Oxbridge Applicants for 2017

[HamletsSister]

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

Anyone else?

Depends on your college I think. Look at the college website or ask your applicant dc what info they've been given?
My ds's college says letters sent out on 10th to UK applicants.

Well, he did get an offer, and didn't decline.

Actually, old boys network could well be true, but I know he would be mortified if that was the case, so I'll just keep it to myself.

The colleges at Oxford (and I am sure at Cambridge too) are all under an absolute embargo and will not under any circumstances release outcomes be they offers or rejections to any undergraduate candidates or their schools before the letters that go out on the 10th and the emails that get sent on the 11th. There is no 'old boys network' about these things.

DS is at Eton, which is arguably a big part of the old boy network, and there is not even the remotest sniff of anyone amongst his cohort having heard of offers in advance.

Hmm. Well one college this year sent out a list of History offerees to the student helpers in error, before the interviewees had even left the building, so things do go wrong. In fact the e-mail was deleted instantly by the helper in question before any damage was done - but there was certainly potential for leaks.

Hmmmm.... sounds like the email might have been the candidates who would definitely get an offer from the college in question. There's no way to know if additional candidates were headed to the pool which meets after the interviewees have left.

Honestly, I understand the instinct to speculate. I was in your shoes last year and it is nerve wracking for DCs and parents. However, there really is no 'old boys network' on this. There's no hidden agenda. Anyone who says they got an offer before the 11th is telling porkies (except Keble medics who sometimes get a phone call the evening before offers hit the mat).

Letters can be A4, business size, thick or a single sheet. If your DC was pooled, you might get 2 letters- one a rejection from the direct application college and the second an offer from another college. This is all Oxford advice, BTW. Every college has different stationery.

DD had one, regular, business sized envelope with a single sheet of paper offering her a place. This was more than compensated for by the barrage of communication over the following months.

Yes it was exactly that horsemadmom. Those with an offer from the college of choice.

I'm struggling to think why any intelligent student would spread the word that they had an offer before offer day even if it was their beak's protege or some such who told them so. There's just such a lot of scope for error....

Of course I accept that there is always scope for human error. The whole admissions process relies on enormous goodwill from all sides, and a huge amount rests on the shoulders of the student 'runners' who volunteer to stay on after term ends to help candidates, deliver them to interviews on time, and make sure that all the candidates get the correct amount of time with the right written pre- interview extract. In my experience, everyone truly wants the candidates to be given every chance to shine and show what they can do: the runners bend over backwards to be helpful,and know from their own experience how the candidates are feeling. However they play no part in deciding who gets an offer, nor would they not know what to do with any such information received in error. I just wanted to scotch the idea that there is any question of privileged access to early information. There just isn't. Human error is another matter, and of course that could very occasionally happen. To be honest, the more usual problems involve candidates oversleeping, getting interview dates, times and places wrong, wanting a late supper because they want to go to a church service or to prayer, needing an escort after dark for a 7pm interview at another far-flung college, forgetting pens and highlighters, forgetting calculators, missing flights and the like. They all get sorted out and re-allocated a new time for re- interview if necessary, if only for the sake of the worried parent at home who is desperately hoping that everything is going ok. I've been that person too! Good luck to all your DC's but please do remember too there are other truly brilliant universities out there. Just because Oxbridge is competitive it doesnt mean that it is the best at everything. And postgrad at Oxbridge is less competitive

Sorry meant to say 'interview' not 're-interview'.

I meant scope for error if you're an applicant and rely on unofficial word of mouth as to whether or not you have an offer, ahead of time.

I agree, I think 'unofficial word of mouth' with any truth to it unlikely in the extreme. I cannot envisage any curcumstances under which a tutor would release such information on the qt. I think those days are long over, admissions are just too scrutinised now and rightly have to be seen to be fair and based entirely on merit not on contacts or nepotism. Who would want to admit anyone on any other basis than merit anyway? They would just look foolish to the rest of the faculty if they took someone on who could not cope. So yes I take your point.

curcumstances

Just to say best wishes and good luck to all for tomorrow. DS's college - business sized envelope , one sheet and a slim trifold insert. No way of looking through the envelope window to see the answer (I tried ) .

Amongst DS's cohort and friends I did not hear of anyone who found out before the official letter arrived. I would be sceptical, but of course my experience is limited.

Is it true that rejections come in smaller envelopes, and offers comes in A4 size envelopes?

Good luck all. DS is expecting an e-mail, he thinks at about noon. I hope for his sake he is right because we are in a remote corner of Scotland and the weather is currently awful, getting worse, so it would be a bit nerve wracking if he had to wait an extra day for the post.

He is in a strange kind of limbo. If he gets in, he will have to work hard to make his offer. If not, he has a couple of unconditional offers and should get a couple more, so can relax. His friend (Cambridge) has to wait an extra day, which is hard on her too.

HamletsSister at least it sounds as if you don't rely on a ferry - 25 of Calmac's 26 routes are currently affected by the weather as I type! Very best of luck to your DS and to all the other DCs too. Oxford hasn't been mentioned here at all and DS seems very mellow - long may that continue.

It's not true about envelope size, so relax everyone! Rejections and offers alike come on a single or double sheet. Nothing bulky. What will be will be, but good luck to one and all xx

And by e-mail........???

Good luck to everyone. Dropped DS back to school today and he seems fairly grounded about the whole thing (in stark contrast to his parents).

Last year dd received an email at 09:15 am.

Good luck all. I do remember The Day with DS. And of course if the answer is no from Oxford it is not not not the end of the world. But of course I know you know that.

Good luck to everyone waiting for news from Oxford today. Fingers crossed.

Good luck everyone! I too vividly remember this day last year. FWIW DD's acceptance was in an A4 envelope (and I could see the first line of the letter through the transparent window!)

Best wishes everyone.

A friend has just texted to say her DD, who failed to get a place last year, has one this. A good way to start the day.

Was that an email or a letter needs? i'm in meetings form 10 so wont hear form DD until 5 :(