Oxford Cambridge 2021 Thread 6

[Chocomel]

Hopefully this is in the right place?

Congratulations to those with offers and commiserations to those who missed out.

As a pp has said, the line is very fine at this level and even to have got to interviews is a big achievement.

Speaking as someone who was re-directed many years ago I can say hand on heart that it's not the end of the world - even if some children might feel that way now.

I loved my Uni experience and I can't fathom how my life could have turned out better (in terms of both career and family life). It would have been different I'm sure if my path had taken me to Oxbridge, but better? No.

DS is still waiting on Durham and obviously Cambridge, but he's found out a close friend got an offer for Oxford (Maths) which has made him happy on two fronts.

Firstly he's obviously pleased for his friend but it's also made him feel a bit more buoyant about his chances (rightly or wrongly) as academically they are evenly matched (virtually identical GCSE results and predicted A Level grades) , though who knows how they fared on interview/personal statement etc.

Yes, that's ominous news for those still waiting to hear from about offers from other Universities, assuming Oxford aren't unique in making less offers than for 2020.

chopc I agree completely and absolutely think that counselling would benefit him, if he would open up and talk honestly. His lack of confidence makes me sad - it seems relatively recent - and I do think it's holding him back. I have suggested counselling more than once, and I think maybe I should bring it up again when the dust has settled after today.

For the moment DT2 seems in a calmer frame of mind - he's been out for a run with a friend - and I've had chance to have a chat with DT1 and tell him how proud I am of him.

Out of my sons' friends there has been one acceptance and two redirections today. It is such a gruelling process for them all, especially at the moment. Congratulations/commiserations to the children of everyone here - it's a lovely, supportive thread.

We are nervously waiting for 25th. I suppose this year any offer is really unconditional as most of them are going to make the grade. So fewer offers, yes, but I would have thought almost all of the 3,500 will know that they have a place now...

@goodbyestranger

sandybayley got there first! Fewer offers this year, by some way.

That's even more depressing. In another year, dd might have got in

Coming to this late; well done to everyone with offers, and commiserations to any redirected; it's so disappointing at the time, but will hopefully lead to better things, though it probably doesn't feel like it in that instant. I hope everyone is ok.

We were v happy that dd received an offer this morning for English of AAA.

Congratulations to those that have had offers and to those that have been redirected I hope that find happiness at another university. I will be clinking a glass too.

I think timings wise as the UCAS deadline has been pushed back to the 29th there will be more waiting for offers from other universities. Obviously anyone on this thread had to get their application in by 15th October so for us it does seem like a lifetime ago. Even some of those applicants must be filling in their remaining spaces on their UCAS forms.

It's the not knowing, the wondering, the uncertainty that makes this so much harder. If someone is redirected from Oxford today but has offers from 4 other unis surely that helps a little bit. You know there are options. If they are still waiting on one or two it must be much more difficult.

[quote chopc]@bendmeoverbackwards I feel your DD should have another go. Given her heart was so set on Oxford. She will have the experience of this year and if applying for an arts subject will have several months available to really pursue her reading etc to come up with another PS and with the benefit of hindsight, prepare better for the aptitude tests and interview. I have a feeling she may regret the what ifs if she doesn't.

Yes I appreciate I know nothing about your DD apart from what you have written here so may be completely off mark! [/quote]
Thank you @chopc A lot to think about. Dd has been up and down since this morning but I went out for a walk with her and she was feeling a bit better. She sounded quite measured and could even see the potential downside of Oxford (possible more intense pressure than other universities). She changed schools for Sixth Form from a top girls grammar school to a semi selective school and it was a great move for her. At her old school they were all very similar, extremely academic and the pressure was high. At her new school she really stands out academically which has been great for her self esteem. I pointed out that this also might apply at university and she agreed.

That said, she may well take a gap year and reapply but she needs to be fully prepared for another rejection.

Too early to decide anything now. She'll ask for her feedback and take it from there.

