Oxbridge Aspirants 2021 - New Thread (2)

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Sorry posted last message on the last thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3757768-Oxbridge-Aspirants-Sep-2021

Here is the new one......

@goodbyestranger that's reassuring. Good. Thank you..

And yes, I flip flop around my feelings re teaching at my DC school during lockdown. It does seem that the school have lowered the bar to ensure those without internet/computer access haven't been disadvantaged. They've also gone for a policy of being led by what teachers feel inclined/able to do. It means my youngest ds did absolutely fuck all to be honest, though I take some responsibility for that too.

@mikeandike I hope so too! Luckily DS is applying for a course where usually there are 3 applicants to each place rather than one of the hugely competitive ones where I think there are 12 or more applicants per place.

tenpast - really, Don’t worry about schools with an “Oxbridge department.” We have had no advice re-college choice whatsoever. As far as I can see, the only “advice” these Oxbridge advisors give is to prevent clashes. For instance, DS is not able to apply to his first choice college as another boy is also applying there for the same subject. Do we are in our third choice now and all the guy said was “sounds good.” That’s it. Apart from that, they have no additional insight whatsoever - nothing you couldn’t glean yourself from a quick look at the stats. Maybe other schools give something extra, but ours doesn’t.

I think at least 80 odd apply most years from his school, but some if them are doing US applications too and a lot end end up there (increasingly so). Maybe about 30 actually go on average, but you can’t really read much into that because applying for something like engineering or medicine is a lot more competitive than other subjects and this will vary year to year. For some courses, getting into Imperial or LSE can be more competitive (in terms of numbers) than Oxbridge, for instance - it just might not feel as competitive to the student because there is no interview / extra admissions tests, etc.

We've had the first draft of the personal statement back. Lots of comments and they all seem fair and constructive. Luckily the main Oxbridge advisor at school seems quite knowledgeable on the DS's subject. It's going to be a busy weekend! Deadline is next Friday but I'm sure everyone will go beyond this.

Re schools telling students that they won't let more than one apply for the same course at the same college, on the off chance that DS2 did decide to apply to Cambridge after all and by some weird coincidence, all his friends in his Eng.Lit class thought History of Art at Corpus Christi sounded like a marvellous idea, too, I emailed Cambridge to ask. And got the response that 'all applications are treated on an individual basis' and the fact that more than one person had applied from the school 'would not have any bearing on the application'.

Perhaps Oxford does things differently, though.

DS2 is another choral scholar applicant. His is Tuesday afternoon. Piece was meant to be recorded in school this week, but he was self-isolating waiting for family member Covid test result (negative). His accompanist has now recorded it for him. Good luck 🤞

DS has chosen his Cambridge college on the basis of good food and location but it would seem not much else (in part given he can't visit). I know we could look at statistics but I'm not entirely sure how to make sense of them. I suppose I worry that if he got rejected someone would later say 'oh you applied to x college, the was a a mistake in your circumstances'.

Very sensible criteria! The pooling system means that even if he's picked a college which ends up with too many good candidates for his subject, those who are deemed worthy of a place will be pooled and get one elsewhere. It's probably unwise to get too attached to the chosen college.

Marching - it’s encouraging Cambridge told you that, but I think it depends on the size of the course and possibly also the type of school. For instance, if there’s 25 places in a college and 150 applicants, they may possibly take 2 from the same school as it’s not too noticeable. But if there’s 10 applicants for 3 places, I doubt they’d fill 2 of those places with 2 Eton students, for instance. Even if both were outstanding in comparison to the other 10 applicants, one would be pooled. What they said at DS school is that it’s better to go for a college where you have a chance of a direct place as only 20% are pulled out of the pool and, for independent candidates, the odds are perhaps a little more stacked against them re-selection from the pool.

I mean, of course that's the answer you'll be given MarchingFrogs, especially in writing, especially to a random parent.

Coming from a big name independent (or possibly even an independent these days), it's hard to imagine any college taking on multiple students for a single course all from that same school - far more likely to pool all very good applicants except the top scoring one, and take on a more diverse cohort themselves.

