Oxbridge applicants 2018 part 2

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Hopefully this is in time!

I went to Oxford a while ago (matriculated in early 2000s). I had what I thought was an absolutely disastrous interview, they terminated it after 15 minutes (was supposed to be half an hour) and I had no interviews at any other colleges. I told my whole family I had flunked it - I was wrong. You just can’t call it. Everyone is still in for a chance! Good luck to all.

I know you really ought’t second guess interviews; but, how do you tell if they went well/badly?

For the most part, other than extremes, you just can't. The nature of the interview style is generally that they push and push to really get you thinking beyond what you comfortably know, so it's hard to properly assess yourself I think. Obviously if you don't say much at all that's probably not great! And a friend of the family was told "hope to see you in October" at the end of one of his interviews a couple of years ago which must count as a good sign

Lobster this boy's second interview was also at St Benet's and was long which seemed odd at the time given that he was a proper dead cert and then he was sent off somewhere else. When he got his place at his first choice (very competitive) college it made sense that he was merely sent around for purposes off standardization. I'd put money on your DD not not being wanted!

Thankyou Goodbye, That really is encouraging!
I'm not sure she's a "dead cert" she says every other applicant she's spoken to seems to know far more than her!
And when somebody started a grades discussion everybody else had hundreds of GCSEs and were doing 6 A levels etc (think that may have been a slight exaggeration!)

Is anybody else's dc still there this week?

DD's friend is interviewing for history this week. He doesn't have stellar GCSEs - only one A*, but he is an utter history nerd and reads around his subject all the time. He obviously aced the HAT test and can bullshit history for hours on end. I am confident that he will ace the interviews. He did say that yesterday's went OK.

I honestly don’t think you can tell at all either way how they have done. I think it’s impossible to divine from their impressions good or bad. There’s a great infographic on the student room cambridge threads showing close to zero correlation between self score and acceptance.

My job at home now is to keep my mouth firmly shut about the interview (not easy for me!) and to encourage dd to try and rest and relax as much as she can over the next few weeks. Jan 10th will soon come around.

Kitten, that sounds quite interesting -- can you link the infographic for us please?

Don't worry, I've found it! Will try to attach...

Oops that didn't work but here is link

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5081556&page=2

What does it mean if an applicant was only interviewed by their original college and then released early? This does not feel promising...

I don't think you can divine anything Whitl.

Is it too early for everyone to have a festive shot of it seems that getting the interviews has just induced a whole new bout of anxiety in us all.

Whitland it means that they were either in the top cut and the college wants them or in the bottom cut and aren't being considered for pooling. It's one or the other. It could be positive, it could be negative, but the applicant definitely isn't in the possible pile.

So, does pooling mean that they are a maybe or a definite?

A maybe only. But the student won't know if an additional interview is a pooling or a standardization interview :) The one thing you can say for definite is that they won't get an additional interview if they're a definite no.

Got it- well that’s that then I suppose. Odd considering she has equal/better grades than the rest ah well

DS was only interviewed by his college and released early.

It happens. He got a place.

Hope that helps. Tough time!!

Exactly. You can't know you don't have a place unless you're like the girl at Keble a few years back who was interviewing for English, was asked about a book in her personal statement, told the tutors she'd meant to read it but hadn't got round to it because not enough time and was told the interview would be terminated since there wasn't much point continuing (source: Keble website specific feedback). In that sort of case, you probably have an inkling and it's probably correct :)

Thank you mrsknightley and stranger! That is reassuring.

Another question, is it normal for a joint course to have an interview in one college for one half and an interview in another college for another half of the subject. (It is a joint subject only and are expected to have an interview for both sides). I must also note that the one set of interviewers have no connection to the college applied to.

Lobster the absolute beauty of the interview system is that you don’t have to have deep founts of knowledge. Often in the interview you’ll be provided with something you’re unlikely to have studied in any real depth (or in my case even recognise the poet). This then allows the interviewer to assess your ability to think critically about something unfamiliar, drawing parallels to something you do know, rather than reciting from your school coursework about things you are well versed in.

I love the ‘how many GCSEs/a level’ substandard chat that goes on at open days and even interviews apparently. Did you get acceptable grades in subjects relevant to the course you’re studying? Yes? Fabulous, you’re on an even keel with everyone. People with 13 A* GCSEs truly are impressive individuals (I say this in earnest), but it’s not going to sift them to the top of any college’s pile. People at Oxbridge interviews who talk about their grades are either very nervous and need the reassurance that they're ‘worthy’, or are losers. In either scenario, not worth worrying about.

We've had a busy couple of weeks. I had a job interview last Thursday and had to give my notice in on Friday, at work we've had class activities until late Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, DD has been hugely supportive. She's looking forward to her interview next week as she met one of the interviewers at the summer school she attended and found him very interesting and supportive. It will be an interesting New Year for us all!

I just wanted to say that I’ve been lurking in this thread and the previous because DS(15) has been told he should aim for Oxbridge or an Ivy (he has US citizenship). He wants to study Philosophy but not yet sure if on its own or with something else. I told him the omnipotent being creating something it can’t lift question and he went on and on about it with great enthusiasm. I think he would get an awful lot out of even just getting an interview.

It’s such an interesting thread and I wish all of you DC the best of luck.

DD is finally home!
She is completely shattered, relieved it's all over but also sad to have left her little Oxford bubble.

I'm just very glad to have got her home before the snow arrived!

He should go for it Nofly.

Thank goodness Lobster, She must be cream crackered.

Heads up next week for intrepid travelling youth. Monday could be really challenging.

An anecdote from my Oxford interview (admittedly a couple of years ago) just to comfort all worriers - I totally missed the first interview as I couldn’t find the room, and in my second got muddled and said Jane Eyre was by Jane Austen. Came from a crap state school in the mid 90s. Had a wonderful three (+1 for the MA) years at Brasenose College anyway. I was also an English teacher for a period of time and in my experience those who thought it went awfully (for English this is) seem most likely to come back with offers.

You really don’t know what they’re looking for, and often the process is so rigorous that if a candidate doesn’t get a place it’s not because they’re not bright enough, but can just be because their style of learning and certain “breed” of brilliance wouldn’t suit the institution. Often the interviewers can work this out, and if the outcome is a rejection then it’s not the end of the world - your DC will thrive at another wonderful university. Some flounder at Oxbridge - I had a student I was very worried about applying because while she was exceptional I just didn’t think Oxford would be for her. She didn’t get the place and I was honestly delighted, and last I heard she graduated from Bristol with a first.