Oxbridge Applicants for 2017

[HamletsSister]

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

Anyone else?

[RhodaBull]

Thanks for that, Asianmom. Good point about not embarrassing your dc! Perhaps they should reserve an accommodation block just for parents to try to stop certain ones from shouldering their way into interviews.

Mind you, the parents I met at the open day at Oxford were all lovely. I was terrified it was going to be full of super-pushy nightmare uber parents, but the only thing about us that was uber was our taxi provision...

[BasiliskStare]

In the spirit of encouragement , DS had the time of his tutorial changed at the end of last week as the tutor wanted to free up a block of time for marking History papers (Oxford). So things are obviously happening...
Good luck to all.

[HardcoreLadyType]

I was at lunch with someone today who was very insistent she knew someone who had had an interview at Oxford, already.

I didn't argue (because what was the point?) but could this be true?

Perhaps she just meant he had an interview date, which some people do have, I know.

[BasiliskStare]

HLT - there will be people better placed to comment but from a pragmatic point of view - DS has to vacate his room sharpish at the end of term to make sure it is ready for interviewees. If someone had already been interviewed , where would they stay ? ( given that at DS's college most subjects meant you needed to stay at least 1 night. ) Anyway - others will know better but my guess would be it is an interview date / invitation , not that it's done already. Over to others with more knowledge ...............

[GetAHaircutCarl]

There have been done scholarship interviews already.

Could that be it?

[GetAHaircutCarl]

Some...

[horsemadmom]

No such thing except internationals (Jardine etc)

[goodbyestranger]

Choral scholarship interview?

Aren't the Jardine's done abroad?

Anyhow, it won't be a mainstream interview.

[goodbyestranger]

Don't know why I put the apostrophe there.

[user7214743615]

I've known a colleague of mine, in a very small niche subject, do interviews early because he splits his time between US and UK and is away in December.

In my (large, mainstream) subject early interviews wouldn't be possible - a lot of candidates are interviewed, using a pool of interviewers, and all interviews have to take place in the same period.

Accommodation is not an issue if for a very small number of candidates - colleges do have a few guest rooms that can be used during term.

Probably more likely a mistake though.

[horsemadmom]

DD has opted out of helping at interviews and needs to vacate on the 3rd. Last year, she went up for interview on the 6th and was in the first wave.
FYI, she ended up staying for 4 days. Be prepared!

[HardcoreLadyType]

Oh, well it sounds quite possible that she was right, so I'm even more pleased I didn't Labour the point!

[ErrolTheDragon]

DD has applied for Gen. Eng at Cambridge. She thought the exam was ok, not enough time to finish one of the papers, but at an interview last week elsewhere, at which most of the other applicants had also done the exam, no-one had finished.

Re hotel accommodation for parents, given that the subjects and colleges have different days, it surely can't be as bad as for open days.

[goodbyestranger]

DS3 is doing the interview fortnight horsemadmom, so that will be quite nice for DS4 if he gets a chance to say hello (although he clearly won't before his first interview). He must be doing more than just the history interviews, because he's told me he's not home until the 15th.

[RhodaBull]

Cherchez la femme !!

[horsemadmom]

Best of luck to DS4! Is DS3 in college or private accommodation? The latter must make it easier to stay and party post-interview. DD wants to come home and make money as she has a ball habit to support.

[goodbyestranger]

He's in college horsemadmom. Hope your DD has enjoyed her first year.

[horsemadmom]

DD is blissfully happy, thanks! Exceeded expectations on all fronts.

[GetAHaircutCarl]

I'm pretty sure that interviews for organ and choral scholarships have taken place.

I know one lad who has already received a rejection for the former.

[user7214743615]

I'm pretty sure that interviews for organ and choral scholarships have taken place.

Yes and no. Auditions for organ scholarships have taken place. But the applicants also have to pass the academic threshold. If applying for music, they are interviewed for music at the time of the organ auditions and they do not usually have to come to interview in December. If they are applying to study a subject other than music (which is unusual) they are interviewed for their chosen subject at the same time as everyone else and don't get a decision until later.

For choral scholars it works differently. After academic offers are made, choral scholars then audition for choral scholarships. Choral scholars are typically applying for a wide range of subjects so the academic selection is done first, then the choral scholar selection.

[GetAHaircutCarl]

Thanks user.

i assume the lad in question applied for music, which would be why he already knows he's been rejected.

[goodbyestranger]

A friend of DD3, applying for English at Oxford, got a choral scholarship around now, then got pooled in December to another college which accepted her, but she retained the choral scholarship at the first college. The timing fits for choral scholarships I think, not that it matters very much and perhaps things have changed in the past three or four years.

[sendsummer]

For choral scholars it works differently. After academic offers are made, choral scholars then audition for choral scholarships. Choral scholars are typically applying for a wide range of subjects so the academic selection is done first, then the choral scholar selection.
Oxford does choral as well as organ auditions earlier in September. The candidates then have to get through the academic selection. I thought it was the same timing at Cambridge, vocal assessments first.

[user7214743615]

It's a drawn out process at Cambridge. There are auditions in Sept/Oct, but these are optional, informal and only a guide to whether you are likely to get a scholarship and to suggest which choir would suit your voice. It's only after getting an academic offer in Jan that the real choral trials take place in Feb/March.

[BasiliskStare]

A friend of DS had an organ scholarship from Cambridge , but as other posters have said , this was separate from his academic entrance requirements. Once again best wishes to all.