Oxbridge-Aspirants-2021-New-Thread-3

[Baaaahhhhh]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4016760-Oxbridge-Aspirants-2021-New-Thread-2

New Thread !

Dd has also said that she wouldn’t reapply to Oxford next year if she wasn’t offered a place this year - she just wants to get started on her uni career and she also has some other offers which is a lucky position to be in. I don’t think she could take the pressure of reapplying a second time and I really can’t imagine what she would be able to do in a gap year if travel/finding a job were difficult. I think being rejected for not meeting the offer on results day would be pretty grim. At least if she’s rejected after interview, the suspense is over and done with relatively quickly and she could move on to getting more attached to one of the other unis.

I think that’s what DS is getting at @NiamCinnOir. For him I imagine if he got rejected after interview he would think the competition was too stiff and there were candidates better than him in a tough field which he’d accept. If he got an offer but didn’t get the grades, he’d punish himself. Plus the pressure he’d put on himself in the run up would be immense. I’m only guessing this though, not from the horses mouth.

Interesting how differently our DC see it isn’t it @DeRigueurMortis @LaundryFairy.

And interesting to see if any of our theorising holds up if/when....

Yes, dd has a similar view to your ds, @Tenpastseven. I think she knows that the competition for places is likely to be very high this year. She’d like to get as far as interview, but she’s very aware that there will be many better candidates than her, but she’s also given her own application her very best shot, so if she’s rejected after interview she’ll obviously be disappointed but I think will pick herself up relatively quickly. Famous last words ...

I know three students who got into oxbridge this year and three who didn’t. The three who did all had good brains but also personal challenges. Sometimes not getting in will be because another candidate just merited it more. Tough perhaps on the student who would have been great but I like that they are widening opportunities. The bright student from a lovely background will do well anywhere i would think.

@SATSmadness. I hope it wasn’t your DC’s school who gave the impression that reapplication is disapproved of, as it is, as pp have said, utter rot. Perhaps confusing with deferred applications?

Both my boys’ schools send quite a few to Oxbridge but, slightly to some parents’ disappointment once they get close enough to the process to spot it, a quarter to a third of successes are post a level candidates, and as such almost all reapplicants.

DS1 is another who I don’t think would come around again

@Ellmau I don’t know about Cambridge, but Oxford did indeed offer entrance exam, interview, unconditional (EE) offer. They did this until the mid 1990s and it is how I got in.

The entrance exams were a bigger deal than they are now though. Candidates sat at least two exams and often three in November of year 13, and they were far beyond the scope of A level. There was often the fabled general paper, which terrified everyone.

I'm pleased that in recent days, dd has started to see the benefits of her other university options. Having said originally she would reapply next year, I'm not sure she would now. Although that could change again!

For anyone with older dc already at Oxford or Cambridge, how to they find the pressure? How much more intense is it at other universities?

Dd changed school for Sixth Form from a super selective girls' grammar to a partially selective school. She feels she definitely made the right choice, at this school she definitely stands out academically which is good for her confidence. She's been comparing this to university choice and can see the benefit of not being somewhere where everyone else is super clever.

That should say 'how much more intense is it THAN at other universities'!

Ds is out the other end. Admittedly his workload was 100 times that of his friends doing similar courses at other universities. But he wasn't at all envious - he liked the work! So I think that is an important consideration. Your nose will be to the grindstone so it's vital that you are interested - or at least can foresee developing an interest - in your chosen subject.

As far as I know you can apply to Oxbridge as many times as you like - although that would be a bit sad and you would have to go for the mature colleges after a while. I saw someone on the student room (or their parent, I think) wanting to apply for the third time. Imo applying twice is ok, but a third time is not a good idea.

Ds applied again, but that was after receiving four A* A Levels and getting feedback that his entrance test had been high scoring. A second go should not be undertaken lightly as the pressure was worse!!!

I'm absolutely certain that DS would not reapply to Oxford if he wasn't successful - he would happily go to his other first choice (UCL - if he gets an offer) or his second choice (Bristol - he has an offer).

Thank you @IrmaFayLear gosh that sounds heavy-going! How much time did he have for fun and socialising?

Dd loves her subject (History), reads widely and is knowledgable about many things. But I think she would want some work:life balance too!

Oh, yes, there was plenty of fun. But ds had one essay a week (about which you are grilled in person) as opposed to a friend at a redbrick university who had one essay a term !

@IrmaFayLear

Oh, yes, there was plenty of fun. But ds had one essay a week (about which you are grilled in person) as opposed to a friend at a redbrick university who had one essay a term !

Wow that's a massive difference! It sounds like an Oxbridge degree offers more depth?

Hi everyone. DS says, on the chat he’s on, people were getting Durham offers last week and also Bath have started offers too. I must admit to feeling a bit worried now, as Durham still haven’t even acknowledged DS’ application or alternative PS. Had anyone else heard from either of these two?

We're still waiting for Durham @quest1on dd seems to think it will be January!

Well yes, I’ve heard Durham is notoriously late to make offers. DS says, there is someone on his chat who has had two offers from Durham on the same day - one for Politics and another one for IR! Also History offers to a few others. So who knows?

quest1on my DS hasn't heard anything from Durham yet either (History) so your DS certainly isn't alone.

Sadly it was the school advising that second attempts weren't a good idea. Applying post (stellar) A level results when you didn't apply pre A levels fine apparently, but just applying again when you didn't get in first time round was not recommended....

Just goes to show how pupils from state schools often don't have the benefit of fully knowledgeable staff to maximise their chances as far as Oxbridge is concerned.

that post should have read "some state schools"

One of DD's cohort have had an offer from Durham apparently. She is another Oxbridge candidate and predicted all A/A*s

DD was told by Durham that they wouldn't be making offers before January. Different subject, though. I wouldn't worry too much. People are also known to talk bollocks on the internet, present company excepted of course. (Although, one essay a TERM at a redbrick sounds ridiculous, not that it's you I'm doubting, Irma. I went to a very middling redbrick myself back in the day, and an essay a week wouldn't have been considered demanding.)

State school pupils with any nous will go to the Oxford and Cambridge websites to see what the stated policy is. Neither university discourages re-applicants, although Cambridge excludes applying again when you've started at another university.

It's fairly essential that students have an antidote to work, once there. But that doesn't have to be a university level sport or official university position or anything exalted at all; hanging out in pubs etc with friends will do equally well.

In the bad old days all your choices could see to where else you had applied and quite a few Oxbridge hopefuls received no offers . Otoh they were laughing if they received a 2 EE offer from Oxbridge.

@bendmeoverbackwards One of my DC is an Oxford fresher (science) and has plenty of work but not an unrealistic amount. Still time to enjoy himself.

Thank you @Flyonawalk that's good to hear and well done to your ds.