Oxbridge applications 2019 (part two).

[Justanothermile]

New thread, I hope it's okay to start one.

Good luck today for those still waiting for interview news, which includes us.

Congratulations to those already with dates.

coleoptera - forgive the spelling mistake,

coleoptera I’m guessing things are a bit different this year for History because of the change to the HAT, last year most of the candidates at DS’s college were pooled on the final day. From what he has gleaned so far, most of his new course mates were pooled from other colleges too so all had three interviews in total. You can’t read anything into it, you will find it easier than you think to put it out if your mind until January, I promise!

I have no idea it sounds like they could not make their mind up. Apparently one person was pooled but when they turned up at the college were turned away

All the decisions have to be passed through the faculty; it's nevertheless the colleges that decide.

factually its a 60/40% (broadly) split between state and independent school offers. I'm not criticising, but that's how it is

DH did a rough analysis, using data which also gave the proportion of grammar schools within that, and assuming that the independent applicants would have tended to be mostly from the more selective private schools...and came to the conclusion that the proportions weren't as way out of whack as it might appear.

Well DD has her final offer (other than waiting for Oxford). SOAS have offered her AAB. This means she has 3 offers of AAB (KCL, Durham & SOAS) & one of ABB for Edinburgh. She has however, since coming home said she hopes she does get into Oxford (🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻).

Hope everyone is surviving!
@Coleoptera DD also waited until around the 4:30pm mark to be told she could go and it was also the case for her that none of those going for Theology, PPE & similar had extra interviews other than those scheduled when they first arrived.

I wouldn't say that the anecdotes about pooling suggest a sea change this year.

Goodbye you have many years of experience - but even with my limited knowledge I would question why there would be a sudden change in pooling??

A young man I know had his Cambridge interview last week. When he got there they asked him which of the the 3 questions they had emailed him did he want to work through (maths based questions I think). He had not received the email so of course had not done any prep for this.

Feel so bad for him. He has done exceptionally well at a state school that has been in special measures, family not familiar with the process. And so on.

Reading the problems others have had with emails too. Not sure what the answer is.

I just don't see that there has been a sudden change Hubble. My lot (well the non science lot of the lot) have had these waits until Thurs night/ Friday, with just one or two applicants moving off for a further interview. Perhaps people imagine half the applicants will go onto further interview or something. If you end up at a college which regularly takes lots of imports you'll get a skewed picture. Sometimes a usually popular college has a bad year and casts out for pool applicants but I'd tend to say that it's more usual for few to be pooled, not many.

Oh decorhate that is awful!!

Gosh poor boy Decorhate. I hope they make an adjustment.

Yes I had assumed that few people would be pooled too. Most people would fall into the definite yes or no categories.

Ouch Decor he must have been really thrown. Hope they either gave him some time or just let him work through a problem there and then, and assessed him at face value.

decorhate that’s so unfortunate. Were the interviewers sympathetic? Hopefully it won’t count against him.

Can not believe people have 8 DC on here! Honestly in shock... I always wanted 4 but after 3 realised there was no way I could cope with another.

Coleopatra it’s lovely that one DT is so supportive of the other. It sounds like they have a really nice relationship

DD got home an hour ago. Very excited to get back to her routine tomorrow and just forget about university applications and decisions for a month. She’s got her first set of mock exams next week but she’s decided to just write them off.

coleoptera the HAT was changed to a one hour paper this year whereas last year it was a two hour paper. I think it was just one question this year and 2 or 3 questions last year.

I do not think a change in HAT would make pooling any more or less likely though.

"He sounds cross and fed up that he had to wait around all day long to find out that he didn't have any more interviews."

"She is very fed up as her interview was at 9 yesterday so has been hanging around for nothing"

Anyone else think that they've got a point?

Absolutely Everincreasingfrequency - DD would not have been too happy with that wait. However it sounds like it’s unavoidable - I guess they don’t know if/who they’re pooling until everyone’s been interviewed and they’ve worked out who they can take. For subjects like English/law/history where there are more applicants and places to discuss than smaller subjects, it’s always likely to be a slower process.

The timings are all publicised in advance. It may feel anticlimactic, but no, I don't really understand why candidates are getting fed up about something they've been told might happen. My dd was really happy to stay as long as possible as she was enjoying herself!

It must be frustrating for some to stay longer but is it really that difficult when you think that a place at one of the world's top universities is at stake? It really does seem such a small price to pay to me.

If you think about it the alternative may mean there is no time to give your DC's applications all the consideration they deserve.