Take a gap year and reapply to Oxbridge?

[tyngedyriaith]

DD has been rejected from Cambridge. People with far worse grades have gotten in. She's disappointed. She mentioned retrying next year if she exceeds the standard offer?

Is it worth it considering Welsh fees are going up next year?

You can't. You post your own summary of someone else's posts that says the exact opposite of what they wrote (and it really wasn't difficult).

Well my mate's a Professor and she and I are in perfect agreement. Though clearly neither of us know what we're saying or are fit to be let out...

And your qualifications are?

My qualifications are a degree in MFL (1st), MBA (top B school) and several years working in educational philanthropy in the UK university sector, plus several years of consulting. Plus ongoing professional and personal connections in all sorts of relevant institutions. I presume you think that in depth reading of Shakespeare, Austen and Dickens is more relevant than finance and politics?

Sorry but this pissing competition makes you both look daft.

Neither of you have any inside information on what's gone on in this years round of admissions.

Degrees taken thirty years ago are hardly relevant or impressive or helpful to the issue at hand.

I agree Carl that degrees are irrelevant.

However, I do have some fab insider info since yesterday!

bobo, it's not the fact that your qualifications aren't sufficient to comment on Oxbridge admissions (though, obviously, they are insufficient). It's that you're reading what people say, presuming it's agreement when it isn't, and getting yourself in a tangle of confusions. It's not anna who misunderstood - you've misunderstood so badly you don't even seem to follow her clarifications.

A factor in the supposed plunge in Oxbridge offers for "top" public schools might be the foreign student factor. A quick google suggests between 15 and 30% (for boarding) of public school students are now from abroad. So, potentially, 30% of the cohort may be cleaving towards STEM subjects and therefore perhaps preferring Imperial or the US. And, consequently, fewer pupils may be opting for Arts subjects.

Furthermore, just a hunch, but I reckon parents of Arts students are generally poorer (even if they're posh) and the pupils have migrated off to leafy comprehensives and grammars.

Furthermore back in my day (80s) Oxbridge entrance was a game with very unclear rules. Now there is still a game to be played, but the internet allows those who invest just a bit of time to understand the rules a little and join in. Plus no closed scholarships. Two of my cousins went to Cambridge on closed scholarships from their public school.

Last point - if anyone suggests ds sneaked into Oxbridge on some kindly widening participation ticket... I'll biff 'em!

I'm certainly not an admissions expert, just a parent and step-parent - that's precisely why I give credence to reliable and respected sources.

What a degree taken some time back (and one which is relevant to the work I do) has given me, is significant competence when it comes to understanding written texts and in my own use of language

Bobo - a little naughty to chuck "However, I do have some fab insider info since yesterday! " without explanation

Which emboldens me to be a little naughty, in that I am agog anyone in your family could be "Agog at how very certain they were, of everything. Gentle teasing, no more.

Sadly cannot share or I would be in dire trouble. Though it's hardly a secret that universities are extremely worried about future cash flow and busy ensuring they do not jeopardise any possible sources of finance, with new political imperatives.

How convenient. You have insider info you can't possibly share, news of a secret plot about Etonians and Brexit you can't explain, and ... no evident knowledge of Oxbridge admissions whatsoever.

I don't follow why you think anyone ought to believe what you say?

Ooooh this is all rather undignified!
Bobo, I don't understand why you CARe so much about something about which, if I understand correctly doesn't affect you in the least - you didn't attend Oxford or Cambridge, you don't have dcs who attend either University... ??

FWIW I shall throw in the first hand info I have from my own experience - one dc in 2nd year at Cambridge and one dc with an Oxford offer to start October 2017. The admissions processes each time seemed clear and rigorous - with all sorts of hoops to jump through from application to offer. Both dcs felt fairly and well treated - and pleased but lucky to get offers as they were aware that there were far more perfectly able candidates than places.

From their independent London day school - 10% free places for boys who would otherwise be unable to attend and a great many bursaries etc on top of that offering reduced fee places - but highly academically selective at 10+, 11+, 13+ and 6th Form - 2 years ago there were 25 Oxbridge offers which was a record for them, this year 45 boys have offers.

Giddy how many in the Y13 cohort out of interest?

Bobo is an Oxbridge consultant for the rich kids in the 16eme I believe, so obviously an air of mystery helps bring in the punters who I think I recall her saying pay her in handbags.

I agree Giddy - the process seems to me to be one where deploying common sense produces the best results and common sense involves ignoring some of the sillier claims about it, on the grounds that they're silly.

Approximately 150 in year 13.

I'd agree with Giddy.

My children - including stepchildren - grow up in an city where there is selective education. And my daughter is doing a degree at Cambridge.

Both with secondary school and with the University of Cambridge, it felt as if the institutions did their very best to make clear information about the applications process available. Because they really want people to apply so they can have lots of good candidates to choose from. And they don't want good people to mess up the applications either - because the procedures might not have been properly and clearly set out.

Essentially if you read what it says on the tin and follow the guidance and the instructions that's about the best you can do.

There seems to be a kind of cottage industry of magical thinking - which can be very profitable - and yes, some people will always believe buying the potions and the charms is a sound investment.... (A shame though, because it can involve being ripped off.)

I have lots of reasons to be interested but the main one is explaining to French hopefuls why they are likely not to receive an offer omit they apply, and setting out the data to back up that position.

if they apply

This involves advising them not to part with their €€€ for advice with the process.

No-one is statistically likely to receive an offer if they apply.

If French DC do so badly compared to other EU DC (and do they in fact - no idea), what is your explanation?

French DC with the normal French bac, as opposed to French or international (including Anglophone) DC with the French OIB, have very low hit rates. I do not know enough about the subleties of all the other international qualifications to comment on their detail and of course there always are offers made by Oxbridge to Franco-French DC with a straight French bac who are at hyper selective state schools (Louis-le-Grand, Henri IV). For a reason I have no insight into, highly selective Catholic schools (Stanislas, Franklin) have a seemingly worse Oxbridge hit rate than the state equivalents though their bac results are just as good or better and their pupils tend to speak better English (because they come from richer homes).

Most of the potential applicants who ask my advice are Franco-French with the normal French bac, so statistically in the very low hit rate group. Most of them do not fulfil the minimum entrance criteria either. It's not rocket science to use available data to create a few slides to illustrate their chances. They can then weigh up fir themselves whether it is worth going to the time, hassle and expense of applying.

A 5 A* A-level student won't get accepted to Ginette. If you want to succeed at entry to the most competitive courses, you need the right preparation. OIB was designed to bridge the gap but sadly not many schools offer it.

I have to say I don't understand your post - but that is because I have no proper knowledge of the French education system.
What I can take issue with is your bald statement that French children from rich families speak better English BECAUSE they are from rich families??!!

I also don't understand why all these privileged French people would be seeking your advice??

Don't take issue with it. If you want to learn to speak good English and you are in the French education system, you pretty much have needed, up until now, to pay for private lessons.

Fortunately cheap and access to Netflix and online media is making English far more widely available to the many.

I don't know why they started either, Giddy!

I'm going to quietly step away from this thread Bob of. I find you a bit... scary.

I'm very scary in RL