We will still be eating chocolate cake tonight!

Well done to your DD Bilberry.

We made about 3,900 offers in January for an expected 3,287 places at Oxford, before the lockdown in the UK, and have currently made 3,440 offers, well above the numbers we admit in a normal year That was as at the 15th August 2020 - before CAGS were allowed, pushing the numbers of acceptances up.

@Crikeyblimey I shall raise my glass of chilled Albariño at 7.45pm ish when I sit down for supper/tea/dinner. I shall smile to myself and imagine a host of MN faces and clinking glasses. The 25th seems an age away, huh?

I am also worrying a little now about how many less offers C is likely to make given I understand they traditionally over offer more than O.

Congratulations to all the Oxford offer-holders today and hugs to those who have been redirected. This has a roller-coaster ride (and it's not over yet) and I've been so glad of this thread to keep us informed and sane over the last few months. Dd received an offer from the college that she was pooled to and is both delighted and surprised. One of her admissions tests was fairly disastrous, she felt, and three of her four interviews were also terrible. She did well in her GCSEs, but far from a clean sweep of 8s and 9s. She didn't open the email until late this afternoon as she had two online tests this morning and didn't want to be distracted by waiting for news.

@MatureStudent21 - were you waiting for results today? I haven't RTFT yet, so may have missed it

@Tenpastseven - count me in for the virtual wine this evening

Congratulations to all the offer holders and commiserations to those who have been redirected. I'll join you for a glass of wine.

Hi All,
Newbie here to mn & forums in general- haven’t used one before in my life but really needed to find some likeminded people to chat with & did a google search about Oxbridge & this showed up so here goes..
My DD also applied to oxford and got redirected this morning- we are all very shocked by the decision & I personally am feeling quite down about it myself & for her.
She applied last year & didn’t make the interview stage so was slightly upset but decided to really go for it this year.. she has worked her butt off, reading, online talks, lectures, moocs etc etc.. her learning in her subject has exploded & she was focused & loving it all. She achieved A AA in her A levels and has now been taking 2 more Alevels with predicted A since sept for something to do. She has had work published at a poetry society website & she even emailed an academic tutor who wrote the books for an old poem she was studying to ask a few things & terms that she didn’t understand- and he answered fully & kindly. I feel she went above & beyond in her studies and she was enjoying it all so much that we really felt oxford would be the place for her.
She got an interview this year and had 2 interviews with her chosen college. She suffers from anxiety & during the first interview she had a bad panic attack where she felt ‘out of body’ and so obviously that was horrific for her. She still can’t remember any of it except 2 faces staring at her in horror. She said that she spoke non stop but doesn’t know what about. She was very angry with herself after & actually hated the whole thing so much that she very nearly didn’t go to the next interview- but she did & this was a bit better, she felt she really ‘gelled’ with the tutors & it over ran with them saying they could chat all day with her & how they loved her written work. They even asked her what she would like to talk to from her PS.. I’m now wondering if they knew about the first interview & were just going through the motions and being kind..?
She got 59 in her ELAT (we found out yesterday) so we’re gearing up for a yes while still trying to keep it all real for her & talk about other unis, rejection etc..but this mornings update on UCAS was a real body blow.
To top it all she hasn’t heard from her other unis (inc Durham!) and even before the rejection she just wasn’t excited by any of them. Some of her friends started at different unis this year & dd has heard all about uni life etc but just doesn’t want to go anywhere else as she feels that oxford offer the best course & facilities for her, she thrives in the small group (tutorials) teaching style as her college is like this and was so looking forward to this part rather than large anonymous halls etc & enjoys chatting for hours about writers and her subject in general despite being quite a shy person.
I’m just so gutted for her really as I know that she’s ‘different’ in some ways and always has been & that oxford would’ve been the making of her. I just don’t know what to say to her today as truthfully, I was as invested in it as she was I think.
She is very subdued and refuses to talk about it for now but how can we move forward with this? I’d really appreciate any advice. My instinct is to try again but that would be a third time & mean that she would be 2 years older than the intake for 2022.. that’s if she even gets in! It’s such a long full on process that I’m not even sure it is healthy to apply again...
I just feel like crying with sadness, anger & frustration for her & with her.
Sorry if this is a bit all over the place but I haven’t used a forum before & cant type quick enough for what I need to say!
Thankyou all in advance for reading

