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

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New Thread from old one:

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

Did he reapply @IrmaFayLear?

@bendmeoverbackwards - your poor dd. I have three dd and I also went to an all girls school and I know how groups of girls can turn on someone with no or minimal justification. In your dd's case, it seemed almost calculated timing to throw her off her stroke right before an important event in her life, and is unforgivable. I hope she is able to move past it - I keep reminding my own dd that she really has less than 6 months of school left to put up with the nonsense of some of her peers

Well done to all the other dc who went through the interview wringer today. It feels so gruelling. No wonder nerves are shattered - the long build-up to an Oxbridge application, the weight of expectation our dc must feel from parents and school, the general end of term exhaustion and the lack of opportunities to let their hair down is a toxic mix.

@bendmeoverbackwards

Does anyone know if the school's reference bears any weight? I imagine most schools would give students a glowing reference but if they are not Oxbridge material, would they say?

I don't know how much weight the school reference is given - I kind of assumed not that much, but dd was astonished to be asked about something her teacher had written in her school reference in one of her interviews and had to rack her brains to work out what exactly the interviewers were referring to

So DD is back from school and has spent the time from this mornings interview (which remember she was quite upbeat about) until now, going back through everything, second guessing, and coming to the conclusion that in fact she did really badly!

She has done the classic dissection of answers she could've given, and things she should've said.

Poor old DD - she is now napping on the sofa.

Interestingly IrmaFayLear she is hoping for a second interview to have another chance.... which I kind of admire, in that she wants to put herself through that again.

Anyone got an interview tomorrow? Good luck to all that have.

According to the Admissions Tutors I know, interviews rarely change the pre-interview candidate ranking or pre-interview overall assessment. Most candidates do 'badly'; the top candidates to a bit less badly than the rest

One of my DDs went out for several years with a young tutor who interviewed for PPE at Oxford and then Economics at Cambridge and said exactly the same. He had pretty intensive training for the interviews at both unis and was very sharp and very engaged, so I don't think it was something he tossed out lightly.

I have seen that “standardisation” doesn’t exist, in that first-choice applicants never get sent around other colleges

Irma it absolutely does and they absolutely do. Over the years plenty of applicants at our school alone have been sent around at Oxford after their initial interviews and ended up with offers from their first choice college and those applicants have always been exceptionally strong applicants. Others (greater in number) have been sent to a single other college and been given an offer by that college. Yet others (about the same in number as the latter I'd say, off the top of my head) have been sent to a single other college and not ended up with a place.

@IrmaFayLear I wonder if this is a standard answer they give to candidates who don't get in? Because I heard exactly the same from another girl who put a video on YouTube about her Oxbridge rejection.

I thought the whole idea is to see how far the candidate can be pushed ...........

Who knows?!

Yes, ds had another go. And yes, he got in!!

@IrmaFayLear - what does he think was different the second time round?

Oh @bendmeoverbackwards, it does sound like these girls were trying to create some drama and were using your DD as a scapegoat, and possibly trying to sabotage her interview too. Poor thing. As if there isn't enough to be dealing with in the world right now.

@IrmaFayLear I think your daughter is applying for English the same as mine.

My DD has also been called for interview at a second college next week. I'm going to focus on it giving her another opportunity to show interviewers what she's made of, and making sure she can be given an offer somewhere that will suit her. I'd done a bit more reading up to decide in advance what I'd say to her if she did OR if she didn't get another interview ...

I think her first interview didn't go especially well, was over before she'd really got into it, but her comments after her second sounded much more promising.

To my relief, DH has texted me that he's going to try to organise to do his interviewing the day of DDs next interview in college instead of at home. The study he would otherwise be in has by far the best internet signal and she could plug in directly if she prefers.

@BigWoollyJumpers - DS can sympathetise! It is so hard for them to know what to make of it. DS has gone from despondent to fairly positive and then back around to neutral / somewhat downbeat. Hope your DD gets a break from thinking about it this weekend.

*sympathise

So, the deadline for hearing whether DD would have an interview at another college has passed. DD hasn't had any contact at all - I assume they just don't contact you if you don't have another interview? Does anyone know? She's applying to Oxford

Thank you. That's kind and feels very helpful to know what admissions tutors say. She ought to be a strong candidate but has been in pieces tonight.
Good luck to your DC too x

Yes. Probably far too hard!

Sorry both those comments were supposed to be to particular posters but it didn't work

Sending massive positive thoughts to all those DCs who have additional interviews/feel like it didn't go brilliantly/are feeling the strain of it all - it's a tough process for sure.

@Tenpastseven glad your DS has mellowed! I know what you mean - they are stressed and tempers are frayed no doubt.

@bendmeoverbackwards I agree with pp who've said that it sounds like these girls were deliberately trying to put your DD off her stroke. Good for her that she focused on her interview and I think your suggestion to reach out to her genuine friends is really good advice. Hope she's ok, these things are disproportionately upsetting and she really doesn't need that when she's trying her best to focus on everything else that she has going on.

@RunnersTipple how did your DS get on with the NatSci interviews?

@bendmeoverbackwards

I'm so sorry to hear of your DD's experience. That was a really shitty thing to do to her and it absolutely smacks of jealousy and an attempt to sabotage to me.

I'm fuming for both you and her.

Thank goodness that in a few months she won't ever have to deal with/speak to these girls again.

She'll be heading for a great Uni and 3 years of enjoying friendships with like minded people who have no reason to be jealous because they'll share similar values and traits.

I hope she can put the experience behind - she needs to remember that they are the past and she needs to keep her focus on the future.

Thanks for asking @Pumpkintopf, he said the first went 'rather well' but the second was 'less good but still okay'. He felt he didn't get across everything that he could have in that one, but accepted that 25 minutes is not that long to go into great depth across a number of questions. I think he is pleased to have it out if the way. Now the long wait!

Dd hasn't heard if she has another interview . Her interviews were ok /chilly . She preferred the second one.
Her application was open and she loves the college she'd been allocated. I wonder if open applications are less likely to be pooled?

I'm looking forward to Christmas and not thinking about it.

bendoverbackwards those girls are jealous!

Good luck to those dc with further interviews

Will be going through all this again next year but its been good to be on the journey with you all,regarding interviews I saw a piece yesterday that Steph Mcgovern(sp?) was rejected by Oxford for Engineering after her interview,her school was sent a letter from Oxford that included the line "perfect on paper but not in real life" ouch...

Well done to all dcs for coping with a very stressful week! I agree it’s awfully hard to make a great impression in 25 minutes, especially when the conversation goes hurtling off in a direction you’re not comfortable with. I suppose there is an element of luck in that even Stephen Hawking could have come a cropper if his interviewers had decided to focus on the very tiny bit of physics he was a bit shaky on.

Dd a bit more sanguine now, but has a crashing headache and has crawled back to bed with a couple of paracetamol.

Dh is furiously attacking the computer as no wi-fi today - it has to work by Monday

Hope you don’t mind me sticking my head in. Friend’s DC has applied to O for joint. Has been given 2 interviews at college applied for and 2 interviews at another college, all next week.

Reading this thread sounds like these are possibly standardisation interviews? Any wisdom gratefully received, thank you !

If it's a science subject or Medicine then two and two are standard (as opposed to being for standardisation).