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?

I have to say also that MN vastly overcomplicates the requirements for Oxbridge too. I'm glad I wasn't reading MN when my eldest applied or I'd have been rattled by the advice, a lot of which I now know to be wrong. UNIQ is not compulsory for non state school applicants and although there's an increased level of offer there's also very far from a guarantee (the UNIQ website makes that clear). Masterclasses the same - not one of my DC has ever attended a masterclass or done MUN etc etc. Worth saying too that only the most confident (over confident?) applicant can write a personal statement wholly 'tailored' to Oxbridge since they'll presumably need to simultaneously address the other unis on their application. Basically, you say why you're interested in a subject, evidence that and then say briefly what you do when you're not doing that subject. That seems to keep everyone happy.

I meant to type UNIQ isn't compulsory for non selective state school applicants.

Masterclasses are helpful though to students who want to apply for subjects they haven’t got any previous experience of. The course my dc is interested in has an element which dc hadn’t any experience of so to attend a masterclass in that subject was great for him. It also took the mystique out of the place so it was very positive.

They don't know which colleges are state school friendly and which are state school unfriendly

MN again perpetuating very damaging myths. NO college is state school unfriendly nor do I believe that there's a single college where any state school applicant would think they'd stepped back into the early chapters of Brideshead. ALL colleges are welcoming and arguably those with the largest historic numbers of independently educated students will currently be the most welcoming.

UNIQ is just another way of showing that Oxford isn't entirely full of private school boys and 1000s don't meet the selection criteria for the scheme. My point is that if you don't know these things exist, you can't apply for UNIQ, so the myth that Oxbridge is an extrapolation of University Challenge as howwudufeel delightfully says is perpetuated. You've said it yourself, you now know a lot of advice to be wrong, but you only know that because your own DC have been through the system umpteen times and they are surrounded by others in the same bubble.

By the way, UNIQ is not restricted to non selective state school applicants, it just isn't open to those privately educated.

howwudufeel yes I see that completely. For the same reason - non school subject - DD4 went to the Oxbridge subject specific Open Day in March. She found the date herself on the website, no-one at school had mentioned it to her or said look out for Open Days.

I know that Stickerrocks but an applicant is far less likely to get a UNIQ place from a grammar school and much more to the point, you were very precisely discussing non state school applicants in relation to UNIQ.

Grr done it again. Non selective state school applicants.

Do students get travel expenses to Master Classes and subject open days, I wonder? I know some schools have a fund for open days, or maybe the university/college does?

The colleges may claim to be state school friendly, but if you are surrounded by Hugos and Jemimas, who have attended polo matches together since birth, along with 60% of the other students, you are undoubtedly in a minority. Add into that formula an ethic minority background and you are certainly in alien territory.

Where was I very precisely discussingnonstate school applicants in relation to UNIQ? Every point I have made is that a 17 year old in a North Wales 6th form or Cornish secondary school may not know that UNIQ exists if their school or college sees a successful university application as being the goal, rather than embracing the Oxbridge outreach stuff.

No you're not in alien territory Stickerrocks. They're all young people with a good deal of intelligence on the whole, which is a fantastic leveller. Also, almost all arrive with an appetite for new friendships at what's an exciting new time in their lives.

'North Wales sixth form college' (Wales has no grammars) and 'Cornish secondary school' (Cornwall has no grammars) by definition means non-selective and the context of your post clearly implies non selective too, given your earlier opinion about the ease of Oxbridge applications for those in the selective sector.

Invisible not that I'm aware of. Some colleges send a mini bus to open days if they have enough interest.

Well , if it helps anyone, Ds who was for clarity , independent school , had the advantage of the school knowing all the dates for admissions etc - i.e. all the admin. This helps from the school - even though available from website - because e.g. school puts in the PS and there are deadlines for references etc. Not hard - just making sure in on time. School was acquainted with the Oxbridge process - so no sense of "not for you" but also , interestingly , would try to discuss with those they did not think it would suit other universities . Discussion only , obviously no school can tell a pupil where they should go.

So I understand the outreach views but the basic timetable is available on line.

DS's PS was written just as a general PS. In fact the one he thought it let him down on was LSE . His wasn't tailored to Oxford. But - no big paragraphs about extra curricular things , it was just about the subject and then 2 or 3 lines at the end about other stuff. It worked for Oxford UCL Exeter, Kings , not LSE ( but to be fair to them their advice on PS is very clear and available on their website ( well , was when DS applied , he either didn't read it , messed up or decided too far from general PS) Probably other reasons why he was not offered a place there but - different story.

I hope I am not being too naive in saying that DS didn't do anything specific to bolster up his PS in his subject . He just has always been interested in history & therefore naturally read stuff , watched documentaries , went to things etc. So no specific classes or anything. I do realise this will not be the same for all subjects. At interview from what I can glean ( and DS is not one for post mortems ) he was able to talk credibly way off the syllabus from school. - that - decent but not stellar GCSEs , and a good mark in the Aptitude test seemed to do it for him.

I was grateful to a poster here who put the aptitude score into context , but really ( for DS's subject) knowing the deadlines for applications , ( so UCAS form in earlier , application for Aptitude test, dates and where to take them - usually at school , is really pretty much the only difference between ( in DS's day ) Oxford and other Universities. All on website.

Ds has a very great friend whose school actually said her Oxford is not for the likes of you. Well , as DS said ( he knows her ) that was a red rag to a bull and she looked up everything. Ended up with a higher final mark than Ds ( whose school was encouraging ) - Ha ha - good for her.

Invisibleink yes. All sixth form students deemed to require financial help for educational purposes - of which Open Days etc are one - have access to the 16-19 Bursary scheme at the very least.

Also here is the note on one Oxford college website, randomly selected:

'Open Days Travel Expenses Reimbursement Scheme
If the cost of travelling to and from Oxford is a problem, then we may be able to reimburse some or all of the costs of travel. In order to be eligible, you must be a UK resident attending a UK state school or college and travelling by public transport. We are only able to reimburse travel costs for students.

To apply for this scheme, students must be:

currently eligible for Free School Meals;
and/or in local authority care;
and/or have another reason why it would be difficult to pay for travel to attend an Open Day in Oxford.
The deadline to submit this application is Tuesday 25 June 2019 at 16:00

Click here to access the Open Days Travel Expenses Reimbursement Scheme form.'

I give up. You really do not understand a word that I am saying goodbye do you? You can only drop these little nuggets because your own children have been through the system and won a place in the Oxbridge lottery. If you are told that a place at Solent University to take Sports Science or Education at Winchester is aspirational and nobody around you tells you that you can read Law at Durham instead, you won't aim higher.

www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-bursary-fund-guide-2018-to-2019-academic-year

Thanks stickerrocks (re the travel expenses). Would be interesting to know if there are any hardship funds for those who can't afford the travel costs for open days and master classes.

(I realise this issue applies to other universities as well!)

Stickerrocks I've been involved in educational access for a long time. What I don't understand is the tone of your posts but access issues yes, I understand those completely. Hence the wish to demystify.

Oops cross posted goodbye stranger! Thanks for info.

Invisibleink read further! :)

Oops me too :)

I selected Cornwall & North Wales because I'm currently in Cornwall and I understand the logistics. We've been discussing attending open days whilst I'm here. I think Warwick was the furthest afield that I could attend because it took 5 hours to get there by train. That was my point about master classes etc.