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

Could be subject specific zzzzz. DS is doing PPE.

Has anyone else found bristol to be extremely quick with offers?

DS had one within 4 hours last year. DD this year had one within 14 hours !

Interesting Hubble
Nothing from Durham for DS (also PPE)
He will be disappointed as it was his second choice

Itinerant my DS sent his application very early. He is equally disappointed not to have heard from Warwick. This application process is weird to say the least.

Weird is being generous

Bristol took a couple of weeks for us but came back with a lower offer.

DD applied pretty early, and had an offer from Bristol within about 2 hours.
She hasn’t had anything from Durham yet though. The general consensus she and her friends had put together from older friends/cousins/siblings’ experience was that they were unlikely to hear from Durham (or St Andrews) before March!
So that’s very interesting Hubble, I wonder if it is just PPE?

DS finished his interview at Imperial yesterday, sounded relaxed and confident as it was informal. I wish he would receive an offer soon so to relax our nerves while waiting for Oxford. But DS seemed not very impressed by Imperial! He said the campus is small and he preferred Oxford! But Oxford is really a long and far reaching shot! Especially after the tough PAT this year!

Anyways, pray for good news coming soon!

I'm glad the interview went well risotto. DS said that the interviews at Imperial are a sort of 'Oxford lite'. Similar approach but not as tricky. So good practice fingers crossed.

Mind you, his was nearly 3 weeks ago and we've still not heard which is worrying as although Imperial is his 2nd choice it's actually the place he'd most like to go!

Congrats to your DS for the early Durham offer Hubble!

How frustrating Risotto. If it’s any consolation dd didn’t like Imperial either. I think it must be a marmite place.

I wonder how many students are put off applying to Durham because they take so long to give offers. It would be a silly reason for Durham to change their system, but I do wonder why they take so long. Bristol on the other hand seem extraordinarily quick for many.

Is anyone else keeping one eye on the Oxbridge official applicants threads in Student Room to see when interview dates are going out?

Kitten Durham doesn't actually wait ages to let people know, in the grand scheme of things. Plenty of offers for a good number of subjects go out in November/ December and that's been the case for years. I'm not quite sure why there's this idea that it does take ages. I think it's more that Durham doesn't shoot out the very, very quick offers which have become accepted as the norm and that you do always hear of a few offers made close to the deadline (once a fair number of Oxbridge applicants holding Durham offers have accepted their Oxbridge offers and declined Durham).

Absolutely, kitten!
Seems as though some have gone out for overseas students in last couple of days & I've seen a couple for Bio Sciences (no pre-testing). However, Biochemistry didn't send out invites until late Nov last year & there's no pre-testing for that either!

it does for many people Goodbye, I’ve lurked on enough threads to see people moaning about how they can’t make their final selection because they are still hanging on for Durham. Hence probably Lobsters comment above. You are probably right that they pick up Cambridge’s rejects, but so do other universities and they make offers anyway.

Oxbridge, not Cambridge, sorry, got Cambridge on the mind,

Kitten those people waiting in March are in the very tiny minority but possibly just make a lot of noise.

DS last year had an offer from St Andrews in mid November- so not everyone has to wait until March.

On the open day the guy did say that they send the very best applicants first and then the rest later

"they pick up Cambridge’s rejects" is pretty rude. It is not unknown for those with Oxbridge offers not to get a full set of acceptances. Are they then known as Bristol, Durham or LSE rejects?

Waiting till the end of March is very painful. Both DC went through it., with three Universities apiece. It happens with oversubscribed courses who need to use a gathered field approach. A level work is ramping up, all their friends had offers, and it felt as if no one wanted them. If it happens to anyone on this thread, and it will, my advice would be to disregard " the very tiny minority but possibly just make a lot of noise" and seek reassurance, if you need it. It usually works out, and if not it almost always works out following a gap year. And the boy we know who had three cracks at Cambridge, determination indeed, has just been make a scholar.

I think we need to remember that our DC are Oxbridgr applicants and therefore have made very strong applications. It is likely that offers will come through eventually for all of them from very good unis. Difficult to be patient I know - deep breaths.

Also is it just me who hates the term 'reject'. Unsuccessful applicant sounds so much better!