Page 37 | Another Path to Greatness - Part II

Pumpkintopf · 21/03/2021 17:36

Vargas DS has asked for feedback from C. For the college he applied to, its sent to the academic referee and they said by Easter. Still waiting atm.

Vargas · 21/03/2021 20:01

Ds definitely not re-applying to Oxbridge so I think we'll forget about the feedback. He had no admissions test so it'll just be something about the interview and I'm not sure how that can be constructive for him. Onward! Current plan is to firm Durham and put Bristol as insurance...

DH now feeling achy 24 hours after jab but thankfully still able to cook a roast .

jano69 · 21/03/2021 21:03

Bend I don't know anyone who's actually been sick after AZ. I hope that puts your mind at rest a little....

BWJ I hope you were able to enjoy a day of TLC without any side effects.

@quest1on DS applied to Cambridge a couple of years ago and it was such an terrible experience, we were keen for DD to apply to Oxford this time round. I found Oxford a much kinder process and will definitely be cheering them on in future boat races. I intensely dislike Cambridge's policies of over offering and making higher than standard offers.

bendmeoverbackwards · 21/03/2021 21:36

Thank you all for your reassurance about the AZ vaccine.

It worries me that dd is still so keen on Durham, she’s been chatting to offer holders online. I had a quick look at TSR today, it looks like offer holders have a clean sweep of 9s and all A predictions. Dd has 99999888876 and AA*A predictions. I just don’t know if that’s high enough.

Longtimenewsee · 21/03/2021 21:43

They are fab results and predicted grades @bendmeoverbackwards. She’s still in the running.. hang in there!

Longtimenewsee · 21/03/2021 21:45

And fwiw Dd does not have a clean sweep of 9s

chopc · 21/03/2021 21:45

@bendmeoverbackwards I would have no concerns about your DD's grades - however it is a little worrying she is already so invested in Durham prior to an offer.

On the other hand, it could suggest she is confident of an offer so perhaps there is no reason to worry?

bendmeoverbackwards · 21/03/2021 21:54

She does like Exeter too so I imagine she’ll take up her offer there. I just want some good news for her and the chance to make a choice rather than just take what’s on offer.

jano69 · 21/03/2021 21:55

@bendmeoverbackwards Those grades are brilliant. I'm sure Durham will follow Oxbridge's lead and treat 8s and 9s as simply A*s.

bendmeoverbackwards · 21/03/2021 21:59

Thank you, I’ve heard of straight 9/A* students being turned down from Durham, UCL etc so I’m not assuming anything now. It’s a strange year and universities are being extremely cautious it seems.

Original poster

BigWoollyJumpers · 21/03/2021 22:14

I've been really lucky with side effects I think. Nothing yesterday other than a couple of odd turns, lasting seconds, and today had to lie down due to flashy auras in one eye, but fine after half hour. Tonight just got a stabby pains in Joints. Weird, but not terrible at all.

OP posts:

chopc · 21/03/2021 22:22

Speaking to parents from various schools in UK as well as abroad, it is difficult to make sense of some decisions from some universities.

We all believed our DC were amongst the best in the country ......... let's hold on to that belief and not let a decision from an institution that has no meritorious base for their choices sway us from that belief.

One of my friend's friend'a DC got rejected from his first choice UCL last year and they said it was because of grades. He was averaging 99% in their curriculum and they brought this to the Uni's attention. They then placed him on a wait list or similar - but then rejected him at the end for the same reason- his grades. No sense.

For a University to reject someone takes one sentence. And it's just another candidate . For the applicant and their family, that sentence is so profound and affects them so deeply.

I can't believe I have to go through two more rounds of university offers with my other two younger DC's ....... it has been an emotionally taxing experience

jano69 · 21/03/2021 22:40

For a University to reject someone takes one sentence. And it's just another candidate . For the applicant and their family, that sentence is so profound and affects them so deeply.

I hear you @chopc....

In terms of your younger dcs, I can assure you it will be a very different and probably more positive experience next time round - we're all so naive first time round.....

chopc · 21/03/2021 22:44

Good to hear that @jano69 . I suppose what doesn't kill you makes you stronger ☺️

MidLifeCrisis007 · 22/03/2021 07:41

@bendmeoverbackwards

Thank you, I’ve heard of straight 9/A* students being turned down from Durham, UCL etc so I’m not assuming anything now. It’s a strange year and universities are being extremely cautious it seems.

