Went to parents evening last night. DS1 should easily get in Oxford apparently?

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

He's only 3 months into year 12 so am surprised they'd know so soon?

His English teacher called him a genius. Luckily ds1 is modest and I managed to get him in the car ok as his head hadn't grown He isn't telling anyone. I have

I was secretly hoping he'd go to Durham near home so this came as a bit of a mixed blessing if I'm honest.

Have your dc/s been to Oxford? Or are they going?

His psychology teacher was heaping praise too. She said if there's a lull she knows she can go to ds1 for answers.

God it's hard though isn't it? Realising they'll be going soon I know it's for the best and has to happen but it's still tough.

Random Friend. There was no intention to cause offence, just a reference to Greengrow's slightly odd comment up thread, suggesting that Oxbridge was a way of "getting the best girls".

Agree with Random et al - no one gets in easily, and I don't think it's great to build up expectations like that

But what a lovely parents evening Sounds like your ds is really throwing himself into his A levels

It's lovely to have such a positive parents' evening.
There are tables showing number of applicants per place - for Oxford for history in 2013 it was 4 (as opposed to 10 for medicine) and at Cambridge only 3.

But we don't know this student, and his teacher does. And as random points out, what the teacher actually said might have been slightly different from what the OP's son heard, anyway.

I can see that some people would be crushed if they were told they'd 'easily' get in and then they didn't. But other people would not be confident enough to apply, would need a giant confidence boost even to consider it - and wouldn't then feel bad if they didn't get it, because they're that sort of person, who'd have felt thrilled to even consider they might try.

Might it not be something like that?

Link to admissions stats

On my sex/relationships issue....
What is the one thing teenage boys want and motivates them given their principal hobby is masturbation... it's girls.

Go on many dating sites and women will search the man's income and educational qualifications (and perhaps height) and the men will look to see how large her breasts are etc. I am not pleased this is so but it is.

So I only meant to motivate him mentioning the sex/women issue is a good idea. Although I've mentioned this to my postman son (degree in ancient history) and he says any girl who only wanted him for a salary is not a woman he'd want which is very admirable but most people tend not to think like that.

Yes, of course, green.

Homosexuality hasn't been invented, and all teenagers are far too stupid to look beyond sex to anything else.

Frankly, I think you are stealth boasting about your son in the misplaced belief that he's unusual in not objectifying women. He's really not. Trust me - I teach an awful lot of students this age, and they would laugh their heads off at the outdated claptrap you're coming out with here.

Freakin My dd was coaxed into applying by her teacher (state comprehensive...access trip) for History at Oxford this year. She only had time to do two or three HAT papers before, but managed to get an interview (& the interview somewhat freaked her out - excuse the pun).

No harm in trying, but it is worth knowing that the other candidates are VERY clever so you should get him to carefully consider his other four Ucas choices. There are about four applicants interviewed for every place, all of whom are brilliant. Also the three day interview stay can be quite gruelling on some candidates.

I should add that she really enjoyed the three day stay & the other students / university staff were lovely. It was only the 20 minute interview where she came over all clammy, which I guess is to be expected.

I think you mentioned his English teachers, Psychology teacher and how he is doing in Chemistry. What does his history teacher think?

You also said he will drop Chemistry. Do research how his chosen universities view Psychology A2 as it may not be as well regarded as some A Levels.

I agree chemistry is better regarded than psychology. Also look at the GCSE grades people get for the subject he wants to read at Oxford based on who is accepted on the courses, if those are available. They are for some courses.

(My son is currently postman and very happy (and he graduated from Reading not Oxbridge) so I am not sure where the suggestion of my stealth boasting comes in)

I'm not doubting that your ds is brilliantly clever. However nobody gets in easily. Due to the huge ratio of applicants to places etc. Interviewers also have a fairly short amount of time to make the right decision. I'd say it's a good target to aim for but make sure it's not the be all and end all and that he has good insurance choices.

Ds1 reading History at Cambridge currently. It does sound, op, that your DS is quite level headed as well as having strong academic potential. Worth bearing in mind that Oxford and Cambridge have differing selection processes. HAT etc for Oxford whereas for Cambridge a higher percentage get to the interview stage, so possibly less earlier hoops to jump through but the standard Cambridge offer A*AA may be higher than Oxford require - hopefully those with DCs at Oxford can confirm that one way or the other.

Your DS should certainly be considering other Uni's beyond Oxbridge. I think as someone has already said up thread there is a veritable gold mine of info in terms of course structures, options, modules, reading lists on the various Uni websites. Plus plenty of open day opportunities to visit a range of potential options. Whilst Cambridge and Oxford offer the full range of historical periods as options to study, this will not be the case everywhere. York, well regarded for History, starts its course from the fall of the Roman Empire - or at least did when DS1 was making his UCAS choices last year. And then of course the fairly intense workload, DS1 expected to produce a c.3000 word essay every week of term, and to have 1:1 supervisions to discuss it.

Plenty of time on your DC's side though, but will be well worth using that for some thorough research and subsequent consideration.

green, you were stealth boasting about making out you thought your son was unusual to treat women as human beings.

Not everyone imagines that the only thing you might ever boast about would be Oxbridge, much as you might wish to imagine so.

Gosh, I never meant to suggest that at all. I don't even think I wrote it. However most young men want a lot of sex and think about it all the time (as indeed do some women) so if you want to incentivise a boy mentioning huge availability of sexy women never goes amiss.

Except that it's in really bad taste, and crass and unhealthy to encourage young men to think that girls/women are so shallow, or like fish to be lured. Rather than being, you know, people.

My son is very happy studying History at Sheffield...there is (uni) life outside Oxbridge!

Yes, what atia said.

That is an absolutely revolting comment, 'availability of sexy women'.

Oh how exciting! You must be so proud OP, good for him for settling into 6th form so soon. (I had awful trouble with A levels so am impressed )

What quite helped me before I went for my interview was that the school organised for an Oxford grad to come in and do a mock interview. I'm not sure I knew quite how to take his advice on board but it was good nerveswise. Hadn't formally been interviewed at all until that point I don't think.

State school kids who are predicted 3 A grades, and are prepared for Oxford entrance by an Oxford graduate, are statistically more likely to get into Oxford than anyone else. this made me laugh though (sorry), I am all of those I suppose and got rejected in dec and it was for a quite unpopular subject too!

Don't mind (rankled a bit at the time of course) because I wouldn't have lasted a term there. He should make sure really wants to go if he accepts an offer- I have a feeling it doesn't suit everyone who gets in. Has he considered going abroad at all?

State school kids who are predicted 3 A grades, and are prepared for Oxford entrance by an Oxford graduate, are statistically more likely to get into Oxford than anyone else.

Agree - this is absolute codswallop. Take another look at the statistics!

There was a thread somewhere on MN by a woman who just knows that her children are heading for L5s and L6s in Y6.

Her eldest is 3 years old.

I reckon 3 months into Y12 seems a perfectly reasonable time for your son's teachers to be suggesting Oxbridge

My mistake - the eldest is 4. Still warrants a face though.

"getting the best girls,"

Another irony meter broken, Greengrow...