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Original poster

Oxbridge applicants 2018

999 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 31/08/2017 08:54

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 Confused

OP posts:
Hubble25 · 22/09/2017 13:39

Yes very difficult indeed. I have read that Oxford do not put too much store by the personal statement as they interview. They advise it should be tailored to your second choice.

MrsKnightley · 24/09/2017 00:27

DS got feedback from Oxford after getting a place that they had really liked his personal statement. He talked about History for nearly the whole thing, raised topics that interested him and engaged with historical debates around those topics. He was told, however, that Oxford want a strong HAT test (or equivalent) first and foremost.

SweetCrustPastry · 24/09/2017 02:51

Hi there - here's some experience of recent applications from our house to both places. All the PS's were pretty much what cheese said with a bit of extra curricular (less than 2 lines) for other unis. School weren't that clued up. Some are, some aren't - you will know. The open days give loads of great advice if school can't. DC1 took their advice on improvements to her PS first time round - they told her to take out the passion which was not book based (but was relevant to the course) and replace it with something more "academic" - references to things she had been prompted to read in order to include then in her PS. As a result it felt a bit false to her which didn't help her confidence when it came to interview.
2nd time around she took out their improvements and put her real passion back. There were still some references but not as heavyweight as the school thought she needed. It felt like a gamble. Her view was "that's who I am, if they don't want me based on who I am then I probably won't enjoy the course anyway".

I hope that helps if any of you are having that debate in your house at the minute. Smile

In terms of whether to apply or not I would say if they want to they should go for it. If they don't then don't push them.

Our experience is that the interviews seem to be more stressful if you feel pressured to be there and to succeed. If your DCs can approach them as a brilliant chance to spend some time learning about the subject they love from work experts then they can't lose. The worst that will happen is they will have had a fabulous opportunity to spend a few hours learning about something they are passionate about.

In terms of college choice it seems to matter less for Oxford in terms of getting an offer, or even which college you end up at) as they seem to rank all applicants for a course before offering places. All Oxford applicants are interviewed by at least two colleges and that didn't happen at Cambridge. They seem to have a system where your college says yes or no and if it is no the others colleges may or may not pick you. They also seemed to have different standard offers depending on the college at Cambridge although that may have changed.

Str4ngedaysindeed · 24/09/2017 03:10

I'm so glad I found this thread! Ds is applying to do physics at Cambridge - as well as Edinburgh, Bristol, Exeter and Sussex. He went to a not particularly amazing secondary and got A* and A's in his GCSEs. He is incredibly hard working but has his heart set on Cambridge, so much so that he did the other night thinking he may not get in. It really doesn't matter to us at all - I guess my main worry is that he will burn out even before A levels! He got A in his AS maths and I think he can do it, but I do worry! Just wanted to have a bit of a ramble as I feel I am showing off when I talk to friends about it!

His sixth form have said his application looks fine as has our neighbour who did maths at Cambridge so hoping for the best. He's taking the natsci exam in November too.

Str4ngedaysindeed · 24/09/2017 03:10

*cried the other night not 'did'!!

SweetCrustPastry · 24/09/2017 03:52

Has he picked a college? Str4nge

Str4ngedaysindeed · 24/09/2017 04:03

Churchill. It has family connections! My mother was the masters secretary there!! Oh and s the physics-y one too luckily!

MrsKnightley · 24/09/2017 07:17

Not all Oxford applicants are interviewed at 2 colleges. Some are. DS and his friend were not. Two others there he met were.

whiteroseredrose · 24/09/2017 07:43

Str4nge. It's Natural Science at Cambridge not just Physics isn't it? I hope that's right anyway!

DS preferred Cambridge to Oxford 'in every way except that it doesn't do straight physics' . I hate for him to have got the wrong end if the stick!

ErrolTheDragon · 24/09/2017 09:33

Yes - Cambridge nat sci is broader at the start, becoming specialised :
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/natural-sciences

Pure physics types can, I believe, do Maths with physics in the first year and then switch to nat sci for the remainder.

This shows which A level are required or desirable for which:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/natural-sciences/part1a

(Hopefully your DC already know this - but people with younger kids starting to think about oxbridge may be reading the thread - it is quite confusing)

They also seemed to have different standard offers depending on the college at Cambridge although that may have changed.