@goodbyestranger. That’s interesting as the experience at my DS school was different. Small cam college took one direct applicant and another From the pool from the same school (independent) to do the same course. Classics though so perhaps more independent applications

A couple of Oxford college open days have today said that in the end the university only had 60 extra deferrals into the 2021 intake, so not a big issue for your DC’s year. Just to share

chitchattery unless it was ab initio then yes, Classics is inevitably different.

Our school (grammar) has also had two students get in to the same (Oxford) college for the same subject but that has been the only instance for over a decade. So really very rare.

There were two on ds’s course. They were not friends!!!

@IrmaFayLear

There were two on ds’s course. They were not friends!!!

That’s unfortunate! And probably why they couldn’t agree which should keep the college for application.

Our school (grammar) has also had two students get in to the same (Oxford) college for the same subject but that has been the only instance for over a decade. So really very rare.

@goodbyestranger, is that only one pair out of multiple multiple applications over the years, so to speak? If so, then yes, obviously rare, at least for the school. But if they were just a solitary example of two students refusing to budge on college choice, despite the school's advice, and both getting offers, it might be a rare event overall, in terms of that college's admissions, or it might have happened with other multiple applications, had they occurred?

Well DS just changed college choice because he is not massively bothered and we found another one with same applicant / offer ratio. I think the other boy has the same predicted grades and probably the same GCSEs and a strong EPQ / essays as well, so what’s the point when there are 20-odd colleges? The Oxbridge guy said one would inevitably be pooled if they wanted to offer both places, but this is a scenario where maybe 16 apply for something like 5 places each year. They wouldn’t take 2 from the same independent school. It’s not a big name boarding school or anything like that, but it’s reasonably well known in London / league tables etc.

The guy also said, that the odds of a place at a Cambridge college that has a higher state school application rate - eg 85% or thereabouts - are better for applicants from independent schools because colleges don’t want to end up with an almost exclusive state intake and be accused of bias the other way!

Yes MarchingFrogs that was one pair out of the multiple multiple applications over many years. In fact this pair applied to Magdalen and Worcester respectively for Law and happened to both be pooled to the same third college which liked them both. In fact the school doesn’t interfere with college choice and there have been quite a few occasions where two pupils have applied to the same college for the same subject, but no two have ended up with offers for the same course and college.

DD (third year Oxford) spent two hours today fielding Open Day calls alongside Biology admissions tutors. The subject of teachers references came up and both tutors said they really didn't pay much attention to them unless they contained mitigating circumstances.

DS's school had two Cambridge applicants last year and both received offers - for the same college albeit different subjects. None were asked which colleges they were considering, other than in a conversational way. Oxbridge applications are very low key at DC's school which actually helps to keep a sense of proportion around the whole process of sitting entrance tests and attending interviews.

@quest1on
"For some courses, getting into Imperial or LSE can be more competitive (in terms of numbers) than Oxbridge, for instance - it just might not feel as competitive to the student because there is no interview / extra admissions tests, etc."

Imperial do interview

ofteninaspin I don't think same school same college different subjects is remarkable in any way. It often happens.

@seedybird - whilst Imperial do interview it's not in the same league to an Oxbridge interview for most subjects I think.

DS1 was interviewed at Oxford and Imperial and the Imperial interview was not very substantial. Slightly more substantial than his Manchester one which was a marketing exercise.

@sandybayley
I just wanted to quash a common misconception that only Oxbridge interview. It's better for students to know that Imperial does interview, rather than them think that, like many other universities, an offer comes without interview.

DD's interview at Imperial was apparently very rigorous and pushed her as hard as the two interviews she had at Oxford. Neither course required entrance tests or work submissions - not all Oxbridge course application processes are equal

@raspberryrippleicecream Good luck to your DS too. I take it he's using a recorded accompaniment to record his piece then? I got the impression from the initial application information that they wanted to hear of any difficulties doing the recording so make sure he lets them know.

So what do they take notice of?

If they don’t take into account GCSE grades (people are exhorted by admissions to “go for it” when they have crappy grades), teachers’ references, personal statement... that leaves the entrance exam if there is one for that subject and interview. I thought it was supposed to be holistic.