Oxford Cambridge 2021 Thread 6

[Chocomel]

Hopefully this is in the right place?

I'll admit I'm sad to see the thread spilt but understand why it might be best for all involved.

Please bear in mind that even those of us whose children who got offers could well be joining up with you again come the summer.

It's not really the end of the road - especially for those of us still waiting to hear what the offer even is (and tbh if it's achievable),

It's simply another waiting game with much outside anyone's control re: how A Levels will be graded and what will happen re: STEP.

So I don't think you'll see much "enthusiasm" being contained here, just more worry, but I appreciate it's a very different worry to those whose children are having to consider next steps now.

So all I can say is thanks to everyone for such a lovely supportive thread and good luck to everyone's children - they are all brilliant and will thrive and be an asset to any University

@DeRigueurMortis you are so wise, and lovely- your words always hit exactly the right note and yes, all good points well made.

 @Pumpkintopf

Another path to greatnesses www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4147040-another-path-to-greatnesses

Couldn't sleep so had a go creating a new thread for the redirected DC's parents. Hope the title is appropriate

@DeRigueurMortis be positive and celebrate! I can understand what you mean but given the circumstances of life these days, I will grab whatever piece of celebration!

@goldenlilliesdaffodillies - actually I'm surprised your dd wasn't surprised not to be asked about her ps. Interviewers don't focus on this apart from a bit of polite conversation. Of course they ask "unrelated" questions as they are trying to cut through "preparation".

Ds in his interview was just given an object, and asked to explain history through this object. His eyes sprung out on stalks and he had to fight to compose himself. He said he had to sit on one of his hands as it was shaking so much! So no cosy chat about stuff he knew!

Agree with @DeRigueurMortis about being sad to see the thread split - I have found so much support and understanding here - but I love the new thread title and hope it helps you and your amazing DC with planning their next steps.

@IrmaFayLear as always, there is no hard and fast rule for Oxford interviews: the majority of DS' first interview was focussed on (extracurricular) research he had mentioned in his Personal Statement.

I guess you have to expect the unexpected, even if it is expected...

Well, I am off to the other thread.

Congratulations to everyone whose child managed to gain a place. Thank you for the amazing support that this thread has provided for over a year.

Good luck to those who still have to sit STEP in the summer.

DD was genuinely astonished to be asked about her PS at interview. But hers was very strongly tied to her ideas around the subject, which might have been a risky strategy. I didn't see it, and wouldn't have understood it if I had.
I'm sorry to see people go, too, but I understand the motivation. Things are often different once you're in the middle of them, and it's easier to discuss things with people whose experience if not outlook is the same. Though as @DeRigueurMortis says, any of us could well be joining you in the summer. Who knows what kind of mess will be made of A level grading. If it was 100% exam or 100% teacher assessed, I would feel far more confident. Or maybe that's just what I think from today's perspective.

I'll join the new thread. I am also on the general 2021 Uni thread, although it doesn't seem very active. Maybe because they haven't really got started yet. We seem to have been at the coal front for ever, already!

Sorry to see some of you move on from this thread but understand that it's better to have a new place to discuss the next steps on their journey. I hope you don't mind if I pop over now and again as would love to see where they all end up and how they got there/made decisions. Feel slightly invested in their journey now! Also wanted to reiterate they are all hugely brave to go through this process. It was abundantly clear how special and talented every child was (whether successful or redirected) and I think they will all take some learning life experiences from just going through the process. They have shown such determination and resilience that will stand them in good stead throughout their lives.

Congratulations to all offer holders, your dc are amazing and I hope you all celebrated last night.

I'm a little sad we're going separate ways on different threads but understand the reasons why.

I hope your dc all get nice grade requirements so they can all meet their offers this summer.

I will be back so see how your dc are getting on.... enjoy!

We were so pleased that Birmingham had a Webinar about their computer science course last night. The tutors were so friendly and inspiring that DS is almost 100% convinced that is where he wants to go. It also helped that their virtual open day was the best he viewed.

