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

@beethecrackon24995 no I meant at interview assessment. My DC had to do one a week before his two online interviews . I was also wondering if this will now carry more weight

oh i see. i keep forgetting about her entry exam & that she finds out how she did on the 11th. tbh i think she too may have forgotten. probably for the best. fwiw she LOVED her interviews which in a way isn't such a good thing as it has raised her hopes that weren't all that high prior to having her interviews. be interesting however to see how she did (or didn't do..) in the entry exam

@quest1on

DS has just showed me that on TSR there is an actual admissions person from a college called Peterhouse at Cambridge and he / she has come on to confirm that although the the university expects to offer the same number of places in 2021 as other years, “colleges are likely to be more cautious with the number of offers made” (or words to that effect).

They always over offer as some will miss a grade in exams and so they probably get the right number for the course. However this year I am sure that they will offer less.

On their admissions statistics graph for Cambridge you can see the numbers fluctuate for a particular course or college and course.

Ds has applied to do CompSci, so for the years 2017-2019 their total offers and acceptances (which some people may reject for whatever reason, not just missed grades)

2017 offered 131 accepted 105 over offered by 26
2018 offered 167 accepted 133 over offered by 34
2019 offered 137 accepted 116 over offered by 21

The Peterhouse admissions person has always been a very helpful person on the threads on TSR.

Ds is gutted not to sit the exams, he wanted to prove he could achieve those grades.

@chopc My DS sat an 'an interview' assessment for MML at Cambridge. I imagine that they will weight it more heavily now. Though on the other hand, they are unlikely to revise decisions they have already made? I would think offers from the pool are most likely to suffer.

I asked DS if he was worried after today's announcement. He looked at me like I was crazy and said 'why would I worry about something I can't control?'. IS HE EVEN MY SON? I worry the MOST about things I can't control.

He seems to be taking it in his stride and is talking a bit more about his 2nd choice (Bristol) so I'm hopeful (deluded perhaps) that he'll be OK.

There were quite a few stats at the time. The one that stuck in my mind was 2019 GCSEs grade 9 just over 3%, 2020 9%. I think A levels had a less dramatic effect and, Tbf same for the lower gcse grades.

Given they can’t use past school attainment again, I don’t see how they can stop “prizes for all”. Maybe last school attainment with an ability to explain why certain candidates need to break out so that, with work samples to support it? Although who would be the panel to review all said work I don’t know. But they have got longer to plan it this time.

My DS also sat the ‘at interview assessment’ for MML but I’m secretly hoping they don’t weight in its favour. He wasn’t happy about it at all. Cross with himself more than anything.

We are in that horrid ‘wait and see’ time.

Fingers crossed for all xx

If it’s just teacher assessment they will all predict top grades

I don't think they will, necessarily. I think my son would have done better in one of his subjects if there was some sort of independent assessment.

@annevonkleve

If it’s just teacher assessment they will all predict top grades

I don't think they will, necessarily. I think my son would have done better in one of his subjects if there was some sort of independent assessment.

They will if they have an Oxbridge place. It takes a brave school to not give a student the grades they need , even if they don't deserve them.

@Bowbridge - that is a really naive assumption to make.

I remember someone saying something very similar on the Oxbridge thread last year when A Levels were cancelled. Most (if it not all) teachers have far more integrity than that. And this year they will want to see pupils continuing to engage and progress. It would be very foolish for any student or parent to assume an Oxbridge offer will be met by teacher assessed grades.

Last year at DS1's school there were pupils who did not meet their Oxbridge offers. Parents were cross but teachers had been fair.

Just to to the joy of it all, I see that the CIE board which provides about half the IGCSEs done by my boys’ schools, along with PreU and international a levels which bizarrely each school does for one or two subjects, hasn’t decided what to do about June exams for U.K. candidates, but are definitely running the exams as their international clients want them. Marvellous.

I thought pre U was a UK thing. 2 of my DC's subjects are Pre U

Lots of Pre U is taken overseas. That is why CIE did t move the timetable when A levels moved three weeks.

They arsed around like this last time and eventually mirrored A levels for the U.K. so I imagine they will do the same this time. Eventually.

To be honest I don't think any of us are actually surprised that exams are cancelled but were living in Hope. I asked DC if he felt he would get a fair outcome as it's definitely worth campaigning for it. He is waiting to see what his school will do as apparently each school can choose how they assess.

The thing is some schools played fair, and others didn’t - there was no comeback for those who were unreasonably generous in their assessments, so it was a win. If the grades from those schools are measured against last year’s, it allows them to bump up grades again.

The A Levels were hugely devalued last year. I guess it will be a two-year thing now. I feel so sorry for our youngsters. I keep telling dd that A Level grades won’t matter in a few years (wot were mine?!) but at the moment she is devastated that she will be just one of the herd now. First-world problem, maybe, but it’s a big disappointment for her - and there’s probably a worse one coming next Tuesday...

I think oxford may offer less places now with the situation don't you think?

@user1464114113

The previous is from student room from an admissions officer at Peterhouse College Cambridge. I think Oxford doesn't generally over offer by much anyway so I think Oxford DC's will be less affected?

Ok thank you that's reassuring waiting till next week interview for geography but d not hopeful

It’s a mess!!
We still don’t know if IB exams will go ahead

On a positive note, DC got an offer from KCL. An achievable condition. That’s 2 out of 5 offers now

That's great @WarmAndco3y , congrats to your DS.

That's fab @WarmAndco3y . Good to get a desirable offer in ahead of Oxbridge results

Great news @WarmAndco3y! It certainly helps to get an offer elsewhere

Excellent news @WarmAndco3y! Congratulations - having other offers certainly helps to prevent a complete descent into full blown panic before decisions from Oxford/Cambridge

Congratulations to your DS @WarmAndco3y ! Such good news.