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

[goodbyestranger]

thetideishigh DS1 read Medicine at Oxford very recently. What subjects are your DS taking for A level? Does he have a preference for Cambridge over Oxford or vice versa or doesn’t mind?

[thetideishigh]

No preference at present, doing Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry & Biology.

Didn't fancy the EPQ apparently so plumped for the 4th A Level option knowing that it necessitated not doing EPQ.

[thetideishigh]

@goodbyestranger Oops forgot to @ you

No preference at present, doing Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry & Biology.

Didn't fancy the EPQ apparently so plumped for the 4th A Level option knowing that it necessitated not doing EPQ.

[JulesJules]

I put this link on the 2020 thread, but might be of interest here.
www.merton.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate/admissions-feedback

It's from the Merton College page on admissions feedback for 2020, but you can click through by subject to see totals for departments/faculties.

(D1 has an offer (AAA) for a History joint at Oxford to start this Oct)

[IrmaFayLear]

Does anyone have any inside information on the importance of GCSE results? I keep seeing "Go for it!" type of exhortations to apply with mediocre grades. Dd was hurrrmmphing that why did she bother slaving over her GCSEs if a top-of-the-tree institution is implying that top grades are not all that.

[Cotonshaded]

@thetideishigh we are in a similar position - my DC is doing exactly the same A levels as yours, looking to study medicine and tentatively looking at Oxbridge ...just sorting out voluntary work too but the timetable and homework is so heavy at the moment it is a lot to fit in...

[JulesJules]

@IrmaFayLear I don't know if it is the same for all subjects, but this is from the admissions feedback for History for this year:

"History aimed to interview between 3 and 3.5 candidates per place which meant that shortlisting decisions were based on a score calculated from the History Aptitude Test (HAT) results and, where candidates have done GCSEs, contextualised A* GCSE scores (that is to say a count of the candidate’s top 8 results at GCSE which takes into account the academic attainment of the GCSE cohort at the school attended, to identify pupils who have outperformed their peer group).
Candidates who scored well in the HAT and had good GCSEs were likely to be invited for interview. In the History Joint Schools, the same process was used to select candidates for interview, with additional input from non-history subject tutors, who assessed candidates’ non-history written work where this was submitted."

Later on in the process the applicants get a final score based on GCSEs/Entrance test/Submitted work/Interviews so the score from the GCSEs becomes less important - but you've got to get an interview first!

[thetideishigh]

@Cotonshaded

Voluntary work is starting soon I believe, annoyingly didn't get in the first batch of volunteers so now has to do Feb onwards. 2 different commitments, slightly different environments. One of them DC has arranged themselves.

DC was slow off the mark with applying for shadowing at the nearest hospital too. They really have to cram so much in before applications start, don't they ! I really want them to be sure it's what they want so it's all good for that. Hoping the BMAT or whatever it is will give them an indication of whether they'd be suited to medicine too.

DC supposed to be catching up with work, especially F Maths at half-term but there's a college open day tomorrow which they got a place for so I'll be mooching about in Cambridge for most of the day as parent involvement is minimal.

[goodbyestranger]

thetideishigh good - he's doing Biology! We've seen a couple of extremely good applicants with ten Grade 9s get rejected this year, and I'd take a large bet that the common link was lack of Biology.

Cambridge has fewer applicants per place for Medicine.

[chopc]

My son went for the History Masterclass in Cambridge last Sat. They were told that the Cambridge course is changing for 2021. I wonder when more details of this would be available. If anyone has any additional info, please share

[Cotonshaded]

@thetideishigh - we are in Cambridge too tomorrow for an open day - let's hope we don't all get stuck in the Extinction Rebellion roadblocks!

[goodbyestranger]

IrmaFayLear fiddlesticks to GCSEs not being a very, very significant factor for Oxford at least. Nothing's changed. Sometimes people say oh my DC didn't get that many A and still got to Oxford but when you check it out very few seem to have less than six A and those who do will have almost certainly done extraordinarily well on the aptitude test (or have had special circumstances).

As far as Cambridge goes, given the very high or subject specific A offers which seem to be about this year, I do wonder if it's reverting back to sifting on high A level grades, just as it used to before the demise of ASs (which it was very cross about) and the introduction of aptitude tests. It'll be interesting to see if more offers were handed out this year but with more stringent conditions. That possibility is based purely on anecdote but I reckon it's plausible. Cambridge historically seemed to put far less store on a high tally of A grades (A* as contextualised).

