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

See? JustRichmal kindly appreciated my loo advice! That in itself surely redeems my presence!

Regarding Cambridge, I haven’t been post lockdown, but there is a very nice mall which has loos. The posh mall, as opposed to the unposh mall - can’t remember their names!

Don’t worry about it Custard. Guess what, some people aren’t British (me) or were refugees (DH) and have absolutely no idea - that’s why this kind of thread is useful. We don’t all have the luxury of your complacency - “been there, done that, what will be will be... Look at me, I got the bus in the days of yore ... etc etc.” And yes, if I can support my kids I will because I am actually interested in them and why wouldn’t I?

I’m another not British, don’t live in U.K. and DDs school gave never had anyone apply to Oxford or Cambridge that we know of.

She is currently trying to persuade her guidance counsellor ( the only one in the school) to meet her about her UCAS application.

He had said October is plenty of time. She is going to see him today to remind him the closing date is Oct 15 not Jan 15.

So I find these discussions very helpful.

CustardyCreams Thanks for your input. Come back when you have children of the same age, you may have a better understanding of what support is currently needed.

We’ve had nothing to do with the university system - up until recently we didn’t realise that there was choral scholarships......
Thing is custard creams my dd asks for my opinion, you I guess didn’t. If She asks for help and I can help her I’m any way I will. It’s called being a parent.

@CustardyCreams

Completely baffled by these threads. Your children are in their late teens. They are bright, presumably. Ready to go out in the world and forge their future paths. Why do you all need to swap notes about it in mumsnet? Just butt out and let them get there on their own merit without you fussing!

When I applied to Oxbridge, it was me applying. I borrowed money from my mum for the train fare to go and see Cambridge with a friend. I’d been to Oxford on a day trip previously. I read the prospectuses etc, mentioned to my head of sixth form I was going to do the entrance exam for Oxford, signed up for two S levels and asked my main subject teachers for additional reading recommendations. School bused me and some other Oxbridge hopefuls a to local private school to hear 2 former students talk about their successful p experiences of applying (awful; almost completely put me off as they were very privileged jolley-hockey sticks types). And that was it. Head down, work hard, read everything I could around my subject, I got hold of the practice papers and got on with preparing. Carried on going out with friends, hobbies, some part time work. My parents were only involved when dad kindly drove me up to Oxford for interview.

My parents were immensely proud when I got into Oxford, just as they had been when my brother got in. But they certainly didn’t get so caught up in the minutiae of us getting our places. Let your kids grow up, back off and let them succeed in earning that place by themselves and stop living vicariously through them. Geez, no wonder the millennials suffer MH issues, you are all so claustrophobic.

Completed baffled as to why someone cares so much about what threads other parents choose to post on. The popularity of these threads every year should indicate to you that they’re a great source of comfort and support to many. I’ve found the advice on these threads to be incredibly helpful, particularly as my child is applying from overseas.

@sammyjoanne Thanks, that would be really helpful . She’s planning on applying to Durham and Bristol as well as a couple of other non-LNAT choices. She’s incredibly efficient with her research and has somehow managed to unearth seemingly every last detail about each of the courses she’s applying for, but is struggling a little bit with getting a sense for what each of the cities and campuses are like. Virtual campus tours and Google Maps aren’t really any substitute for visiting.

Does anyone have any inkling as to whether it will be business as usual re applications or if there might be a message of doom about a reduction in available places? It is what it is, but forewarned is foredisappointed!

IrmaFayLear Not from the University, but DD had an email today from school reminding her to apply for the HAT, which she has done via school. They have also reminded Oxbridge students to have their "final" UCAS statements ready for next week. School also asked for anyone wanting to re-sit exams in the Autumn to get their applications in, so they are very much on top of things already, and they are obviously covering all eventualities.

Hmmmph. No word as usual from DD’s school. Dd is scared of the HE coordinator who called her a snob when dd said what her university choices might be .

DD asked the guidance counsellor if the school would register as an exam centre for the Oxford tests and was given a flat “no”

A lot of the fee paying schools here are registered but only for their own pupils. There is one open exam centre in Dublin so she will register there and hope there are no localised lock downs stopping her getting to it.

What a mean post @CustardyCreams I presume you haven't got a dc applying to Oxbridge so why are you even on here??

Just because our dc are adults or nearly adults doesn't mean we don't want to help and support them and share life's ups and downs with them.

