Oxford Cambridge 2021 Thread 6

[Chocomel]

Hopefully this is in the right place?

We have had NatSci offers with 4 x A offers and 3 x A/1 x A offers at our school. They are very definitely offering higher than standard offers which we assume is their way of trimming down the offer to place ratios bearing in mind there are no exams again (and looking like mini assessments may not possibly happen if they follow the Welsh model)>

Thanks for comments about ME. I've never set foot in Cambridge. Drove through Oxford once (maybe twice). DD has done all the applications on her own. I asked if she wanted me to look at her personal statement and she printed it and left it in the kitchen for me AFTER she had turned it in. I'm just gobsmacked that she would get an offer for Cambridge and not want to go. But, of course, it's her decision and not mine. I would like her to do some research and carefully weigh her options; and not make a rash decision because she's annoyed she didn't get everything she wanted.

Of course it's not compulsory to take up the offer. But I think it would be wise.

Hi @languagebridget and @TheStenchofTruth! Congratulations to your daughters on their Medwards offers!

A number of our alumnae have ended up there, where the culture is especially modern, mature and supportive. All have loved their experience, none has been without male attention across the university. And all have had the benefit of their special system and culture for training and protecting against sexism and misogyny, including women only pairings for Supervisions and being kept away from certain academics, especially in Year 1.

A little known fact: subject by subject, women at women only colleges generally do better in Finals than women at co-ed colleges. They have 40 years' worth of data on this. Needless to say, most colleges, being co-ed, do not advertise this

Congratulations to all who have received offers. Commiserations to those who have not.

@SeasonFinale It will be interesting to see what my DDs offer for NatSci is - she is taking 3 A levels.

I thought looking at this thread will be too painful but as you have been amazingly supportive will write out my thoughts here.

DS applied for History. One person who got commended in the Trintiy history essay competition didn't receive an offer for history (from Trinity)

DS has 8 level 9's, 2 A star and an 8 and he did GCSE in Dubai. He was predicted 3 A star and an A. He is a national competitor in a sport, grade 8 piano and Diploma Guitar. His personal statement was excellent, he found the at interview assessment "good" and felt his interview went well despite struggling with one of the sources (he couldn't see the writing in screen). I can't imagine his school would have given him a negative reference. He had several practice interviews with a variety of people and the feedback was positive and he acted on their advise.

Unsure what more he could have done hence won't be encouraging him to re apply. Might encourage him to ask for feedback for my sake and closure.

He has offers from Durham, UCL and Leeds so I know he will be Ok and like all your DCs who got offers or redirections, I know he will be amazing. Doesn't take away the disappointment though

Chopc I know exactly what you mean. I would really like to understand why DS didn't get an offer as I thought he ticked all their boxes. He thinks he will ask for feedback and may apply for adjustment depending what other offers he gets.

What do you mean @Pumpkintopf about the adjustment?

Hi all, I'm a gatecrasher as I wasn't part of this very supportive thread but was googling after DS got a rejection today from Queens to study History (although he got that pool thing too that others have mentioned which slightly softened the blow).

Huge congratulations to those with offers...what an achievement in what seems like a very tough year. I'm so sorry for those (like us!) with rejections but it was interesting to see how many are in the same boat.

DS is at a school (private) where the Oxbridge acceptance rate is usually very high but it's been a bit of bloodbath this year with 'sure thing' students not getting offers.

DS got all As at GCSE and is predicted As at A level - and although he wasn't sure about the interview he thought it went 'o.k' so we thought he was in with a chance.

He seems fine about all though as he's got good offers elsewhere and was going to take a year to do an art foundation anyway if he didn't get the Cambridge offer (He'll hopefully defer one of his other offers - he wants to study history after the art foundation).

It just seems like a very tough year all round...less offers and surprise rejections.

Anyway. onwards! I'm guessing that those of our DC that are really keen to go could try again next year or consider post grad but equally that they will have an amazing time at the other options that everyone seems to have under their belts.