[goodbyestranger]

I've had two DC go to Oxford for Law, three for History, one for Medicine and one has an offer for Classics if any help is needed on those, as far as it's possible for recent parents to give help. The system changed fairly radically this year though, so I think up to date information for 2021 applicants will come in May when the latest set of Oxford statistics are published, depending on how much Oxford wants to get into detail about beyond re-stating the broad principle of widening access. Not that it really matters to applications though I suppose: you have your grades, you do the tests (where applicable) and go to interview (or not). How Oxford decides to assess you based on their various criteria is really out of your hands!

[goodbyestranger]

Oops: depending on how much Oxford wants to get into detail about ^its processes beyond re-stating etc

[hobbema]

@chopc, my DD is a History offer holder for 2020 entry, so the last year to do the old course. There is a lot of information on the History course page for the new one, have you looked ? Link below.
www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-undergrads/history-course/course-structure-from-2021.
Its quite different and meant to be even better for employability, though I think History grads are already pretty employable!! DD fortunately prefers the old course structure which is just as well.
@Cotonshaded, I was in Cambridge yesterday, got in and out over 2 days with no difficulty but not making a local commute. Its only Trumpington Street at the top end towards the Botanical Gardens that is blocked and you might not even know they were there.Interestingly several people in local shops ticked off to have been late for work because their buses were diverted; made the excellent point that they are using public transport ! There was a fair bit of drumming and trooping about on both days I was there. I missed them digging up Trinity lawn however!

[chopc]

Thank you @hobbema. Don't know why I just took my son's word about the lack of info 🙄

[hollypocks]

Can I jump on too? DS1 thinking seriously of applying for French and unknown as yet beginners language! Thinking Cambridge rather than Oxford as course seems to have more culture/social modules at the former. Any advice for MFL applicants at all? Thanks

[thetideishigh]

@Cotonshaded

Are you at C.C. 's open day ?

[Cotonshaded]

@thetideishigh no - Emmanuel! Just arrived, probably a bit cold to test the college outdoor swimming pool unfortunately 😁

[thetideishigh]

@Cotonshaded Ah yes, E's is an open afternoon if I recall correctly.

there's 31 colleges at Cambridge and 39 at Oxford. Ok, some are single sex and some postgrads/mature students only but how on earth is a 17/18 year old going to gather enough info to choose which one they want to apply to. DC likes both Cambridge and Oxford as cities.

I'm hoping school admissions officer (Oxbridge/Early entry lead) or someone on MN has the answer to that...…

I'm also keen to get DC along to other Russell group Uni open days (especially medicine department open days) but school are really funnelling certain students down the Oxbridge route as it's all kudos for their stats I suppose.

[Arewedone]

I’m looking for help for E&M admission to Oxford. DS already there reading E&M but he took further maths and physics at A level. Dd only decided on E&M at Christmas but is not taking further maths. Originally looking at E&Spanish now worried that further maths applicants will be seen more favourably and it will be a waste of time? Anyone any insight on getting in without FM? DS tells me most of his friends either had FM or Physics?

[goodbyestranger]

thetideishigh anyone smart enough to get an offer for Oxbridge medicine should be smart enough to understand that there are far more applicants with straight top grades than places, and that they really need to explore at least a couple of alternatives. Also, in my experience of schools, I don't think that any half decent school would be sending a message that Oxbridge is in the bag, least of all for Medicine applicants where it's only partly about top grades and a fair bit to do with other qualities. As far as colleges go, your DC only needs to find one that s/he's comfortable with, so it's not really a question of exploring all colleges at both unis - that would be a massive waste of time. That said, there are only twenty eight colleges offering the A100 course at Oxford, so that will cut down investigations, if your DC is determined to visit or analyse the merits of each and every one!

[goodbyestranger]

A quick check confirms twenty nine colleges at Cambridge are in contention too. So that's already thirteen less in total to worry about :)

[thetideishigh]

Yes, hadn't pruned out the colleges not offering medicine, my mistake.

It's just that I'm of the opinion, and partly because it's medicine DC is interested in, that Oxbridge isn't so important to aim for just because you have top grades at GCSE.

So many chase the Oxbridge dream and such a high proportion won't get a place...…. DC is fairly resilient and medicine is their goal so hopefully it'll all work out well for them. Interviews are their weakness so the Oxbridge admissions thing worries me more than Russell group Uni selection process.

[Indicative]

www.merton.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/History%20Information%20for%20Applicants%202019.pdf

're the earlier discussion re whether HAT was contextualised. Page 5 would seem to suggest it was.