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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 · 14/02/2020 20:34

That Biology paper sounds like the 2017 one that DS4 sat :)

goodbyestranger · 14/02/2020 20:35

Horror would be a polite description, by all accounts.

strawberrieshortcake · 14/02/2020 20:50

@ClarasZoo if your son is doing the reformed Maths A level (as I’m pretty sure everyone doing Maths A Level now is doing) then 90% is an extremely high A* for all exam boards based on last years boundaries.
I’m wondering what grade boundaries you were looking at which made you think it wasn’t? Make sure you are only looking at the 2019 ones as that was the first year of the reformed A level Maths.

ClarasZoo · 14/02/2020 22:17

He was doing an edexcel paper. I think I was not looking at the "new specification" results, which indicate that 74% was an A star. In which case, yes, obviously 90% is fine! Thank you for your help with that. I think I was looking at the A2 results which I think is the old A level...

strawberrieshortcake · 14/02/2020 23:24

@ClarasZoo yes you were probably looking at the old pre-2019 maths a level results were grade boundaries were much higher because the exams were easier. For some of the old papers you needed around 95% for an A*.

Your son has done very well to get 90% in the new a level papers!

ClarasZoo · 15/02/2020 07:33

@strawberrieshortcake - yes I was looking at the A2 results on the edexcel website not the "reformed A level" results. I did not realise that UMS etc is all redundant for the reformed.
I seem to have become the person who asks - is 120 a good SATS score?!, which I did not mean to do.
BUT

  1. Do the marks/percentage matter once you get over the A star bar - are the marks printed on the certificate like the UMS used to be?
  2. Why are edexcel giving A2 results for maths in 2019? And UMS scores can also be converted - presumably for an A2 exam not a reformed one. In other words, are some people/schools still doing unreformed old A2 exams? If so, I appreciate the same number get A stars or whatever, so it doesn't matter if that is the case, and actually it's easier to distinguish yourself with a harder paper isn't it? Because on the "old" papers a silly mistake could cost you an A star but that is less likely with a harder paper in my view.
strawberrieshortcake · 15/02/2020 08:12

@ClarasZoo

  1. No, the exam certificate would just state what grade you get not the mark. So if you get 74% just scraping the A it would not be distinguishable from someone who got 90%, a very high A.
  1. No schools are not still doing the unreformed A Levels. Last year in 2019 when my DD did the reformed Maths A level, some people were still taking the old one but that was people who were doing retakes of the old one.

As far as I know they do not run the old exams at all any more starting from this year. So for 2020 there will not be anybody taking the old style Maths A level at all.

ZandathePanda · 16/02/2020 14:41

The new style humanities A Level results surprised me last year in how high they can get. I am used to 70% being really good. Dd got 97.5% in English Literature and still didn’t get the highest result in the school. For English in particular it is now theoretically possible to get 100% apparently.
Her A Level certificates just say the grade. Luckily all were different exam boards so she has 3 otherwise they are printed on the same one.

chopc · 16/02/2020 21:49

Parents of Oxbridge aspirant for 2021. For those applying to Oxford - how many DC got an offer after being interviewed by just one college?

goodbyestranger · 16/02/2020 22:19

DD4 was interviewed only by her college of choice and got an offer.

JulesJules · 17/02/2020 06:56

@chopc D1 was only interviewed by one college and then got an offer from that college.

chopc · 17/02/2020 07:20

Thanks Jules and Goodbye for the info.

Am I right in thinking admission to Oxford is a tougher / more stressful process than Cambridge? Eg less percentage interviewed; interview times only known on the day; possibility of more than one interview etc

sandybayley · 17/02/2020 07:25

@chopc - the thing is though that it depends on the subject. Some subjects automatically have interviews at more than one college.

DS1 had interviews at 2 colleges and got an offer at the first.

chopc · 17/02/2020 08:03

Oh I didn't know that sandy

sandybayley · 17/02/2020 08:14

@chopc - which subject are you thinking of? Also worth noting that some interviews at second colleges are for 'standardisation' purposes - so colleges can see whether another college agrees with their assessment of a candidate.

sandybayley · 17/02/2020 08:17

Oh and I think the Oxford process is probably more stressful but the stress (at least for some subjects) is eased by lower offers than Cambridge.

Cambridge typically over offers and allows achieved A Level grades to sort candidates.

Bakedpotatoandgin · 17/02/2020 08:28

I only had interviews at one college, had to sit in the jcr (junior Common room) waiting for two days until they released me

Bakedpotatoandgin · 17/02/2020 08:31

Though I would also say that judging from the different interview experiences of my friends, the number of interviews appears to bear no relation to whether or not you actually get a place - you really can't tell

IrmaFayLear · 17/02/2020 08:37

Ds had interviews at three colleges; he had to stay till the bitter end. He didn't get a place. The feedback was that he was a narrow miss, having done very well in the HAT but not so well in the interviews.

chopc · 17/02/2020 09:32

Sandy - History

I think I will encourage DS to go for what he wants and is interested in and leave rest up to his ability/ fate/ luck

chopc · 17/02/2020 09:33

@IrmaFayLear that's such tough luck. Hope your DS was able to take something positive away from his experience

IrmaFayLear · 17/02/2020 10:11

Very positive: he got in the next year! He was spurred on by the fact that he did so well in the HAT and got 4A*s at A Level. Interview nerves could be worked upon!

chopc · 17/02/2020 13:03

@IrmaFayLear that's amazing!

Hoghgyni · 20/02/2020 13:25

Is DD to only one who hasn't been able to firm yet? Still waiting for those pesky Scottish universities to play ball.

hobbema · 20/02/2020 13:45

No she isnt @Hoghgyni , DD still waiting on Durham for History. Havering between deselecting them and firming her clear 1 and 2 and waiting it out to know for sure if they would decline/offer. Posted elsewhere I think on the irony that my brightest child by far of 3 is the only one not to get a Durham offer ( yet) . She has done her student loan application though so some progress made.