Oxbridge 2020 (6)

[Justneedatemporaryname]

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

I don't want to think about missed grades as DS's alternative to Oxford has the same standard offer so I'll still be worrying about grades whether he gets an Oxford offer or not!

NotEnoughTime although if Oxford had wanted to take your friend's DD and she'd done well enough at interview and in the aptitude test then they'd have taken her - they look at all those with marginally missed grades and assess things ahead of results day, it's not an absolute that missed grades mean missing the place.

Very sorry to hear about your DS sandy.

True HuaShan but I'm hoping the other universities will be more lenient if the worst happens.

The two offers he has so far are also AAA I'll be glad when it's all done with!

That's interesting goodbye. I thought because both Oxford and Cambridge over offer they can't accept 'lesser' grades.

Huashan my DS's two 'top' choices also have the same grade requirements!

He likes to keep me on my toes

@littleslummygirl and @goodbyestranger - thanks for the kind wishes. DS1 is much better today. He has finished the antibiotics and only taken a couple of paracetamol. He also insisted on a lesson from DH on how to use our fancy new coffee machine so must be better.

His mocks start on Monday and run all of next week but the school have offered to let him sit the papers at home. He is very 'good' so they know they can trust him. It makes sense for him to convalesce at home and do the papers towards the end of next week.

How frustrating to hear of outstanding offers. I hope everyone hears back soon. DS1's plan if Oxford doesn't offer will be Durham firm and Bristol insurance (AAA). If he does get an Oxford offer (probably 2 X A star plus A) I'd like him to insure with Durham but he is nervous as that is 1 x A star plus A A). But it is pretty flexible as the A star can be n any one of his four subjects.

The offers DS has so far are all A*AA.

Glad your ds is improving sandy. DS still has to make the decision on Imperial/Warwick if he doesn't get an Oxford offer but he's not thinking about it. Thankfully his insurance, Bath had a much lower offer

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Question for any of this year's Cambridge interviewees, if people don't mind saying. Just curious because of something my neighbour said over the holiday period (theirs is a holiday house so I don't see them that often). Her DD interviewed at her college of choice but was then asked to go to another interview at Newnham. She liked her first college, didn't like Newnham. She's applying for Theology. It could be that Cambridge is starting to pool within the interview period or it could be that it's doing what Oxford does for some of the sciences asking applicants to interview at two colleges as standard. Or it might not even be a new for this year thing - just not come across it before. Perhaps it's Thelogy specific? Did any of the Cambridge DC on here have this? I thought Cambridge interviews were just a single college interview or interviews pretty much without exception. Thanks for any replies.

That does sound unusual for Cambridge GoodbyeStranger. DD's Cambridge interviews were certainly vboth at the college she applied for and exactly as detailed in her interview invitation.

Is it possible that the colleges in question share a Theology tutor and the second one just happened to have their office at Newnham? I also studied a relatively small subject at Cambridge and my director of studies covered three colleges.

I know someone applying for theology, and don't think this happened to them.

Some pooled Cambridge applicants do get reinterviewed by another college, 'usually in January' (I don't know what proportion, DD wasn't reinterviewed). I suppose if the college your neighbour's DD applied to had an excess of theology applicants and knew Newnham had too few it would make sense to ask some of the girls to reinterview on the same day?

Which brings us to a reminder (in the link below) for Cambridge applicants to check their email through the next week or so, including junk, in case they've been invited for a reinterview - obviously it's at short notice!

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/guidetoothewinterrpoolforr_applicants.pdf

goodbyestranger I have heard that Cambridge often interview at more than one college for theology; at some colleges they don't have enough interviewers in the subject.

My neighbours don't know what it indicates either; we just all agreed that it sounded as though Cambridge were mixing things up along Oxford lines. They did say that a number of the girls at her school (very well known independent) also interviewed at more than one college this year.

Also I'm now wondering how Cambridge explained pooling in the e-mail it sent?

Looking at the Divinity page on the website, all applicants invited for interview are interviewed at a second college:

"The Faculty has an Admissions Co-ordinator who will receive a copy of every application for Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion across the Colleges. Before the interviewing begins, all of the Colleges meet to consider the whole field of applicants. At that meeting, each candidate is assigned an interview at a second College - this process not only compensates for peaks and troughs in applications to particular Colleges but also gives you a second chance, with a different interviewer, who may draw out a different response...
...The Second Interview Scheme has proved to be very successful: over the last few years one offer in four has been made in this way."

So in her case, nothing to do with the winter pool.

Ah crossed posts. Lots of replies! Thanks very much indeed all. I think the parents are anxious about the possibility DD having been pooled to Newnham, because she really disliked the vibe apparently.

I now feel lazy Ironoaks . But thank you - a perfect answer.

So if she gets an offer from Newnham, will she accept it?

Not new this year, stranger, and yes it seems specific to Theology. Happened to our candidate last year, interviewed at her college of choice and second college. She was accepted at first choice though.

Got the feeling it was down to low numbers of available fellows. I think she has supervisions at this second college too btw.

I didn't ask specifically Torchlightt - the parents are dead set on Oxbridge though and have been for years, so I'm not sure rejecting an offer would garner huge domestic support. Bottom line is I got the strong impression that the DD would prefer to go elsewhere. I'm sure the parents wouldn't insist on her accepting, if push came to shove. Apparently the interview at the first college was far better than the Newnham one, so on that basis she'd be more likely to get into the first - hopefully it will end well for all concerned.

Just to confirm DD2 had two interviews at chosen college followed by one interview at a second college. She knew this was going to happen before hand so not like pooling at Oxford where you get sent somewhere else on the day. Three interviews in a day pus the travel and waiting around was exhausting so I think she felt she d had enough by the third and didn’t perform well in that one (but got an offer from the first)