Oxbridge Applications 2019 (Part Three)

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Today is a big day for many... time for a new thread too

3 more rejections at our school. Only one offer. What's happening this year?

It's always tough. There are loads of very able candidates and not many places. It's genuinely not the be-all and end-all. The kids bright enough to get interviews and/ or pooled are very bright and will be fine.

Gosh, a lot of rejections, sorry to hear about them all.

Little that must have been a surprise! I think I remember you losing your mum? Good luck to him with STEP, take advantage of OYBBK as much as possible!

Ds had an email with an offer first thing this morning. Very pleased but he is still pretty sure he's set on Manchester.

LittleSpace I'm not sure I can help with the actual questions, I could just about manage the first part of a few of dds, but no more than that. If your ds goes to a state school then he should get an offer for a step support day at cambridge. dd found the day really useful. I really recommend him going.

That's such good news Atia :) I'm really pleased for your ds!

Congratulations to those who have had offers and keeping fingers crossed for STEP sitters and A level results .

Thanks OhYouBadBadKitten.

I didn't know they offered a STEP support day. Yes he goes to a state comp.

Brilliant news Atia.

Surprise is an understatement!

Longtime lurker.

Congrats and commiserations to everyone. This has been one of the most stressful things I've lived through as a parent.

DD has an offer.. Big fat tears of relief ( I was at school for a meeting so she came and found me).

FYI at her school one other has an offer and I don't know about the 3rd yet - only 3 made it to interview.. School is private but non selective and and hasn't had an offer for 6 years for anyone. Interviews yes, offers no - I think the head was even more excited as he was hugging the kids!

Now its back to the books and waiting for Durham (seems like alot are!)

Congrats and commiserations respectively.

I haven't heard from DD about all the other applicants from her school (state comp) but so far she knows of 6 Cambridge acceptances and 2 rejections. 4 Oxford acceptances in total, about 12 rejections. Seems like a tough year this year for some reason... I'm aware that DD has been very very lucky.

Interesting to read that many are waiting for decisions from Durham. DD got an offer from Durham in November I think. We didn't go to the open days so will be going to an offer holder day in March.

One of our pupils got an offer, the other didn’t... Different subjects & the unsuccessful applicant seems philosophical about it (he came to have a chat). He did so well to get to this stage (EAL, school has been in special measures). He will do amazingly wherever he goes.

Nettleskins your recent post was fabulous!!

Nettleskeins

Well done to DC with offers and commiserations to those disappointed today.

DD has an offer! I am so happy for her and so proud! What a journey!

Well done your DD,

At DS's very high achieving state school only three (out of about 25) got into Cambridge (the Oxford applicants in his year group did considerably better as a ratio than the Cambridge ones which goes against the usual trend for his school). He also said that it wasn't the brightest/smartest pupils (with one exception) in his school cohort who got in...

DD got an offer for English so it's second time lucky here.
From last year when DD didn't get an offer, I remember how difficult it is for DC to make new plans, it takes some time for the disappointment to fade. DD had chosen universities she had no intention of going to because she was so certain she would get in to Cambridge.
This year has been invaluable for her to think about where she would want to be if she couldn't be at Cambridge.
Best wishes to everyone on the next stage of their journey.

Holly so pleased for you and DD. I remember how lovely you were last year and so supportive to others.

Successful reapplication here too. It feels VERY different to this time last year. Commiserations to anyone’s DC who didn’t get in and really had invested in it. It does feel a bit like a big, fat, full stop to the process without much opportunity to debrief or gain insight into how close you were. It is a brutal process if only for that reason.

I'm so pleased Holly and Help :) Well done to your dc.

It’s great to hear of reapplicants being successful. It must be a scary thing to do. Well done!

Congrats to all the kids. Really congrats, those with offers and those without. They're obviously at the very top of their game and at such a young age. Kudos to them. At dc school out of the 3 scurrying applicants none got an offer. All with a* gcse and excellent a level predictions. I do think Oxbridge are trying to move away from the stereotypical top level student and try and make more offers to those students they see a spark in, or who come across as confident at interview. The 3 applicants at my dc school were actually convinced they'd nailed the interview and would get a offer. It's been a funny year for offers.

I have limited experience but not very different from last year I would argue, Yes they are looking for a spark buy that is often on top of the stellar results of most applicants. Interviews are important for sure but over-confidence is probably not a good thing.