Oxbridge Applicants for 2017

[HamletsSister]

DS has done his exam (Oxford, History) and written his essay. Now, the waiting begins.......

Anyone else?

No, offers through track appear much later. The notification will come from the college only on the 11th, either through the post or by e-mail or both.

DD has been pretty downhearted since returning from her Oxford interviews. Her mock interviews had gone well but she felt that she hadn't done herself justice during the real thing. Obviously, I feel sorry that she's upset but it's done. It's over. I'm sympathetic but we always knew that the application process was brutal so I'll give her this weekend to feel a bit yuck and then she needs to move on. She feels that only being interviewed at her chosen college and not being 'pooled' means the end of her Oxford dream. ........ it may do, it may not. She also has four other great offers to consider if Jan 11th brings unwanted news. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

doglover not being pooled either means she's in the bottom cut at her chosen college but equally it could mean she's in the top cut. It's not over yet!

DD3 had an ok but not glittering first interview according to her (law at Magdalen) and then an absolutely pathetic and feeble one with all three of the college tutors there to witness her miserable performance. Her debrief did actually make it sound pretty bad. She was very cross with herself and really, really wanted another interview - at any college - just to show she wasn't quite that bad, but none was forthcoming. It was the year of the snow and post not getting through to our outpost of empire but she didn't want to phone or e-mail merely to hasten the inevitable rejection. She had however given me her e-mail password to keep an eye on messages when she was at school/ away and when an e-mail finally popped up I asked her sister whether we should open it or tell her it had arrived and the consensus was to call her in from outside where she was lugging in a Christmas tree with a brother. Her reply was terse to say the least ('What the fuck is it?') so her sister and I looked at each other, shrugged, opened it and to our astonishment it was an offer.

It really is impossible to tell.

Thanks , GS :) Great words of wisdom and much appreciated.

doglover DD3's dejection was completed by the fact that as she left the door and closed the door the three tutors burst out laughing - loudly. I tried to think of innocent reasons why they might have done that but by the end of the fortnight I was struggling to see any perspective other than DD3's: obviously, the tutors had never interviewed anyone quite so dim and that was the cause of merriment.

Good luck to your DD!

DD1 had 3 interviews at her chosen college and 2 more at a college she really didn't like. Most other applicants had just two at the 1st college and then were released. 2 besides DD were sent to other colleges (18 interviewees for 9 places). DD's offer came from her chosen college and most of the other offer holders were chosen after just 2 interviews and 2 candidates were imported. DD's 2nd college interview was for standardisation. All is revealed at subject drinks when they go up in October and a ritual reading-out of the personal statements completes the merriment.
It is hard to hear but, every college is different and you can't read anything into the pattern or number of interviews.It will get worse on decision day when speculation begins as to whether the college emails, sends by post or phones (Keble Medicine in years past) with the decision.

It's impossible not to worry yourself into a frazzle, isn't it? I'm worrying because DS three interviews all seemed to go well! He is applying for one of the less popular subjects though, so fingers crossed.

He really enjoyed his few days there though, and has made some new friends. I hope everyone has a good holiday, and doesn't let the worry spoil things too much .

The process is really hard to second guess. Two interviews means you're definitely in or definitely out. Being sent to another college means you are either still in the running or just being used to standardise the process.

Ds was one of 40 being interviewed for 8 places so he knew his chances were not great.

I think the hard things is when you come across as just "meh". If you've utterly blown it, then that's easier to accept, but not getting a chance to show what you're capable of is so frustrating.

It's different again with the Oxford science that DS is applying for Rhoda because everyone has interviews at two colleges and no more. The tutor cheered them all up by saying they were interviewing lots more than usual because there were lots of strong applicants and so forty six were interviewed for nine places. That's pretty grim odds at college level.

Just as well that there are lots of other excellent universities, isn't it?

Just as well that there are lots of other excellent universities, isn't it?

Of course, but this is the Oxbridge thread, and the interviews have only just taken place, and we are all facing a few weeks of wondering. You can't blame us for being a bit obsessed preoccupied by it.

