Oxbridge 2020 (6)

[Justneedatemporaryname]

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

[ofteninaspin]

DS (another a keen tennis player ) has offers from Durham, Bristol and Bath and is waiting for St Andrews. He has a weekend/summer job at our local tennis club - not quite the same as Wimbledon though Sandy!

[Hoghgyni]

DD coaches at our local club as well. The money is dreadful, but it's character forming, as the courts are all outside. Good practice for living in Durham perhaps....

[Pepermintea]

Nice to hear of the recent offers! Hoping that helps to make this coming week slightly less stressful

DS also had his Warwick offer reduced to AAA, presumably because of his MAT. He didn't tell me though until I asked after hearing that it had happened to some others!

I'm hoping that if DS doesn't get an offer (which he thinks is very likely as he had brain freeze and couldn't think) he'll be happy to go to Warwick. But, just trying to be prepared here - are there any stats anywhere about success in reapplying for maths? I know the general consensus is that gap years aren't good for maths, but I'm thinking some people must reapply and wondered if anyone has any information about it!

[MarchingFrogs]

There's this FOI request from a couple of years ago:
www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cambridge_maths_re_application_a

[Terfin]

DS is 18 today and had booked a work shift so we had early presents and panettone (breakfast cake!!)
We had a long chat last week about his plans if Oxford don't offer. Although he's still waiting for Durham, he thinks he'll probably choose York instead as it's closer to home and is "just as good". So we have first and insurance (Liverpool) choices decided, with sensible offers for both. Oxford would be a lovely and unexpected bonus and I'm very relieved that he's not thinking of re-applying next year. I don't think I'm as mentally strong as the incredible parents on here who have gone through that!

Five months today will be the last A level exam for DS1 and last GCSE exam for DS2. So very much looking forward to being out of secondary education (DS1 not going to sixth form)
Happy Sunday everyone!

[DietCocoaBreak]

@Pepermintea we were having the same conversation about reapplying last night. It seems that having a year out of education may count against you for Maths courses, but DS screwed up the MAT (no reduced offers here!) so has one strike this year anyway IYSWIM. I don't think we would be looking at reapplying but I would be interested to know if it happens successfully.

We had been pretty calm about the whole thing but nerves have now kicked in. DS has some mental health issues that have flared up a little but are being controlled nicely, I'm genuinely worried a rejection will be a big knock that will take some getting over, despite us constantly talking up other options. It just seems that with the entrance testing and lengthy interview process they have to be more invested in this application than in others, so inevitably it becomes the 'important' one.

[milliefiori]

@Pepermintea - if your DC does want to reapply, he could get round the 'gap years are bad for maths' by working as a maths classroom assistant at his old school. DS1 is thinking of doing this if he doesn't get in.

[Saintandsinner]

Offers on hand here for Bristol, Bath and St Andrews. Waiting on LSE and Oxford.

[Ironoaks]

Terfin happy birthday to your DS.

DS has four offers and is fairly certain he will firm Warwick. If he receives an offer on Wednesday, Warwick would become the insurance.

[Terfin]

What subject @Ironoaks (if you don't mind saying)? My DS is PPE. He got a Warwick offer but has decided that despite loving it on the open day, he doesn't fancy a campus uni after all.
Teenagers eh?!

[Hoghgyni]

Happy birthday Terfin jnr. Has he visited York? I think DD found the campus such a contrast to Oxford that it threw her slightly (& so much goose poo!), but they only want ABB. That will probably be her insurance if Durham is her firm at ABB, as Durham has specified that she needs an A for maths. What does your DS have to get?

[Ironoaks]

Terfin Physics.
That must be frustrating, but it's better that your DS realises he doesn't want a campus university experience now rather than once he has already started at one.

[Terfin]

AAA for York (AAB if EPQ gets an A but he's predicted a B)
Oxford will almost certainly be AAA as well.
Liverpool is ABB.

hope he doesn't do what I did: predicted BBC, got DDE, went to 5th choice Poly, loved it!

[Terfin]

• 4th choice Poly - only 4 on PCAS but 5 on UCCA back in the dark ages

[Hoghgyni]

DD liked the halls at York but wasn't as keen on the campus itself. The NUS building wasn't open on the open day we went to and the tennis courts weren't great. She loves the city itself though, hence why it's likely to be her insurance.

[Hoghgyni]

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