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.

This thread on the Student Room has a spreadsheet link to see those invites for the different colleges/different courses that have been received by those who have been invited.

DD has applied for Magdalene, for history. There's only a handful of responses for Magdalene and only one or two for history. So that's q good news and implies they may still be sending out invites.

But on the other hand, the one Magdalene/history response I found says they received their invite on the 20th Nov and their interview is 5th Dec, which is next week. That strongly implies that she's not been successful.

So, should DD be expecting any sort of 'thanks but no thanks' email or letter, or do they just not hear if they aren't successful?

Have you checked spam?

I was under the impression that all invitations/rejections were sent out at the same time. They certainly were for Trinity College, Oxford.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you....

DrMadelineMaxwell I’m not a regular on this thread but might she have been pooled pre interview? I know Oxford do that sometimes, in which case it perhaps wouldn’t be Magdelen contacting her. Definitely get her to check spam etc. In your position I’d probably be wary and prepare for the worst just because all this anticipation and waiting will make a negative result all the more devastating.

I've asked her to check spam. She had checked it on Tues and hadn't heard anything but is going to check again.

I've emailed their admissions just to ask whether they do send out notification if they haven't been invited to interview, or should they just assume they aren't lucky enough if they haven't heard by a certain date.

No idea on pooling. She did apply for a particular college rather than an open application, but I'm aware pooling does happen and she's mentioned the fact that there's a winter pool - I wasn't sure if the winter pool was post interview or pre interview stage though.

DrMadeleineMaxwell Oxford interviews all applicants for the same subject at the same time whereas I think the colleges in Cambridge are more autonomous - the pooling system operates differently - but I'm not absolutely sure. I also wouldn't take anything said on TSR as correct necessarily. DD2's invite (Oxford) went to spam and languished there for a while. It must be very difficult for your DD because you've said she's got her heart set on Cambridge. I'd have thought it was sufficiently late in the day to e-mail Magdalene and simply ask. I think if I were you I'd encourage her to do that tonight, so they pick it up tomorrow. It really won't affect their decision either way.

Mine's a cross post, rather obviously. The winter pool happens at the end of the interviewing process.

It's incredibly discourteous of any college not to notify no thank you's. It's so easy to do; there really is no excuse.

Sorry didn’t realise it was Cambridge - I think it’s only Oxford that re-allocate colleges pre interview. I agree with ignoring the studentroom - such a small percentage of students use it that their data can’t really be considered a representative sample. Fingers crossed for your DD and even if it’s bad news she’s done well to get this far! There will be plenty of other great universities out there for her (maybe even one ultimately more suitable).

That's really weird and annoying Max, I'm so sorry for you and your dd. Magdalene don't give fixed dates, but I did find on the "after applying" page that they say they will notify either way by email by mid-November. I'm sure you've trawled through every page on the website and have seen that. I think now is far enough past "mid" that it's definitely worth checking.

She's obviously had and done her SAQ which would seem to indicate no problems with the email address. Really hope you hear asap.

Thanks. Yes, her email has worked well enough for acknowledgement of application, request for SAQ and invite to pre interview exam at half term. She's a bit stressed so I don't like repeatedly askingher if she's heard anything. But I am.

God the agony for you guys Max. I think it's most certainly reasonable at this stage to email, for goodness sake the Oxford interviews start next week - totally appropriate. I know you're Cambridge but surely similar time scales.

I feel for you.

Me too.

That thing someone said about only as happy as your unhappiest child - so true.

Poor both of you.

And that has sod all to do with pushiness or intensity, it's just absolutely natural.

Oh Max, I don't want to ask. But have been thinking of you and dd all day x

Thank you. :)

OMG but what an afternoon! I'd emailed to ask whether she should have had a rejection if hadn't landed a place or whether not hearing by now meant no interview and they'd replied that she should phone.

Despite us searching her email account high and low last night (and before that) and finding only the invite to the exam and the request for SAQ, even when we checked SPAM mail, she decided to trawl every single folder she had and she found the invite - in her archived folder. Showing as unread, so how and why it ended up there we don't know.

When she read it, her heart sank because it said she had to reply on an automated form by a date that had passed a few weeks ago. There were tears. When she calmed down and rang them they assured her all was ok and they were expecting her - on Friday next week!

Fantastic news!

Goodness! What an ending to that story! So pleased it worked out in the end.

Well, that's a good lesson in the virtues of dogged persistence! Well done her!

Oh, I'm so pleased for her!

I've got the 14th in mind?

Claraschu posted this link on the Oxbridge interviews thread, I found it interesting. Didn't really read anything unexpected, it was just nice to hear their perspectives.
www.insideuni.org/cambridge/interviews

Congrats on the interview invite for your DD Max! Good luck to all DC for the interviews next week! I’ll sure be glad once the week is over! My DD is stressed and is taking it out on me and I can only take so much, as it has been going on now a bit too long! My patience is wearing thin

Thank you all.

My boss was very kind. When I told him about it, he TOLD me to take the day off to be able to take her down, which I won't complain about. She has been allocated a free room as it's over 3 hours drive to get there. So instead of the train ticket (5 hours travelling time with a change at Birmingham) she was looking at booking, I have a hotel room booked and we will drive down on the Thurs afternoon.

She will wait until she's got her key from the porter and any instructions before she decides whether she wants to spend any more time with me or whether I leave her to her own devices until lunchtime the next day after her two interviews.

To be fair, I'm very thankful for this thread. I've been leaving DD to manage it all herself and up until now, she's done a sterling job. At every turn, when I'd asked her what she needed to do next, she was already doing it or had sorted it. However, DD was just resigned to having not heard anything and thought it meant it was a no. It was only when I read on here about someone getting a rejection that I realised that no news didn't mean bad news. I wasn't really aware of dates of the interviews etc as hadn't looked at that until there was any chance of her having to attend one and it was a sense of time ticking away and everyone else having heard that prompted me to get on the email and to give her a push to phone and chase it up.

New clothes have been purchased and she's informed her sixth form college. A friend's relative works at a private sixth form so she has offered to do a mock interview with DD over the weekend in case she's missed the chance to do them at college.