Oxbridge 2020 (8th thread)

[DadDadDad]

A thread to continue discussing entry to Oxbridge in October 2020 (less than nine months away ). All welcome, although this obviously will be of most interest to those with DS or DD holding an offer, and wanting to find a bit of support.

All too soon, 13 August will come over the horizon. Until then, ask questions... share experiences... discuss news and stats... write a poem... (we did briefly have some poetry on a previous thread).

With huge thanks to @HugoSpritz and predecessors for previous threads.

(Actually though, Pooch I'd imagine most of the entire year group apply to Oxbridge each year. Kids have to get minimum of 6 A* at GCSE to get in/stay in for 6th form, including in all subjects that they will take at A level. So the proper answer to your question would be "both".)

Even at 15% that is an incredible % . Most state schools are lucky to get 1%.

It's not incredible for top selective independents Purplepooch. The entrance requirement for sixth form at MCS is a minimum of 6A*, but most will have far in excess of that.

Cross post!

And they interview at MCS of course, with the interview taking the form of a mini Oxbridge interview in the subjects the applicants want to take for A level. What they're looking for essentially are DC who are very likely to bag an Oxbridge place to boost/ secure the statistics.

Someone in our village did mock Oxbridge interviews for MCS students last year and couldn't believe one 'stellar' applicant didn't get a place because he was in the leadership group, had masses of extra curricular accolades 'and was really good looking'....

Clearly couldn’t have known that much about Oxbridge admissions @goodbye if she/he thought those qualities would help said ‘stellar’ secure a place...which I guess is your point! Would have thought MCS could have found someone better placed to assist (but actually why bother just tell ‘stellar’ to read widely across what interests them and think about what they’ve read instead).

The person is an Oxford graduate in the subject of the mock interviews, and from a top independent, so MCS would think them fine for mock interviews. Possibly a little out of date as he was emphatic when I queried the dazzling good looks attribute that it helps to look the part :)

Now that could be a short but sweet research project. How many Oxford offers were made to applicants who don't look the part including:

Facial tattoos
Ear plugs/lobe stretching
Mohawks
Mermaid/unicorn hair

to name a few.

Oh my goodness it's all getting very strange now to the bit-part player, which is I suppose what my family is. DS is the only one with an offer from his school. Who knows what his A level experience might have been if he was surrounded by people who only got 6 A stars or more at GCSE! It's both terrifying and entertaining to hear of these places and their Oxbridge ambitions and records. Mainly terrifying to be honest!

I don't really get what what you are saying Hoghygni but my dd has

discreet but mulltiple ear-piercings
punky hair style
a very small tattoo

Well, I get what @Hoghgyni is saying as I am sure experiments have been conducted in other contexts to show appearance creating an unconscious bias. Wasn’t there an orchestra that decided to audition on sound already alone (musicians behind a screen, or similar). I wonder what would happen if Oxbridge interviewers were blindfolded?

sound alone - don’t know where “already” came from.

And is that only Oxford applicants? My DS went to his Cambridge interview in ripped jeans with spiked hair and weird dirty trainer shoes which are actually indescribable. He doesn't have any piercings or tattoos that I know of but he speaks like a rap artist gone wrong - but there's nothing he can't tell you about his subject, which apparently (and hopefully) is all they care about when interviewing a person to spend 3 or more years studying that subject?

And for the record his train fare for his interview was his 18th birthday present from his grandparents

All I know is that dd presents differently to school/other adults/me compared to her peers.

I'm somewhat confused by this thread now tbh.

Congratulations to your DD, Crummles!
I think at this point we're all agreeing that whatever attributes may of may not be important for an oxbridge offer, stellar good looks or 'looking the part' (wtf?) are unlikely to be important.

Even if “looking the part” was a factor (it’s not), considering the eclectic appearances of those deciding who to offer to, their idea of who “looked the part” would not match most people’s.

I was once confused about why my Oxford boyfriend was talking to a homeless man (dirty clothes, unkempt hair and beard, palpable smell) for so long. Turned out to be his brilliant tutor

I sometimes on threads like these see people recommend candidates should wear whatever they want as long as they are clean. And I honestly think the brilliant older minds searching through brilliant young teachable minds for those that most appeal to them won’t give a shit if that brilliant mind is wearing clean clothes or not. Let alone hair etc. (Though prob best to err on the side of caution and be clean if possible!)

On MCS/OHS stats, for what it’s worth, they’re very highly selective schools, of course. But they’re also selecting from a pot which is made up in large part of children of current Oxford staff, and Oxford graduates who’ve remained in the city. These kids are then brought up with dinner table conversation reminiscent of Oxford interviews, and taken to events and advised on best place to apply... I don’t see a way of eliminating that kind of advantage, which is worth even more than school environment.

Our research from a non representative sample has therefore disproved the theory that you need conventional dazzling good looks to look the part and be awarded an offer. Thank goodness for that. Perhaps that was why Kate Middleton had to go to St Andrews instead. We had better write to the Telegraph in disgust!

Well (much as I love him) DS1 certainly doesn't have dazzling good looks. He does have scruffy jeans, black fleeces and spots. I think he'll blend in nicely.

I'm a bit irritated with him as he still hasn't firmed Oxford. I think I'm worried they'll change their minds given his apparent lack of enthusiasm.

Don't worry, sandy - the unis can't withdraw an offer once they've made it, it's fine so long as he's in time for the UCAS deadline which isn't for a good while yet. As I've already mentioned, DD didn't make her choices until after she'd been to the offer holders event (and also the ones at her other options for insurance).

Obviously with any computer system it's best not to leave it until the very last minute in case of some tech failure, but apart from that the only other reason I can think of for making the choices before they have to is that some of the insurance places might let them specify their accommodation preferences.

Ah but @ErrolTheDragon I have to have something to worry about!

I think the school has told him to wait as his likely insurance (Durham) is still quite a high offer and they want to make sure he is on track. If things look wobbly nearer the deadline he could insure with Bristol. I also think he wants to see which Durham college he gets allocated to - although I don't think he'll change his mind if he gets a different college to the one he requested.

Those sound like sensible reasons for waiting.
I'm slightly surprised Bristol has a lower offer than Durham for chemistry.

Bristol is 'only' 3 A, Durham is A star A A

DD can't firm her offer either as she is waiting to hear from Edinburgh. If they come up trumps with a lower offer, that will be her insurance. If not, it's a toss up between a course she is less keen on or Durham with an offer equal to Oxford's. They have until May Sandy.

I do love Edinburgh @Hoghgyni - but I have to admit to being slightly biased. DS1 wouldn't have existed if it hadn't been for Edinburgh.