Oxbridge applicants 2018

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I've hesitated before making this thread as I don't really like the whole making Oxbridge out as a special case when there are lots of amazing universities that are just as good for individual courses. However, it is a different application process with a lot happening by January should they get that far and irl I don't know anyone else's dc applying to talk to them about it. I expect most of us are in that situation. At the moment I rely on dd and the occasional foray into student room to learn what happens next.

So welcome all parents of Oxbridge candidates - a thread to chat over what's to come and to support if our kids find they have to steer in a different direction.

Application forms due in in a few weeks

Thanks. And you. We're staying over tomorrow night as it's a bit of a trek!

We're getting an early train on Saturday morning as it's a couple of hours for us. It sounds like they are in for an interesting day. I have promised to disappear if there are no other aged parents around!

Oh I've been told to leave asap 😁 it does look like they will have a good day anyway. He's still not back - he does some tutoring so I still don't know how the test went for him!!

My son also took PAT and found it very tough. Bore no resemblance to
Past papers.
As did his classmates at Grammar school.
Said he has given up aiming for Oxford now.
We have offers from Bath and going to applicants open day at Southampton in two weeks time.

I know we're not a scientific sample size but there's some comfort in knowing PAT was harder than expected for everyone.

DS had an interview at Imperial last week and not heard from there yet so it's not been a great week so far!

PAT people it is difficult to judge I expect. Our DC are used to achieving 80% plus in exams. This will feel like they could not do it. Keep positive

Thanks Hubble. Trying to keep positive,

Finally caught up with ds. He said the natsci was as he expected and thinks he probably got around 50% - doesn't seem too concerned as he was prepared for it to be hard!

Thanks all “PAT mums” who shared the same feelings, it’s comforting and relieving. Saw unanimous feedback on it from student room too. So I told DS and asked him to calm down himself as much as possible and get prepared for the interviews at Imperial and Manchester next weeks.

DS had an interview at Imperial at the beginning of the week, Rose, and hasn't heard anything either. But they did say they would let candidates know 'in the coming weeks' so I suppose it just takes time. The waiting is so hard!

A lot of depressed students talking about the MAT paper too on SR. The boundaries for interviews seem to vary wildly each year.

My DD did CAT (classics) and MLAT (modern languages) yesterday and said that the classics one was tricky and time-constrained. I think they try to make the tests a bit unpredictable which when you have been doing well in practice tests, can put you on the back foot. Fingers crossed for everyone.

Has anyone's DC taken the HAT test?

does anyone know when the results will be announced for these tests?

The Oxford tests aren't announced per se, except for BMAT/ LNAT. You can put in an e-mail request in January, after offers/ rejections are out, to find out how you did. DS2 and DS3 e-mailed the History Dept and got an answer by return.

Lonicera I gather it was relatively straightforward, which means the threshold mark for interviews will be higher.

Warwick won’t release MAT results til after March, I reckon dd won’t give a stuff by then on how she did.

DS hasn't said anything much about the Natsci test, I think it's a learning curve doing tests that are far more difficult than they are used to.

I think for most of the Cambridge ones, schools can ask as part of the feedback process if you get rejected, but I don't think you find out directly.

DS has an interview at Imperial next week.

@Lonicera

DD did the HAT. I think HATs are difficult to call. They are never hard in the sense that PAT can be hard - ie that dont know the equations and cannot even attempt the question. You can always write something. But you are judged on the quality of your analysis and cogence of your argument and I think many students come out thinking they have done terribly or wonderfully and then find their assessment was completely wrong.

It is anyway only one element in the picture - so a less than stellar performance does not equate to a fail if other elements look good. And a great HAT will not outweigh a poor performance elsewhere.

Thank you imoverlyengaged. I'm interested on behalf of one of DD's friends who thought the HAT test went well. His GCSEs are less than stellar - 1 A, some As and some Bs, but his A level predictions are A AA, and he is an utter history nerd. So if he does get an interview he will nail it.

imoverlyengaged you're not correct about the HAT only being one element, it's crucial in determining who is called for interview. After interview it then becomes one element in the overall picture.

Also they can be hard - indeed one relatively recent year's HAT was so hard for everyone that it became a tool the tutors couldn't use (one of DD2's tutors was one of the ones to set the paper, so that's pretty much horses mouth, as far as horses mouths go). They're easier now though, fair to say.

I think it depends how you define “less than stellar”. I seem to remember that DS1 got 66 ( he went up in 2011) though he did not know his result before interview....
DD is applying for History and German but she is a year ahead so can always have another go next year if things do not work our well. She thought she had done terribly....but she always does.

No-one knows the result before interview imoverlyengaged!

DS2 got 77 (and subsequently got a First). DS2 got 72 or 73 (and is still there). Both were totally eclipsed by another MN DC who got a mark in the 80s which is quite astonishing on any level. Fact remains that there's a cut off: those above a certain mark get an interview, those below don't (with a little leeway for exceptional circumstances and exceptional discrepancies between the HAT score and other grades on the application).

DS3 is the one still there.