Oxbridge Applications 2019 (Part Three)

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

Errol yes the whole thing is very interesting - well, I find it interesting - because over the years one's come across absolute stars on paper who get early offers and the same level of star who's kept waiting until into March. And then I've also seen a volte-face in terms of admissions policy which queers the pitch for applicants - the minimum number of A at GCSE for History for example, or the mandatory requirement of an A at GCSE in History, and then there's been the vacillating with A* offers at A level. But the vagaries of Exeter admissions policy for English say seem even more extreme. It's fair to say that Durham really doesn't like to be the insurance (they wrote quite crossly to DD3 asking why she had put them as her insurance).

justanothermile
Bloody hell a question on an Oxbridge thread I can answer.
If your DD takes the offer which becomes unconditional when firmed, that's it. You don't need or put an insurance choice. You are in, well your DD is. Ds did this with Lincoln. So he just firmed Lincoln, we did check with Lincoln on his offers day, and with a kind lady at UCAS too.

That's it, Lincoln even rang 7 days before A level results day to confirm his place, gave him their congratulations and backed it up in an email.

Be careful though, because once you confirm your unconditional, you are going there, so unable to go through clearing or adjustment processes, so if you DD changes her mind, I believe, she has to withdraw from this year and take a gap year to reapply in 2020.

hope that answers your query.
Good luck to your DD. I am sure she will succeed where ever she chooses to go, and they will be glad to have such a talented student.

Thanks 2boys, and for being kind about DD.

I didn't make it very clear. The offer is AAB or UIF. The other choice she likes is ABB. These two choices are the only two in the running now really.

But - if she firms the ABB offer, she'd forfeit an unconditional but her insurance choice would then require higher grades than her firm. There seems no point in putting an insurance choice then, but I'm sure there should be a valid reason?

So, there's two choices -
AAB or UIF
ABB.

I'm hoping I make sense!

However I didn't know about withdrawal after firming an unconditional - thank you.

I think there is a point in an insurance even if higher ask. Unis vary in how they handle applicants if a grade is slipped in the summer.
However if UIF is chosen that is it.

Ps We are also waiting for outcome of application on Monday.
Not holding out much hope but steeling myself to manage disappointment and review the alternatives with dd2

Bide your time Justanothermile. Let the dust settle for you and DD before making important decisions. Time is on your side. I do understand the urge to plan and get on with things but please dissuade your DD from making decisions yet.

Hope you are both feeling better today.

Justanothermile,

Ignore the UIF. Your DD needs to consider what course she prefers and put that first.

UIF is just gaming by institutions to maximise the number of students they get.

Another good reason to hold off on decision making is that sometimes unis will come back with lower offers. Happened to some of DS's friends last year. Remember that at this stage the ball is in your court. Take all the time you need!!

So there was info on this thread that let Oxford hopefuls know when and how to expect their results - email vs letter etc and what time.

What's the usual arrangement for Cambridge.

I've already asked DD to let me know as soon as she knows.
Preferably expletive free, I've told her.

My friend is an admissions officer at one of the Cambridge Colleges. Her offers (and rejections) are already set to go off by email early Monday am as in before most would need to leave for school. She has a special computer programme that allows her to set this and has been working all sorts of hours in the past couple of weeks to ensure they are all set up properly.

She usually spends offer day fielding phone calls from irate parents demanding to know why their DC has not received an offer. If you do call to ask for feedback, for example, on the test scores do bear in mind the person you get to speak to has had no part in the actual decision process so be polite and respectful.

Meant to say it will vary by college too.

Thanks for that info.

It's possible I spoke to your friend when I phoned up to ask if DD had blown her chance of an interview when she didn't get the email and couldn't therefore fill in the online acceptance form. If so, they were very kind and helpful. :)

I shall tell her to check her email (and her spam and her archive, which is where her interview email magically filed itself) first thing on Monday morning.

Thanks Shalom that is useful to know. Dd is on study leave for mocks atm and only has an afternoon exam on Monday. She is still debating whether to look at her email first thing or wait until after school. If it is likely to arrive early I think it might be better to deal with the news then and regroup as appropriate in time for the exam. If it is a no she will be asking for feedback so will bear your friend in mind. She was previously in frantic email communication over submitted work with one admissions admin.

LIZS regrouping for afternoon after disappointing news will nor be easy!!

Or even concentrating after good of course.

No but the anticipation won't be easy either, especially if she arrives at school and others have already received their outcomes. It is bad enough with Oxford decisions being out!

Well they are only mocks anyway so she do what is best for her. Good luck!

Is there any chance that all the colleges will send out the emails before school?

Thank you Shalom for very helpful information.

It would be great to get the outcome before we leave for school and work on Monday morning.

DS is remarkably chilled so far... I think the Oxford results have helped manage expectations and reminded us how difficult and subjective the process is.

I’m sorry if this is tactless given the disappointments on the thread. Dd is not very happy about her offer. It was not her choice of college (old and central) but a former women’s college (newer and “distant”) and she didn’t like the undergrads she met when she was interviewed there, nor the overall vibe of the college (which is very pc).

A had a good friend at that college (obvs last century) and she loved it. I’ve also tried to explain that there will be a variety of people at all the colleges (eg I found no problems being a state school girl at my very Brideshead college) and that anyway she may well spend less time there than she thinks. We had a look at the website and she did cheer up a bit about some of the societies; but the things she’s interested in (music and rowing) aren’t the college’s strengths.

She was in love with her first choice college (Merton) and says she’d even prefer St Benet’s (where she was also interviewed) to the college she’s been offered. In moments of lucidity she realises she’d be mad to turn it down but the rest of the time she’s fretting about turning down Durham...

I suppose I should just let things settle but it is such a shame that her delight in being accepted is being tempered by disappointment. Nothing with DD is uncomplicated...

Apologies for the epistle but I’m waiting for her to arrive home safely from a party...

Well this is a tricky one isn't it? My DS was also given a place at a college he did not apply to. I think that he very much liked his first choice because that is where he was hosted and where he made friends. It did knock some of the shine off his offer for him but it never occurred to him to turn it down. Tell your DD to go visit again - they will be more than happy to show her around, particularly as she was not a direct applicant. There is absolutely no rush to make any decisions. If you are able to have a day out in Oxford and she likes the college then get her a college scarf from the university shop. Its what I did! An Oxford degree is an Oxford degree no matter the college. Its the same city, the same course and the same university.
Durham is lovely too but no guarantee of college there either.

PantTwizzler It's hard to persuade them when they regard an Oxford offer as a disappointment isn't it! These high achieving kids work so hard and set themselves such high goals.
I loved my ex women's college. OK it didn't have the Hogwarts architecture but it had a really open, warm friendly atmosphere, and still does. It wasn't central - though not the furthest out and to be honest, that was a relief sometimes - quieter and you don't have to contend with tourists peering into your bedroom window. It also had better facilities in many ways and one of the best college libraries.
I hope your DD can get her head round it and realise that you find your tribe wherever and colleges are not prisons.