Oxbridge-Aspirants-2021-New-Thread-3

[Baaaahhhhh]

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

New Thread !

@RunnersTipple I totally relate to the anxiety dreams and completely agree I was certainly not this concerned about my own university application! I think the consensus is we come on here to vent our concerns and thoughts so we can appear serene and not naggy in real life!

Good news about your ds, @sandybayley ; if the press is to be believed every university student is miserably incarcerated with a box of pricey food thrown in the door once a week. Ds’s 4-yr course chums are ok, but sad at the demise of the library japes. Ds loved mucking about in the library!

Interested to know how many of your dc are receiving mock interviews via school? Dds won’t offer them until they have a confirmed interview, worried it leaves little time to practice!

Dd has been offered one (the dh of a teacher...) but yes, no mock interviews until a real one has been received. It does leave it a little late, but otoh does dial down the disappointment factor.

There would be no one in DDs school that could or would do a mock interview but if she gets an interview I am going to phone a friend of a friend who teaches at a private school that do send people to Oxbridge and ask could they arrange one for her. I have already confirmed that have no one applying for DDs subject this year so no conflicts.

I’m trying to find someone that can help should she get an interview. At this point not over worrying as she believes her TSA won’t be good enough. Some first year Ox students are offering mock interviews, may go down that route !

Have any DC received interview invites or rejections yet?

My DD has had a mock interview through school. They managed to get a recent history graduate from Oxford who left her school a few years ago to do one via Teams. Helpfully, they were asked if they wanted to start practice now or wait until they knew they definitely had an interview as they could be going through a process for no reason. The overriding opinion was to get going so they had time to work on feedback. Two of her subject teachers are also going to do a quick sit down discussion (not formal interview) as well. Unfortunately we don't know anyone outside of school that could help but I sometimes randomly blurt out questions to her in the car (and she rolls her eyes 😆).

Not expecting to hear about interview/ rejection until next week. As for mocks, DS' school hasn't offered anything yet, but he is going to ask a teacher for help. Might also try to rope in a friend to do a zoom mock (if DS is willing).

Have any DC received interview invites or rejections yet?

No, but DD did just receive the now infamous heart attack inducing email from her college, setting out the interview instructions. Big notice at the top of the email verbage, but NOT on the subject line. This is not an invitation to interview

DD is waiting for Natsci and not feeling optimistic. We have not heard anything but from TSR looks like a couple of offers now for this course.

@quiltdig

DD is waiting for Natsci and not feeling optimistic. We have not heard anything but from TSR looks like a couple of offers now for this course.

Which colleges is that?

There is a spreadsheet on TSR for Cambridge interview invites and it shows Emmanuel and St John's having received an invite. Both international. I guess we have to take it with a pinch of salt as you can get some rogue entries but worth seeing if more come in.

@quiltdig a couple of offers? Not just interviews?

I was quietly confident about DD's chances of getting interviewed until I wandered over to TSR, but picked the wrong year by mistake and landed on someone who'd got an interview last year but felt bad because someone else with far more marks in the test had been rejected.
I think I'll stay away from there from now on. I only get tempted late at night and it means I keep waking up with the heebie-jeebies, like some kind of twat who has nothing better to fret about. I guess it stops me worrying so much about the other stuff.

[quote chopc]@quiltdig a couple of offers? Not just interviews? [/quote]
Sorry typo on my part. I meant interviews not offers. Clearly have offers on my mind.

From the discussion on TSR it seems like some on the invitations for interview should be taken with a pinch of salt as it seems some of these decisions are being made much earlier than usual - particularly for subjects with entrance exams

Oh that made me laugh out loud @DahliaMacNamara. I’m a bit ashamed of how much headspace this is taking up, as if there aren’t more pressing and more important things to worrying about WHICH OF COURSE THERE ARE! Nice to know I’m not alone.

Meanwhile I have seen that all at interview assessments have now been given a time slot allocation at C. I do not think DS is aware of this and I don’t think I’ll point it out just in case. But it’s on 2 December for DS’s subject which is rather soon, especially given he’s not prepping till he knows if he’s been invited to interview or not. Gah.

@Tenpastseven what do you mean by interview assessments?

@chopc DS’s course at Cambridge would usually ask applicants to Cambridge for interview and on the same day they would sit a test, called an at interview assessment. Of course due to covid they are doing the tests remotely and on a different day to the actual interview.

@Tenpastseven oh I see. Gosh I haven't ventured to the college site as prefer to live in the bliss of ignorance at the moment 🙈.

But some scholarship students sat the entrance tests much earlier and have already had their interviews and places confirmed, so guess anything is possible!

Dds friends received PPE interviews today! Just wish the wait was over

A couple of girls inDDs school have heard about interviews but none from her subject (NatSci) as far as I know/hope. So stressed!