Oxford Cambridge 2021 Thread 6

[Chocomel]

Hopefully this is in the right place?

does Durham see the Oxbridge offers before it makes its own?

If it knows someone's Oxbridge offer it knows they are unlikely to come to Durham so it can offer the same to reduce the number of offerrees who don't end up at the uni?

whereas if it likes a candidate and they have missed out on an oxbridge offer it can offer more aggressively in order to get them?

or is it much more secret than that?

Hi, has anyone not heard from Edinburgh yet?

No, Durham has no idea where you have applied (though they could make a guess that an early October application is also an Oxbridge one, but risky as not always the case). They will only have an idea of where you’ve applied when you firm or insurance firm them - then I’m pretty sure they can then see your 2 acceptances - firm/insurance.

Hi DD just had offer conditions through for Cambridge (A*,A,A) which seems standard BUT just wondering if anyone else has also had a term on Oversubscription? Basically even if DD makes her grades, if too many offer holders make their grades than are places, she could still be allocated to a different college, be asked to defer or be supported in applying to another institution?! Is this common?

That sounds really odd. I thought an offer was a contractually binding agreement? If you meet the terms of their offer, the place is yours?

‘Be supported in applying to a different institution’?? What does that mean, give you the UCAS clearing number?? I think I would ask for very clear clarification.

I wonder what they mean by that in practical terms? Ring around the likes of Durham or Imperial? I doubt many candidates would be happy with being hawked around at best, or fobbed off at worst.

thanks Apple

sadpapercourtesan
DD hasn’t heard from Edinburgh yet, it’s the last uni that she’s waiting on.

Oxford parents - I'm wondering if anyone is in the same position as us - DS had a too-good-to-be-true offer based on his Scottish exams results from last year of marks he'd already achieved. (AA at Advanced Higher). He accepted and his school sent in a certified copy of his exam certificates, but undergraduate admissions still haven't updated his file to say that he's met his conditions. Everyone is working from home, so calling them hasn't been successful. Is anyone else in the same position? How long does the process take? (I'm overly stressing because he has a place elsewhere that he has to accept or decline by tomorrow...)

@Elsewhere23 - surely the “supported in applying to another institution” bit means only if the candidate wants to go to another university rather than deferring. I can’t think it means that a hapless student will find they’ve been “supported” into the University of Foundedlastweek because the latter has spare places!

Many thanks, IrmaFay. That’s a more reassuring interpretation. DD is going to see if she can speak to Admissions to clarify next week. The other Cambridge offer holder in her school also has the same clause.

Hi just to let you know that post 6pm UCAS deadline we have had some Durham, UCL and Edinburgh offers throigh

We just got a UCL A*AA from UCL
Still waiting for Durham

Congrats ImsorryWilson. Was that for a science subject?

I think natsci.
(Cambs and Durham and York are natsci, Manchester is maths and physics)

Yes it is the Natsci ones we are seeing coming in

@Elsewhere23

Hi DD just had offer conditions through for Cambridge (A*,A,A) which seems standard BUT just wondering if anyone else has also had a term on Oversubscription? Basically even if DD makes her grades, if too many offer holders make their grades than are places, she could still be allocated to a different college, be asked to defer or be supported in applying to another institution?! Is this common?

I’m not a thread regular, but hope you don’t mind me sticking my head in as I have also been looking at the oversubscription criteria with my DN. It seems they apply generally for 2021 undergraduate entry (para 4):

www.cao.cam.ac.uk/system/files/publications/ug_terms_of_admission.pdf

DN has raised a query with Admissions today about what this means - not heard back yet.

They have added that condition in for this year which seems incredibly harsh considering they honoured all their offers last year.

This was the original document back in September <a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200926102845/www.cao.cam.ac.uk/system/files/publications/ug_terms_of_admission.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20200926102845/www.cao.cam.ac.uk/system/files/publications/ug_terms_of_admission.pdf there is no mention of oversubscription on it.

That seems incredibly unfair - an offer, but maybe not a place. If anything, that should have been flagged before application not post offer.

I'm a bit shocked by the 'cover our arses' approach of Cambridge. How exactly would they decide who to encourage to defer or go elsewhere if they are oversubscribed? Another degree of uncertainty that young people really do not need.

How's everyone's dc feeling?
DD is allowing herself to get excited - though a little cautiously because obviously she still has to get the grades. However she's predicted higher so she feels that she can be optimistic.
We've spent a long time looking at the new college - accommodation etc - because obviously we'd not spent any time on that website.
Dh and I had had very limited input anyway other than watching some open days with her but now she's showing us lots of YouTube videos etc. It looks lovely!

I think that statement from Cambridge is illegal....!! The offer is a contract; if the students get the grades, I think Cambridge is obliged to honour the offer.

@BilberryBaggins

I think that statement from Cambridge is illegal....!! The offer is a contract; if the students get the grades, I think Cambridge is obliged to honour the offer.

Not if the student is put on notice of the full terms of the offer (including the offending paragraph 4) before accepting it, surely?

DD is really anxious, Chill. She deliberately went for a newish, less traditional, relaxed college with decent self catering, and has been offered a place at a central, traditional college with no kitchen. She loves cooking - it’s her stress buster - and she’d imagined making friends by tempting them with homemade cookies, I think.

Plus, the interviewers at College 2 really minced her!