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!

Auntie My daughter listed 9 maths modules, the six that made up the A level and 3 that made up the AS Further Maths, all in the same section with no differentiation between them other than module names. (In the extra information section she clarified the way she had been taught / self taught.) In the part where you describe topics covered in your A levels she listed topics already covered, covering in current subjects, but this didn’t include Maths. I’m not sure if that is helpful. Basically I don’t think the M/FM is separate?

"I think not achieving your offer would be painful. Very glad I've had no Cambridge maths applicants!"

DD's BF didn't achieve his offer. Sadly, he didn't work as hard as he could have done for his A levels, and dropped grades in two subjects, one of them being the one he wanted to study at Oxford.

Unfortunately, I think being at Oxford would have done him the world of good, as he is now at another university, drinking and partying as if it was still freshers week (he is now on week 4), and doing barely any work.

He is bright but lazy (his mum's words, not mine).

Hi Lililili, My DD also applying for HSPS.
She is most interested in the anthropology strand and has really no politics background. She is doing History, Geography and Biology A levels.
Cambridge seems like a bit of a long shot but as others on here say if you dont apply you have no chance.
She is really keen on Cambridge though and not so much on her other choices ,I know she will be really disappointed if it doesnt work out ( she is aware of the stats) Will just try my best to support her what ever happens.

I totally agree with the "if you don't apply, you'll never know" mentality and it's what we keep saying to DD2.

As far as the process goes, we are trying to be very grounded about it. First hurdle was the UCAS form; that's now in & acknowledged. Then DD2 needs to complete the SAQ but she says she has that in hand. Then it's the NSAA and the wait to see if she gets an interview. We have told her that whatever she does, we're immensely proud of her for trying as we were never given the opportunity.

Congratulations to the poster whose DC has an unconditional offer. That's brilliant!

Re stats - if you've not already found it, Cambridge has a neat little interactive graph generator for applications/offers which lets you probe any course/college, pool offer characteristics.

www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

I agree with that very much , we too will try to stay grounded and realistic.
I will try to suppress my occasional pessimistic streak.
Been through the rollercoaster ride of vet med applications with her sister who now happily settled in yr 2 of vet med.
More to come as there is a third child !
Waiting for meeting with head before she can click send on UCAS .
Then SAQ and prep for test. I think there are essays to submit too.

Sorry , just on the " if you don't try you'll never know" when I posted above "But again Ds who I think has a wise head on young shoulders , said , the only way I won't get an place at Oxford is not to apply for a place at Oxford. " I crucially missed out the word "definitely" between "I" and "won't" - he isn't arrogant or complacent. I admire all those who give their aspirational university a shot, whichever one that might be.

Good luck to all.

Thank you Errol and Lililili!

Much appreciated

Unless things have changed this year (is this the first year post-reforms for maths?), you don't know which of the non core modules is going to end up counting towards which - the exam boards divvy up the modules between the two after marking to maximise the grades.

Maths and FM are reformed though now, and they are completely separate, none of the old 'chuck all the modules in the pot and see what happens'!

The bit about listing all maths units as maths irrespective of etc is in question 6.1 which says "if you are NOT taking modular AS and A levels, ignore this question".

So I'm assuming that for the new linear A levels, you would list maths and FM topics separately.

I think!

All the bits in bold about disadvantaging your application is unsettling though!

Hi Ollie - anthropology is the subject DD knows least about, but keen on the idea of it all. She suspects she’ll end up specialising in Politics and Sociology or just Politics. I see Criminolgy is a new option now too.

Errol I do like that graph generator!

I don't suppose any of them will know much about anthropology at the start. One of DDs besties is doing HSPS and I think DD said she's going to do some archaeology modules this year ... sounds like it's pretty flexible and they certainly don't require previous knowledge of the sort of subjects rare at A level.

Thank you AtiaoftheJulii, you've reassured me about that!

Yes, why do they have to keep mentioning how such things will disadvantage your application, puts you on tenterhooks...

ds filled out the SAQ without showing it to the school or his parents. No idea what he put in it! At least it is submitted.

Excited now. DD2 has an interview at one of her choices. It's RG and a course she's really interested in. Now we need to work out the logistics...

Great news Malbec.
I thought most universities (outside Oxbridge) didn’t interview these days? I can’t keep up...

Hi guys my eldest has applied for Natural Sciences for Cambridge, got his NSAA in November. Any tips please? And best of luck to all our DC/DG applying!

(Medicine of course does.)
Some do for some subjects - from what I've read here and heard at open days (one of ds's other choices interviews for his subject), they tend to be more of a formality rather than a selection process. A preliminary to an offer, I guess.

Excellent news, well done Ms Malbec!

Ds had a message from his tutor at college today to say she's finished his reference etc, and her bit is done, so they're meeting to do the final submission together. On Friday morning as that's the first time they're both free. Too close to Monday for my liking!

Thanks! I know Durham doesn't normally interview but not sure of others. This one is the end of November, so DD2 is hoping to use it as practice if she is lucky enough to get an interview for Cambridge. DD1 had interviews at Imperial and Bath, but Bath was more like an open day with group discussions.

@"Nightwatch", google the NSAA. There are practice papers about and I have seen a specification. They just answer the sections in the subjects they have studied (apparently). Our Head reckons that Cambridge is more interested in the NSAA than in predicted grades. Here's hoping!

Interviews do depend on subject - in addition or Cambridge, all the other 4 Electrical&Electronic Engineering courses DD applied for interviewed. I think some of her friends were interviewed for chemistry which made us wonder (only partly in jest) if they were more likely to interview for subjects with a possibility of burning the labs down!

I do think it is really important to impress on a dc that it is a long shot , but a shot you have to try. Quite a few applicants seem to think it's a done deal, especially if they have shone throughout school. Ds and his fellow interviewees were told when they gathered for interview that there were eight places and there were 40 of them - and that didn't even mean that eight would get a place. They might take a few or even none. It was sobering information but ds said that everyone said they felt better for hearing it and knew that it was no shame not to succeed in getting a place.

That's one of the reasons I recommend the graph generator (does anyone know if oxford has an equivalent?)

But it's important they know that some people do get offers and the only way to be sure of not getting one is to not apply. And - I know this has all been said before - there really is no risk, they've got 4 other UCAS choices and anyone with a realistic prospect of Oxbridge will be able to get some very good offers elsewhere. It's not at all like medicine/vet where many very good applicants don't get an offer at all the first time round.

I'm also really keen not to let DD get overly stuck on Oxford as the only choice, that a huge amount of outstanding candidates won't get places and this is no reflection on them as individuals, it's a supply and demand situation.

For that reason I'm also trying to keep a step away from over investment too, I sometimes think parents are more guilty of this than the DC!

DS appears so far to be enjoying his first term at Lancaster, I'm impressed too. There are many excellent institutions out there for students to consider.

But there's no harm in applying, you will at least know that you tried.

DS's application is now in (3.30pm today) and UCAS processed it within a couple of hours.

He also rang UCAS this evening and they emailed him a copy of his academic reference, which thankfully is very good.

He's applied for Law at Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen (we are Scottish). He's left one choice free which, incidentally, is very easy to add to online via track.

He's already received confirmation from Edinburgh that they have received his application.

This all seems very efficient and quick.

Good luck to all!