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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:
Bearcatt · 10/01/2015 21:02

DS's were rejected from Cambridge & Oxford respectively 9 & 5 years ago.
Not sure DS1's heart was ever truly in it and I know he was proud to have been interviewed but not too worried when he was rejected.
He went on to get a First at Nottingham in engineering. He is now actually a management consultant in banking , still furthering himself with exam success and has recently taken & passed the first part of a qualification which he said was the hardest exam he has ever taken.
DS2 was interviewed at Oxford for Economics & Management, rejected & went on to get a 2:1 at Nottingham.
He is now in the thick of exams in accountancy with Deloitte.
So, for all of the people that have received rejections this week, please don't be despondent as they really are amongst the brightest young people to get as far as they did and they can still achieve great things at other universities and afterwards too in their careers.

webwiz · 10/01/2015 21:16

Thanks for your comments Bearcatt DS is bouncing back already. We've been out for dinner this evening and got back to presents on the doorstep from DS's friends to cheer him up. I must admit that did make me cry!

bobs123 · 10/01/2015 21:19

Awwww - how sweet! I think DD is going to make cookies tomorrow to take into school so they can have a general self sympathy party at break time!

MrsBartlet · 10/01/2015 21:32

That is lovely webwiz - glad he is bouncing back already.

funnyperson · 10/01/2015 21:50

Congratulations to those with offers from me too, and sympathy to those feeling rejected- turning points in young lives which will all end well I'm sure.

HMF1 · 10/01/2015 22:27

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone. I haven't posted much but have lurked & have been greatful to share the experience with you all. DS is recovering & has gone to see A Beautiful Mind tonight even though it is set in Cambridge & he was supplying for Nat Sci physical. He even managed to quip that if Cambridge & St Andrews (still waiting) don't want him if Edinburgh was good enough for Higgs it's good enough for him.

HocusUcas · 10/01/2015 22:46

MadameJospehine , Imperial College Shock not just a good college - it is utterly brilliant. I know of people who decided they would rather apply to Imperial than Cambridge . If your DS has a place there , then he is obviously very clever

Well done to all. I agree this has been a lovely thread . I suppose it helps that all DCs whether they have offers or not are all really talented and have fantastic options so it's all a bit up-side all ways round .

Hocus.

duchesse · 10/01/2015 22:57

It's a no for DD, although apparently she was pooled. She said her interview went really badly so she's not surprised. Well done to all the DC who have had offers- no matter whether they get in or not, all of them are amazing to even be interviewing there. DD has 3 other offers in hand and will probably accept St Andrews.

VegasIsBest · 10/01/2015 22:58

Well done to everyone who's kids got this far and congratulations to all those with offers. I've read this thread with interest having been through the process last year with my son. He's now at Oxford and really enjoying his course. His friends at other unis also seem to be having a great time and enjoying all the new experiences.

MadameJosephine · 11/01/2015 08:38

He doesn't have an offer for imperial yet hocus but has an interview on 21st January so fingers crossed. When he was researching unis he was torn between imperial and Cambridge and actually prefers the course content at imperial so maybe fate has made the choice for him, we'll see. He does however have achievable offers for UCL and Bristol and although I may be a little biased he is extremely clever takes after his mum

alreadytaken · 11/01/2015 11:14

congratulations to all those with offers and commiserations to all those who dont have offers. A couple of friends children who didn't get offers in recent years- one got a first and another where I thought Cambridge made a great mistake is doing well both academically and socially at another leading university. I suspect they will be the most successful of their school year....

For those who have offers - with the exception of Cambridge mathmos few Oxbridge offer holders fail to get a place so start worrying about the traffic and where to park when unloading all their things. Most will get college parents who will contact them before they arrive and help them settle in. There may be family meals and in time college "engagements", weddings, children and grandchildren. Cambridge mathos have a harder time, I'm afraid so Wine for the parents and applicants and may STEP go well for them.

There will be Facebook pages for offer holders and they may "meet" those living nearby before they actually arrive. Try to enjoy these last few months, they will be gone all too soon.

