Oxbridge 2015 #3

[Grammar]

Continuing Roisin and Molio's thread, just wanted a space in the last week before results for people to post their anxieties, and hopefully, come 13th August, also post their good news about their DDs and DSs. A place for celebration and commiseration.

Definitely not crazy talk dotdot as your dd is clearly very bright but St Andrews and Edinburgh are both excellent universities and I think if we had the possibility of a free degree at either of those I am not sure we would have been looking at Cambridge. Discussing this with dd though she says she should go for it and then decide if she gets an offer.

Yes, not crazy talk at all. Well done for fantastic results. There's a mystique about Oxbridge, Dd had the feeling she was an imposter with no chance for the whole application process, right until she got the offer.
The course will be a year shorter than Scotland so one less year of living expenses, but it's still a big financial difference when such great universities are free.
I think MrsB's Dd's suggestion is wise, look at the courses, apply and see what happens, she can always say no later.

Thanks for your answers. It's only Cambridge that would be possible as her exam results last year, the first year of Scottish CfE National 5s, weren't all As, but AAAABBCC. Her school chose to have the pupils sit eight rather than the typical 6, which resulted in much less teaching time and her weaker STEM subjects suffered as a result. I know that Oxford are more interested in the GCSE/Nat5 year results than Cambridge are.

She has looked at the courses and and the colleges, but I think she's worried about the interview stage as she feels that she wouldn't have anyone to help her prepare. She's also struggling with how to write a personal statement that would interest Cambridge as well as being suitable for the courses at St Andrews and Edinburgh.

If it's the same course, the PS should be straightforward. (As much as they ever are!) Cambridge aren't particularly interested in extracurriculars, but a couple of sentences will be fine. Good luck - it's worth a try to keep an option open if she's interested.

You'll have to start the 2016 Oxbridge thread

For Cambridge you get an additional SAQ form to fill in after your personal statement so you can leave any stuff specific to the Cambridge course/ reasons for applying for Cambridge for that.