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

Full timetable of lessons is good!

I'm not so worried about dd as she is self-motivated and will get on with work. But I am worried about my youngest dd (Year 9). Looks like they're only getting 50% live lessons for the next 2 weeks. And some of those live lessons are Music, PE and Tech! She's already fallen behind in Science but they're only offering three live Science lesson per fortnight (would normally be 6).

DS on an inset day today then online for rest of week. However, online for this week (as it was during all of the first lockdown) involves no live teaching at all: work is assigned, submitted and feedback given. His teachers have been great at answering emails and doing the best they can with the very limited resources of their school.

The massive difference in students' experience of home learning cannot be overstated - DS has a laptop, wifi, a quiet room to work in and parents who can help - many don't have any of those. The inequalities that already exist are going to be greatly exacerbated by this (understandably necessary) closing of schools.

Happy New Year to everyone!

DD waiting for Oxford decision next week. I'm trying to prepare her for either decision, but I know she will be very disappointed with a no. Still waiting to hear from Durham, although she keeps getting cheery emails from them

DS's term wasn't due to start until Tues 12th anyway, so in theory he'll go then. Let's see. DS2 is year 10 at a London day school and needs new school trousers - they wore smart mufti last term - but I am eyeing the arriving bags of various sizes and styles rather loweringly - I am starting to doubt he'll need them until after half term. I can't see much likelihood of the contengency boroughs not be reconfirmed (and indeed probably extended) on Jan 18th.

DS1's mocks are scheduled for the week after half term. I have a bit of trepidation as they didn't do any tests in November and the summer exams were cancelled, so he hasn't formally revised or writen a paper to time (except the HAT) since Nov 2019. Not madly encouraging.

And yes, I too wish Durham would leap into non-contextual humanties offer action before Jan 12th, but have no real expectation that they will.

@LaundryFairy

DS on an inset day today then online for rest of week. However, online for this week (as it was during all of the first lockdown) involves no live teaching at all: work is assigned, submitted and feedback given. His teachers have been great at answering emails and doing the best they can with the very limited resources of their school.

The massive difference in students' experience of home learning cannot be overstated - DS has a laptop, wifi, a quiet room to work in and parents who can help - many don't have any of those. The inequalities that already exist are going to be greatly exacerbated by this (understandably necessary) closing of schools.

Yes agreed, and there is massive difference even in the state sector. One state comprehensive near me went online from day 1 back in March, full timetable of lessons for all pupils, they were all expected to 'attend' for a whole school day. I don't know how they did it but they did!

DD was meant to be doing mocks this week. No particular issue with a slight postponement, apart from the clash with the 12th, of course, but I daresay that would have happened anyway. School will most likely tell them to get on with revision this week. Actual online teaching is a rare event, though on the plus side there weren't many positive Covid cases last term, so they got the full term's teaching in before Christmas.
I don't know what DD is anticipating in terms of closures, but let's just say she hasn't bothered readjusting her holiday nocturnal sleep pattern.

@bendmeoverbackwards my college seems to have limited online lessons this week that seem to depend on the individual teacher, and the mock exams that were meant to happen next week have peen postponed as college don’t seem sure when we will be returning - I suspect they don’t want to say the 11th incase this changes with yet another government u-turn

Also - for those awaiting Durham offers have your DC checked their junk folders? My offer and direct correspondence from Durham and Manchester keeps going to my junk box - seems to be a bit of an issue in my college (we use outlook!)

Amid all the unsettling uncertainties surrounding year 13 students, I'm genuinely surprised that Oxford and Cambridge haven't shown more empathy over the timings of their offer/rejection letters.

With virtually all year 13 students going back next week, wouldn't it have made sense for the offers from Oxford to come out this Friday to give the students the chance to process it over the weekend? Instead the offers /rejections are coming out in the middle of a really important exam week for many. And Cambridge are nothing but ditherers!

Given some suggested on here that the tutors know who they will make offers to immediately after the last interview, dragging it out over so many weeks so they can tinker with the data and make a few substitutions to meet outreach targets seems a bit selfish.....

Frankly, I'll just be grateful if they're able to keep to their own schedule.

I can't picture them making the selections any way other than in person. Somehow it doesn't seem right to tussle over applicants remotely, but that's what they'll be doing, isn't it?

DS had an email from Bath this morning, essentially saying - don’t worry about your offer in the light of the recent government announcement that A-level grade boundaries will be more lenient next summer.... We will not be reissuing higher offers...

Er, was he supposed to be anticipating that?

I know we’re in unprecedented circumstances, but I do hope offers from now on aren’t going to be “adjusted” to mitigate against a repeat of 2020 grading. Or another year of CAGs as is looking increasingly likely.

I think I heard in the news earlier that there still be another announcement later today about “tougher restrictions.” This is bound to include extended closures of secondary schools - surely? Do we think they might announce exams cancelled as well?

I know a student having his Cambridge interview only next week. So i think the delayed decision date this year may be able to accommodate all the interviews and reinterviews due to technical issues etc

DD got an email from Bath today saying they would not be sending out offers for her subject until March at the earliest.
She is not bothered as she has Durham and Exeter offers already and realistically the only places she would chose over her US offer are Oxford or maybe St Andrews.
School opening here has been pushed back until 11th but nobody seems to think that will happen.
Her school were not great at online teaching but she is very self motivated and works well at home. Mocks, orals and project work will be an issue though is they can’t get back to school.

That'll be schools closed for the next few weeks now, surely?

Jesus College tutor on dealing with rejection from Oxbridge:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=fIjDn2mEc0E

Sorry part of post got deleted. Meant to add that it is a very thoughtful and helpful video!

Thanks for the video.

Another slice of uncertainty, anyone?

So exams not going ahead?

Or rather "some exams"...

Bugger....I've no faith they won't bugger it up like last year :-(

He did just say “we recognise it would now not be fair for exams to take place,” didn’t he.... ?

...as planned, I think. Who the fuck knows what that means?

He said "some exams" so basically as clear a mud....

Exact quote "Given this, it is not "fair" for all exams to go ahead this summer"

"We recognise that this will mean that is not possible, or fair, for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal."

But Gav is on the exams case, so, as DS noted, were fucked...,