Hello, new here

I have a dd who is applying to Balliol College Oxford to do Ancient and Modern History (AMH). She has done her research pretty well and knows much more about it than I do. She went from not wanting to apply to Oxbridge at all, to applying but not being too bothered about it, to setting her heart on Oxford which I know is a bad idea. She is also applying to Durham (second choice), Exeter, Manchester and Liverpool.

I have a couple of questions - personal statements. I understand Oxbridge are only interested in academics and extra curricular stuff have no bearing, is that true? Dd has a pretty unique fact about herself which she is unsure whether to include or not. It's sort of academic but not really History related.

Interesting to see some people have taken their dc for a look around the city. I was going to take dd to do the same, have a wander about, get a feel for the atmosphere but she doesn't want to go now -she says she has done her research and a visit might confuse her.

Does anyone know what percentage of applicants are interviewed? How does the pooling thing work?

@IrmaFayLear

Hmmmph. No word as usual from DD’s school. Dd is scared of the HE coordinator who called her a snob when dd said what her university choices might be .

That is shocking

Also will this year's students who can't all be accommodated this year have a huge effect on places available next year? Dd is very worried about this.

bend - As fat as I know, if applying to Oxbridge, the PS should focus on academic stuff. They don’t really care if you were a national champion in x,y,z sport, etc.

Durham however do want to know about extra-curricular, so they give the option of writing a separate PS just for them! Maybe this is because they do have a lot of applicants who are also applying to Oxbridge, so they want to give them a fair go alongside other applicants who will have included extra-curricular and other personal achievements. Maybe they also use this info to get a more balanced cohorts across colleges, I don’t know?

The problem is other unis such as Exeter, Bristol etc don’t offer the chance for a separate PS, but do want to hear some extra-curricular. So I think Oxbridge understand this and expect a line or two at the end of the PS about “other stuff” because they recognise everyone is applying to 4 other unis.

bendmeoverbackwards
Dd has a pretty unique fact about herself which she is unsure whether to include or not

Sounds like it's worth including, it's always nice to have a "hook". It has to hold it's own though, as DD has had to cut hers way down, in order to include all the academics too.

DD decided against A&M in the end and is going for straight history. One of things which put her off was the double interview, just mentioning it, as she found out quite late. Also she decided she was more invested in modern history. Nice to hear from someone else applying for History :-)

Durham however do want to know about extra-curricular, so they give the option of writing a separate PS just for them

I did NOT know this! Is it a new thing?

to @Baaaahhhhh Which college is your dd applying to?

bend - yes I only found this out last week. It’s after the UCAS form goes in apparently - Durham give the option of a separate PS. On their website they give some guidelines for how to write it.

I’m not aware of any other uni that does this.... ?

bendmeoverbackwards She loved Worcester when she visited last year. So would like to apply there. Slight issue is that are honouring all offers this year, into next, and are prioritising state school, which we are not. So slightly :-/

Also loves Magdalen, but her sister went there so.....

Christchurch is the other option, but it doesn't have a great reputation. The reason for applying there would be that she found out one of the tutors is a top authority on the subject DD is writing her coursework about, so could be an interesting thing to discuss if she gets an interview.

DS called the college at Cambridge he is probably applying to with a question about essay submissions and while on, he asked if there were many deferrals for his subject. Apparently there are none! So big relief.

Not sure about other unis though, particularly Durham who were offering up to £1,500 for deferrals as well as first-choice colleges for 2021. I might ring them myself tomorrow and ask

I don’t think the colleges mind at all now if they have questions. It will vary so much course to course probably, so could be wise to ask directly.

Thank you so much @quest1on

Dd is also worried about the reduced numbers next year, it's not fair is it? She's at a state school so I hope that's a bit of an advantage.

Another history applicant in this household, although I suspect the other four slots are going to be more pointful, if you see what I mean.

I would love to know where Durham have come out on numbers of deferrals not 2021.

And well done on the candidate who called the college and asked - not sure I would have had the gumption.

What is bothering me a bit, from my snooping around the student room, is the volume of post A Level applicants and reapplicants, all now holding the requisite grades. And others who are retaking in the Autumn.

I wonder what Oxbridge’s position will be on these ? It would be awfully unfair yet again to the current year group to admit larger numbers of post applicants than normal.

The previous year didn’t have any disruption to their actual teaching, plus they have had extra time to swot up for entrance exams and tests with also the benefit of experiencing the procedure last year.