Oxbridge Applicants 2019

[evenstrangerthings]

The 2018 Oxbridge Applicants Thread was started at the end of August last year, but with many students now sitting internal school exams rather than public AS exams, many will have Year 12 results in hand and some will be starting to prepare for applications to Oxford or Cambridge University.

Let's support each other in supporting our kids through this process, which may involve extra exams, multi-day interviews and extra application statements.

Do feel free to join the thread, even if your DC is on the fence about making an Oxbridge application. It would also be great to hear from those who have been through the Oxbridge process before!

I've just read the comment about the dropped grade not being true. It's extraordinary to say other posters lie. That's not ok.

The dropped grade at my dc's school was definitely true. dd's friend and school stats confirmed that nobody in that subject got an A at A level.

The students who didn't get in from failing schools despite a dropped grade will have been looked at in exactly the same way as the posh kid from grammar school. Their applications will be looked at as a whole (every last bit taken into account - aptitude test score, interview feedback and score, other grades), which includes context, and then the tutors make a judgment on whether to accept someone despite a dropped grade. Year after year DC from our school get told no when they've dropped a grade. DS was lucky and as I say, the tutors very clearly knew what they were doing. It's not about grammar v underperforming school. DS was allowed in despite his educational background I'd have said.

It may be true that a trance tests aren't /meant/ to be burdensome or require preparation. But we know our local private school does prepare students - every weds afternoon through lower sixth. Speaking to parents elsewhere in the country this is common. Contrast to my DC's school which did no such thing.DC made a stab at preparing themselves. One was successful; one wasn't. Thankfully the one who wasn't (despite stellar, offer-jumping eventual grades) is rather relived she ended up elsewhere and 'has a life' as she puts it!
So, no rancour here - but a reality check to anyone who kids themselves that the private sector dies not offer an advantage. I think this is relevant to the OP because it's a consideration.

Our grammar school offered no help whatsoever to any of my DC for any aptitude test, they had to figure it out for themselves - they took the LNAT and bought a book, the HAT and read the website (very few papers available when DD2 took the HAT, it was in its infancy), and again the BMAT DS bought a single book. The school is now, just, beginning to work on helping students with those things but so far it's been at exactly the same place as so many ordinary state schools. The DC have benefited from mostly very good teaching, that's where the gain has been, but very definitely not in 'Oxbridge prep'. I don't know how far this private school prep would have helped. Possibly with interviews in the correct style, possibly not. No way of knowing.

But we know our local private school does prepare students - every weds afternoon through lower sixth

Well, maybe it depends in subject but for engineering at Cambridge I'm pretty sure that would have been a waste of time better spent on A level work.

user - the thing is that Oxbridge take a very small percentage of students - wherever they come from.

We are in the south east. Ds went to an ordinary comprehensive, in an area which I would say is not deprived, not affluent, just bland. In his year of 300 pupils two went to Oxbridge. I would almost say that ds went in spite of the school, who were just not interested, and didn't say a word when he got in. He wasn't even invited to the Achievement Evening post A Levels.

So having no Oxbridge successes in a small village school ever wouldn't be statistically abnormal. (Also I went to a tiny village school and I'm sure they hadn't a clue what happened to their pupils after they left at 11 years old; the teachers would likely have all changed for a start.)

Possibly with interviews in the correct style, possibly not.

Is there such a thing? I should think going in with any preconceptions at all might be unhelpful tbh! One of DDs interviews was 'lovely' - based on the little test they did directly before the interview; the other involved a question which seemed to her pretty much irrelevant, for which oddly enough she'd have been better prepared if she'd spent more time in the kitchen and which at one point was a staring match until the interviewer buckled first and provided the number she'd have googled IRL, after which she continued. (Not a recommended tactic but evidently not fatal!)

I guess a couple of general thoughts might be, are they happy talking to a stranger about anything they've written on their PS, and how do they deal with a question they don't know the answer to. The latter is, I think, quite a usual technique - the interviewer doesn't want to test preexisting knowledge, but more how the applicant thinks about a novel problem, and their ability to persist rather than giving up.

