Oxbridge 2020 (thread number 9)

[DadDadDad]

What a year! Just as we've all become experts (at least in our own minds ) about how to write Personal Statements, Oxford admission tests and Cambridge STEP, the complicated dance of the interview process, and how to simultaneously boost our DSs' and DDs' confidence while preparing them for the possibility of disappointment, we have a new topic to learn: statistical modelling of expected grades.

Of course, like all those previous topics, we're not in control of teacher projection and OfQual rejection, but we have this thread to support each other through the coming months.

All welcome. For the record, I have a DS with an Oxford offer for a humanities subject.

Just catching up on the thread - I'm surprised they went for online exams, it seems to add an extra challenge! I suppose they didn't have many choices, although with less than a handful taking the papers at any school in person exams might have been possible, just complicated to organise.

DD1 doesn't want to do any shopping until she knows she's got in somewhere. She's anxious about even meeting her insurance (BBC)!! Think the whole family wants to move DD1 in - DDs 2 and 3 won't let her go without us!

I do think that Durham will be very full. Half the people on Mumsnet seem to have a DC going there or who has it as their insurance.
NB. I've told DC that if she goes to Oxbridge she'll have to pay for storage every holiday.

Selfishly I really hope DS1 doesn't end up at Durham it's so far! If it's Oxford we can easily visit and he can get home for ad hoc visits on family occasions. He'll also be close to my side of the family in the Midlands. I know from my own student days that once you're in the bubble home life isn't a priority.

I think my own relationship with my parents suffered from being a long way away and I never felt as close again. But maybe that's just growing up.

Nice email from Oxford yesterday and update on the website. It put a smile on DS1's face to hear the plan is for students to be in residence if they can get there. I expect the media won't bother reporting it though. 'Students expected back at Oxford in the Autumn' isn't an eye catching headline.

Yes it was encouraging to read yesterday’s email from Oxford. Spottedelk, holiday storage in vac stores is possible in most colleges. They won’t have to pay. Large boxes are useful for this (I used to get mine from supermarkets, along with half the student population).

DS received a similarly reassuring email from Cambridge this week.

He recently finished the A-level revision and papers he set himself, and is now teaching himself Futher Mechanics 2 (it wasn't one of the modules his school had chosen).

Flyonawalk so far across the colleges my DC have been to only Magdalen has offered vac storage. Which other colleges do this, for mainland UK students?

In my day it was all of them, and I was under the impression that storage could still be arranged if asked for in advance. I could well be wrong. We are overseas so I am expectIng that my DS will be able to use the vac store.

Yes overseas students have vac storage as a given but these days most colleges require all mainland UK students to clear out their rooms each term, even finalists who want to stay over the Easter holidays to work (they have to move to different rooms in college or off site generally speaking, because they get the best rooms which are let out to tourists, conferences etc). That's been my experience with DC anyhow, but perhaps mine (apart from the Magdalen DD), artfully chose colleges which rated poorly on the vac storage front, as well as selecting those with an epic lack of parking nearby :)

Epic lack of parking is certainly a problem! Let’s hope we all have to cross that hurdle in October, one way or another.

Hullo, I'm a foster carer with a former charge, still much loved and in close contact, with an Oxford place. (Yes, I'm beyond proud!) I've been following along here and on the other uni thread since my heart's been in my throat for her, with exams cancelled. She's not at a high ranking school so fears she's at great risk of being moderated down by this mysterious algorithm.

Thanks for all your discussions of it all, which are helpful.

Congratulations to your charge, Guzel - what an amazing achievement!

I too have doubts about the justice of this year’s exam system. Hopefully she will get the grades she needs, but if not the protocol is to contact her college and see if they will take her anyway. I will keep everything crossed for her!

Just checked the college handbook re storage. You can only store things if you're from outside of the UK. Unless you pay to keep the room on a non-residential basis (expensive). However, it is possible to stay in college over the vacations if you get permission, which I didn't realise was possible. They supply bedding, so no need to take that. All beds single, which I'm sure isn't the case at all universities. You can have 1 visitor in your room for 2 nights, which is handy for friends and siblings. It all sounds quite strict though.
Don't know why I'm bothering, really, as the insurance choice is likely to be the final destination!

I wonder how much the storage companies charge.

Thanks, Flyonawalk. An amazing achievement for her, yes, and of course for all of your hard working and talented DC too.

Only 6% of care leavers go to university at all so I haven't supported many through this stage and still have it ahead with my own DC.

Coleoptera Oxford and Cambridge freshers have different enough dates this term for you to be able to do both DT comfortably (I have a place booked to stay overnight in Cambridge, drop stuff, then plan to drive to Oxford and drop stuff off at one college one day then another later that day or the next, with another place booked for a night).

Each time a new DC goes off to uni I'm amazed at some of the stories of young people they meet triumphing over incredibly difficult odds. All credit to your foster child Guzel - fabulous.

Thanks, but really no achievement of mine... really does all come down to her drive and smarts.
Hope this isn't bad form, but on other thread and earlier on this one there was chat about whether Oxbridge candidates might be looked kindly on by schools. There was something I wanted to add but conversation has now moved on.
At former charge's request I attended a Zoom meeting regarding legal advice on teacher assessed grades for vulnerable young people. (Many have poor attendance etc.. through no fault of their own, which won't help for fair assessment.) Most of it was only relevant to vulnerable children. But the reassurance re Oxbridge/Medicine applies to all, in that the guidance says the full range of available evidence must be used. Part of that available evidence, where the young person did University aptitude test/interview, is that he/she must have got very high scores in tests and interview questions to get the offer. They said this should be reflected in the A level subjects related to the university subject. Also, it is evidence for all his/her subjects that he/she deal with pressure very well, so have proven they can go in and achieve their very best work on the day.
Hadn't seen this point made elsewhere - very much hope it's a valid one, as it calmed former charge down a lot, and seems to make sense to me.
So it's not valid for a teacher to say "well Oxford girl needs an A and Exeter girl needs a B..." (I'm not saying that won't happen as it seems like human nature to me) but it is valid for them to say "I have extra evidence on Oxford girl that indicates that she aces exams in this subject that I don't have for Exeter girl". (This point then got acrimonious re fairness to non Oxbridge candidates in the meeting as these conversations generally seem to unfortunately.)

Oh Lord, are people already booking hotels? I was wondering about it but don't know what date for sure - will it be the weekend before term starts? It also (ridiculous I know) feels like tempting fate...
We will have to stay somewhere overnight (nearly 300 miles)

Thankfully we can do Oxford and back in a day. Durham we can't but if needed we'll head back towards London and stay somewhere else. I can't imagine DS1 will want to see us again after we drop him - I refer you to my previous post about him wanting cash to buy any items he needs!

Thinking of the STEP takers today.sy you have quietness to think and a good internet connection 😊

Guzel that is very interesting about Oxbridge candidates being known to perform well under pressure. I think the worry for some is that teacher grades will be high but moderation will reduce them. We just have to hope on that point!

Jules I booked my places in Feb when I realised the complication of logistics in what's going to be an already busy week. It's probably unusual - but with eight DC to work around I've got used to anticipating and thinking ahead - otherwise we'd have had a lifetime of clashes.

@goodbyestranger What date have you booked for Oxford? Is it safe to assume the weekend before term starts (so Oct 3rd)? No info on the college website.