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?

Just dropping in to ask how your schools determine their predicted grades. Are they simply based on this terms exams or do they use some other method? It almost feels as though their current exams could be more important than their results next summer, as these could firmly slam a door in their face, whereas somewhere will certainly offer them a place when they have their real grades.

@Stickerrocks - we have a bit of a mix. We already have 'projected predicted grades'. These have been done on work to date including unit tests. We'll get proper 'predicted grades' after the end of year exams. Exams are the week after half term.

We've been told that the projected grades we already have are 'cautious' and we may (not definitely) see some movement up.

@Fredscheesethins - DS1 school is the same. They will discourage same subject /same college applications from pupils. I don't think it is ever a problem as mostly DC seem to be open to college choice. DS1 is quite open minded but might go for DMIL college as it ticks a lot of boxes anyway and she would be chuffed to bits. He loves her very much.

However much my DC loves their DUnc, I think his experience at Peterhouse would have precisely the opposite effect. His Oxford college may be up for consideration though. He actually enjoyed Durham far more than either of them.

Dipping my toe in. Ds has exams in June which determine his predicted grades although he already has 'aspirational' grades. He is another Maths at Cambridge hopeful. He is at a comprehensive with a history of only 2-3 Oxbridge entrants per year. However since he has been at the school since Y7, the teaching staff know him well and could say exactly where he sits in the cohort.

Stickerrocks DS2's school use the results from the end of Y12 exams to calculate the predictions for the UCAS application. If there are extenuating circumstances during the end of Y12 exams, they will look at grades from the internal exams they did at the end of February.

The school only gives predicted grades that are realistic and will not negotiate with pupils or parents to increase them. This does mean that some pupils will find themselves at the beginning of Y13 with predicted grades lower than they would like for the courses they wanted to apply for.

From the sample of DS1 and his friends in 2018, the predictions seem to be accurate.

Sounds encouraging Kilash. Will he be confident talking around problems if he's lucky enough to get an interview? At least humanities & arts students have got a lot of scope to talk about things, whereas it always seems a bit harder for maths students.

I think our sixth form does the same. This could be a painful summer if DC has lower than hoped for predicted grades, but loves every minute of UNIQ with no hope of even getting an interview for a replace.

Who can tell [Fred]? To me he appears a fairly inarticulate 17 yo but he told me that Maths is the one thing he can talk about! He missed a UNIQ place but had been invited to a tutorial day which he will go to despite deciding against Oxford which may give him an idea of what to expect!

Stickerrocks DD4 already has her predicted grades. They're based on a combination of February exams and her GCSE grades.

Fredscheesethins they don't just allow humanities interviewees to give a discourse on the subject of their choice! Try telling History interviewees they have masses to talk about when faced with an indescribably obscure thirty page source paper about fishing rights on a seventeenth century community living on a fjord....

Joining in and saying hi. DS is also an Oxbridge maths hopefull, leaning towards Oxford atm I think.
He had "mocks" last week and apparently the grades in those together with end of topic tests will decide on predicted grades. Apparently how it is decided varies between subjects, but head of physics has created algorithms for each subject which seems a bit odd to me!

in a seventeenth century community - my brain still freezes thinking about the ghastliness of that source. That was DS2. DS3 who applied the following year had a similar situation but that one was so terrifying (same college) that I can't even recall the subject. Only the fact that it was also very, very long and very, very weird.

What subject will your DD be applying for Stickerrocks?

Goodbye I do realise that, but you can actually interpret the fishing rights of the Fjord community in many different ways. I'm going to now out of this thread now as the tone is frightfully patronising.

Fredscheesethins well all I can say is that it was utterly beyond me and I'm a reasonable historian :)

Please don’t go Fred! Gin set this thread up for support which is what we are ALL after. Sure some have lots of prior experience and are generously sharing it but none of us know what lies in store for our DC. The thread is for support along the way for the next few months Have to say , as a “scientist” I have been gobsmacked by how difficult History is. No-one is getting an easy degree. Unless they’re a 7foot tall Canadian postgrad who can row

I agree hobbema. The one dead cert about Oxbridge is that no-one is a dead cert.

Fredscheesethins - don’t bow out, it’s good to have multiple inputs. I think tone in written communication is always hard to ascertain, so while I appreciate that something may come over as patronising, I’m sure that’s not the intention.

Speaking of which hobbema James Horwill, the current captain of Harlequins and former Aussie captain, said today that he is considering offers from Oxford & Cambridge for a masters so he can play in the Varsity match. I think he's around 6' 7". Cambridge had the benefit of Jamie Roberts a few years ago when he topped up his med degree whilst also playing for Quins.

Well Hingle in case I'm the accused then I can say with the utmost certainty that I didn't intend it - but I can't really see where offence might have been given. Happy to be told off explicitly though, with offending passages pointed out and criticized then I can apologize etc. Amazed that the fjord thing is so blindingly obvious though .

@Fredscheesethins - don't go! As @HingleMcCringleberry says we all have something to contribute whether we are first timers or old timers.

It's very clear to me that there is no 'right' answers to most of the questions we are discussing, just opinions. I think sharing opinions but respectfully agreeing to disagree is the way to go. Our DC are all different, coming from different places and trying to achieve different things.

@Stickerrocks - of course the other way in is to win an Olympic gold medal, row the Atlantic and retire to do a post grad.

I used to drag out of bed to feign interest in the practice matches of a Harlequin ex boyfriend. That was very hard work.

ooh goodbye, the things we did for love... in my case skiing and riding pillion! Speaking with the scantiest of knowledge I do think the whole rowing/ varsity thing has becomes a bit mercenary and not in the spirit... what’s wrong with middling ability undergrads, nobly having a go in green flash trainers etc?

Hugh Bonneville was at a parent's session at Cambridge I went to a few weeks ago. His DC definitely not a 7 foot tall Canadian, but the surname may help. I wonder if I could persuade DD to change her name by deed poll to the same as his DC.

Downton Abbey film release date 13th Sept can't wait. Julian Fellowes owns a beach chalet - won't divulge the exact name - in our village and eats at the cafe and gives v generous tips to the staff (£20!). His wife stopped me recently and told me to look at the beautiful sky etc but I think I may possibly have less soul than she does because it just looked a bit cloudy.