Oh, me too of course (I've been on the thread awhile, morphed from Errol at some point and haven't got round to changing back).

DH was getting glum at not having delved sufficiently into the applicants per place and the numbers that they pool for the various cambridge colleges, having belatedly realised that DD's choice has a high applicant:place ratio and particularly low pool rate for her subject, so I've been having to do a bit of bracing talk!

Errol it can all change though. I know that one college which has historically never pooled is doing so this year - not Engineering but the principle that things aren't immutable applies.

Historically not pooled for a certain subject is what I mean.

DD had one interview with a totally inscrutable interviewer who gave absolutely nothing back, and a much more pleasant person (she said it was good cop bad cop but with added sources) and another which was more of a general chat about her interests and strengths. Historically her chosen college receives pooled applications rather than referring them, so we're expecting an outright yes or no. She is trying not to fret.

DS's 2nd interview went well and they asked if he would accept a deferred place, if offered. He is only 16 (17 by the time he finishes school in the summer) so he was positive about the option. Not sure if that was a good sign, or if they ask all the younger ones this question.
I was 16 when I was interviewed and deferred my place - I got the impression that the colleges really didn't want responsibility for students who were still legally children! Looking back, I wish I'd gone straight up as I lost some of the momentum with studying, and couldn't afford to do anything very interesting in my gap year - I stayed at home and worked.

Interesting how many on this thread are Oxbridge graduates themselves and also irl how many current applicants are children/grandchildren of Oxbridge graduates. Seems even more striking than the private/state school discussion. Not in any way saying that's a bad thing or a good thing, just couldn't help noticing, and I guess not surprising in a way !

IME a standard state school kid with standard state school normal university parents doesn't necessarily even think of Oxford/Cambridge as a possibility.

Not Oxbridge, DH not Oxbridge. In fact, only one person has ever applied to Oxbridge from DS's school and, this year, because of DS getting enthusiastic, a friend of his has applied to the other one too.

Also, not only not a private school but DS told me that he took great delight when, being constantly asked by other applicants, "How many GCSEs do you have?" Replying, "None!" He has Scottish stuff instead.

DS is quite keen on a gap. All his other choices are 4 year, Scottish Universities so he would definitely go straight away there. He works a lot (tourist area) but would get to read a huge amount which might put him ahead when he starts. But, I warned him he might get bored at home if all his friends have gone off already. I suppose work / travel / read.. We can't fund his travels but can feed him (just) for another year.

I rather hope he can go somewhere straight away but.....

DH and I went to a redbrick. I applied to Cambridge but remembering the interview still makes me cringe - I had absolutely no idea how to do one, and a massive chip on my shoulder because my school offered no help with the entrance exam so I felt (rightly or wrongly) that I was at a major disadvantage applying on the basis of predicted A levels.

My DH however had been to Oxford - scholarship lad just before WWII, his dad started his working life being hired as a farmhand in the market square, Hardy-style.

Certainly no Oxbridge here! I went to teacher training college - first of my family to have any sort of higher education - and my husband left school after 'O' levels/C.S.Es.

This is why MN is so useful to those of us with no experience of UCAS, universities and Oxbridge etc. :)

That sort of statement begs the question: what is your experience, IcedVanillaLatte!

And then of course also, what do you mean by 'standard' state school kid and even more interestingly 'standard state school normal university parents'!

(In my undergraduate days at Durham in the eighties, the big name schools were vastly over represented.... Thus it was entirely possible to be standard Etonian/ Wykehamist/ Harrovian etc whilst at the same time being 'normal university').

Anyhow, a very good standard MN sweeping statement begging to to be torn apart .

My experience is attending one private senior school, one state senior school and three state FE colleges and noticing that almost nobody from the state schools had considered applying to Oxford or Cambridge, no matter how capable, and noticing that those kids whose parents had been to prestigious universities were well aware that some universities are generally considered more desirable than others, while other students were sometimes led by teachers to consider all universities to be equal. How is relating my own experience a sweeping statement?

By "normal university", in the context of this thread, I meant not Oxford or Cambridge.