rejected and she will be happy elsewhere (and I keep repeating this to her like a mantra) but it is difficult as a mum to stand by and watch her hopes dashed (if indeed they are).

We're in the sticks too, DD has applied to New Hall (Murray Edwards) all female college to study Middle Eastern/Asian studies. I don't know about the 'fishing' My only experience of that was with Dds, peers who applied to Oxford and had the 3 day 'interview with some being pulled for interview to other colleges...
MrsBartlet thank you. I have a feeling M.E just send letters. It is hard, isn't it? Two of DD's peers got rejections from Oxford yesterday. We have to find that fine line, as parents, of supporting and empathising with their inevitable disappointment, but, as you say, staying upbeat to reiterate, again and again, that, in the whole scheme of things, they will be happy elsewhere, but this is their life, at the moment, something they have yearned for and worked for, prob with little let up. It would be almost odd for them to be so phlegmatic about it. And, of course, this IS the most important thing they have had to deal with yet, (by and large, excepting other life events that you probably wouldn't like to think about). Good luck, all

So, if you are 'fished', do you hear beforehand? How do you know, at this point, that no news is bad news?

I think you only hear if you are required for another interview. No news could of course be good news, I'm just staying paranoid

If you are fished you could be asked back for an interview at the college which has fished you out the pool. Those people were being contacted this week. However, you could just get an offer from that college without them contacting you or interviewing you.

I am just being pessimistic when I say than no news means bad news as the figures are very much stacked against them, with more interviewees being rejected than accepted. My thinking is that if dd got fished then at least we would know she was still in the running.

Also waiting for Cambridge here. My understanding is that on Saturday (or Monday) you will either: get an offer from the college you applied to, get an offer from the college you were pooled to, be told you were pooled but no college picked you up so you are are rejected, get a straight rejection from your original college. The only exception is if you were pooled and another college wanted to reinterview you. In this case you would have been called for a further interview yesterday or by the end of today and wouldn't hear the final decision for a few more days - so more waiting.

I've probably made it sound more complicated than it is! No call for reinterview here so no more hopeful than we were a few weeks ago. Unfortunately no other offers yet as consolation either.

Also waiting to hear from Durham and Englsh. Dd said before Christmas that a boy who sits behind her in English had received an offer, so she took that to mean she wouldn't get one. It seems that actually a lot are still to hear. I was wondering if the colleges take different amounts of time to make decisions, hence the varying waits, or if depts make the decisions and grab the students they definitely want straight away, then take time to mull over the rest. Will just have to be patient.

Oh, I'm with you now, I hadn't realised that 'fished' or 'pooled' people heard this week

Another one waiting for Cambridge here. As far as I understand it most applicants fished from the pool ade fished directly without a reinterview so no news at this point is just that, not good or bad.

I think Christ's send their email on Saturday too but not sure as DS has gone very quiet and doesnt really want to discuss it. He's adamant he won't get an offer but i dont know how much of that is trying to put a brave face on it, i still think it could go either way and I'm getting more nervous by the minute. I'm away for a few days and don't get home until Saturday so the letter/email may get there before I do

Has anyone heard from Exeter yet?

We are still waiting to hear from Durham for English, too mrsrhod. It is dd's second choice so I really hope it is not a "no" as we haven't heard yet.

Grammar, dd has a ridiculous offer for English from Exeter - they want two As and and A but if she firms them then they will lower it to 1 A and 2As.

That's barmy MrsBarlet, who is likely use an AAA offer as their insurance

Ludicrous, isn't it? The only way she will be putting them down is if she gets rejected by both Cambridge and Durham, then Exeter will probably be her firm as she really did like it. They have put her off a bit, though, with the silly offer!

dd had an offer from Durham A A B but Exeter is her favourite next after Cambs and we haven't heard, really really hoping to hear from them. So we are the opposite of you MrsBartlet! Ludicrous offer indeed! Who do they think they are, Oxbridge? I mean Exeter is very good and we both really loved the open day but they have a funny way of going about things, ie, they do not use the personal statement at all, it is all grades and references.... AAA* is more elite than the elite!

Randomfriend - sorry your dd got the disappointing outcome. I hope she bounces back quickly and i'm sure she will with your support.

I sulked for about 3 months after my Cambridge rejection; then suddenly pulled myself up at Easter when I realised I was going to fail my exams if i didn't start putting some work in again! And of course had a fabulous time at my 2nd choice uni.

I hope DS's letter arrives on Saturday as I don't think I can last till Monday. St John's don't appear to have discovered email yet, I half expect the letter to be written with a quill pen and have one of those red seal things on it.

DS won't even consider Exeter after the ridiculous offer nonsense.