Oxbridge Aspirants 2021-New Thread 4

[Baaaahhhhh]

And we are off:

Thread 3 link: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4070531-Oxbridge-Aspirants-2021-New-Thread-3

Congrats to your DS MidLifeCrisis007 - not looking forward to the 'nervy Christmas period' either!

Congratulations @MidLifeCrisis007 👏

@DeRigueurMortis. Oh that is a tricky one. Not very clever strategy from the in laws. FWIW I would ask DH to urgently ask his parents to shut up (and to point out that whilst derig junior will of course enjoy seeing them, he will be VERY busy at university etc)) and then tell DS that the in laws are just being over enthusiastic and of course understand that he would be very busy at college and meanwhile he should just leave the issue to be thought about more fully in January when he has more of a sense of what is going on. After all there is no rush etc

If he continues to be so public spirited, point out that most offers won’t be made until Jan so he isn’t blocking a place.

And he may of course decide on Lancaster anyway but I agree with your instinct that it isn’t a decision to be rushed when it does t have to be.

@Revengeofthepangolins

Thanks for your response. Your comments pretty much echo my own thoughts (especially on PIL's shooting themselves in the foot - though on the flip side it's perhaps better to face this now rather if he got an offer and ended up there).

I think what you've said here is probably the way to go:

"If he continues to be so public spirited, point out that most offers won’t be made until Jan so he isn’t blocking a place. "

Basically buy some time and get DH (or possibly me as I tend to be more tactful, but don't misunderstand that I wouldn't be clear) to have a word with PIL's in the meantime.

Honestly they are lovely people and are devoted to their GC's but I think they just haven't got the message that independence is a key part of the Uni experience (in fairness, unlike my DP's neither of them went to Uni so I think they see it a bit like "extended school" and not as a more rounded life experience).

Hello, everybody, I am very cheekily place marking just as I am about to go to bed.

DS1 has an interview for Cambridge next week and we're all bricking it.

I shall be back with questions about interview questions

I bid you all good night

@Pacif1cDogwood

Hello and welcome to the thread.

When you post tomorrow it's worth mentioning the subject, though most of us tend to keep the college's to ourselves so as not to be outing in combination with other info.

Congratulations to your child on getting an interview.

Welcome @Pacif1cDogwood

Congratulations to all the DCs invited for interview. Commiserations to those redirected, with absolute agreement many of our dc have that still to come - and lovely to hear that wherever they end up they will hopefully have a wonderful time.

@DeRigueurMortis agree this is a tricky one! I agree with revenge - try to get him to sit on it til Jan and warn the PILs in the meantime! Would be a shame if he chose to reconsider for any reason but had closed off his options.

Thanks Pumpkin

Lovely to hear of all the latest offers, (congats to the DC) and to have Pacif1gDogwood join the thread.

Very of the 1 in 3 offer to interview ratio for one PP's DC.

Hoping today brings interview news for those still waiting.

Just joining in as DS is waiting for a decision for CompSci at Oxford. I'm much more impatient for news than he is. He is completely relaxed about the whole thing.

We are expecting news today.
This waiting ( awful ) soon to be over.
I think just possible that it might drag out into tomorrow at the latest.

@SATSmadness. It think 1:3 is the ratio used to set how many are interviewed for quite a few subjects. Noticed one was 2.75 when browsing but can’t remember which. PPE? History is 1:3. Is your DC’s v different?

Really good to see the evening invites and sorry to read of disappointments.

SATSmadness at Oxford the broad rule for years has been three applicants interviewed for each place. Cambridge culls fewer at the interview stage although on the whole (NatSci and Engineering excepted, maybe another as well) has more places on offer per applicant. That's true of Medicine for sure (although who knows what the figures are for this year....).

olliepolly what subject has your DC applied for? And is that Oxford?

Revenge - I think SATS referring to my DC (classics) where applicants to place ratio is roughly 3:1 so no need to cull beyond clear outliers for interview.

Fingers crossed for all those still waiting/glued to TSR spreadsheet.

Good news from my DD this morning - interview for medicine at Oxford. So glad admissions sent out word first thing to avoid another nail-biting day!

That is wonderful, Milly. Medicine interviews are possible! Very well done to your DD.

Fab news Milly ! Congrats to your DD.

The potential dilemma I mentioned a couple of weeks ago has also happened - one of the Oxford interviews is scheduled for the same day as another.
Oxford admissions have said they'll email interview details later. I suggested she could email them to try to avoid a possible clash, but she wants to wait and see what time they offer first.... that could be stressful day!

Well done Milly DC. I think she's right: doing interviews online makes clashes significantly easier to manage.

Incidentally, DS was asked a History question in one of his Oxford Medicine interviews. And then it was all about science: graph after graph after graph and then even more graphs.

Milly on the subject of clash, your DD will also need to build in the possibility of a delayed start time with the Oxford interview, especially if it's not first thing, or nearly first thing. It happens quite often and there's much more scope for it this year given the online format.

@Millylovespuddles well done to your dd, a great achievement.

Any other History candidates still waiting to keep me company?

wise words from goodbyestranger re timings.

Oh my goodness, how fast has this thread moved?!? Congratulations to all those with offers, and commiserations to the 1st round of redirections.

Is anyone now still waiting? If so, my fingers are crossed for you.

DS has online 'at-interview' assessment tomorrow morning which he is doing at home. He seems pretty relaxed about it. I keep obsessing about the wifi and worrying it will decide it's an invitation to be temperamental.

Thanks folks.

Goodbye - I am praying to the admission gods for a convenient time. Her other one is scheduled for 1.15, so she is aware she needs to get a good slot... but I'm trying to see it as a nice problem to have right now!