MrsBartlet · 11/01/2015 11:38

Good advice alreadytaken. I really want to enjoy these last few months with dd being at home as she is our eldest and October will mean us moving on to a completely new stage.

The joy for us in her going to Cambridge (final grades permitting!) is that it so much closer to us than any of her other choices. It is only just over an hour away, so convenient but far enough away for it to be separate, IYSWIM. I also go to Cambridge for work about twice a month so I will be able to meet her for lunch or coffee.

funnyperson · 11/01/2015 15:29

This is not meat to be tactless, but for Oxford offer holder mums, when you go to graduation, try and take rooms at the Randolph. We didn't but the parents who did had a whale of a time meeting the other parents.

funnyperson · 11/01/2015 15:30

meant.
I never did meet the parents on the thread the year we applied. Always wondered what they were like in real life.
Hello Bearcat!

HocusUcas · 11/01/2015 16:45

Sorry MadameJ I misinterpreted "Imperial here we come " Blush Fingers crossed for the 21st then !

YogaCats · 11/01/2015 17:16

Just echoing the "well done" to all those with offers, and commiserations to those who missed out. Wine , Brew , and Biscuit Biscuit all round, I say!

Thank you to everyone for their support - although I mainly lurked, I've found it hugely useful to have some contact with other parents going through the process. Good luck to everyone's DCs, wherever they may end up! Smile

bobs123 · 11/01/2015 17:44

Can I ask for those whose DCc have offers - have they been given target grades for 4 A Levels? The 2 Dcs who have been accepted from DD's school have been told they have to get 2 A*s and 2 As. This is different to the expected target grades based on 3 A Levels

roisin · 11/01/2015 18:17

bobs123 - ds1's offer is just the standard offer for his subject: A*AA, no subjects mentioned, not conditions, no fourth A Level required.

MrsBartlet · 11/01/2015 20:04

Dd's offer is based on 3 A levels (A* AA) but she is only doing 3 A levels. Her school really wanted her to do 4 A2s but given that she got a B for French at AS we didn't think she should continue with it as we thought it would take time away from her 3 best subjects and weaken her application. After a lot of advice (including from mumsnet!) we decided that 3 A2s would be enough and as we knew that if she stated on her UCAS form that she was doing 4, then they would all form part of her offer, we thought it safest to ditch the French and stick with her strongest subjects. Seems to have worked Smile

bobs123 · 11/01/2015 20:42

So what you are saying is that if you take 4 subjects at A2 then they will all form part of the offer? I don't think one of the students in question knew this as he was hoping to stop one of the subjects and concentrate on the other 3 but thought it would be useful to be studying 4 in the run-up to the offer/refusal.

My DD and all those taking the interview for Cambridge thought that even if they were taking 4 subjects, that only 3 would count towards the offer

AtiaoftheJulii · 11/01/2015 20:46

bobcat - is that Oxford or Cambridge? Mathsy subjects?

DD's is the standard Oxford arts AAA for her 3 subjects.

roisin · 11/01/2015 20:56

ds1 did 1 full A level last year (Maths), 3 more this year. I believe his (Oxford) offer AAA includes the A he already has (and he is re-sitting one module to aim for the A that he narrowly missed). This is for science subject.

bobs123 · 11/01/2015 20:57

Do you mean me Atia?!!

Cambridge - one friend of DD's has an offer for music, the other for something sciencey - both offers are contingent on results for 4 A Levels

AllMimsyWereTheBorogoves · 11/01/2015 21:01

Three years ago my son was taking four subjects to A2 but his offer from Oxford was AAA (standard offer at the time).

AllMimsyWereTheBorogoves · 11/01/2015 21:03

Sorry, I should have added my congratulations and commiserations to everyone! Are there any Cambridge poolees still hanging or is it all done and dusted now?

Good luck to all your offspring with the A levels and the great adventure to follow. In a masterpiece of timing both my children have Finals this summer but I do usually manage to feel rather more removed from it all than I did when they were at school. Smile