Onwards and upwards.

I shall still follow this thread to see how everyone is getting on. I too am now invested

This has been a very supportive thread. I have learnt so much and I think better off with knowledge SND insight, which will help with my other DC.

It is also comforting to be able to relate to other posts, there are times I’ve felt, gosh I could’ve written that post. And to have lots who are going through similar experiences to share the highs and lows with has been helpful.
I do believe for those of us who have had redirections, a lot of our DC would’ve been successful at oxbridge and may well have had offers if it wasn’t for the pandemic curveballs thrown at us. Equally I believe that our DC will do well wherever they end up and will not be worse off by not going the next academic year/ not going at all. It will work out perfectly whichever way.
For those with offers I really wish your DC the very best. I’m sure they will do well and have the an excellent time. And I hope your anxieties about results/ meeting offers will be just that and you won’t have to join us, other than for curiosity about our DC.
As I bow out officially ( I may still lurk ), I say thank you all, it’s been a good ride. I’m sure our disappointment will fade with time

Great post @WarmAndco3y I am also very grateful for the support on here especially as an Oxbridge ‘newbie’ having not done it before.

Massive well done to all the dc with offers, I hope they all have a fantastic time.

Look forward to chatting on the new thread.

@IrmaFayLear

I guess you have to expect the unexpected, even if it is expected...

Exactly !

@goldenlilliesdaffodillies DD also wasn't asked anything specific from her Personal Statement. However, they had clearly read it and used a theme (literature in history) to leap frog onto a conceptual discussion that veered off in many ways - use of language, emotion, motivation etc. In a way, a classic interview technique for them. She needed no prior knowledge but they obviously wanted to see how she thought when presented with new ideas. She said it was really hard as she had never before thought about what they were asking but found the concepts they put forward hugely interesting. I suppose, all the books she mentioned on her personal statement gave them a flavour and served as proof of her interests to add to the holistic picture of her application. They didn't necessarily need to discuss them but had a starting point for an academic discussion on something else where they could gauge how she thought. DD has no clue whether what she said was a load of rubbish (in fact she noticed one interviewer grimacing at one thing she said). The only aspect where she was prepared was when they discussed her written essay submission. Although as the professor was unfamiliar with the time period, it was a very short discussion.

DD in contrast was grilled on many aspects of her PS, but wasn’t asked about her essays at all (O rather than C).

I’m getting the impression that there have been fewer C than O offers both on this thread and the Student Room threads. Is that typical, do you think, or a wariness of the current grading uncertainty?

The school preparation involved a practise interview with the headteacher where they quizzed her about her personal statement. The other person who got into C for the same subject was asked about their personal statement in great depth and had a very different interview experience.
I feel stupid now for mentioning DD's experience now, but then I have not experienced the Oxbridge process. Of course, she was expecting off the wall questions. All her teachers cannot believe she didn't get in and want her to reapply. It's really hard trying to console DD.

Goodness, never feel stupid for discussing what actually happened! All their experiences seem to have been quite different, and we all have a tendency to assume that our own child's experience was somehow 'typical'.

FlyingSquid I would have assumed that Cambridge would make fewer offers this year than Oxford, since they were in a larger pickle than Oxford with the 2020 cohort because of their policy of making more offers and relying on grades to winkle down numbers when the A level results come out. CAGs weren't really part of that plan....

Ah, could be. I was assuming they were only a per cent or so over usual numbers, but maybe it was a substantial increase.

Thanks FlyingSquid. I guess what is making it harder, is that her rejection letter said they believed she was Cambridge material and that's why they put her in the winter pool, but there weren't any spaces available in her subject. We didn't realise that the college you initially choose makes such a big difference.

I imagine, like many on this thread, DD didn't have any opportunities to actually visit any universities, so applied blind to everything. Covid just seems to have messed things up spectacularly for this cohort and it's hard not to think, in normal times, things would have been different. I guess we just have to work with the cards we have been dealt with.