Oxford Cambridge 2021 Thread 6

[Chocomel]

Hopefully this is in the right place?

DS has a UCL offer now, but requirements are the same as his Oxford offer (two A stars and an A), for maths. He's not doing STEP (which might lead to a slightly reduced offer) so will have to look elsewhere for insurance.

Yes, @Jalfrezi, that was exactly what he decided - he could delve quite far back within the straight history course without the full commitment to a joint honours. He is so excited! We managed to get to Oxford for a walk around the town (in a stinking heatwave) last summer. The Ashmolean had just reopened and he had he best time nosing around - the first chance he had to look around a proper museum since lockdown. Can't wait until we can go to the British Museum again.

An odd thing is happening. DD is getting very enthusiastic about her first choice (after Cambridge) Uni and is mentioning it a lot. It's made me realise that she didn't talk about Cambridge as much, perhaps afraid to get too attached to the idea due to the long odds on a place there.

Do you think it's a "rebound" Student/Uni relationship (premature as she has no offers at all yet with it being medicine).

Just to say that dd has heard today that she has the standard offer for her subject which is a relief after seeing some variable offers on TSR.
Has everyone else had their offers now?

DD has had a NatSci offer of AAAA

That’s good news @Chilldonaldchill - the last thing DC need right now is additional pressure to hit higher offers.

Two A* sounds quite tough, Pepperaunt, in a year when it’s anybody’s guess about how results will be allotted. Good luck to her, though!

Hi Pepperaunt if it makes her feel better the Natsci offer holders at our school have been asked for 4 x A*

@SeasonFinale

Hi Pepperaunt if it makes her feel better the Natsci offer holders at our school have been asked for 4 x A*

What college is that? Seems very tough. DS has Natsci AAB but certain subjects specified...But he got one A last year...We were expecting AAA so it was a nice surprise...

Thanks @FlyingSquid!

@SeasonFinale really??? I’d heard some people were getting them but couldn’t quite believe it. Also Imperial would have been her alternate if their offer hadn’t been 3A*!

I'm surprised at 4x any grade, never mind A*.What happens if you're only doing 3 A levels? Would you just steer clear of NatSci?

@DahliaMacNamara

I'm surprised at 4x any grade, never mind A*.What happens if you're only doing 3 A levels? Would you just steer clear of NatSci?

They won’t ask for 4 if you are doing 3! But they ask for 4 if you are doing 4. I think they want to make sure they don’t suddenly drop the 4th, if they are doing it. Having said that I think for Natsci it is easier to get an offer if they are doing 4 but that’s just my opinion...I remember the college open days saying most candidates way exceed the usual AA A - my friends daughter has 5 A*s but she is just super clever!

Yes it is actually a 4 x D2 offer (as they are doing PreUs) but a D2 is an A* Equivalent with a D1 being higher. They are students who are predicted D1s.

If you are doing 3 A levels they will make offers based on the 3. They alao know some schools don't offer FM which many take as their 4th.

Also Dahlia Cambridge is different to Oxford. If you get an Oxford offer it is more usual than not to get their standard offer. For Cambridge the published entry requirements are minimum offers. Cambrisge interview more and make mkre offers (in normal years) so use the high grade offers as a way of thinning candidates down.

‘DD has had a NatSci offer of AAAA“

Same - Churchill

I'm surprised at 4x any grade, never mind A.What happens if you're only doing 3 A levels? Would you just steer clear of NatSci?*

For BioNatSci: Maths, Chemistry and Biology would be fine. I don't think a fourth A-level would add a huge amount of value to the application.

For PhysNatSci: the obvious combination is Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths. If you miss out Physics or Chemistry, you'd be closing the door on some first year courses. If you miss out Further Maths without a good reason (e.g. school doesn't offer it) you'd be closing the door on some colleges and not starting on the same level as most of your peers. DS has a couple of friends who didn't take Further Maths but they spent the lockdown and summer self-teaching it. He did take Further Maths but his school didn't offer Further Pure 1, so he taught himself the material in the summer holidays.

Thanks, all. And I thought Oxford was tricky enough to get a handle on. I'm still aghast at the notion of telling applicants they're in a pool, then coming back to say nobody picked them out. It seems unnecessary to raise hopes before all decisions have been made.

My DD got the standard Maths offer from Murray Edwards, AAA plus 1s in both STEP papers. A*s must be in Maths and Further Maths, they don't mind if the A is in Chemistry or Physics.

@languagebridget

My DD got the standard Maths offer from Murray Edwards, AAA plus 1s in both STEP papers. A*s must be in Maths and Further Maths, they don't mind if the A is in Chemistry or Physics.

DS got the same (Cambridge: Churchill) even though he's doing 4 A Levels.

Just thinking...
Would it be best for other applicants if students waiting to hear from Durham but who have offers from O/C withdrew their applications?
DD is still waiting to hear from Durham (earlier in the thread I said that one person she knew had a history offer from Durham but it now is clear that I was wrong and that is a contextual offer so I don't think any normal history offers have gone out) but the offer (if it comes) will be identical to C so won't be used as an insurance.
By withdrawing will more places be available for Durham to offer other students? If so I would have thought she would be morally "obliged" to do so, given the issues this year which seem to be particularly significant with history.
But am I correct in thinking it will make any difference?

Chill- the system is set up so that kids in your daughters' position don't have to withdraw their Durham application. Durham is an expert on this.

Besides what if Durham offers one grade lower?

same position here btw.

Yay! Glad to hear the Cambridge offer terms have arrived finally! It's always that little worry what they will be.
@Chilldonaldchill My DD is in the same position and waiting on Durham history (AMH). She would indeed like to put it as her insurance but the offer (should she get one 😬) is likely to be higher than Oxford so not sure on her thinking there.

@Jalfrezi DDs Durham offer is AAA so unfortunately makes no sense for it to be insurance. Looks like it will be Edinburgh with A*AA.

Please encourage your DC to think very carefully about wasting their insurance places with a higher grade offer from Durham. Last year DD'S Durham and Oxford offers were both exactly the same. We made a FOI request which confirmed that Durham had not accepted any candidates holding an insurance offer who had not achieved their offer grades in that subjecting the last 5 years. She decided not to waste her insurance slot and put in another university, as she knew that Durham had no intention of budging (even though her offer would have been 2 grades lower if firm).

Durham don’t go into clearing so it really is a waste to put Durham as an insurance if their offer is the same or higher than their first choice. They won’t budge. It would be better to choose a lower alternative, withdraw from Durham & firm O/C and proper insurance.