Oxbridge Aspirants: Sep 2021

[funkysatsuma]

Not sure if it's too early to start this thread in Nov 2019 :)

DS would like Cambridge Economics as the first choice. Would like to know where can we get some help to prepare for the ECAA test - appreciate any pointers/links. Thanks in advance

A note re Cambridge adjustment as mentioned above.

They don't do a general Adjustment like other unis.

Certain students from deprived areas who apply to Cambridge but do not secure an offer are sent an email saying that if they do get grades equivalent to a standard Cambridge offer for their subject then they should contact Cambridge and they would be offered a place. They have to have received the email though.

Thanks Season. Yes I’d read about the adjustment system but it wouldn’t apply to DS anyway. Is this the same thing as the “summer pool” or a totally separate system for students from deprived areas?

Which admissions tests for Cambridge have been scrapped?

Hi I’m not sure about science subjects, but HSPS at Cambridge is only certain colleges for the test and Cambridge have dropped it altogether for Geography (I think Oxford have just dropped it for this year). History varies between colleges at Cambridge.

Different to the Summer pool

New to this level of play
Can I join? DS looking at HSPS in at Cambridge. I’m slowly reading through the thread.
I hope the next year is more organised, having time ahead to plan around the pandemic

One would hope so!!

I wonder what the exam plan will be, given the argy-bargy of today? Perhaps it will be exams or bust, even if they have to sit in individual Perspex boxes.

and it looks like Oxford have also dropped many admissions tests for this autumn

Really? DD has been doing practice HAT's already, is she wasting her time.

I have seen no evidence of this. I don’t know how they could possibly sort the wheat from the chaff without entrance exams.

Just checked and HAT test alive and well for 4 November! second time in a week I’ve read something utterly false on MN.

IrmaFayLear We were checking at the same time! Seems to be just Geography at the moment.

DD (private) school in uproar today. Many downgrades, despite being a top performing indy. God, the whole of this year and next is going to be a complete shit show.

School are back (all things being equal) full time in three weeks time, so that's a blessing at least.

Just saw on another thread that Exeter will honour places where grades are achieved on appeal, but if that appeal is after sept 7th the place will be for 2021. I suspect that a lot of universities will go this route, which could make next year's application round a touch uglier

I read that next year, EU applicants will have international fee status and therefore there may not be as many as normal - perhaps this will offset the additional applicants starting a year late?

I read that next year, EU applicants will have international fee status and therefore there may not be as many as normal - perhaps this will offset the additional applicants starting a year late?

This year there was a big drop for EU students 15% I think? Can't find the article. But surprisingly international students up slightly. Frankly I don' t think we can possible guess what is going to happen next year.

My phone is having a hissy fit over opening the files, but the stats are on the UCAS site
www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-applicant-releases-2020-cycle

Hmmmph, just saw people on TSR discussing whether they would be able to hold a deferred offer at a university and apply for oxbridge. Normally a person must withdraw, but there were rumours they would be able to “double dip” with no fear of losing their existing offer. I know this year have had it bad, but I think they’ve had plenty of chances now !

Sooo... looks like Oxford are now giving all conditional offer holders a place and if their courses are full this year, they have a guaranteed place for 2021 - no Autumn exams needed. There will be pressure in Cambridge to do the same, no doubt, and if so, up to 30% reduced places for the 2021 cohort.

Anyone now thinking of advising their DC to defer to 2022?

For years Oxbridge have longed for information about where all those A star applicants are ranked... for anyone applying next year who has “sat” exams next year I think they should ask them to volunteer their ranks... then they can see if they are taking the top pupils....I have sat in two Cambridge talks where admissions tutors have said they just want schools to tell them - this kid is 10/30 in physics or this kid is 1/400 in history.... this information can help ...

For a considerable number of applicants this year’s situation will have been a godsend, allowing them to get in when in reality they might well have missed their offer.

I am seeing more and more Oxford colleges saying they will honour all offers for this year, but for 2021 entry. Great. Just fuck up the chances for next year’s applicants.

Can I join you? Have been lurking for a while. DS is hoping to apply for PPE 2021. Have been spending time doing extra reading, MOOC and Ted talks but the odds are going to be stacked against them now. He's not a travelling type, so not sure if a year out is an option. I feel sorry for this year's cohort but no one seems to be thinking about the impact on next year.

I guess they need to see what the numbers are, but it does feel inevitable that they’re going to kick the can down the road. In trying to help this year’s “disadvantaged” they are only going to create more disadvantage for the exact same demographic next year.

At least the 2020 cohort had the advantage of finishing the A-level curriculum with no gaps. They have the chance to appeal. They have the chance to “resit.”

No system is perfect and apparently 1 in 4 exams are marked wrongly in a normal year.

Hello, can I join? My DD is applying to Cambridge for 2021 entry. As much as I feel for this years cohort, I am in despair for the new year 13s. Is there any possibility of a bulge year in 2021?

Unfortunately, I doubt they’ll take a bulge year next year, otherwise surely they would just do it this year when there’s less international students. I don’t think Oxford will be impacted too much as they don’t really over-offer by as much as Cambridge. For some courses, there are only one or two places per college, so students could be unwittingly applying to a college that’s already full and so the best that could happen is they are pooled. I hope they will at least tell people if colleges are full before they apply.

Yes that's true. I just wondered if they had more time to organise if additional accommodation etc could be organised. I guess time will tell.

DD was going to apply to Worcester. Not so sure now. Trying not to discuss it too much as she just gets stressed.

According to UCAS numbers of international student applicants was up this year, so that is also a red herring ( although EU students down).

Someone posted me the link on another thread. Give me a mo, and I'll try to find.

Certainly on TSR Oxford History thread there seems to be a load of Americans queueing up to apply for next year.