The same goes for interview practice. There was none at DC's school.
I'm not saying don't go for it if you're at a comp. just go in with your eyes wide open. DCs good t loads out of mixing with all kinds of people, and being embedded in their local community so I'm not knocking local schools either! They just have different priorities

I namechanged, was here before, you can guess.
I wish I never posted, I only did because 4 unnamed (from me), spent 3 pages of a support thread for parents, talking about(arguing) on something which had no relevance, I am thick I could see that, others pointed it too, but they continued, even had a go at me
Errol thank you for kind words, not sure we do, just did not want to lose funding. But at AGM in August a village resident, who DGD uses local private schools and is living in Scotland and at St Andrews, demanded we trustee's resigned and stopped wasting funds on kids who will never make it to a RG university, we are wasting their time and our funds. I felt sick, she got the 3 other required villagers to agree, and we the trust had to waste money on a village wide vote, results in last week, we can continue with non university hardship funding.

Sorry I feel sick, we nearly lost everything for our kids from people who should know better.
Please, please continue helping people, but stick to the facts, that what students get told, go and start fight club if you want.

I am hiding thread, it's of no use to me. Please continue to help though.

Bloody hell, it's pretty sickening just reading about that sort of attitude. I'm pretty sure no one in this thread would condone it. Thank goodness the rest of the village had more sense and decency - if that woman had an ounce she'd reimburse you the money she made you waste.

That's horrendous 2Boys

I'm signing off but I wanted to just post two pieces of interview advice that DD was given that we've shared with everyone and they say they've made a difference:

• Don't be afraid to pause to give yourself time, you don't have to blurt out the first thing you think about. Practise pausing intelligently! If in doubt ask a question politician style...'so are you asking me bla bla bla?'

-If you have a flash of inspiration later in the interview, don't be afraid to ask to return to the subject at an appropriate stage ( not in the middle of another question.) ' Is it OK if we return to....

Good luck all!

This is an Oxbridge thread 2Boys and although you might not think a certain point is relevant the issue of a predisposition to over work is something which can, and does, result in abject misery for some students at Oxford (and Cambridge), sometimes with serious consequences. So while it may not be relevant to an access issue, that isn't the only issue, and some things transcend particular subgroups of applicants. I don't feel a particular poster should act as a censor, they should simply skip discussions which they don't think are relevant to them.

cathyandclare, that 'pausing after a question' advice is top notch advice - I hope you'll come back in December to reiterate it. If you answer too quickly you can run down a cul-de-sac, and find yourself having to reverse your position very quickly, whereas a measured pause can ensure you start off heading in a direction you can further support.

Same for confirming the question. It ensures you've not misunderstood.

@cathyandclare @HingleMcCringleberry that's really amazingly helpful advice!

-Pause (don't rush to answer the question)

-Confirm (make sure you understand the question)

-Return (if the answer comes to you before the end, ask if you can come back to it)

(Writing this out so I can screenshot it, share with DS and remind him later for any future interviews, Oxford or not!)

I’m not really following the ins and outs of people getting cross about this thread but FWIW I was the first person from my family to go to university, let alone Oxford. No special advice from my (state) school. I got in with an EE offer (those were the days!) and had the time of my life. On a full grant bc from a single parent family on benefits.

I would absolutely love my dc to have the same opportunity if they are interested and this thread has been invaluable already. Dd has finally started (!) her PS; is reading around her subject; is actually interested! Mirabile dictu (classics innit).

Well quite PantTwizzler. Plenty of people over the course of the Oxbridge threads have said that they were brought up on estates etc, or in non affluent circumstances by single mums, or that their parents were refugees, and that they nevertheless went to Oxford or Cambridge, and now their DC are frequently at big name schools or grammars. And try for Oxford and Cambridge. And then their DC are castigated for being privileged. Which surely renders the whole social mobility thing pointless, if one gets spat at after a single generation. I really really dislike this whole virtue thing anyway, but that's a separate point. Plenty of people work hard in their community or nationally to help others without making a huge hoo ha about it.