Oh @dontdointernetbut welcome to the thread. Your post brought a bit of a lump to my throat. Firstly your dd sound amazing but I'm sure you know that. Quite similar to my dd in that she also had 'something' about her from a young age, lots of other people noticed it too and had her heart set on Oxford. She also received a no this morning.

I take it ELAT is for English? I don't know how the scoring works but I'm guessing 59 is very good?

The anxiety sounds awful, your poor dd. Bloody brilliant though she was willing to give it another go this year.

What other unis has she applied to?

@dontdointernetbut oh I can hear how distressed you are and all must be. So shit for her and you. I’ve not been through the process before but my instinct tells me to wait a few days at least before deciding what’s next. You could ask for feedback from the college also? That might help to understand what happened.

Your dd sounds like an amazingly creative, interesting and talented young lady. She’ll likely flourish wherever she goes.

Have you seen the excellent video posted by the Oxford college re ‘redirection’. Someone linked to it on an earlier thread. I’ll see if I can find it...

Found it

@dontdointernetbut

I'm so sorry to hear your news.

It must be incredibly hard for both her and you after all the additional work she put in.

In terms of advice (and I'm speaking as someone who was re-directed) I honestly wouldn't look to apply for a third time.

I understand she must be gutted, but as a bright child she will do well and thrive at other Universities and I think that's what she needs to focus on.

From what you've described I'm not sure what a third application could achieve above what's she's done already and the risk of another year out might well negatively impact her other options if she's unsuccessful again (and another Oxford application as she'd have been 2 years outside of an academic environment).

She's always got the option after completing a first degree to apply again to do a Masters or PHD if that is something that might appeal - my Uncle did this (Durham for his BSc and Oxford for a PHD).

In that sense the journey isn't over - she's just looking at getting there by a different route.

As I posted above, my life would have been different if I'd been accepted into Oxbridge but I CS say with certainty that it would not have been better. I've had a fantastic career and blessed with a great family. I wouldn't change anything even if I could and in time I'm sure your DD will come to feel the same way

NiamCinnOir - so glad to hear your DD’s news as I’ve been following her story, so to speak (DD was another with good but not all-star GCSEs).

Dontdointernet it’s hard on them, no doubt of it; DD is being slightly subdued in the face of an older sibling currently living with us who was redirected some years ago. Feedback was that even though some of their answers were the best they’d seen, others were some of the worst, and the college felt that their tutorial system would be the wrong fit.

It’s our third family rodeo. Different subjects, thank goodness.

