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?

One compensating factor is that it makes it that much easier to do an London internship over the summer. LSE terms were also quite good. Two times 12 weeks followed by a six week summer exam term. A bit more time to learn everything, and then start revision at Easter. DS and his friends seemed to work very hard. Presumably they would have had to work even harder had it all been compressed into 8 week terms.

(I realise I've already shared this experience elsewhere on Mn; sorry for repeating myself).
I was in intercollegiate halls in London. In my hall there were only 8 people from the same university as me. This isn't a problem in itself, but it might not be the friendship-building or general student experience that most young people are hoping for.

I agree. However because the LSE student population is so scattered, I am not sure it matters. DS experience was that social life happens on campus. I assume this is different to Oxbridge where it presumably happens in halls, or elsewhere where halls really count. The advantage is that it provides a real impetus to join societies.

Sorry, that would be law day at Pembroke College Cambridge last wednesday.

These points are not specific to law, but they are from Cambridge. They expect a strong academic record with grades 7-9 at GCSE. They appreciate the PS must suit all UCAS choices, so they place more emphasis on their SAQ, due by 22 Oct. There is usually 70% chance of interview & you are likely to need to submit written work from A level courses for discussion.

SAQ needs to cover your specific Cambridge course with details of appropriate modules taken, master classes, summer schools, competitions entered etc. It's crucial to follow the guidelines on the Cambridge website. No importance will be attached to your EPQ (but it gives something yo talk about at interview) or any extra curricular activity.

Cambridge will move applicants from a particular college to the general pool. There is also a summer pool system for students they want who have had a near miss with their actual grades.

They also place a lot of emphasis on students using their website for activities which can enhance your SAQ and help you through the application process. Areas like their HE+ pages, which are part of their outreach scheme, give good advice, especially if you or your school are new to the application process.

Thanks Devon, that’s really useful!

DS is applying to Oxford to do Geography.

He chose Oxford over Cambridge because he wanted to be in a bigger city.

He’s pretty geography obsessed but I can’t persuade him to read the economist! So I do worry he isn’t doing enough ‘super curricular’ stuff.

He’s been to the subject open day and the 2 uni open days last week. He spent the night at Keble but probably won’t apply there.

Atm he’s trying to decide between Brasenose, St Johns and Worcester.

(We want one with college accommodation for all 3 years)

He’s at a big state comp (year group of 300) that do 3-4 oxbridge applications each year with 1 or occasionally 2 who get in.

He doesn’t get FSM or has ever been in care but we are in the ‘bottom’ acorn and polar postcodes so hopefully this will help him esp as one of his subjects isn’t a ‘facilitating’ subject. (School had no timetabling for his 3 top academic subjects.)

At the open days he did say that the other kids all sounded very posh but he’s not the type to be bothered by being ‘different’.

He loves his subject and will talk about it til the cows come home so I think if he can get to the interview stage he’ll do well in that forum.

He’s read the mock thinking skills assessment and said that looks scary but he thinks studying English this year with the emphasis on critical analysis of texts will help him.

We were at the history sessions and were actually surprised that neither the people attending, running the sessions nor the student ambassadors sounded posh at all. He must have been unlucky with his grouping.

It’s all relative. Where we’re from everyone from the South of England sounds ‘posh’.

Verily1 you might find this thread on TSR interesting. It's written by a parent of a student about Oxford and touches on the perception of the typical Oxford student and the barriers faced by students who don't fit the stereotype.

But it isn’t just a perception, the reality is that most Oxford undergrads are from the south of England.

It isn’t putting DS off from applying because he’s not the type who feels a need to fit in and be the same as everyone else.

When we visited together we both noticed how healthy the people on the streets around the colleges looked (not assuming they were all students). The men seemed taller- mostly 5’11+ whereas at home lots of adult men are 5’9 or under. People’s hair skin and teeth seemed more polished eg no one with unwashed greasy hair, everyone looked like they had regular haircuts. People’s teeth seemed white and straight. No toothless 40 somethings like at home!