@chopc

Sounds remarkably like DD in many ways (12 GCSE's at grade 9/A*) and loads of other stuff that you mention

She felt the interview was bad but then found out today that she was pooled. I've heard it said that pooling means that the interviewers believe the applicant to be Oxbridge material but either the college applied to is full as they have so many good applicants in that year or they just feel that another college would be a better fit.

In a year when there are applicants with prior year potentially inflated grades in hand plus students who were granted a deferral from the previous year (because it helped with the overall grade inflation resulting in an exceptional level of candidates meeting their offer requirements situation) combined with a reduction in offers being made this year for fear that grades will be inflated similarly to last years eventual grades and hence too many offer holders meeting
the grade requirements of their conditional offer, it gave this year's Y13's even lower odds of gaining a place than usual.

To get the point of being interviewed by an Oxbridge Uni, many of our dc will have been used to success (often through dedication/hard work though) and to "not succeed" at something can be a shock to the system.

I do think that due to the shortage of places available this year in comparison to prior years, the element of luck has crept in to the process more than ever previously would be acknowledged.

It's possible that more of our dc would have received an offer in previous years. It's also possible that some of our dc might then have still not been able to take up the offer due to a missed grade. There's so many things to "if only" and "but" and generally worrit over. Most of the dc " redirected" have other offers already so they still have a path to acquiring a degree at a great Uni.

This thread has been a support for me to see others going through the same thing. Thanks everyone.

@chopc in his redirection email they said he was eligible to apply for adjustment-

www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/adjustment

Thanks for the info @Pumpkintopf

DS fine about not getting into Cambridge now. Normally 15-20 get in from his school every year. This year a grand total of 3 have been made offers - and these are 2 for maths who still have to do STEP and one for MML. What’s more, all of them without exception were pooled but nobody taken from the pool. There are some DC in his school who DS has always been slightly in awe of who have early offers at Yale, etc who are truly outstanding (eg the top score in the U.K. at GCSE in various subjects; headteacher prizes every year etc) who have been rejected from the Cambridge pool. To be honest, the odds of getting into his school was about 1 in 14 at 11 plus and some DC rejected today were there on full bursaries and god only knows what the odds were for them getting that kind of place. To get into the sixth form is even harder. All straight 9s at GCSE and all straight A with A EPQs. All with ‘extras’ too - eg at least Grade 8 in music or high level sports (not that I think Oxbridge care about this). One was a youth mayor and this kind of thing. All did extra essay competitions beyond the A-level syllabus or managed to get work published. So there you go... They will end up at MIT, Imperial, UCL or LSE instead, I guess. One was going to Wharton business school (?) in the US anyway as first choice.

@chopc

I can only really re-post what I wrote after the Oxford offers.

....

It's a hard fact to face but the truth is that the vast majority of children that apply to Oxbridge will not get an offer.

To be in a position to apply they are by definition in the top academic cohort and extremely motivated.

In short there is something "special" about all of them (indeed many special things).

It's why every parent on this forum will have a story about how much work they've put in, how other people have noted how exceptional they are and how we, as parents know how brilliant they are.

Not all those children will be privileged in socio/economic terms or blessed with an abundance of charisma. Some will be disadvantaged in numerous ways, such as acute shyness, MH diagnosis or physical/hidden disabilities.

I've no answer for what the magic X factor is for those who get offers vs those who don't. These threads (over the years) are awash with applicants with what appear to have "super stellar" credentials (even in context of the high standards of the company they are in) and had supposedly good interviews fail to get an offer.

A poster on a previous thread said (and I paraphrase) that her child got based on GCSE and A Level grades that might come as a surprise to some posters, but when there was told that they were all selected for their potential.

Maybe that's the crux of it?

All these children are operating at a high level in academic terms, but what they are trying to unearth are those that they feel are not "just" clever and the beneficiaries of a good education, hard work and obviously self motivated.

I don't know how they identify that "potential" and I'm sure every parent on here will "see" that in their own child (and the child in themselves).

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that that whilst re-direction feels deeply personal I'm not sure it is.

It's more like a lottery, in the sense the numbers you pick are akin to the the course and college they applied for (and how many did the same), who conducted the interview, what questions were asked the various targets set for widening participation and oh yes the joys of less offers in the COVID world etc.

