Oxbridge Interviewees for 2021 Entry - The Journey Continues - Thread 5

[Baaaahhhhh]

New Thread from old one:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4088426-Oxbridge-Aspirants-2021-New-Thread-4

Oxford Admissions report for 2019.

www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/Admissions%20Report%202019.pdf

I don't know whether we have linked this before, and it's quite a long read, but it does answer many questions which come up on here regularly.

That doesn't sound credible if it's Oxford History. Oxford doesn't have GCSE History as a requirement.

Even History A level isn't essential for History at Oxford, just 'highly recommended' - there is no requirement for GCSE history.

I'm not sure if it was O or C.

DD has just heard she has a further interview on Monday. Not sure how she feels about that yet!

For a different college @FlyingSquid?

Yes, one ate hadn’t really considered (she wanted the chance to cook and they have few facilities). She’s happy to give it her best shot though.

That's great news, they obviously like her. Hope she gets an offer.

Thank you! We don’t know anyone else doing this in real life so it’s been great to have this space to chat about it all.

It never does to set your heart on one particular college. Dd had a bit (in spite of my tentative words of caution) and so was a little knocked back when they passed on her, but a place is a place and so she has moved on. She is extremely nervous though knowing that this is her last shot.

Otoh I think a rejection in January might be easier now, than if she had had interviews at only one college and was nurturing the hope that it was a definite yes (as opposed to a resounding no!).

DD was never likely to be in the ‘obvious yes’ category, so on the whole, she’s taking it as a good sign that she’s still in the running

Irma, your DD is in the same position, I think, isn’t she? Good luck to her for next week!

Oh, I’m not saying dd was a dead cert by any means. Big fish in a small pond and all that. I think for her it was the fact that a college she’d been gazing at on the computer for ages wasn’t gazing back at her! She knows any place anywhere is a big win.

@flyingsquid - my dd has also been invited to another interview at another college on Monday (your dd is also doing MFL, right?). She was sort of hoping to have got all the interviews over with this week, but is also pleased that she's still in the running for the moment at least - she would also say that she's not in the 'obvious yet' category

or even in the 'obvious yes' category

Oh good, more company! (Wish we could all go to the pub together having dropped our nervous daughters off for real life interviews.)

According to the Admissions Tutors I know, interviews rarely change the pre-interview candidate ranking or pre-interview overall assessment.

As an Oxford Admissions Tutor I can say this is absolutely not true in my experience (19 years' of it). Interview marks and pre-interview marks are correlated, but certainly not the same. And, if anything, the interview marks probably drive the ranking more than the pre-interview marks (though this does vary by subject to some extent). As someone else said, there would be no point interviewing if we didn't use the information to change the ranking. We don't do it for fun!

I would also say that the whole process of reallocation/pooling/second interviews etc has changed significantly over time, and does vary between subjects, so you should be wary of relying too much on past (often old) experience. But broadly speaking, some subjects (mainly sciences) set up interviews across two interviews from the start. For those that don't, second interviews tend to be given to candidates considered by their first College to be likely to be good enough for an Oxford place, but it usually means there may not be space at the first College for them.

That would be lovely!

How are your dds preparing for another interview this weekend, @flyingsquid and @IrmaFayLear? DD is tired and has a tonne of school work to do, but thinks she should do something interview-related as well, as it's her final chance

Well, the plan was originally ‘welcome homecoming older sibling, drink too much mulled wine, g&t and Prosecco, stay up half the night chatting’, but maybe that needs to be modified slightly!

Well done to everyone who has submitted themselves to the stress of Oxford interviews and good luck to those with second interviews next week.

DD’s seemed to be ok earlier in the week- she is relieved not to have a 2nd interview, for better or worse; think she would have hated to psych up for it all again. She had a bit of a cry about hers, but sounds like she had plenty to say, it is just such a release of tension afterwards.

And the waiting begins!

Thank you @irregularegular that's very informative.

And good luck to those who have further interviews.

Is that 4 interviews now then @NiamCinnOir?

Tensions have definitely dissipated now in the house. Phew. I don’t think till you’re out the other side, you can see how it’s all building up. So I really feel for those of you who are still plugging away. Nearly there!

Yes, wouldn’t it be nice if we could all meet for a real-life supportive chinwag...

This weekend - well today dd is doing “proper” schoolwork. I am giving her a wide berth as she is pricklier than a Christmas wreath at the moment...

irregularegular I think that is clearly quite true in the case of Oxford, but the comment was originally made in relation to Cambridge. DD's bf made the same comment in relation to Cambridge but also took time out to say how different interviewing at Cambridge was to Oxford, and how much more the interviews counted for at the latter. The comments made seen entirely consistent with Cambridge's heavy focus on AS/ A level grades.