And without being rude.

( in the spirit of Oxbridge entrance support)

If invited to interview , I think the best thing is to consider it as a conversation with a purpose and not be afraid to say - e.g. can you ask me again , I did't quite understand the question , or to say - Oh , when I said x about a , I've just thought about it and I'd like to say Y - i.e. recognise when you think you have said something wrong and admit at and address it.

I do not know , I am not an Oxbridge tutor , but other academic things aside , would somebody more qualified answer ? I suspect they want someone who can engage in a tutorial .And must dash to put pinholes in my grandmother's eggs .

Thank you for the recent posts with regard to interview advice. I have screenshot a couple, I hope you don't mind?

We have done our last open day today and it was very impressive, DD would consider this for her firm or insurance if Oxford did not to work out positively.

They also make speedy offers after application, reassuring at least to get one early if that happens.

Did anyone go to the Oxford Open Day last Friday? Any interesting insights?

We didn't go, as DD was keen to see York, and obviously spent a week at Oxford in July.

I would also like to know if anyone visited and their impressions.

DD application will go in early next week, which is good as she has a couple of mocks that she would like to concentrate on. I also think she's a bit fed up with the process now, in the nicest possible way. She started drafting her PS in August and there's been a fair bit of back and forward communication with school etc. She just wants her application in and that part have a line drawn under it.

Oxford did come into school yesterday to talk about the interview process, which DD found extremely useful. The gentleman that gave the talk was from the college she stayed in and said UNIQ would stand her in good stead.

If Dd is lucky enough to get an interview, do parents generally go down with their DC? This is mainly for mundane planning matters re life etc, although I'd want to be there anyway. You had to let them travel themselves in the summer.

Hi Justanothermile

A lot depends on how long they are needed for interview. Some subjects interview on one day only but many span at least a couple.

Last year the interview timetable was posted on the website well ahead of time, indicating the span of interview dates by subject - for example my DD was interviewed for Biochemistry so we could see that she may be required for interviews anytime from the Sunday 3rd to end of play Tuesday 5th. Her interview email whittled it down further still. As she was resident for a couple of nights, I dropped her off & then she made her own way home on the Tuesday. She wasn't aware of anyone who had parents staying nearby (or who was prepared to admit they were!).

Equally, I know of a Materials Science candidate who was there for one day only & whose parent lurked around Oxford for the duration. Remember also that colleges are strict about the 'candidates only in college' rule, so if you are staying in Oxford too, she will need to come out of college to meet you.

Very best of luck to daughter !

NO !!!!!!

You drop at interview and run. Interviewees stay in college for at least a couple of days, and have accommodation, meals and activities planned (quizzes, film night etc). There is certainly no accommodation for parents. When I dropped ds off, a bunch of current student helpers flew towards the car and bore ds and his bag off. An interviewee is really immersed in the experience; you don’t want to be isolated with your mum in the Travelodge.

Actually ds’s college sent a stern note that parents were not allowed into the college during interview period due to past unfortunate experiences .

I wasn't expecting to lurk outside the interview room expectantly

Thanks both, the potential interview dates are over a two day period which is why I wondered what the general accepted practice was re travel. We are a good four hours away from Oxford via car or train. I knew the students stayed in college, so I guess it's parental choice what they do.

I most certainly wouldn't bother her during the process, I honestly wouldn't think of it at all. Just wondered if she might want company on the journey home to talk about her experience.

I hadn't thought of the idea of dropping her and then letting her make her own way back, or indeed know that the interview times get narrowed down either, which is good to know, thank you.

I'll probably let her decide in any event, I know in July the train travel worried her more than the week itself, but only as she'd never negotiated her way across London on her own before. Which she's obviously now done.