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

I thought I read in TSR the results day is 25th Jan, giving time for the winter pool.

Dd suffered a complete grilling. She was exhausted when she came off the call.

I wonder when you’re informed if you have an interview at another college. I suppose it’s good that you’re given another chance, but otoh no further interview could well mean that you are definitely out.

Is it only in Oxford you have further interviews? I think in Cambridge if you have a further interview it will be in January?

I wonder why the Oxford offers are out on 12th Jan, and Cambridge offers aren't out till 25th. Last year they were 24th and 15th.

Have just heard that Higher and Advanced Higher exams in Scotland have been cancelled for summer 2021.

dd has her (English) interviews tomorrow. i'm really excited and nervous for her. we too have (at times) a very loud cat Baaaahhh who has form for making a real racket outside dd's room trying to get in when (during first lockdown) she had online school lessons...

How will cancellation of Scottish highers affect admissions do you think? Are they basically no longer going to be able to offer to those who are a bit borderline? In the old days they might, knowing that they would either get high grades and make it or fail to get the grades and go elsewhere. But for Scottish and Welsh students , they are obviously going to get the grades now aren’t they?

Argh, slip of the finger 14th and 15th Jan last year!

It’s virtually an unconditional offer for anyone who is made an offer in Jan isn’t it? They won’t be able to decline only English students who can’t make the grade in August....

That's good that she has another interview bendoverbackwards.

Dd suffered a complete grilling Irma I don't think it's possible to read an interview like that anything other than positively/ very positively.

Dd has come downstairs feeling a bit better. She said there was one question where she got a bit flustered but the rest were ok. I’m sure the interviewers take nerves into account.

Does anyone have that link showing the relative importance of the various criteria post interview?

@bendmeoverbackwards glad she's feeling more positive- it's really hard as well to have the two days in between I think, DS was very pleased to have it over and done with today.

Just a word of encouragement. Ds interviewed 2 years ago and after the interviews we went for Dinner. He was so fed up about how he had done, and it was a painful couple of hours in the restaurant.
He got an offer and is now In his 2nd year at C. You really cannot tell how they have gone as he was convinced he had not given of his best at all.

DD had one of those moments when she mentioned a fairly niche book she was reading, and the interviewer said 'Ah, I often lecture on that - what did you think of the concept?'

Fortunately she genuinely had been reading it - yesterday in fact - and was able to come up with something, even if not very profound.

She also got an unexpected amount of interest in her EPQ. Hope that's not a sign that they had nothing else to talk about.

@bendmeoverbackwards the history weighting of criteria is here

www.history.ox.ac.uk/admissions-facts-and-figures

Well DS came out after his interview today and said "well I did my best, if I don't get an offer it's not because I messed up, it's because I'm not what they are looking for".

So I'm pleased he seemed to think it went ok and (and didn't clam up through shyness) and also wrt his overall attitude.

Back to the waiting game now......

Hope everyone else's children who have had interviews are feeling ok and good look to those who have them to come.

Wow!!! We have been active. I found you!!

@SATSmadness, I thought medicine is the only course where overseas numbers are capped. Not sure!! I agree with your post, though.

@Baaaahhhhh, lol at the unfortunate placements of the puddings. That would make her memorable.

DS’s 2 interviews are tomorrow, he must be getting anxious, he’s been in my room chatting with me since I got in from work
I’ll be at work nervously checking my phone for feedback, DH on standby and will be keeping DD well out of the way, she is on virtual learning due to a big outbreak of covid in her school.

It’s making it even more real to read about everyone’s experiences.

'If I don't get an offer it's not because I messed up, it's because I'm not what they are looking for' -- wise words!

Hope everyone else's children who have had interviews are feeling ok and good look to those who have them to come.

Obviously my nerves have been frazzled...

"Good look" 👀.....

Sorry - good luck!!

@DeRigueurMortis

Well DS came out after his interview today and said "well I did my best, if I don't get an offer it's not because I messed up, it's because I'm not what they are looking for".

So I'm pleased he seemed to think it went ok and (and didn't clam up through shyness) and also wrt his overall attitude.

Back to the waiting game now......

Hope everyone else's children who have had interviews are feeling ok and good look to those who have them to come.

I read your DS’ comment out to my DS and he said yes, that’s very helpful.

@DeRigueurMortis what wise words from your DS!

I'm a bit late to the party, but DS had his interviews for Cambridge today. He's applied to do engineering. He thought the first interview went well - nothing came up that he didn't already know - but the second was more challenging and got him thinking a bit more. He seemed to think it went ok, so now we wait and see.

Thanks both....

He's (perhaps as you'd expect from a budding mathematician) quite objective.

Glad the feedback helped your DS Laundry.

For DS I think his worst fear isn't being redirected per se but not having done his best and kicking himself because the "failure" would be his to own.

If having done that he doesn't get an offer/get a place post exam I'm now pretty sure he'd be ok with that and be proud of what he has achieved regardless.

I asked DS if he had any advice.

Obviously we can't divulge the questions themselves but I think I can post that he said to listen carefully to the exact wording of the questions or you might jump to incorrect conclusions.

This is Cambridge Maths btw.

What an intense week for all our dc and a nerve-jangling one for us. The week seems to be dragging out, and I wish it was Friday! Well done to all those who had interviews today, and goo luck to those who still have interviews to come. to all the rampaging cats and dogs out there, just biding their time to barge into an interview at a critical moment. There are perils with doing them at school too - someone at dd’s school had to deal with the fire alarm going off during an interview yesterday (false alarm obvs - thanks Y7).

Dd had her second interview today with one more tomorrow. She says it’s impossible to say how she feels about it. The interviewers were very straight faced and she didn’t feel they were really probing her nearly as much as she expected, which she thinks isn’t a good sign. She says she felt that they were disappointed with her answers and she had a niggling feeling that she was heading down the wrong path quite a few times. Oh well, she is quite excited about having the time to concentrate on her history coursework once the interviews are over!

Niam, DD says that the interviewer yesterday pointed out ‘it doesn’t say that, in fact the opposite’, and she had to backtrack swiftly. If your dd was very wide of the mark, I think they would have prompted her.