Oxbridge 2020 (6)

[Justneedatemporaryname]

New thread ready for when the old one gets filled up!

DD also hasn't heard from Durham or UCL (but in fairness she only added them 2 weeks ago!)

She has reduced offers from her other 2 choices and would be happy to go to any of them. TBH it would help whittle down her decision. She's one of those people who enjoys learning everything and anything so the course isn't an issue (they all have their positives) They are all RG and with the exception of Durham are all city Unis.

So although it's not worth panicking it is very interesting to hear everyone's experience

@PortusCale - sorry to hear of such a negative experience. I wonder if that kind of interview is more common with arts and humanities than STEM? Or is there no rhyme no reason to it?

@PortusCale DD1 had a rude interviewer at first choice college two years ago but still got an offer - thankfully for a different college as she was completely put off first choice!

DS is same position as your DS. No offers from first two choices (one of which is Durham). Definitely makes the interviews more stressful. Let's hope they hear before March.

@goodbyestranger Thanks for the speedy response - I really appreciate it. I just heard from DS and apparently his college have told him the same, or that they might just be using him to 'benchmark' - he was a bit wobbly so I'm glad I had something positive to tell him!

DD is doing a STEM subject, DS Humanities - his interviewers were very polite

ofteninaspin was your DDs interview at Oxford? How did your DS interview go - did he apply for Oxford or Cambridge?

I hope your DS gets to hear from his first choices soon. It's just a rather horrible feeling knowing that DS's Cambridge interview was so awful whilst having heard nothing from his top 2.

Grandson reported of the first History interview "I was a bit confused but the lady was very nice" , so make of that what you will! Maybe he was all at sea, and the interviewer was just being kind. But then he said what he thought, and kept talking. Hopefully not digging a hole for himself!

Second one was a detailed discussion about his written work and he says he got a laugh at a history joke. Maybe the interviewer was smiling politely....It's all conjecture at this stage.

He's also applied to Durham, but not a sausage so far. They perhaps wait for Oxbridge interviewees? Dunno.

DD humanity Camb

Interview 1 - theoretically a general interview but in reality another subject interview but with an interviewer from another discipline present. Result - socially awkward but OKish

Interview 2 - 3 x interviewers including the head of the subject. He identified a single sentence in the PS and totally tore it apart. DD held her ground which was possibly not the right thing to do! It transpires that it's a hot topic in the area with one discipline at odds with the other - she took the wrong side.

At interview test - ran out of time and used something REALLY obscure to defend her argument (think along the line of describing a fruit bowl and managing to include a sentence on sausages - obv not really a fruit or sausages question but that gives you a clue of how off the wall her answer was).

As she said, she fluffed it, wasn't flexible in her answers because she didn't agree with him (!!!) but she was true to herself.

So no offer likely however if you read all the posts on here most DC have said the interview was bad.

To be fair, bpisok, it sounds as if she gave a good account of herself!

Most of the really clever and successful people I know are fairly bloody minded and argumentative, I would be amazed if Oxford or Cambridge are looking for well-schooled little robots.

@PortusCale, DD is Oxford. DS (Cambridge) does not think his interviews went well. He has an understated style and tends to see both sides of every argument so I have no idea what an admissions tutor will make of him! Not having an alternative offer lined up yet is causing some anxiety.

Hmmm. DS texted this morning from Oxford. Interviews at 3:00/5:30 and it sounds as if he hasn't been pooled.

Can't help feeling the runes aren't promising, but there's nothing we can do about it now!

DS is in his first interview now! He has been told he has 1 at his college and 1 at another college tomorrow. I am surprised that he only has 1 at his college, as generally for his subject you get 2 at your college plus at least one somewhere else. I am hoping that this one is going well, as it sounds as if he won't have another chance to impress at his college!

ofteninaspin will keep hoping both your DS and mine hear from their second choices soon - and anyone else in a similar position.

