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

Thank you @FlyingSquid. That is a good point. They didn’t contradict her but she felt they were a bit bored or underwhelmed with what she was saying - I guess that’s just a feeling through the screen and it might be because her teachers at school are always so encouraging and positive with their comments to any students who even show the slightest interest in their subjects!

@DeRigueurMortis

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.

DD feels the exact same about the 'personal failure' aspect- in fact, she didn't even particularly 'dream' of Oxbridge because she thought from about March that she wouldn't get the predicted grades to apply, and is slowly finding out that she wants to go into a job asap rather than be an academic! So this application process is particularly painful because of course she wants to give it her best shot, but knowing that her heart isn't 100% in it is hard.

FWIW she wept after her first interview because she was so disappointed in herself (messed up basic a level content and didn't get on to any stretching questions)! We'll see how tomorrow's goes (last one I think, her subject hasn't said that they're giving further interviews); I think she'll just be relieved they're over!

Those whose DC's are having multiple interviews, are they all Oxford?

Hi everyone. Just checking in to say well done to those DC (and you)! who have got the interviews behind them and good luck to anyone whose interviews are imminent. DS’ interviews are not until next Monday. At least school will have finished, but it will be a major exercise in cat (x4), other DC and DH containment. Hope the cats don’t start howling in unison at the door if they’re banished outside.

DS has no idea what the format will be for the interviews, but there are two on the same morning and each are 25 mins, I think. Not aware he’s been told there will be something to read beforehand.

@chopc

DD has two interviews next week at Cambridge so it's not just Oxford.

is your dc interviewing at O or C ?

He had two for Cambridge but one after the other ...... are Cambridge doing interviews on separate days?

DD's are pretty much back to back

@SATSmadness but it's one day and one college right?

I think this is what Cambridge has done in previous years but wasn't sure if it was different this year

@FlyingSquid

'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!

Very wise. Mine said yesterday that she hadn't realised how much she wanted to go to C till this week and she hadn't really worked out the statistical chances of that not happening. She can only really imagine herself there rather than her other uni choices - I think that's because we didn't manage to visit the others (she's not even been to the cities) whereas she's been to C several times because of ease of access.

Chilldonaldchill I think visiting makes a huge difference to how you feel about a university. I think it has added to a lot of the anxiety for this year 13's, so much is a shot in the dark.

DD has Warwick down as her insurance, never visited the uni nor nearby towns. DH and I went years ago when his sister was doing a PhD there, but only for a day..... hoping for offer days to be available in some form, so she can at least get a "feel".

As her big sis went to O, she knows it well, she even spent weekends there staying in college. It makes a huge difference to how you feel about a place.

We're hoping for the same. Even if they don't happen we're going to have to hope we can visit the cities at least just to get a feel for them. She has been adamant throughout that she would not apply for a campus university as she wants to feel part of a city - she needs to know what those cities feel like before she makes up her mind finally.

Just wondering how it’s going to work now that Scottish and Welsh students’ grades will be CAGs and English students will have exam-based grades? Will there be an uproar if all the Welsh and Scottish come out with inflated grades again, but swathes of students in England who have missed massive chunks of school are adversely affected? How will the differences be mitigated?

@quest1on The GW statement said that grade distribution in England would be set at 2020 levels, which begs vast numbers of questions for universities this year (especially for C) and everyone going forward, but presumably doesn't mean that there will be a grade inflation gap between the home nations, as they will all be inflated.

How universities are to recalibrate when they have already made lots of offers, I don't know. Durham seems to have spent the last month giving out BBB offers for AAA courses, so I can't imagine they will have much left in the tank by January.

I don't know what Scotland is doing, but Wales is still having externally assessed grades, it's just that they will be assessed over lots of 'mini' exams, done in the classroom in curriculum time, but still sent off to the exam board to mark.

The English system is preferable to that I think!

Revenge - I did read that they would try and match last year’s grade inflation, but also, some articles were saying this wouldn’t be possible for all subjects - eg. last year, A*s in CS rose by 300% and I think music was similar. So what they actually mean, is they will find a “middle ground.” Otherwise, how will it be fair for 2022? I think they will have to reign back on last year’s grades / to a greater or lesser extent and it will be probably vary by subject. The problem is, nobody will know whether the grades have been “generous” or not until 25th August, by which time it will be too late.

@chopc DS’s are back to back from 12:30 today

The grade thing is going to roll on for years; maybe they need to take this as a moment to re-evaluate the usefulness of exams as a national ranking exercise, and move towards more robust means of assessment.

A Levels were the gold standard - and now they’ve f*d them up and, as a consequence of this, messed with the university admissions system. What the hell are universities going to do if every offer holder meets their grades? I must admit, I was surprised that universities were proceeding seemingly as before, when for all they knew exams might be cancelled again.

I wonder what Oxbridge will be doing? If they have 8 spots on a course, will they offer 8 places? It will in effect be a return to the 2 EE offer of olden days.

@quest1on noise cancelling headphones are amazing! But the interviewer may still hear the background noise I suppose .......

@chopc yes, as far as we know, just one college.

@SATSmadness @WarmAndco3y so it seems it's only Oxford having multiple interviews on different days ........

As daunting as it is I think it gives further opportunity to gain a place as after the first set, you would get some ideas how to prepare for the next

@NiamCinnOir

Thank you *@FlyingSquid*. That is a good point. They didn’t contradict her but she felt they were a bit bored or underwhelmed with what she was saying - I guess that’s just a feeling through the screen and it might be because her teachers at school are always so encouraging and positive with their comments to any students who even show the slightest interest in their subjects!

Oh, it’s awful trying to gauge a response through the screen. There’s often that slight delay anyway, and people just don’t react as naturally as they would face to face. Rooting for your DD here as I think you said she was a latecomer to the idea of Oxbridge, like mine!

(DD has just spotted an utter blooper in her personal statement and is panicking about today’s interview)

It’s a bit eeek reading about applicants bantering with the interviewers and enjoying themselves. I don’t think DD’s interview was very jolly. She said they got straight down to business and were pleasant enough but not very friendly. She said they gave nothing back, just kept moving on to the next question. I made encouraging noises but that doesn’t sound like they particularly warmed to her.

I read on website that people will be told if they have an interview elsewhere by 10am tomorrow.

Irma it's eek alright but not in a good way eek I wouldn't say, on the whole.

Don’t worry Irma. It probably just says more about the interviewers’ personalities than anything else.