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Original poster

Oxford interviews and overnight stay

188 replies

bevelino · 16/11/2015 22:44

DD has applied to Oxford university and if she is lucky enough to be offered an interview is worried she may have to stay at the college for up to 3 days by herself. Please could someone let me know how this works? DD has suggested that I travel with her and stay in a b&b so that she can meet me when she has finished her interview(s). Any advice would be gratefully received.

OP posts:
Dumbledoresgirl · 15/12/2015 10:25

Oh ok, so ds's 2 interviews are equal to most other candidates' one?

So it would be a good sign, but not necessarily indicative of anything if he were offered a third interview? Or do science candidates not get offered additional interviews as they are already doing 2?

AtiaoftheJulii · 15/12/2015 11:06

Lots of candidates get two interviews, most don't get a third. There are always exceptions, and it's best to try not to guess what each twist or nuance might mean! (Although of course easier said than done Smile )

The thought that he might miss an interview because he hasn't checked the noticeboard every 10 minutes is very sobering.

Yes. Although at least at my dd's college the runners do seem to try to keep tabs on people and make sure they know where they're going when. And the interviewers will be flexible if possible.

They had one candidate that was supposed to be coming from another college. When s/he didn't turn up, they phoned the first college - not there either. Apparently the candidate didn't reappear for several hours, but still got to be interviewed.

RhodaBull · 15/12/2015 11:56

Ds got a text as well as the interview going up on the noticeboard.

horsemadmom · 15/12/2015 12:01

DD had 3 at her 1st college (as did everyone else) and 1 at another college. Going by her friends' experiences, it was different for every subject and different for every subject at every college. Infuriating.

Dumbledoresgirl · 15/12/2015 13:08

He isn't great at looking at texts either, but that is in normal everyday life. Hopefully, at Oxford, he will be a bit more alert!

MerryBell · 16/12/2015 15:43

Hi Molio,

Thanks so much for the response.
Yes she liked both the colleges. She was also told by her school that it was due to there not being enough places at the college she applied for. She now however feels that she has missed it by just one spot as the other girls were also sent/pooled from another college. The second college she was sent to had already interviewed 25 people for just 8 places, so I guess the chances are slim that they would have had more than one space available.
Do you hear of many situations where people are pooled and then not offered a place at all ?

Molio · 16/12/2015 18:33

I don't know the percentage of people pooled then not accepted anywhere MerryBell but it obviously happens. I don't think you can read anything into the numbers interviewed initially. A few years ago Christ Church declined every single person who chose the college or was allocated the college for a particular arts subject and asked for more applicants from around the city which then filled the quota. So if there was a similar situation then all eight places at the second college might still have been up for grabs. I personally know far far more people who were successful having been pooled than who didn't get a place, but that's obviously very unscientific. It's good that she liked the second college though.

MerryBell · 17/12/2015 16:08

Thanks again Molio. Well I guess that may help put her mind at ease. So its now just a waiting game till Jan 6th. It is going to be an anxious start to the year for her.

She would accept a place at either college so fingers crossed. Do you know how long they take to decide. Do they deliberate/discuss for days or is that they make their decisions on the the day or day after..

Molio · 17/12/2015 16:42

They make their decisions that night or the day after MerryBell. That bit will all be done.

MerryBell · 18/12/2015 09:41

Thanks Molio.

MerryBell · 04/01/2016 10:49

Well, the moment is near. Does anyone know if the email as swell as send the letters in the post ?

MerryBell · 04/01/2016 10:50

Well, the moment is near. Does anyone know if the email as well as send the letters in the post ?

Molio · 04/01/2016 11:21

It varies between colleges MerryBell and can even vary between the same subject at the same college - thus last year e-mail rejections were sent out for DS3's subject at his college and offer letters arrived the same day in the post.

Sorry not to be more help! And good luck!

Asterisk · 04/01/2016 23:37

I bet Pip Archer bloody well gets in.

Eastpoint · 04/01/2016 23:39

Oxford email, Cambridge write letters. I think Oxford sends their emails out tomorrow & Cambridge posts their's on Friday.

Asterisk · 05/01/2016 02:39

Phoebe Blush

Molio · 05/01/2016 08:02

Eastpoint that's not correct, about universal e-mails from Oxford. None of my six got an e-mail for undergrad, they all got letters (and that was across six colleges too). Some colleges do e-mail acceptances, some e-mail rejections only and some don't e-mail at all.

MrsUltra · 05/01/2016 09:07

I bet Phoebe Archer bloody well gets in

Grin - yes I was thinking that !

Molio · 05/01/2016 09:22

Has she named a college as well as a subject MrsU? - I'm going to tune in!

Eastpoint · 05/01/2016 09:46

Sorry Molio, not sure if you have someone in the system this year but that was my understanding for this year.

MrsUltra · 05/01/2016 10:03

I only listen intermittently nowadays but happened to hear last year when Jennifer was bragging that Phoebe's teachers had said she was good enough for Oxford, and she might even get into X college implication that there is a hierarchy of colleges to get into and this one was the most prestigious. It was named, I can't recall which - maybe Christ Church or Balliol? And I think it was for PPE.
And yesterday ? I caught a section where Jennifer met someone (Justin Elliot?), and was asking him about Oxford, he said he was a Cambridge man and had assumed Jennifer was a Newnham girl.
I assume she will get in, and they will have to create a fictitious college - eg Shrewsbury College Grin and there will be occasional references to punting, dons, May Balls...

Molio · 05/01/2016 10:23

Or sex and drugs and failing prelims MrsU!

tropicalfish · 05/01/2016 10:25

hi,
We were told that it would be by letter not email.

Fingers crossed for everyone.
We shall be checking email though just to make sure. The post doesnt arrive until 1030.
tf

Molio · 05/01/2016 10:32

I think all the answers are intended to be received on the same day Eastpoint but not necessarily by the same method.

Anyhow, I'm not sure which is more painful - refreshing e-mails or waiting for the post (and then there are all the subdivisions: is DC at school and able to access e-mails?/ will DC bother to phone with a result?/ who's in the house to get the post?/ will the dog eat the post? (perhaps others don't share this problem:)) etc. etc.).

Last year I succumbed to TSR and saw when the first result for DS3's college/ subject was declared. That was not good for my heart rate.

Best wishes to all, I don't envy you!

horsemadmom · 05/01/2016 10:57

Our postal service is just crap. If it arrives tomorrow it will be a miracle. Poor DD is saying words like 'gap year' and 'Bristol'. I think the school wants them in tomorrow so no one is left alone at home to deal with the results.
The TSR word seems to be that envelopes containing either type of news can be any size. The only put-the-champers-on-ice postal missive is two letters. The second of which will be a yes from your pooled college. Any experience, Molio? This might be the worst possible outcome for DD but she's an odd case.

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