Oxford Cambridge 2021 Thread 6

[Chocomel]

Hopefully this is in the right place?

Yes that’s what I meant, if anyone has further interviews.
DS, crossing his fingers not to hear back today.

Oh, I think it’s very rare that they interview again though from the pool isn’t it?

Weird to think decisions are made now

How are they all holding up.l? DS was feeling quite overwhelmed yesterday (very unusual for him) - he much prefers being in school to home learning and I think the isolation from friends makes the waiting for uni decisions feel longer.

On a more positive note, his school have cancelled the mocks (which were meant to be after half term), so at least that removes some pressure in these times. They did formal exams last term anyway and now the school is just focusing on finishing all the curriculum by Easter and then waiting to hear what GW comes up with for the summer term in terms of assessment methods.

Interesting @quest1on. Our school has postponed to beg March. If kids are not in school by then they will have them remotely.

At the moment Pre U is going ahead so a lot of uncertainties

Yes Dd had a difficult week last week@quest1on. She said it was not C related but I can’t help but feel that this drawn out process on top of lockdowns has not helped

chopc - they might decide to cancel the mocks nearer to the time and just focus on whatever GW has in store instead?

Beetle - yes it’s very drawn out this year, particularly as many unis seem to he delaying decisions and sometimes the waiting is the worst. At least when you receive a decision, either way, that’s that and you know where you stand going forward.

I can tell it’s really starting to get to my DS. Last week he had mocks, so he was focused on that.
Last night he started a count down. This is unlike him, he usually likes be ‘too cool for his boots’
I’m encouraging him to talk at the moment, when he wants to, I think we are all on tenterhooks

By the way everyone can express their opinion how grades should be awarded:

www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/8BYI4T/

Huge congratulations to those with offers and commiserations to those who haven’t. Reading this thread has brought back some very mixed memories. My DD was ‘redirected’ from Oxford last year and was initially very disappointed. As other people have mentioned, it’s so hard to have to accept rejection when you have given your all and always achieved highly.
The Principal of her Sixth Form very kindly wrote to all the candidates who hadn’t been successful and quoted a Cambridge admissions tutor, “ We do our best to select fairly but we know that, despite our best efforts the selection process is fallible. We turn down candidates whose subsequent performance at other universities and career achievements demonstrate that they are more talented and interesting people than a good few of the candidates we accept. Hence we hope you will not view the outcome as your failure: it may well be ours.”
My DD is now at Exeter and absolutely loves it. What felt like a disaster just took her on a different path. All the candidates have done brilliantly to get so far and will continue to shine wherever they go.

@Letsgoforaskip that is such a lovely message.
It’s good to know your DD is enjoying her redirected path. Helps one keep perspective

Thank you 💐 @WarmAndco3y
I really do know how hard it is for the applicants and those who care about them. It threw my DD for a while and she wasn’t really sure what she wanted to do.
When she sends me happy beach photos (pre-lockdown), chats about her new friends and tells me how much she’s enjoying her course, it all seems meant to be now. We could never have imagined that a year ago and I was genuinely concerned that the process had done more harm than good. It’s so hard to take the knocks, especially when these high flyers have consistently had their hard work rewarded, but also (sadly) a key life skill.

@Letsgoforaskip

Thanks so much for sharing that. I've bookmarked it to show DD. With all that this cohort of Y13 Oxbridge applicants have been going through and still have ahead of them when GW has a final plan, it would be lovely if an admissions tutor did something similar this year.

@SATSmadness Absolutely! This last year has been an extreme lesson in resilience and adaptability for us all. ‘Unprecedented’ doesn’t really cover it!
I loved the admissions tutor’s words because they acknowledged how random it can be. That doesn’t diminish in any way the achievement of those who got places : that is an awesome achievement and very well deserved. But it is heartbreaking to think that any of these amazing young people could see themselves as failures in any way, shape or form. They were all so brave to try, knowing the odds were against them and they should be proud of that whatever the result.

I do think that is a nice message, but I don’t entirely agree with the message in it; the idea that ‘maybe it was Cambridge that got it wrong’ - I think in the shoes of a candidate I would rather have a message that was ‘we deal in very small margins, and so much can depend on how it goes on the day; we are absolutely sure you will be really successful, and best of luck in whatever you do’.

I think a 17yo me would have felt a bit patronised by ‘it’s entirely possible we got it wrong’, because of course it is also possible they got it right!

(I was q prickly though as a teenager, so that might just be me!!!).

And where I do entirely agree is that no-one should feel a failure for not getting in to Oxbridge!!!

Good luck to your DC waiting for Cambridge outcomes. Having had two DC go through the process, I fully understand the anxious waiting. It must seem an especially long time this year between interviews and results.

@Letsgoforaskip
Thank you for your words. I have also bookmarked in prep for next week

What's everyone and their dc thinking about the Ofqual consultation/proposals?

I think Oxbridge really should publicise the (horrendous) odds of getting in. It seems to come as a shock to many that they were unsuccessful and that there was a mistake/conspiracy/something rotten in the state of Oxbridge.

There is a girl on tsr who refuses to accept the decision although it was her second go and is adamant about contacting them to plead her case and that every other university is rubbish.

I believe Oxbridge could be helpful in reminding applicants that as the process is so competitive, a few eggs should be placed in other baskets - which in many cases are great baskets!

*@Letsgoforaskip thank you for your post, so glad it worked out well for your dd. What subject is she studying?

My dd was also redirected from Oxford last week and is considering Exeter where she has an offer. I’ve heard lots of positive things about it.

I think pressure is getting to all. Cambridge thread in TSR had to be temporarily closed last night due to a bun fight about private vs state

I think Oxbridge really should publicise the (horrendous) odds of getting in

I'm sure I've seen stats reasonably easily available in the past, though not quite as accessible as the Cambridge graph generator.

Oh, you can search for them, but they should be emblazoned across everything they publish!

I've posted before that when ds went for his interview, they were told that there were 40 present and 8 places - some of which may not even go to those there. Blunt message, but an important one and helped to give ds a reality check and he was at peace with a rejection when it came. It felt less like a personal affront.

But when you look at the odds for some grammar schools, they are far worse. When dd sat the 11+ at her school, they had around 2,300 girls sitting for 100 places

Some graduate training schemes also have very slim chances, sometimes only a few places on offer and thousands applying.

Oxbridge odds don't seem that bad in comparison!

DS was fortunate enough to get an Oxford offer last week for maths, and I've realised I'm clueless about the process now. Are other successful candidates firming the offer on UCAS? What's the usual form when it comes to formally accepting the offer with Oxford - do we wait until May?

Sincere empathy to those whose children weren't successful and to those of you who are still processing. I'm an Oxford reject myself and I know how painful it can be. The video linked to earlier in the thread by the academic at Jesus was so helpful (for me, and I'm nearly 50!). For what it's worth, both at uni and in later life some of the most intensely clever people I've met had either been rejected by Oxbridge or hadn't applied at all.

Best of luck to everyone waiting on Cambridge. The waiting is awful!