Who would do well at Oxbridge?

[glitterbiscuits]

My DS got good grades at GCSE, all A/A*/8/9 bar chemistry B
He is predicted straight As at A level.

He is at a good state school and was selected to go on an Oxbridge application trip to encourage state pupils to apply. He went but it now doesn't want to apply.
I suspect it's a bit reverse snobbery here. I'd say we were averagely middle class ( not a term I'd use but trying to give a picture) and it's not as if he working class chip on his shoulder.He thinks it's full of "posh" people.
Or it may be that he doesn't want to 'waste' a space on his application.
However he is looking at Russel Group Unis so I know he likes the idea of a bit of 'status'
(Possibly wrong word choice again!).
I think he would have at least a chance of a place.

Am I a bit deluded?

Oxbridge use quite sophisticated contextual data in their assessment process. The old boys' network is not what it once was, so I would never discourage an application from someone from a state school background.
I went to Oxford from state and a poor family. I chose a small college which now has a niche in terms of accepting the highest number of state school students of any college in Oxford.

Minapaws..... What you have described is the exact reason I would be concerned sending my child to Oxford given that it is at a key formative age.

Getting there is one issue, Living there is another.. even if it is a 'targeted demographic' per the Outreach intentions.

ScrubTheDecks has hit the nail on the head on the complexities around this issue.

Thanks for all the comments. It's very interesting.
He still is not tempted to apply. There are lots of places he doesn't want to go to but very few he does want to consider

Oxford have recently released their last 5 years worth of admission data, broken down by any factor you can think of.
www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics/undergraduate-students/current?wssl=1

Cambridge have been doing it for a while, see www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics and scroll down for the yearly admission cycle pdfs.

As far as I know, both Oxford and Cambridge do already divide the country up and have colleges which aim their outreach at particular regions.

But anyway, advice to the OP's son - look at the details of the courses. Go to actual open days. Basically, make an informed decision, rather than one based on a vague prejudice.

Have been in your position! Looking back best advice is hang back and let him decide. Hope all goes well.

I know that certain colleges at least do ask teachers to nominate gifted students who receive pupil premium for an all-expenses paid day visit. I guess that’s not dissimilar to writing individuals a letter in some ways?
I think the letter is quite a good idea, but wouldn’t there be issues around GDPR? Teachers handing out pupil data to third parties?