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.

Not on track in one subject, tbh.

Another one here with results being released on the student portal at the same time as Track is meant to update. I wonder if she will have one open on her phone & the other on her laptop & keep pressing refresh.

Still following this thread although DD isn’t going to Oxbridge. Her six form college is updating the portal at the same time as track I believe. With parents’ getting the results online at 10am.

Nice to see you @aibutohavethisusername ! DS1 will get email at 8am. In an old fashioned touch his school are also posting results! I guess the letter will turn up mid September.

Hi sandybayley I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your DS and all the Oxbridge candidates.

DD's school is having results in the usual going into school way - that's the current plan. I think she's intending to log onto Track at 7.29 and keep refreshing (7.30 has been the time the thing has whirred into action for the last three DC, regular as.....clockwork :)).

I'm not sure what DD's plans on the day are but they were given the choice to apply to collect results in school, which all her friend group done so they can make it a social event. As usually, DD2 has her GCSE results day scheduled to the minute - such different children! I think DD2's will be emotional as it means saying goodye to her lovely school. DD1's sixth form hasn't managed to compare to the wonderful secondary school the girls have attended.

On the sport topic I brought up previously - DNiece is a captain for a Durham University sport and they've been told this week that no college or university sport is taking place for the first term. I wonder how much of that translates elsewhere, as Durham appear to do their own thing from what DNiece has said.

DD is going to be given a 30 minute slot to go into school on results day, with staff on hand to support them, but no loitering with friends to be encouraged. So I'm guessing the loitering will occur in the park down the road instead.

@AChickenCalledDaal the park across the road from the sixth form is where DD and friends have planned to hang out (loiter) after collecting results!

@Paragraff I think DD is in a similar position - not sure about making the grades. Three of her closest friends are the same though, worried about poor mock results and had a lot of cramming to do to have a shot at the grades. At least her insurance is an okay option. My DD opted for Hull, which I know is still a brilliant uni for half of her course, but I think she would be underselling herself a little as the course only wants around BBC.

My DS has a Cambridge offer and occasionally voices his anxiety. I have decided to be consistently optimistic that the grades he needs will comes through - even though I do think there is a real chance of nasty surprises. After such a rough year, the kids need our optimism.

I have decided to be consistently optimistic that the grades he needs will comes through - even though I do think there is a real chance of nasty surprises. After such a rough year, the kids need our optimism.

Just listen to Boris - hope for the best, prepare for the worst!

We've had an e-mail from DD1's school saying results will be available online at 8.30am (with Track updating from 8am) and if there are any issues or problems, a member of staff will be in school from 9am to 12pm to talk on the phone - the implication being that students wouldn't be welcome to turn up for support in person. I'm quite sad about that - I didn't expect that results day would resemble normality at all, but in the event of needing some advice or support with disappointing results, I feel it would have been reassuring to have the option of going in to school, rather than hoping to get through on the phone when numerous others may be trying to get through simultaneously....

Same here @MiniJellyBeans, it seems like DS's school will have staff there but support is likely to be virtual rather than physical. I'm pleased for the DC in other schools who will be able to receive results in person and then meet up in parks. I guess DS may meet friends, but they are all spread out so not sure how feasible that will be. I've been inspired by a PP who will book a nice restaurant for lunch. It's been a very long time since we've eaten out!

@goodbyestranger, thanks for the heads up about the 7.30am track update in recent years.

Not sure why we're all getting so excited about results day; it's still nearly four weeks away!

I work for a major retailer and once a month our discount doubles. I've made a note in my diary to stick up on champagne. If it's not needed it can be saved for another occasion!

@SnapSnapDragon - that might have been me. I've booked the Ivy Cafe for lunch. DS1 knows (didn't want him to make arrangements that would clash with friends).

DS will be going into school to collect results at 9 - they have all been told to bring their own pens to sign for them. I'm glad - he finished very abruptly and it will hopefully be a chance to say goodbye, (celebrate?). I saw the Head last week when I was returning some books and he told me he would be available that day too.

Possibly getting ahead of myself here, but I have a dilemma. Book somewhere for lunch or wait for dinner? For the restaurant I am considering, dinner would be much more expensive, but on the other hand it might get messy if the champagne is cracked open at lunchtime. Messy for me, I should probably add (DS and DC don't drink).

I booked the nearest Pig to us back in January SnapSnap. What could possibly go wrong.....

I asked DS whether he can think of anything he might need for university. His reply: "Yes, an understanding of partial differentiation would be useful."
I don't think they sell that in Ikea.

We booked DD’s favourite independent Italian for dinner. May buy a bottle of Buck’s Fizz as none of us are champagne drinkers.

Snap - I've booked lunch on the basis that he'll want to see friends in the evening.

Ironoaks I think DD would like his style!

I floated the idea of starting some university shopping with her. She looked blank and essentially said "can't I just take some of your stuff?"

On the bright side, about half the mugs in our kitchen were given to her as birthday and Christmas presents, so if she takes those we might have space to store the ones the rest of us want to use.

No results day bookings here, but I have booked Rick Stein's for my 50th. Nobody else is going to. I do fancy a Pig though Hobbema. They are springing up in quite a few places now.

I read a thing the other day about how book-aheaders ruin everything for the spontaneous .. enough insight to feel a bit guilty Hoghgyni ! DTs are my last children though and I knew from past experience how busy it gets in the summer. We might be crying into our drinks, who knows. Planning to order Hugospritz in honour of eponymous poster on this thread !

I'm a meany on the results day meal out - I've never booked anywhere. The DC around our way tend to get together on the beach though, so a booking by me would get in the way. Also, I've been in Scotland for the last three results days and the form is that the DC in question goes down south to collect results and I'm allowed to dial up Track in the morning. Then we communicate once they've gone into school and collected results. It's been a good system.

We have a lovely Pig near home. I pushed the boat out (aka avoiding cooking) and booked us in last Boxing Day and it was atrocious. Like Waterloo at rush hour. And the poor guys in the kitchen were clearly burned out. Won't make that mistake again.

hobbema DD4 is my last too. DC1 started proper school in 1994 so that's twenty six years of school I've been doing. It's going to be incredibly weird. I shall certainly need a Hugospitz at the very least - or several :)

@hobbema - I've been caught out too many times by not booking well in advance. We live in an area of London that draws people in from all around and it's annoying for us locals. Happened to me today for brunch.

DS1 got an 'end of school' summing up letter today. It almost made me cry. It was so lovely and they'd captured him to a tee.