Getting into Oxbridge

[PinkPeppers]

Can someone explained to me what is needed to get into Oxford/Cambridge?
Dc1 is decided this is what he wants to aim for (good for him to aim high - I wont stop him from doing that). He is only in Y8 so plenty of time to change his mind too.

However, Im not british and I havent gone through the system so have little idea on how things are actually working.
In particular, im not sure about what is needed. Obviously very good A levels in your subjects (maths/science for dc1). But do you also need a very good GCSE and/or a high number of GCSE with a level 8/9 (A/A*)?
Does doing more GCSE than you have to making any difference?

I know that you need to be able to talk about your subject and be hapy to deal with questions where you didn't know the answer etc...
But what else can be playing in your favour? Ive read for example very conflicting advise of having the right sort of experience/voluntary work etc... (some saying its essential, some not).

Im well aware that he might never get there and might change his mind. But atm, this is the one thing that is helping him focus on his studies and the one thing that makes him want to do well (as well as he can do rather than coasting if that).
So any advice on what would help him and what would make a difference is welcome! and if he changes his mind, he will at least have learnt the power of focusing your mind on something you real;l'y care about

Eng Lit Rules!

To be honest, Maths at Warwick (as an alternative to Cambridge) is highly regarded

Yes - but also has eyewateringly high offers, from what I've heard. It would take a lot of confidence (or possibly be pointless) for an applicant to put them as their insurance choice.

Warwick used to have different offers depending on step result. I think my main point is that other universities are highly regarded and someone aiming for Cambridge maths should be a very high flyer anyway. Of course Warwick takes a lot of Oxbridge Maths rejects but that isn't surprising is it as not everyone who applies to Oxbridge gets in. Some would prefer not to try. If you don't get an Oxbridge offer, Warwick is often on the list for gifted mathematicians. Probably not insurance choice but first choice when rejected by Oxbridge.

Warwick used to have different offers depending on step result.

Still does (I'm on this years uni offers thread, so know all sorts of random stuff at the moment).

It does, horse!

For maths, LSE is worth looking at IMO.

LRB, I suspect you mean Imperial, which is the normal fall back for those who don't quite make Cambridge (and are not put off by the prospect of living in London). LSE's maths is quite specialised, so only for those who like variations of (lies and) statistics.

LSE is a fair way down the maths league table. The top ones (which chime with what I've heard from DDs pals and on here) are camb, ox, imperial, st andrews, warwick and Durham)

No, I'm being partisan. My brother and his wife teach there. They're lovely.

It is a very specialised kind of maths, though, I know.

Ah, good, not just an arts type with a questionable grasp of the word 'equal'.

Ooh, I wonder if they have taught DS, who long ago decided he preferred maths to writing essays.

Errol, a good example of where league tables don't help. Maths is a broad subject. If your interests are at the actuarial science, stochastics, or econometrics end of the spectrum then LSE is perfect. (As in earlier posts about not getting too focussed on Oxbridge.)

It's quite possible. I hope he liked them if so!

error - my grasp of all words is questionable.

Warwick make a standard offer which is quite a bit easier than Cambridges usual offer. They don't use AS UMS results to determine between candidates which takes a lot of pressure off very good candidates.

Need - oh, absolutely! For another example, anyone who very specifically wants to do electronic engineering probably shouldn't go to oxbridge.

Yay, Addley... ( even if going to the Other Place, sorry LRD.. mind you, the Other Place has got better since the good trend and it's dub generations have gone)

Oops, disrupting thread.

Warwick exceptional at economics as well as maths, excellent choice for good economists, with LSE as well, despite its bronze teaching rating. The one person I know at LSE gets top marks for his lectures every time and he is inspirational.
Disrupts thread again..

• good? Don't know where that came from. Spellcheck obv disliked Leavis and his sub generations as much as I did.

And so it should be.supporting LRD, , Errol...humpty dumpty was of course right.

I have no idea what any of you are on about.

Did you get all you need OP? Couple of interesting points have come out from the discussion:

If Oxbridge is the be all and end all for your son (which it shouldn't be) then applying for something that has a higher offers to applicants ratio, while still being related to his interests, would be a smart way to go. I have a friend who applied for Law, didn't get in, reapplied the following year for Greats (Classics) and got in. You might find that slightly mercenary behaviour, but he was a fairly gifted classicist, so I suspect he enjoyed his degree more this way. He has become a barrister, so he got where he wanted to be in any case.

Secondly, Oxbridge is not the best place for all courses (and indeed does not even offer all courses). There was a time, not sure if it's still the case, that Oxford Brookes (not affiliated with Oxford) was highly rated for architecture, something that Oxford does not offer, Manchester a top university for English, etc. So there's that.

What's going to be fairly important when your son starts looking around universities is, does he get a good vibe from the place? Plenty of capable people don't go to Oxbridge for a host of reasons, not least of which, am I going to enjoy my 3, 4, 5 years here?

Addley, which bit are you lost about? Is it the Other Place? That's Cambridge, which some wags also dub the University of East Anglia. If it's Orlanda's good Leavis, I'm equally baffled and am off to google it.

To sum up... go Dark Blues!

It was this bit: the good trend and it's dub generations

Sounds like a 90s acid house act :):):):):)

I know who Leavis is and I saw the correction to sub-generations, but no idea what the good trend was meant to be…

F. R. Leavis is often considered a formative influence on the Cambridge English Lit degree. He's, ahem, 'of his time'.

Cross post.

Yep, I've also no idea about the good trend. orlanda, you need to enlighten us.

University of East Anglia is an actual thing, though…

Tis. My perfect job would be at UEA.