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?

if they do not know the answer to actually say I don't know the answer. They are told the interviewers will be looking for things they do know.
Again that depends re the latter part of your sentence. A good interview will test thinking from first principles for at least part of the time so will actively be looking for areas that have n’t been learnt by the candidate.
However sometimes the line of questioning even in maths can only continue if the candidate has some knowledge of the topic. An interview has limited time so if a candidate does not have the knowledge for several start-up questions they cannot tackle the harder material. Handholding through start-up questions will vary and should be more for those candidates who are n’t perceived. as educationally advantaged.

Hi all am new on here. My dgd is thinking about applying to Cambridge but is a bit phased by all the things you have to do in applying. She has the predicted grades to apply but she still can't quite make her mind up though she loves Cambridge and the course is ideal for her. I keep trying to convince her to apply but she is still dithering.

Handholding through start-up questions will vary and should be more for those candidates who are n’t perceived. as educationally advantaged.......

I understand that students from disadvantaged backgrounds may not have such social skills or confidence as more advantaged students but if they have the grades to apply I should think they will have the ability to cope with questions on the same par as advantaged students. Its a bit of a stereotype to say they need more hand holding than advantaged students IMO. Though I may be a bit sensitive

Welcome Sostenueto

I would have thought that students from backgrounds that have been under-represented at Oxbridge would be equally knowledgeable on their subject and as able to address unfamiliar questions. They might not have had as many opportunities in skills such as public speaking or debating though.

DS and I watched a demonstration interview at Oxford last year. A psychology tutor 'interviewed' a volunteer (first year Biology student) in front of an audience, explaining the process before and afterwards. He gave the candidate an article from a scientific journal, then started with straightforward questions. The questions got harder, but the interviewer helped the candidate through the process, supporting him at the same time as stretching him. When the candidate missed something obvious (GCSE-level probability), the interviewer went back and asked the question in a different way, giving the candidate a second chance to spot his error, which he did. It seemed more like an assessed tutorial than an interview as most people would understand the term.

Not an Oxbridge question but related to interviews in general. DS is severely dyslexic and often takes a long time to find the right words and put them in order to answer the question. Although he might know the answer or have a really good idea there is a long pause to find the words or lots of false starts. I often have a long wait for the answer to simple questions like what do you want for lunch. What do you think about him explaining this at the start of the interview - after all you get extra time in exams ?

I’m fairly sure you should and are able to mention that sort of thing. I seem to recall an admissions person mentioning something like that - I can’t remember too well as none of my children have any learning difficulties so wasn’t paying too much attention. But DS should be fine !

Its a bit of a stereotype to say they need more hand holding than advantaged students IMO.
would be equally knowledgeable on their subject and as able to address unfamiliar questions
Students from top selective independent schools in particular will have covered more wider ranging material in class than many average state schools. International students for example from Hong Kong may be the equivalent of a year ahead.

Ironoaks in fact tutorials in course heavy STEM subjects are often more about tackling any gaps / difficulties from the lecture course and with answering the preset questions.
So the Oxbridge STEM interviews are also assessing the ability and interest to keep on top of a fast paced intense lecture course that also sets more additional questions / essays than most other university courses.

@Coleoptera, the Cambridge test is 2 hrs, paper 1 MCQ answers to texts and paper 2 comparison of 2 texts in essay format. It’s a joint Arts-Humanities paper now. The sample paper seems to have the same source material as some older HAA papers from what I can see.
@goodbyestranger, I have completely misread your initial post on p1.. so sorry.
We keep getting the message from school that you cant really prepare for the pre-admission tests but this doesn’t ring true particularly reading previous year’s threads and this current one. Practicing under time pressure has to be a good idea , no? I wonder if some of it is trying to downplay expectation but it seems counterproductive given how important the scores seem to be. Hmm

hobbema no problem. None of the DC have ever been especially taken by the idea of Cambridge for undergrad, if only on the grounds of smallness and quietness by comparison to Oxford.

Sorry Coleoptera I haven't got a clue about the Cambridge test but clearly others have.

hobbema mine looked at the HAT papers on the website and did those but for the first DC to do the HAT, there was (I think) only one or two papers - but then everyone was in the same boat. DD4 has quite a few papers for the CAT and says she'll just go through them in a fairly spread out way up to the date of the test. As I said, she's on her own but I know that some schools do tests which are marked by teachers who know what the tests are about but that's all part and parcel of the 'Oxbridge prep'. I don't know how much it helps, I assume quite a bit - but then I'd hope that was levelled out by tutors' awareness of which schools go for it big time.

Yes my DGD is very shy and quiet naturally and I do worry about whether nerves will get the better of her at an interview. Thanks for clearing up about the questions asked and explanation I was being 'sensitive' I suppose.

Personally they should do away with interviews because it will always be the advantaged who will have an unfair headstart on others. My dgd works so hard, her mum a single parent on minimum wage zero contract hours, no professional parents, no money for private tutors yet is predicted AAA* and is doing an EPQ but all that may be to no avail simply because she may not get past an interview slanted predominantly to middle class private or grammar educated candidates. It really is disheartening.

That should read A A A*

Hello Sostenuto. I was on the GCSE threads - good to see you .

I've been pondering how to help DD get interview practise. For Maths, one key tip from admissions was to practise doing maths "out loud". This, I think DD definitely should practise. But I struggle to think of anyone that would be willing to listen and able to keep up with what she's talking about. I can listen, but I glaze over quite quickly when she talks about maths. This is probably not the best way to simulate a two way conversation!

Hi chicken nice to see you! only now posting on here but have lurked a while now. Glad dd doing great! Yes good advice about speaking subject but its so hard to make DGD confident when an introvert.

I know the glazed over look lol! Dgd eventually wants to concentrate on cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Is dd wanting to do math degree chicken?

Sost has your DGD had a look at the Cambridge you tube videos and the interview pages of their website? www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/interviews/what-do-interviews-involve

DD went to some of their outreach sessions & they kept stressing that you don't need to have any practice. If your DGD follows the advice they give about what to include in the Supplementary Statement and watches the videos so she knows what to expect, her enthusiasm for her subject really will shine through.

My DD is also ultra introverted and hates talking to people she doesn't know. Sometimes anxiety stops her speaking at all. I'm glad she's applying for maths because I figure the majority of maths academics are probably similarly happier dealing with numbers than people. They must be used to applicants that would prefer the passing-notes-to-and-fro style of interview!
But it's still a scary prospect.

Thanks for link Hog well appreciated! Don't know if she has looked but will pass on to her.

To think we used to worry about GCSEs chicken those were the days! DVD doing maths A level too! But applying for psychological behavioural studies at Cambridge but masters in cognitive psychology and neuroscience elsewhere.

She likes Cambridge course as she can specialise in what she wants its a broader course. She likes kings college London too.