Oxbridge 2020 (6)

[Justneedatemporaryname]

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

DS is en route to Cambridge now. I’m very much looking forward to today being over.

Well DD doesn't have the luxury of being able to reapply, so luckily she has some great offers from some of the universities mentioned upthread. If Oxford doesn't want her this year, I don't imagine they would want her next year either, so this week has been all or nothing for her. I'm incredibly proud that she has got down to the last 25% for her subject, but luckily she realises that it was always going to be a lottery. If they prefer the applicants from Eton or Shanghai so be it.

Quick question: do Oxford candidates know they have been pooled because they go to a second college for extra interviews, but Cambridge candidates don't know and just find out on 15 Jan?

She has been told this morning that she is free to go home without going elsewhere, so I assume they've made a firm decision either way. They were told that about 20% of them from their college may be seen somewhere else this morning.

Fingernail - it's normal practice (as far as I can tell) at Oxford for candidates to be interviewed by a second college. I think they use it for calibration as well as to then work at a subject level across the university to find a place for the best candidates. That certainly seems to be how it works in my DS's subject, although it's one of the smaller subjects where it's practicable for the faculty to look across the entire population of applicants, then get into some horse-trading at college level.

That said, DS's interview with a second college he felt went better than his first choice interview, so I don't know where that leaves him. Will the second college make the offer if his first choice is not so keen?

I don't think you can read anything into whether candidates get interviewed at another college not, there are too many unknowns and different faculties behave differently. For instance interviews at another college might be standard practice for a subject (as it is for Maths), or if might be for standardisation.

Just found this on Oxford's website:

In some subjects you will automatically be interviewed at a second college. For other subjects, you may be offered the opportunity to have an interview at a second or even a third. This does not necessarily mean that you will not be offered a place at the first college or that this college is no longer considering your application. This system of additional interviews is to give you the best possible chance of gaining a place.

Last year DD was interviewed at 3 Oxford colleges and was offered at place at one of them (not the one she chose). FWIW she felt her first choice college interviews went better than the other two.

Thanks, DadDadDad.
Oxford seems really clear.
At Cambridge DD met a girl who had interviewed at one college and then was doing her second. I think she may have been classics, which makes sense, as very few applicants and probably worth a uni-wide view of them.
But for others, they may get invited back in early Jan I think to interview for winter pool, but I saw somewhere (not sure O or C) that someone got an offer from a college they didn't visit. Just ruminating on all the possibilities whilst putting a plaster on one fingertip/hangnail that is quite sore 😳

Well
He’s free now , no further interview not sure what we can read into that or not but at least normal life can resume

Interview done! That's it now, we can relax!

Hi Nibbler, my DD ended up at an Oxford college she didn't visit.
For her subject, one in four offers is an "open" offer where the college is assigned after results day. This ensures that spaces are filled with those that make their offer. I hope that makes sense .

PantTwizzler hope all going well in Cambridge today.

I haven’t heard anything yet. What sort of time will interviews finish for the day? I’m itching to message DD.

I work in a ‘numeric’ profession . There are at least as many History, Eng Lit, MFL graduates as maths and physics. Powers of comprehension, critical thinking and communication are just as important as maths

Sorry ! Wrong thread

Ofteninaspin, our of interest and if you don’t
Mind saying what subject is that please

DD sending emojis from the train. Says she can see lots of flash cards being studied. Does Cambridge ever send applicants to other colleges too? And on same day or later or just told you are pooled and find out in January? Am hoping it’s just yes or no as nerves won’t cope!

DS all done and on the train home. No questions on his PS at all and no mention of his black eye!

@FingernailNibbler, @littlelummysgirl, to my understanding a second interview at another Cambridge college is quite unusual. Although YMMV, depending on course.

Generally when pulling candidates out of the winter pool admissions tutors will take into account the reports from the interview at the first choice college.

That had the effect that it used to be normal to receive an offer in January from a different Cambridge college to the one you were expecting, and without any further interviews. I don't think the system has changed in that regard.

Right. Big strategy question here to put the wise parents of the Oxbridge thread.

DS (Compsci, Oxford), has interviews next week. Original plan was to aim for an Oct 2020 entry. Most colleges prefer mathmos and computer scientists not to defer - apparently maths rot sets in if you're not constantly using it.

However, DS has a chance to apply for a scholarship package with a local engineering/tech company that will give him 10 months paid work in computer science if he defers his entry plan. This sounds like a good thing for a number of reasons, not least reducing the size of his student debt.

Oxford's website makes bland noises about a year out being more acceptable if there are concrete plans to use mathematical/CS skills, so I don't think it's a total non starter, but we're scratching our head over when and how to raise it with Oxford. Do we wait until we know whether there's an offer from them or do we raise it now as an option, and evidence of DS's commitment to CS?

If your DC had changed their mind about deferred entry, WWYD?

DD had just one interview.

DD just called, having finished at C. Her overall impression is that it was hard. She had 2 separate interviews both with two people and they threw some really 'out there' questions at her. They also challenged her with some unexpected stuff re: the ab initio MFL......

She also said it seemed as though neither group of interviewers had even looked at her personal statement. She found the written language assessments ok.

She is looking forward to getting home anyway, it's just not possible to call this . I guess it's like that for most candidates.

Good luck all.