@dontdointernetbut

Hi All, Newbie here to mn & forums in general- haven’t used one before in my life but really needed to find some likeminded people to chat with & did a google search about Oxbridge & this showed up so here goes.. My DD also applied to oxford and got redirected this morning- we are all very shocked by the decision & I personally am feeling quite down about it myself & for her. She applied last year & didn’t make the interview stage so was slightly upset but decided to really go for it this year.. she has worked her butt off, reading, online talks, lectures, moocs etc etc.. her learning in her subject has exploded & she was focused & loving it all. She achieved A AA in her A levels and has now been taking 2 more Alevels with predicted A since sept for something to do. She has had work published at a poetry society website & she even emailed an academic tutor who wrote the books for an old poem she was studying to ask a few things & terms that she didn’t understand- and he answered fully & kindly. I feel she went above & beyond in her studies and she was enjoying it all so much that we really felt oxford would be the place for her. She got an interview this year and had 2 interviews with her chosen college. She suffers from anxiety & during the first interview she had a bad panic attack where she felt ‘out of body’ and so obviously that was horrific for her. She still can’t remember any of it except 2 faces staring at her in horror. She said that she spoke non stop but doesn’t know what about. She was very angry with herself after & actually hated the whole thing so much that she very nearly didn’t go to the next interview- but she did & this was a bit better, she felt she really ‘gelled’ with the tutors & it over ran with them saying they could chat all day with her & how they loved her written work. They even asked her what she would like to talk to from her PS.. I’m now wondering if they knew about the first interview & were just going through the motions and being kind..? She got 59 in her ELAT (we found out yesterday) so we’re gearing up for a yes while still trying to keep it all real for her & talk about other unis, rejection etc..but this mornings update on UCAS was a real body blow. To top it all she hasn’t heard from her other unis (inc Durham!) and even before the rejection she just wasn’t excited by any of them. Some of her friends started at different unis this year & dd has heard all about uni life etc but just doesn’t want to go anywhere else as she feels that oxford offer the best course & facilities for her, she thrives in the small group (tutorials) teaching style as her college is like this and was so looking forward to this part rather than large anonymous halls etc & enjoys chatting for hours about writers and her subject in general despite being quite a shy person. I’m just so gutted for her really as I know that she’s ‘different’ in some ways and always has been & that oxford would’ve been the making of her. I just don’t know what to say to her today as truthfully, I was as invested in it as she was I think. She is very subdued and refuses to talk about it for now but how can we move forward with this? I’d really appreciate any advice. My instinct is to try again but that would be a third time & mean that she would be 2 years older than the intake for 2022.. that’s if she even gets in! It’s such a long full on process that I’m not even sure it is healthy to apply again... I just feel like crying with sadness, anger & frustration for her & with her. Sorry if this is a bit all over the place but I haven’t used a forum before & cant type quick enough for what I need to say! Thankyou all in advance for reading

I am very sad to read your post and also to hear that your daughter has taken this badly. It does very much sound as if your daughter is gifted at her subject and will do very well wherever she goes. The only thing I can think is that they may have thought that the pressure of the short terms might not suit her. Perhaps postgraduate at Oxford might be better for her. Oxbridge terms are so short and high pressured at undergraduate level...

Thankyou for your kind replies- I’m really grateful for the support.
Yes @bendmeoverbackwards she applied for Eng - ELAT is entrance test and it’s marked out of 60 which makes it all the more galling.. sorry for you & your dd today too, how are you all dealing with it? Other unis were just randoms as she wanted Ox so bad so didn’t give them another thought (nor last year either but she knew then that she would give it another go) she hasn’t been able to visit any of them (totally disinterested tbh) & no offers as yet
Durham
St Andrews
Leeds
Edinburgh
All quite far from us too as we are down south 😩

Wow! So many replies- Thankyou.. I will get back to you all but just making dinner now so will read at leisure later.
Thankyou for the video link- will take a look at that also

@dontdointernetbut I’m so sorry. Massive hugs to your DD. Not sure if anyone remembers but my DD was the one who vomited during her admissions test in October. She was shortlisted for interview but unfortunately the same thing happened with the interviews and she was shaking and violently sick for 48 hours, so really didn’t feel she was able to demonstrate her potential - in the end the interviews were okay but not amazing which really upset her as speaking/interviews has always been something she’s good at. She unfortunately was redirected today and was devastated as she really feels that her anxiety held her back from performing at her best so I can totally understand how upset you must feel on her behalf. I think all we can do is remind them how proud we are of them- to get through this process this year (particularly as someone with mental health problems) is an incredible accomplishment and they’ve all done so well!
To be honest, it’s such a gruelling process and though I wouldn’t say this to my daughter, as incredibly smart as I might think she is, she really does lack confidence and in high-pressure situations just isn’t able to perform at her best. I do really feel that maybe DC like her would be much happier and thrive much more somewhere less intense particularly if they’re academically high-achieving!

May I ask how she already knows her ELAT score?