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

@IrmaFayLear
Great news. Well done to your DD

Exciting hearing about all of these interviews! Good luck to all.

Daughter now has offers from all of her other choices, Bath came in lower than she was expecting so could be used as insurance (A star, A, B). She hasn't heard from Oxford but is convinced that she didn't do well enough in the MAT so has written it off. Is very happy with Warwick as first and Bath or Nottingham as insurance.

Sorry to hear the redirection news @calculatorqueen, is it too soon to be relieved that the pressure is off?

Congrats @IrmaFayLear @Pythonesque @ChimneyPot @Summer15coming

The information about the Oxford college is bit scary. It means we are all a bit in the dark doesn't it about what the implications of last years cohort are. I wish they had to be a bit more transparent about it. I hope your DD1 is correct @Baaaahhhhh. I guess the implication is that 'normal' considerations about whether to re-apply if unsuccessful might need reviewing.

Well done to those with invites and bad luck to those without. The TSR has taken out some very, very bright students at our school over the past years.

Baaaahhhhh I think your DD may well not be correct. My own DC tend to think they'll have to take a few less this year to balance the books.

I would think that that second English interview would very likely use the personal statement as a springboard but nothing is ever certain! And worth taking to heart the feedback that Keble gave on its website a few years back (2012 interview round?): one interviewee was abruptly chucked out of the room when she had to admit to not reading a book (she 'hadn't had time'). The tutors said if an English applicant can't even stir herself that far, to read what she's said she's read ahead of an interview, then there's no hope for her at Oxford.

I wonder if they're still interviewing in the broad ratio of three:one, or if they're interviewing the same number for slightly fewer places? (assuming there are fewer places).

Sorry, absolutely no idea how that inappropriate grin got there - should read three:one

What? How does three:one get to that?

This is even worse that the A* bolding!

3 to 1

@calculatorqueen, sorry to hear that, hopefully not taking it badly!
Redirection has 5 paths to the same location:)
Congratulations @IrmaFayLear @Pythonesque@Summer15coming
Still waiting here!

That stray has made me laugh more than it probably should.
DD's college have sent out a few more invitations, but not for her subject. The agony continues.

Congratulations to all interviees. @Lemoncurd if it helps, it ws exactly a year today DS heard about his Maths interview st Oxfor. He also gadvoffers from Nottingham and Bath and his Bath offer was the same as your dd. She is likely to have a decent MAT score to get that offer from Bath, so don't give up yet!

I feel you Dahlia! DDs college doesn’t seem to have sent out any invitations for her subject yet (NatSci)

Hello - I've been lurking for a couple of days since dd got her Cambridge interview offer. Congratulations to everyone whose child has an interview, commiserations to those who haven't and definitely wine/gin to those still waiting.
I am obviously pleased for dd but, having now discovered that the ratio of offers:rejections post-interview is < 1:5 in a normal year for her course/college, it feels even more unlikely. I am sure she will be happy wherever she goes but she has her heart set on Cambridge and I think she would thrive there.

@Chilldonaldchill

congrats to your DD, what subject is she applying for ?

DD has applied for medicine and believes the ratio is the same as the one you've quoted.

Given what another poster has detailed about the correspondence from Keble college with all places for their DC's chosen subject being taken by applicants deferred from the previous year, it looks like it's a major achievement just to get an interview this year so your DD can be super proud of herself already.

It’s a tough year to be applying, that’s for sure.

I am intrigued/bothered by the Keble situation. Why did they let people apply? Are other colleges doing this? Might there be far fewer places up for grabs on all courses and in all colleges?

@Chilldonaldchill .. yes it’s just another stage ticked off atm isn’t it. Heck of a way to go still.
@calculatorqueen, sorry to hear your dc got redirection email. I hope he isn’t too disappointed . It will be Oxbridge’s loss. x
Congratulations @IrmaFayLear I’m really pleased for you.. also @Pythonesque and @Summer15coming
Gosh it’s stressful for them isn’t it!

@IrmaFayLear it is the same for other courses. Someone forwarded me a link for whatdoyheyknow think that’s right?? the freedom of info site and there are 26 deferrals this year for my Dds course which only leaves about 65 places

Deferrals for Oxford 2021 entry account for 2% of the places, see link
www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics/undergraduate-students/current/deferrals

Is that Oxford Knotanothername?

@Knotanothername

Is the info specific to the particular course or is it available for all subjects ?

I think at some point an excessively aggrieved parent or Y13 student is going to make such a request and things will snowball.

The promises made to last year's applicants would very much seem to have been at the expense of this year's but that fact has been swept under the carpet.

It makes me sad but then we do have 2 prime examples in our immediate circle of people who didn't get into preferred/dream Uni but were extremely happy at other Unis and have wondered out loud if they'd have been so happy at Oxford/Cambridge, would they have made the same fantastic life long friends etc etc. Plus one relative who graduated from Oxford but admitted they hated most of their time there but it has opened doors for them career wise so they're on the fence about the whole thing.

Deferrals account for 2% of the places - look at the link above, listed by course and by college.

Thanks for the link JulesJules. That link shows that Keble has one of the highest deferral rates, so that's consistent with the Arch&Anth situation. But it's also useful in showing that the numbers are tiny, broken down by subject, with some barely affected. Anyhow, useful to see that the Keble/ Arch&Anth thing isn't representative.

@JulesJules

Deferrals account for 2% of the places - look at the link above, listed by course and by college.

Thanks very much for that - quite interesting.

Congratulations on the interviews today and commiserations to Chimney. I hope your DS isn't too disappointed. The sad fact is that even those whose children have got an interview are still statistically unlikely to get a place and will probably get re-directed at a later stage. For DS's Choice we know there are at least 7 applicants for each place.....

On that note, though we knew he was getting an interview having sat the the pre-interview assessment, we've now been given a firm date (early Dec) and information on the interview itself (the interviewers, tech log in info, what he'll need to have to hand etc).

So I'm assuming we'll know if he has an offer or not before Christmas.

It’s interesting that it does say 166 total deferrals!
I am going to see if I can attach the link I was sent