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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge 2020 (8th thread)

988 replies

DadDadDad · 25/01/2020 13:38

A thread to continue discussing entry to Oxbridge in October 2020 (less than nine months away Shock ). 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.

OP posts:
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5
goodbyestranger · 01/02/2020 18:22

No such college exists! Athough if she's put Castle or Hatfield or Aidan's down as her preference then she'll have a higher chance of a shared room than at many other colleges Hoghgyni.

Pepermintea · 01/02/2020 19:55

@OverinvestedParent DS got a Durham maths offer in mid December. I know others who are still waiting though. He has since found out that he had a very high MAT score, so that may be why they offered earlier.

Pepermintea · 01/02/2020 20:00

Does anyone know which Oxford colleges have offer holders things? DS has had the email about accepting informally and saying that he has no criminal record. He has also had "loads" about scholarships that he's not eligible for apparently! I fear that he probably isn't reading them properly now and could miss something that is relevant!

sandybayley · 01/02/2020 20:21

@Pepermintea - I don't think DS1's college does hold an offer holder's day. But DD has decided she'd like to go to the Open Day this year so I might go and look at his college while we're there.

She's thinking about Medicine...

Hoghgyni · 01/02/2020 20:29

DD hasn't heard a thing from her college since 14th. I checked their website earlier and they don't appear to do an offer holder's day, but they point you in the direction the 2019 freshers guide and suggest there will be a flurry of activity after results day. I think some are more active than others.

OverinvestedParent · 02/02/2020 01:07

@pepermintea thank you - good to know and we’ll done to your DS

Jano69 · 02/02/2020 10:46

I have some relevant experience here.

If you insure with Durham, you don't necessarily get the college offered. So waiting for Durham college allocation day is almost irrelevant when deciding which university to insure with.

In DS's case, he firmed Cambridge for a humanities subject with A Star A Star A and insured with Durham A Star A A.

He originally applied but for a Bailey College at Durham but was offered a Hill Colllege which he wasn't that keen on but nevertheless insured with it.

When he was rejected by Cambridge, we assumed he'd go to the Hill college but were then informed that because he'd only insured with Durham, he was being reallocated to whatever was left over. It was a very traumatic time as not only had he missed his Cambridge offer and was extremely disappointed with his A'Level results (predicted 3 A Stars) he had to wait until the beginning of September to find out which college he was going to.

He was disappointed with the college (one of the least prestigious far away from the centre) but he's met some wonderful people there and had a very positive experience.

MarchingFrogs · 02/02/2020 11:15

Do students actually at Durham really operate a college prestige pecking order?

Hoghgyni · 02/02/2020 11:29

It does seem to be 50:50 between whether you wish to be allocated the "less prestigious" on the Hill or otherwise. There do seem to be many assumptions made about the background of applicants to each. As college allocation at Durham is such a lottery anyway there is bound to be a good mix of UK, overseas, state, indie, rich, poor, southern, northern, Welsh, Scottish in each, but the myths seem to perpetuate.

Jano69 · 02/02/2020 11:32

@MarchingFrogs Prestigious is the wrong word, my bad. Put it this way, the Bailey colleges are very sought after whereas the college my DS ended up at isn't first choice for many. At the end of the day, he's really happy there and already made friends for life.

goodbyestranger · 02/02/2020 11:34

It's far more layered than that in fact. Some Bailey colleges are far less popular than others and some Hill colleges are hugely popular. The idea of 'prestige' is pretty much gone - all colleges have a decent mix of students.

Hoghgyni · 02/02/2020 11:35

Thanks for the confirmation Goodbye. It will therefore come down to whether Newcastle Falcons will be playing Exeter Chiefs or Cornish Pirates next year versus which tier of the European Cup Edinburgh will be playing in.

sandybayley · 02/02/2020 14:50

I honestly don't think there is a ranking order of Durham colleges. Everyone I've ever know who went to Durham speaks fondly of their colleges but never attached much importance to it.

DS1 really likes Collingwood because of proximity to science labs, size and facilities. He wasn't that taken with the Bailey colleges as they'd involve a longer walk to early labs and the ones we looked at looked a bit run down compared to 'shiny' Collingwood.

I think for science students proximity to labs is very important. His Oxford college is nicely located to maximise time spent in bed each morning.

Hoghgyni · 02/02/2020 15:32

DD liked the tennis courts at her first choice!

GinWorksForMe · 03/02/2020 20:41

Following someone's comment down thread (up thread?)....parents at offer holder days. Yes or no?

MarchingFrogs · 03/02/2020 20:55

parents at offer holder days. Yes or no?

Either I or DH went to all that DS1 and DD attended, but I tend to leave them to it once there, rather than feel I need to go to all the 'parent' events, if I find something more interesting to look at (which is open to the public, naturally). I tend to assume that I have usually missed a spiel on how the university is going to look after my pfb / psb or, when we get there next year, ptb, as opposed to a presentation on how anyone who locks themselves out of their flat more than three times is donated to the food bank at the local zoo.

GinWorksForMe · 03/02/2020 20:57

Thanks. Sorry what's psb, pfb, ptb??

hobbema · 03/02/2020 20:58

@GinWorksForMe, yes.Because DD wants and college explicitly offered a parent is welcome too. Only 1 though as it’s a small college. DH going as I have been (over) invested til now. Going along for the ride. If turns out no-one else is accompanied you can always slope off discretely. What does DC want? Hard to imagine not wanting to neb about but then this is MN!

goodbyestranger · 03/02/2020 20:58

Have these been Oxbridge offer holder days MarchingFrogs?

goodbyestranger · 03/02/2020 21:01

I'm hoping that no offer of an offer holder day comes through from DD's college. If it hasn't by now, is it safe to assume one won't?

GinWorksForMe · 03/02/2020 21:18

My DS doesn't much care if I go or not. Just don't want to be the only parent there or the only one not there. And there are three offer holder days at three universities but I can only take one day off work so need to choose.

hobbema · 03/02/2020 21:32

So the difference there is the O/C Offer holder day will be at his potential college ( or is he the Schroedinger applicant) which will probably be less generic than the other 2 and therefore probably of more parental hovering interest. Or are they Durham/Lancaster/York/StA ??! Durham allocations havent happened yet have they ? The only Cambridge things I was transport for, a Masterclass and interviews were HOOCHING with parents. I’d be surprised if you’re a sole parent.

AnotherNightWatering · 03/02/2020 21:39

DD had an offer holders day last year. She didn't tell us we were invited, but the admissions tutor rang on the house phone, spoke to DH, and invited us, much to DD's embarrassment! Grin DD persuaded us not to go, on the premise that it was a long way, and it was my birthday.

In the event, one of the four at her college had their parents with them.

However, on her way back, the trains all stopped running, and we had to drive all that way anyway late in the evening (interrupting our romantic meal out!) to pick her up. Grin

PantTwizzler · 03/02/2020 22:53

DD ignored all the blandishments from the other universities and only went to the offer holder day at Oxford. It didn’t cross her mind to go to the others. Oddly I don’t think DS has been invited to offer holder days but I doubt he’d go to them either. He’s very clear about which are his first and second choices and is now, thank goodness, working hard. Still getting zillions of detentions for minor infractions of school rules... Sigh.

Ironoaks · 03/02/2020 23:15

The college where DS has an offer doesn't do offer holder days. He has been there twice (college-specific open day and then interview day) but went on his own for both, so I haven't seen it yet. If he gets the grades then I hope to drop him off, and if he doesn't get the grades then I don't need to see it.

I went with him to the open day at his insurance choice, so I've seen that.