I don't think Cambridge really has 'standard offers', it tends to talk about 'typical offers'. Each candidate assessed individually.
1)some colleges have somewhat different preferred A level subjects to others. The information for should be available online, that can be a very important criterion when choosing a college!
2)the offers can vary - In particular we were surprised by people doing 4 A levels having an offer based on all of them - DD was glad she'd followed her school's advice and dropped her 4th subject after AS. (OTOH maybe if she'd been continuing with 4 she'd have got an offer from the college she applied to rather than being pooled)
2)for maths and 'maths with...' , the STEP grade requirement can vary www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements/step
(And note 2 colleges require STEP for engineering)

Str4ngedaysindeed · 24/09/2017 11:17

Sorry - I was on a night shift last night and a bit fuzzy! Yes natsci is the one. He is a definite physicist though. He's doing 4 A levels - adding further maths this year - which makes me shudder but also had a good rounded outside life so I'm thinking he may have a chance - we plan see anyway!

toomanytolist · 24/09/2017 22:57

re PS, the penny really dropped for me when I read something on the student room. I then said to DD who was struggling with the school feedback, look if I told you I'd been on ab and c course and enjoyed xy and z and then said it several more times about other courses and work experience and books I'd read , what would you know about how I thought about those subjects and they way I processed all that extra-A level data and how it inspired me?

She agreed it would be absolutely nothing and then she was off. Completely reworded it and it said so much more about her. PS now signed off and she was told by her head of Sixth it was really good. Let's hope so!

SweetCrustPastry · 25/09/2017 01:28

Str4nge - one DC interviewed at Churchill for natsci. They didn't seem to be looking for roundedness. They were more interested in the ability to tackle difficult questions in maths and science with confidence and to ask for and respond to help along the way.

At the open day they said they pool more students than most colleges, maybe because their applicants tend to be very strong?? The offers they made seemed to be higher than other colleges. That might be a consideration if your DS is already putting himself under pressure - depends if he is a works best under pressure of not...

Good luck to your son - my DC found the Churchill natsci interview far less intimidating than he thought it might be. They really did just want to talk about maths and science which was a huge relief after the practice interview with the head of sixth form.

Str4ngedaysindeed · 25/09/2017 08:01

That's really useful. Thank you!

ErrolTheDragon · 25/09/2017 08:35

I think one of the reasons Churchill may pool more is that they get a lot of STEM applicants but fewer arts, and also a low proportion of women, so they want to balance up their intake.

DD's interviews for engineering also seemed more about being sharp than round. Possibly anecdotally they may do good cop, bad cop, with one of them probing until they get to something the student can't answer.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/09/2017 08:42

Reading that back, not sure it was clear... I mean the interview isn't focussed on a display of existing knowledge, its more about seeing how they tackle something they don't know.

GeorgeTheHamster · 25/09/2017 08:51

DS1 applied successfully to Oxford last year and is going next week. His PS was all about his subject, exactly as Cheese describes above. He actually enjoyed his interviews because he really enjoys doing hard stuff about his subject. I think that's what they are looking for. He wants to go because he wants to get stuck into his subject in small tutorial groups, not because "he wants to go to Oxford" IYSWIM.

GeorgeTheHamster · 25/09/2017 08:52

He submitted an alternative PS about all his extra curricular stuff fir Durham and then ignored their offer as he didn't like the place at all

GeorgeTheHamster · 25/09/2017 08:54

until they get to something the student can't answer.

Yes. They push them until they get there. They want to see them think on their feet. So prep in terms of prior knowledge is less important than you would think.

Str4ngedaysindeed · 25/09/2017 09:18

Yes, our neighbour told ds how to answer questions he couldn't (as it were!) by saying along the lines of ' well I don't know that entirely but I know how to find out' !

itinerant · 25/09/2017 21:46

Hello, hoping I can join the thread! DS is just putting the finishing touches to his PS before submitting towards the end of this week. He's got his heart set on PPE which would suit him down to the ground but despite good predicted grades I am worried that he may not even get to interview stage. We've had a long chat today (on advice from school) about insurance offers so that's all five decided. But heart very much set on Oxford after falling in love with the place (me too) at the open day. Am feeling very nervous for him!

Hubble25 · 26/09/2017 00:41

Me too. What other choices has he made itinerant?

Str4ngedaysindeed · 26/09/2017 09:02

It's really quite scary isn't it? Especially as we have no history of Oxbridge in our family ( apart from working at Cambridge colleges!) I am scared ds will struggle if he gets a place - although he does seem super capable and relaxed at the moment. On the other hand, I'm nervous of him moving a long way away! ( We live in Cambridge btw)

ErrolTheDragon · 26/09/2017 09:23

The fact that Oxbridge have a more thorough selection process, both additional testing and interviews, would (I hope!) mean that not many who would be likely to struggle will get offers. Plus the collegiate system seems to offer a whole extra level of support. I'm not sure if this is a peculiarity of women's colleges, but each fresher at DD's is assigned a 'mother' (actually because there were more engineers last year she has two ... yes, we've had a few conversations which would have sounded odd if you'd overheard them!Grin)

GeorgeTheHamster · 26/09/2017 15:16

It's not just women's colleges. DS has two college parents and i know it happens at Cambridge too.