People’s clothes looked like they fitted and weren’t bobbly or worn or old.

There weren’t as many BAME people.

There weren’t people with obvious disabilities.

There weren’t people who were drunk/ on drugs/ with obvious mental health problems wandering about like we sometimes see at home.

One of the reasons he wants to go to Oxford is for a better life to escape all of this!

People who say it isn’t ‘posh’ are living in a bubble where a comfortable life is normal.

75% of new undergrads are from a household with an income above £42k. In areas where most people are on benefits/ single parents/ disabled/ zero hours contracts that is an unimaginable level of wealth!

Verily1 what was your own education? I assume good.

Verily I didn’t go to Oxford with DS but I can well imagine that everything you say is true. It can be a daunting environment for people who are used to very different environments. Having said that DS said that everyone he met at the open day was lovely and one student who gave him a one to one tour said he would fit in at their college. FWIW DP is disabled so if DS gets in that would be at least one more disabled person milling around Oxford.

I assume he was only there in the daytime then. We went up the evening before and noted that Oxford had its share of homeless people sleeping in doorways etc especially down the strip where the restaurants, bars and theatre was as well as in the Westgate shopping area.

I didn't go either howwudufeel. DD4 really enjoyed the day but did say that there seemed to be more parents than applicants also that quite a number of the applicants seemed incredibly young. I really don't know why parents have to monopolize the question sessions nor actually why DC need to go unless they're in Y12.

The Open Days are not representative of the Oxford intake. A far higher proportion of people come from the affluent SE for the Open Days, for reasons of geography/ expense. That's just what happens. It gives a skewed picture of the end product, not that the SE doesn't dominate, just not to the same extent.

goodbyestranger I went to an open day at a different university with DS and there was a Q&A after a taster lecture. Every question was by a parent, mainly dads, all trying to outsmart the lecturer. It was mortifying. The lecturer was trying to point out that he couldn’t possibly have addressed every issue on the topic because of time limits. Some people are very intense.

There is a massive homeless, drug and mental health problem in Oxford

The lecturers at the history sessions were very good at taking questions from prospective students rather than parents unless there was a lull and no student had their hand up. I have to say though they were very patient when a student asked the sane question for the third time. I would have asked for their name and told them they were blacklisted for not listening to the answer the first two times! ()

*same not sane

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15905936.more-than-a-quarter-of-children-in-oxford-living-in-poverty/

Oxford is at once very rich and very poor.

Students also don't all swan around in a bubble. Some actually help as far as they're able to with providing meals for the homeless (in a structured way), or tutoring children up in the Leys.

No idea why this student was allowed back into Cambridge though:
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cambridge-university-student-burn-20-note-homeless-man-abuse-privilege-ronald-coyne-a7924806.html

I really don't know why parents have to monopolize the question sessions nor actually why DC need to go unless they're in Y12.

Agreed. Also I have seen instances of parents barging prospective students out of talks and when challenged by staff arguing that it is their right to be there, and the other students aren't their concern. Dreadful behaviour. Had to bite my tongue with a colleague the other day, who divulged that not only had they already visited with their year 10 DD, they had contacted admissions to ascertain if the course was suitable for their child, contacted a college to select accommodation, and had a long discussion on how wonderful their child was, and that they had been assured of a place . How the hell would they know, she hasn't even done her GCSE's yet FGS.

It was a shame that in one of the taster lectures I watched prospective students were turned away whilst others were flanked by two parents and in some cases a number of siblings too. Surely if there are four or more of the same family taking up seats they should have the good grace to have a coffee instead?

^There weren’t people who were drunk/ on drugs/ with obvious mental health problems wandering about like we sometimes see at home.

One of the reasons he wants to go to Oxford is for a better life to escape all of this!

People who say it isn’t ‘posh’ are living in a bubble where a comfortable life is normal. ^

Everything is relative of course but your DS should realise that everything you mention is present in Oxford. Beautiful architecture and a historical wealthy university does n’t make the city a gated community.