Languages Applicants for 2021 (and 2022) entry

[Tenpastseven]

For those interested and moving over from the St Andrews thread (that became not about St Andrews)

DS has 2 x interviews but both on the same day (next Tuesday) An hour between them - so I shall be providing cups of tea and hearty snacks in the ‘between time’.

Good luck with interviews everyone. Dd hasn't heard any thing either . She did fess up to me that having reread her interview invite yesterday she hadn't realised she had to accept 😱 . She managed to do this before the midday deadline.

Oxford is still very much a long shot.

@fabtasticmrpox My ds was the same, didn't read the invite properly and didn't reply to the acceptance until just before the deadline. He has a terrible tendency to skim read his emails...

DS only has one interview, but he is doing one language ab initio.

@fabtasticmrpox

Good luck with interviews everyone. Dd hasn't heard any thing either . She did fess up to me that having reread her interview invite yesterday she hadn't realised she had to accept 😱 . She managed to do this before the midday deadline.

Oxford is still very much a long shot.

DD was a bit panicked about whether she'd 'properly accepted' the interview, as no matter how often she pressed the button, it didn't grey out the option.

I have images of some poor soul in college getting 25 automated acceptance emails from her.

I know you’ll all have said but is it just 5 of us for Oxbridge languages? @Crikeyblimey @Vargas and my DS for C and @NiamCinnOir and @fabtasticmrpox for O?

Hope you hear today for those O interview times!

My DD as well, TenPastSeven.
(Would be great if it really was just six of them nationwide!)

Unfortunately I can report that there are another few at DS's school...

Ha! If only.

Is your DD O or C @FlyingSquid?

O - and there is one more from her school to add to the tally as well. Still, I'm sure there's room for all... 10 or so?

(DD looked at the stats at one point and said 'One in three get in after interview - so, I only need to be better than two people then?'

On the whole, I think it's a good thing she's not applying for maths.)

@FlyingSquid - that’s just what DS said too 🤣. In a way, they’re right, kind of.

That thinking works better for elimination things like Bake Off - you only need to be better than one other person to stay in. 🤔🤣

@NiamCinnOir
Oxford have made it clear that they expect candidates to have interviews in school, unless they are applying independently or there is another good reason their school can't host them.

Ooh I hope my DD knows this - she was planning on doing at least one of her two Oxford interviews from home And I assume she did accept the interview offer...

I think DD is the only MFL applicant in her sixth form this year, at least the only Oxbridge one.

Oh sorry @TottiePlantagenet I missed you. Oh I did a dreadful job of rounding us all up. Sorry.

So to recap @Crikeyblimey @Vargas and me for C. Rest are O?

And DS also the only languages applicant @TottiePlantagenet as far as I’m aware.

@TottiePlantagenet - probably best to look at the email your dd received from her Oxford college. The college my dd applied to said: 'Where possible, interviews should take place in schools and at the time specified. As it is extremely difficult to rearrange interviews, if you have applied through a school we ask that you discuss this with them as soon as you receive your invitation. Your school or college may also have received notice of your invitation. However, we do also understand that some candidates are not applying through a school, or their schools will not be able to host all of their students for interviews, in which case alternative arrangements will be made (for instance you may be interviewed at home). '

but maybe different colleges take a different approach?

@NiamCinnOir thanks, I'll give DD a prompt. Fingers crossed to all the upcoming interviewees.

Any news @NiamCinnOir?

Yes, @Tenpastseven! Just heard from dd and her interview emails had gone into her spam folder . She has 3 interviews - one on Mon, one on Tues and one on Wed. All feeling a bit scary and real now ...

Woah. 3 days of interviews. That’s tough going. She’ll be the first of the language gang then on Monday? Then there’s a few of them with Tuesday interviews I think.

Yes, 3 interviews seems like quite a lot to me. DD is now worried that as 2 of them are for her ab initio language she may not have done very well in the LAT and they’re going to give her an extra grilling about her ability to learn a new language

DD has three as well and thought exactly the same, Niam!

Well you couldn’t accuse O of lack of rigour in the selection process!

Dd has 1 interview so far on Monday Morning - the language part of her joint degree. I will ask her to check her spam folder though.

If your dc got offered something different to what they have applied for at oxbridge would they take it? eg just History if applying for joint honours. Dd said she wouldn't .

DD would accept doing a single language rather than two, I think, but was dubious about switching out her chosen ab initio language for a different one.

Being asked to think about it is good, though, as she does need to be able to express why she wants that particular combination.

Interesting question, @fabtasticmrpox. Dd definitely wants to do joint honours for variety, interest and employability prospects. If she was offered single honours she says she would probably turn it down, but would feel a bit gutted.

Yes this is something DS has thought of. He’s doing 2 post A-level languages but is stronger in French than Spanish. If he was offered French + an ab initio language he’d take it in a heartbeat but I’m not sure if they ever do that at Cambridge.