Any one of things not quite working out could mean the difference between an offer or not.

....

In addition to the above I think (even though we expected it) I think the number of offers was even less than anticipated.

We're also seeing that children who have offers are getting higher than normal grades to meet - so I think the next "round" when results come out will see more than average student fail meet their offer requirements (and were here waiting anxiously to see what DS's offer is. It's one thing to have one but quite another if it's unachievable).

As to whether to re-apply. It's a very individual decision.

For the most part I think I would have advised DS not to, but I think this year many students have been really unfortunate and there are certainly some who would likely have otherwise got an offer.

Your child's credentials sound amazing so maybe it's something to ponder, not because there's nothing more they could have done, but rather they've been unlucky to apply in a year where the odds were incredibly low.

Wise words @DeRigueurMortis , thanks.

I just keep feeling sad at random moments today. Feels like I've been punched in the stomach. No matter how many times I told myself it was a long shot, I guess a tiny part of me thought he'd get an offer.

Thank you @DeRigueurMortis . My DS says he has closure and he is not going to reapply but will ask his referee to do so if I want!

I am at work so haven't had a chance to even hug him!

Ah @chopc that's rough. One good thing about him being at home for school and me wfh was being able to have a hug.

We had big hugs too.

I think it is definitely a very tough year for Cambridge aspirants. Otoh they usually over offer to quite a degree knowing that a fair few will miss their grades, and that is a cruel blow come August. When ds went there were two spare places on his course. The prof said they never let anyone in under those circumstances, as it would be incredibly unfair to those who had missed out on offers after interview.

Also, we all think our dcs are special (well, most of the time!) but Oxbridge has a tiny number of places, really, and dc will be up against incredibly stiff competition. Not just those who have stellar grades, but those who say something that piques the interviewers’ interest.

I’ll say again, don’t blame shyness and think that everyone who got in is a bumptious pushy type. I don’t think there is any “type” who gets a place. This year, in particular, sheer weight of numbers has caused excellent candidates to miss out.

@quest1on at the moment I am more disappointed than my DS. I think his good friend also didn't get an offer so they have each other for support which softens the blow a little

Durham is SO far away ........ but I think he will choose that as his firm ahead of UCL as he will invariably end up in London for work anyway plus he likes the collegiate system

Thank you @SATSmadness @IrmaFayLear @Pumpkintopf for your supportive posts

• I would like her to do some research and carefully weigh her options; and not make a rash decision because she's annoyed she didn't get everything she wanted.

Of course it's not compulsory to take up the offer. But I think it would be wise.*

Would it help if she knew about the calibre of people who didn't get an offer? The idea she got a 'pity place' is misguided, to say the least, it would be any year but even moreso this year.
She doesn't have to make her firm and insurance choices for quite a while yet. Hopefully she'll wait until after any virtual offer holders events from her various options before deciding.

@Pumpkintopf @chopc my dd has had the adjustment offer too I, thought it was summer pool until looked at it properly. It's been a mix today, like another poster said feels like I've been punched in the stomach.
Dd is ok and we've just spent some time looking at her other offers, which hadn't really done before. Durham is so far away. We been looking at flights to Newcastle etc. I feel more nervous now with her maybe going further afield then we had thought.

Comiserations to those who's dcs didn't get offers and well done to those that did x

when there was told that they were all selected for their potential.

This if often cited as a reason but it does n’t mean that those who are rejected necessarily have less potential. Otherwise no re-applicants would be successful as their ‘potential’ would be the same.
However there will be some applicants who have done particularly well in the context of relative educational disadvantage and therefore are judged to have high potential despite lower attainment, even in the interview.
This is a leaky process that, as many pps have said, depends on a snapshot that is also relative to snapshots of the other applicants.

I think being disappointed in your college offer is a salutary tale about not getting too attached - or confident of - your college choice.

It’s also a bit of a slap in the fact to those who would walk on hot coals/rusty nails stark naked except for a MAGA cap to get a place at a really good college. Actually of course they are all really good!