Oxbridge 2020

[GinWorksForMe]

Is it too early for an Oxbridge 2020 thread? I'm feeling in need of some hand holding through this process...

DS1 is going to apply to Cambridge for Maths. Doesn't know yet whether to name a college or put in an open application, so any tips gratefully received. We have visited two (very different) colleges and been to a Maths Open Day. It's unlikely we're going to have the opportunity to visit many more colleges as their open days seem to be on Saturdays and DS1 has a paid job Saturdays and Sundays.

Anyone else applying for Oxbridge for 2020 entry and want to share the journey?

In terms of talks mine have found the college admissions talks the most useful. DD4 has booked into one of the big spacious colleges for the night and looking at the timings she can really only do the admissions talk up the road at another college she thinks she likes, then back to the overnight college for their admissions talk, then the general humanities talk there after lunch. She's going onthe train at the end of school today but has a brother still there who's going to meet her and take her to the college and then supper etc. Tomorrow she's on her own but I think that makes talking to tutors much easier.

peaseblossom he sounds like my DS!

Ah thank you Peaseblossom :) You can do nothing but work or you can do absolutely masses beyond work. It's about managing time. Your DS sounds great.

Well then yours sounds great too Bobble!

Sorry, peaseblossom, I was very unclear - I meant emphasise the good points of each college they look at rather than being all 'wow'! about a specific one, or down on one they might end up pooled to. But also do likewise with other unis at their open days! (Except with those if there's negatives then fine, don't apply - and if your DC feel really negative about Oxford or Cambridge overall then they should absolutely not feel pressured to apply there either).

I don't know about Oxford, and maybe the experience also depends on the subject, but I don't really recognise any of the negatives you've just described in what my DD is finding doing engineering at Cambridge. Maybe it helped that we, and her school, were supportive of all her choices, Cambridge wasn't the be-all and end all. Sure, they work hard - but still seem to find time to relax. She's just finished her second year and is delighted hers is a 4 year degree not 3, absolutely not an 'ordeal to be endured' . And lots of her pals on other courses are thinking of going on to Masters, so it can't be that bad!

Maybe you know an unrepresentative sample who've been pushed into applying for Oxbridge by school and/or parents?

Bit of an xpost, I was responding to the one you tagged me on...just to add

so many people telling him that Oxford means no outside interests compared to elsewhere because you will always be working !

Really not true. Engineering is one of the courses with most lectures and labs plus tutorials but they certainly don't do nothing but that. And the 'full term' when the teaching is concentrated is only 8 weeks - so theres more relaxed time outside of that.

Tbh it doesn't seem so very different workload-wise than the chemistry degree I did decades ago elsewhere.

Thank you for comments goodbye and Errol that’s really useful. School very supportive of everything and if anything maybe too keen not to push them to apply but let it come from them . Also know two who got in for same subject from another local school and have massively struggled either with workload and lack of contact time. It’s was good to hear a student riposte at Durham to a question about contact time which politely said that an English degree was about reading and too much formal contact time got in the way ! Personally I think ds will be fine the lack of contact time, he has said he would rather have 2 hours quality than 4 hours of being in a room with 20 others .

Hi all - I will be hanging around in the Maths department tomorrow afternoon and Friday afternoon and happy to answer any questions on STEP (when I'm not giving talks on STEP). Please encourage your DC to come and ask questions! (I'll be the one on the STEP stall who isn't a student...)

DD is at Oxford today with her school looking at economics and management although I suspect she won't apply in the end. A 6% offer rate is a wasted slot on the UCAS form in her opinion! I would reiterate that even being in a position to consider an application is an achievement.

DS2 is in Cambridge on a subject-specific summer school. They had an admissions talk yesterday and the rest has been lectures, lab sessions and problem-solving workshops.

He has been too busy to message us to let us know how he is getting on (which is a good sign) but he has posted subject-related updates on Twitter.

We're going up tomorrow to meet him for lunch and give him a lift home. I imagine it will be very busy due to the open day.

DS has decided against applying for Mathematics at Cambridge in favour of Mathematics and Statistics at Oxford. He’s quite concerned about the MAT, though! He’s looked at the topics and past papers and says it’s well beyond what they for Higher Maths and definitely Advanced Higher Maths level, but as the exam is at the end of October, he can’t see the class making much of a dent in the topics covered.

He’s asked me to order his Advanced Higher Maths book now so he can spend the summer prepping. The Oxford website says it’s accessible to all, so am hoping that’s true!

Argh, it’s well beyond what they covered for Higher Maths and is definitely AH Maths level (seemed to miss out some words the first time!)

Just heading back from the Oxford open day with DS. Very interesting but a bit overwhelming for him I think. He liked all the colleges we visited except my old college (waah!).

My ds has now settled on Oxford after attending a UNIQ tutorial day. He seems to be OK about the MAT - feels it is manageable.

We are on a train heading from Paddington to Oxford tonight for open day tomorrow! Thought it might be quieter but no! Train should have 9 carriages but only has 4! It's carnage!

Only just found this group , hope I can hop in. 3rd visit today for us at Oxford but feeling like the 4-6% acceptance rate will be a miracle! DS really loves it, doesn’t really mind which college. Hoping for Economics and business!

*economics and management! .. didn’t manage all the colleges but some definitely felt more inviting than others. Incredible just how many students for so few places

DS is staying overnight and liking it. Not sure which colleges he has visited but he seems to like them.

Kilash Are you in England or Scotland? I.e. is your DS doing A levels or Highers/AHs? Would be good if I knew of a Scottish student feeling OK about the MAT!

I'm in England and ds is doing Maths and FM. There are lots of online resources and he has been practicing papers all year. That said, he lives and breathes Maths.

Oh well. It seems far more aligned to the A level curriculum than our curriculum, but hopefully DS will be able to fill the gaps.

Talking of online resources for maths this may be of interest (from Imperial) www.edx.org/course/a-level-mathematics-for-y12

Can I shuffle on to the bench pls?

DD went to the Oxford Open day - her school took a small group of kids down yesterday to look round the colleges and do the subject tour today. She wants to do Fine Art and is now besotted with the John Ruskin.

This is so out of my comfort zone, but she has come back buzzing about the place, people and the course. Her assessment is that all the people she met were self declared geeks in their subject and so she didn't feel out of place being really passionate about art.

Has anyone first hand experience of LSE? Ds hoping Oxford will happen but has LSE as a second option!

@Arewedone I think @needmoresleep has a son who was at LSE . Bumping this for you