HugoSpritz having discussed it with DS I would say his second two interviews were indeed challenging but the first was rude and to be quite honest, pretty nasty. I know they are meant to be challenging and I’m all for that but this particular person was quite unpleasant and in my view was somewhat out of touch with current day interviewing. If the sole purpose is to make the candidate feel unwelcome and stupid (by mocking them) then that is wrong. If DS was an ultra sensitive character I might doubt his interpretation but he really isn’t, he’s a good judge of character.

I'm feeling fairly stressed today. DS1 asked me not to ring him because (his words) if the interviews didn't go well, rehashing them would just make him feel even worse before the next interview, so I promised not to. He's had three today. Final one done half an hour ago and he still hasn't rung or replied to texts. Do I really have to wait until after tomorrow's second interview at second college to find out how he is or do you think it's fair to try and call him now?

In my head I'm giving DD some chance of getting an offer through pooling. Though I'm not saying that to her. She has a very good PS and I assume will have had a very good reference from her school. There may be a college out there that would want her. The question is whether the college she applied to will put her in the pool. Am I right in thinking that with Cambridge there's no way of knowing whether you've been put into the pool or not? So you could get an offer from some other college completely out of the blue in January?

Coleopera if it helps to know, my younger DD got a place at Oxford on her second go, having refused Durham the previous year. So never say die. You would always wonder "if" , had you not encouraged him!

Her sister was brainy but never academically successful, so I've had children achieve at both ends of the scale. It must be incredibly difficult with twins, wanting them to have the same chances. At least when younger DD took A levels my expectations were low

Hmm. DS just sent me a terse message saying he didn't want to talk about it. Nothing else. So I won;t hear from him until tomorrow when he gets home.

@Torchlightt just crashing the thread to say that my DS was informed by the cam college that he had been placed in the winter pool and might be offered a place or further interview at a different college. In fact he was then rejected by email fairly quickly. This was about 5 years ago. DD is at Cambridge at the moment and some of her friends were pooled. If she has any up to date info that is different I will post when I speak to her.

Thank you chitchattery. Can you remember how soon after the interview your DS was told that he had been put in the pool? I'm not sure how the timing works. Being called back for another interview would be very difficult.

A member of my family was rejected from Oxford for a competitive subject. Re-applied next year, and got into one of the top colleges.
DD has no interest in re-applying though. And on the whole I agree with her. If you feel ready for university, with no particular interest in a year off, I think it's best to go with your 2nd choice.

Torchlightt I believe it's different these days. The first time you will realise that you were successfully pooled is if on offer day you receive an email/letter from a different college to the one you applied to. If you are unsuccessfully pooled the original college will inform you. The only way you will know before offer day is if you are in the tiny minority of applicants that are asked back for another interview in January.

Thank you Coleoptera - I know your situation is two fold compared to mine with twins, I appreciate your kind words. It is very hard because on the one hand the interviewers have to challenge students but I do believe there’s a way to go about it. As you say, with your DT1s experience, it can be done without brutality. I do hope DT2 doesn’t become too down with his Oxford experience and I really hope he gets an offer - that both of them do. It’s been such a long haul.

I also think that all DCs are in a vulnerable position at interview and it’s all very well for me to be thinking that I would’ve been tempted to challenge the interviewer - but when you’re sitting there as a young adult with little experience of these things it’s a different matter. And it’s that which really grates me - I think perhaps the person in question needs to self reflect. I did wonder that night as I lay in bed trying to get to sleep and to put the whole thing out of my mind whether or not they would ever question themselves. And then my DH said, “I doubt it very much, they probably won’t even give it another thought”!! It smacks to me as extreme intellectual arrogance.

milliefiori I’m glad that your DS has made contact even if it’s not the kind of reply you were hoping for. Easy as it sounds, try not to second guess what’s happened. I’m sure once tomorrow comes and he’s home he will explain. I think the interviews are very stressful for some and if my DS is anything to go by he doesn’t like going over it all. My DD on the other hand...

@Torchlightt. Can’t get hold of DD so go with what justneed says as my DS was quite a while ago. He went with his second choice and loved it. Moved for his masters and PhD which he is currently doing but didn’t feel any need to apply to Oxbridge again at any point. He chose his PhD uni based on where they were publishing in his research area. Seems to be working out well but I do think Cambridge would have suited him.