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

Super nervous today...

from various sources heard that competition is stiff this year. DD’s school have never had so many apply - for her subject it was double, so if that is extrapolated it means that the chance of an interview is iffy...

Gosh. Loads of action. Am losing track so congrats to all DC!

@Revengeofthepangolins

Gosh. Loads of action. Am losing track so congrats to all DC!

I am like that, I think I'll remember names and congratulate everyone personally and then I remember I am absolutely rubbish unless I write it down and then it starts to sound like a weird stalker thing akin to TSR spreadsheet, so I put the pen down

Why can't parents just be supportive? There are many times I used to think I don't care about Shelia's hip replacement or Bob's son Tony and his new job but it was important to my Mum so I was lovely about it. A bit like when Ds1 loved Thomas the Tank Engine and I would listen to him with avid interest whilst he prattled away about those troublesome trucks. It feels like a lifetime ago and yet 2 minutes ago.

@Tenpastseven

The verdict was "I think it went ok but I might have misunderstood" so not 100% confident but at least the first interview is over.

Fortunately she has interviews with all of her non Oxbridge choices so that's good as just getting interviews seem more of a challenge than usual this year (and not just in medicine it seems).

Congratulations to all DC that received interview invitations this morning

And that will be good practice too before Oxford @SATSmadness?

Keep the faith @IrmaFayLear.

I think someone actually keep a spreadsheet last year and kept everyone up to date of developments @OnTheBenchOfDoom. But probably only after actual offer stage I'd guess.

Congratulations to all!

DD is still waiting for a reply; decisions for her subject have gone out from other colleges but her college is notoriously slow. She was driving herself a bit mad refreshing her email and the spreadsheet so she's going to try and stop 'waiting' for it because it'll come when it comes.

Congratulations to all who received interview invites.

A few of DDs teachers are out sick so she has taken this morning off school to work on her University of California application. It is due in next week.

Today would probably be a good day for her to hear about interviews if it is a rejection. Probably easier to find out at home than at school. She leaves her phone in the kitchen when she is studying so she won’t be checking all the time.

Congratulations to all the DC on their interviews - DS still waiting to hear.

Had a really good chat with DH last night about the 'redirection' thing and agreed that DS would be fine with not getting Oxford. He is lucky in that he has a great contextual offer from Bristol and we know that he would love it and thrive there. So I have decided to ease up on the anxious checking and try to just let things happen as they will. Try, that is...

Lovely to see all the interviews come through today.

Congratulations 🥳 to all and fingers crossed for those still waiting.

Congrats to all those with interviews so far. Hope others hear soon
Dd has also got Nat sci interview!. found out this morning. She’s v excited.

Congrats Beetle’s DD! Sounds like it’s the day of the Natural Scientists.

Congratulations to all those receiving interview offers (including any lurkers out there)! No news here yet; I think it will be next week.

Congratulations to your DD @Beetlesand It does seem like natsci invitation day. DS admitted that he was pretty glum last night as several of his friends had had interview offers yesterday for maths. Interestingly, I have looked on TSR spreadsheet and all the interviews that are on their for natsci for his preferred college are on different days. I had naively assumed they would be on the same day, although I suppose only a small percentage will get put on TSR.

Good luck to everyone and DCs waiting to hear about interviews! Last year D1 (Oxford History joint) got her invite to interview on 29th Nov, and was in Oxford 10th-14th Dec. Spoke to her this morning about her end of term arrangements and when she has to be back in Oxford. She was arranging a History tutorial, it was going to be in 9th week, but her tutor said he'll be interviewing then. 9th week is w/c 6th Dec.

I wish we could get this over. DD’s proposed subject interviews over 90% of applicants, but from her description of the test paper she could well be in the few per cent that don’t get invited. Meanwhile, she’s working her socks off... which is all well and good but means she’s now over invested in the whole shebang.

Still nothing for Dds subject. Just did a check over on TSR and lots of PPE interviews today!
Well something different to think about today, the A level Exam timetable has been released according to a lunchtime text from Dd. Has anyone else heard this?

Congratulations on all the latest interview offers!

I'm not even venturing into TSR and dd doesn't like me talking about it so thank goodness I can let off steam here!

@JulesJules nice to talk to someone who is through to the other side! Any tips for History interviews at Oxford please?

@Knotanothername Yes the exam timetable was released earlier in the week. DS was stressing because they may have pushed them back 3 weeks but now they're all bunched together and he only actually finishes a week later than his brother did 2 years ago.

Meanwhile we're still waiting for news on PPE, still nothing on the TSR spreadsheet from his chosen college.

DD's exams likewise seem to be all scrunched up together in June. If nothing had been said about putting them back 3 weeks, I wouldn't have noticed.

That’s what I was wondering! I’ve just seen Dds and they are all in the same week in May, except her languages which are Pre U and in May!!!!
I’m so surprised rised as I thought they were supposed to be pushed back

Sorry meant they are all in the same week in June,languages are the same time in may as last year

DS's school do a weird mix of a levels, Pre U and international A levels so I suspect his timetable will be a mess. Also, every time I read speculation about what might be done to tweak exams eg give indications of topics, more optionality, I wince, as I suspect most of his won't be changing. Bet the school feels a bit silly now...

Both my boys' schools do the only English lit gcse option that hasn't dropped an element. Bad luck there chaps.

@Knotanothername

That’s what I was wondering! I’ve just seen Dds and they are all in the same week in May, except her languages which are Pre U and in May!!!! I’m so surprised rised as I thought they were supposed to be pushed back

I think those June ones have been pushed back. PreUs aren't moving, or changing in any other way. Not international A levels.

@bendmeoverbackwards - it was a short interview, they were running late so there was no chat, they asked her mainly about her submitted work. Long story, but she hadn't been happy with what she had to submit for that subject. She came out feeling ok but not really knowing how she'd done.

The thing she agonised over afterwards, was at the end of one of her interviews, (she was going for joint hons so had interviews for both subjects) they asked her if she would consider single hons. She thought this was a trick q to see if she was serious about her subject choices and said no. Then afterwards realised that they can offer places for the individual subjects to students who have interviewed for joints. Arghh. Fortunately it didn't matter in the end.