Oxbridge 2020 (6)

[Justneedatemporaryname]

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

Thanks Portus. He's just sent a flurry of texts to say food and bed fine and other candidates lovely. Not coming down with the fluey cold his father has had all week, which was my main concern. So I don't feel as anxious now. I'm happy to wait until tomorrow for interview update.

Thanks, Justneed. So some slight hope left. But with DD I'm only talking about what a great uni her 2nd choice is (true, and a lot closer to us).

@Torchlightt what I've said to both DTs is that we have no idea what the selection process is. But we do know they are the same intelligent, academic students who are passionately interested in their chosen fields, and Oxbridge acceptance or rejection doesn't change that. they'll thrive wherever they go. That sort of covers all bases. I worry if I say, 'X uni is marvellous,' they'll interpret that as, 'I doubt you'll get into Oxbridge.'

DD has already told me that there's no chance at all of her getting an offer. So I think that it's better to agree with her that she'll be going to her 2nd choice, than to give her what is likely to be false hope about the pool process. She does know about the pool, though maybe not what the process is. And her 2nd choice is great, and is actually a lot higher up the league tables for DD's subject.

Though of course she won't be going to her 2nd choice if she doesn't get the necessary, and high, exam results.

Feedback from ds is mostly that things are 'ok'. Interviews 'ok', interviewers 'quite nice', solved both maths problems in both interviews but needed a hint for one and was asked to explain his thinking for another and picked up his own error and corrected it. Further interview tomorrow

DD got an email saying her interview was tomorrow at 9, and then another one offering today at noon. She replied asking if there was a possibility it could be later on Monday due to amazing school trip on Monday (for the subject the was applying for). She got no reply and had to phone and was told interview was today at 12.

So, she gave up on the trip and went to Oxford....... only to find that her interview is tomorrow not today. Anyone else had this?

DD got an offer from her second choice today. UCL, AAA or ABB if she completes an online course.

Very well said Hugo

When had that been suggested Hugo? Apologies if I’m missing something - I would imagine that all parents feel that those who get places are worthy of them, surely?

Perhaps Hugo is referring to the posters who said they felt their comprehensively educated DC were unprepared? On the other hand I remember last year that some posters felt their was a bias against independently educated DC. So the argument seems wide open!

You can't get away from the fact that some young people have had a massive leg up educationally and socially. It's one of the big issues the UK has. It's unfair, and a waste of our young people's potential. And I don't think that parents should be able to have their cake and eat it - pay for a superior education, and then pretend that it's a level playing field.
My DD's at private school, by the way.

Torchlightt I totally agree.

My DD is at a state school and I didn't even know the state/private thing was a thing until I read about it on here. Be it people looking for northern state-educated specimens who have the audacity to apply to Oxbridge (see Zandathepabda's thread on this board), people scared their privately educated DC is at a disadvantage, or people walking around Oxbridge clocking who is state and who is private. So strange. I didn't even know it was a thing.

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?

That's what happened to my DD (who is now a third year so a little more recent than chitchattery). On the offers day she got an email from the college which had accepted her from the pool. I believe in some cases they may reinterview but she just got an offer.

DS was telling us this evening that when they were briefed by the Oxford interviewers, they were told that everyone would be asked the same questions in their 3 (PPE) interviews so they mustn't discuss them during the process. Once they'd all been through, some of them discussed it and found that all their questions were completely different! I think that's such a good thing for the college to have done, since it minimises both the temptation to down-play stuff and the likelihood of duff information. DS said most of them just laughed about it when they knew that

Aren't we lucky to have so many great universities here in the UK, so that if/when our DC don't get into Oxford or Cambridge they will soon realise that they will be surrounded by equally bright, motivated & talented young people wherever they end up. After all, the huge majority who don't get a place all have to go somewhere, they can't still be sitting the HAT, MAT or TSA in 3 or 4 years time!

Terfin what is your son going to study?

Too right hog

Can you imagine finally getting accepted aged 30 after wasting so many good years.

Medicine...yes I can understand reapplying another year, but for other subjects there are so many good courses at good Unis our DC can start next year.

Word from Oxford. Two Chemistry interviews done. Hard but OK. Cottage Pie for supper. More card games in the JCR. Sounds like a holiday camp.

They did ask about his PS - his extended essay on drug manufacture. But mainly Chemistry problems.

@Karenisbaren PPE

Lol at hog Reminds me of the anguish of potty training and people would say "they all get there eventually...they won't get married in nappies".
This time next year we'll (hopefully) wonder why we were worried...as our amazing children are settling into their new lives at a great university that suits them perfectly 👍

Terfin great minds think alike!

The truth is that there aren't enough places for able students and some of our wonderful DC are going to be disappointed. But it is not the be all and end all.

Oxford would be great but DS1 will be fine at Durham or Imperial. Not worth wasting a year waiting around for a second chance.