Oxbridge applicants 2018 part 2

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Hopefully this is in time!

I'm unsure if letters will arrive on the 10th, or whether it's just an email for them. Followed by letters posted on the 10th/11th by some colleges.

Being the sad obsessive I am (I'm this way about anything I get interested in) I tried to discern the average time that emails were sent out over the past two years from student room. In 2016, there was a massive flurry at around 10am on. In 2017, it seemed much more random and some were finding out late afternoon.

Hubble Magdalen only sends a tiny thin acceptance notification by post, if that happens to be one of your DS's options.

No thick letter will be a rejection, that's for sure, but some colleges send rejections only by e-mail and acceptances by post without e-mail notification. DD1 heard she'd got an offer because the tutor rang her up, with no e-mail or letter for days. In other words, be prepared for anything!

Also - this is also to Hubble - you might well be able to see a glimmer of the first line (usually a giveaway) if you hold the letter to the light :)

The DC who have been at school (the older four heard just before Christmas, so were at home) have asked me to check their e-mails and post and open on their behalf, but I quite see lots would prefer to do it themselves.

Some will send a one page acceptance letter with more info to follow later so don't think the worst if its small. My DD was at school last year and the letter was unexpectedly sent home. The address window was very large so I could read the first line of the letter 'we are delighted' !!!!! I did manage to sound surprised when I opened it later with her on the other end of the phone but it was lovely to take away some of the anxiety and suspense whilst I got hold of her !!

Excellent research there Kitten

dd has asked me to open her email on 10th because she doesn’t want to! Nerve wracking! Even though she got perfect predictions and the highest UMS score possible for her Maths, she’s still convinced that she doesn’t have the perfect A levels for her chosen degree course. My argument is that they wouldn’t have bothered to interview her if her A levels weren’t appropriate?

This thread brings it all back - I was that nervous Oxford candidate 33 (yikes!) years ago.

I had my acceptance by phone - a lovely call from the admissions tutor, a few days before Christmas.

Best of luck to everyone.

How about just being around if the DC want to talk to us. This is about their future, their letters, their emails. I really don't think It's for the parent to be holding letters up to the light against theirborivacy and dignity.

Raindrops it was lighthearted! My DC clearly trust me enough to offer me their e-mail passwords for the day so I've never had cause to invade their privacy and they've been fine with me opening their decision letters as well, in order to relay the news to school. However, the fact remains that beyond the thick/ thin thing, these letters are frequently in thin envelopes or have windows where the letter has slipped down revealing the first line ('I'm pleased to' etc) so one really couldn't help intruding on their privacy even if it wasn't intentional. Anyhow, not an issue with my DC - they've been super ready to share, which I've been very pleased about.

Kitten you inspired me to go on previous decision threads. I don't recommend it for those of a nervous disposition!!
Goodbye thank you very much for info. What an amazingly intelligent family you must have!
Raindrops I really admire your attitude and will do my best to leave the letter alone - at least for 10 minutes. :)

Wait, a letter?!
I was assuming DD would hear by email, as that's how she's been contacted for everything else!

Oh man, our post is notoriously unreliable, this adds a whole extra layer of stress!

Will track update on the 10th to show an offer too?

Lobster I think it will depend on the college. At cambridge all will be emailed, some will have a letter follow up.

Track might be a couple of days later.

Seems Lobster that it may come in different ways depending on college.

It must have been much better getting the offer before Christmas CV, apart from the poor pool candidates!

Very odd that DD thought she’d been told the 8th then. She became seriously unwell with what will be a long term condition whilst off for interviews. I don’t think being back there will be a good place for her, at least not this year, whatever the letter says. So complex!

Just going to throw this into the discussion.... If things haven't changed, you might find two letters. If your DC has been rejected by the College they applied to and given a place at another. One letter is binary.
I remember staring at that thin little envelope on the mat like it was a grenade with the pin pulled (yeah, Goodbyestranger, they don't spend much on stationery). DD bunked off at lunchtime but it seemed like days and she was furious that I picked it up off the mat even though the alternative might have been the dog playing with it.

Well it’s been quite relaxed here over the holidays, and all the friends/family asking questions have been very discreet. However he’s back at school on Monday which is when I think the anxiety will start ramping up, especially as DS still hasn’t heard either way from either Durham or LSE. Oh well, I’m
Back to work tomorrow and will just have to keep my mind occupied!

Also I’ve started this year’s Yoga with Adrienne (love her so much!) - see separate thread about this. Can heartily recommend as both a means to increased flexibility and strength, and to clear your mind!

Hardwick sorry to hear about your DD being unwell, that sounds awful.

Horsemad and Goodbye and all others with past experiences to share, thankyou so much for all your posts - it really does help to hear your stories and tips.

Itinerant DD still hasn't heard from her 2nd and 3rd choices either. I'd be feeling much better about D Day if she had one of those in the bag already.

Sorry to hear that Hardwick. Kind of puts things in perspective doesn't it. All the best to your DD.

Hardwick, sorry to hear that. Similar happened to my DD last year after her offer. Cambridge somewhat surprisingly agreed to defer the place for a year and were very accommodating and couldn't have been more helpful. I don't yet know if she will go in 2018 but at least she will have had a year to decide what's best for her. I don't know if this would be helpful in your DDs situation but may be worth asking.

Hardwick, I'm sorry, that sounds awful.

Thank you lovely people. It may be academic (arf) but we’ll have to see how it goes. My instinct is of course to cuddle her close for a while, but it is early days yet - she may well be in good shape sooner than I fear. Good luck to you all!

Does anyone know how Queens Oxford send out their decisions? Or Corpus Christi?

Queen's recently has been e-mail rejections and postal offers and Corpus offers have been by post (not sure about Corpus rejections).