I must confess to have been lurking on the Durham Student Room page recently and I can see no rhyme or reason to some of their decisions being made, particularly for law. People with LNAT scores of 27 and 28 (and straight 9s, A stars) getting rejected. Some lad with a LNAT score of 18 got an offer last week.

I'm beginning to think there is a giant game of Eenie Meenie Miney Mo going on in the Durham, UCL and St Andrews admissions offices at the moment to determine whether you get accepted or rejected.

Wbeezer · 22/03/2021 09:26

If you don't interview or use entrance exams university entrance at the top level is always going to be an eenie meenie miny mo situation as long as there are more similarly qualified candidates than places. We have to be wary of over promising sucess at university entrance as a carrot to hard working children.

Revengeofthepangolins · 22/03/2021 09:33

@Wbeezer

If you don't interview or use entrance exams university entrance at the top level is always going to be an eenie meenie miny mo situation as long as there are more similarly qualified candidates than places. We have to be wary of over promising sucess at university entrance as a carrot to hard working children.

Especially when having good grades may not get them a place when offers are made in quantity to those who don’t have them. It makes it hard for them to discern what they could have done differently to improve their application.

chopc · 22/03/2021 10:39

I have learnt a lot after DS Cambridge rejection. Having always been about the journey, to me, Cambridge was a destination.
However since then I have learnt that a degree from Cambridge is just that and it is not a ticket to anywhere. Whether some universities such as LSE have more competitive students who have common goals will steer DC towards being similar, I am not sure. I don't think all universities and degrees are equal when it comes to a non vocational subject but success depends a lot on the character.

I do wonder though how careers advise has been for those who graduated last year and are about to do so this year ...... poor all round or good in some places?

LoonvanBoon · 22/03/2021 18:18

Checking in to say that DT2 (the one of my twins with an Oxford offer) has just been rejected by Durham for History.

He doesn't care, but we're concerned it doesn't bode well for DT1, who didn't get an Oxford offer for English and is still waiting for (and hoping for) Durham.

Both boys have virtually identical grades profiles at GCSE (all 9s except for one 8 between them) and at A level DT2 is predicted 2 x A and an A, DS1 all As. Both have been to comprehensive schools all the way through, not that that should make any difference. Excellent references etc.

I don't see how DT2 could have made a stronger application tbh; and having also been reading of some odd Durham decisions on TSR, I can't help agreeing with whoever said it's like eeny meeny miny mo at this stage.

I think it's the very long wait and lack of transparency that annoy me. According to TSR they're still giving out offers to people with much weaker grades.

Neither of the boys wrote a separate PS for Durham or included extracurricular stuff, so don't know if that's an issue.

I think DT2 is a bit relieved, judging by his expression, that it wasn't a repeat of Oxford, with him getting an offer despite feeling ambivalent, and DT1 being turned down despite being really keen, so there's some consolation there. I've been feeling increasingly worried as the weeks have gone past that that might happen.

chopc · 22/03/2021 18:40

Thanks for checking in @LoonvanBoon . Your twins have been on my mind actually

How is DT1 feeling about the whole thing?

goodbyestranger · 22/03/2021 18:53

The fact that your DT didn't go to a top independent school and nevertheless achieved all Grade 9s (I think the rogue 8 can safely be ignored!), should certainly be relevant. So that's a very strange decision from Durham History. I can't recall a single student at our school (high achieving grammar) being rejected with even all A* never mind all Grade 9s for Durham History in the past thirteen or so years. That's just bizarre.

Has DT2 decided to accept Oxford, despite his initial reservations? Will his Durham rejection push him in that direction? (although you imply he was ambivalent about Durham too: is he actually enthusiastic about any of his choices? What were his other choices and has he got offers?)

SeasonFinale · 22/03/2021 18:54

We have had a similar decision too Loon today.

goodbyestranger · 22/03/2021 19:18

Also harsh but I guess you have to put high performing independent into the mix on your school's front SeasonFinale - and those don't seem to be flavour of the month. I hope that your student also has solace with another good offer.

LoonvanBoon · 22/03/2021 19:37

Thank you chopc, it's kind of you to remember us! DT1 is okay, but I think he will be very disappointed if he gets rejected too. None of his other choices are really in the same category as Oxford and Durham - he'll probably be looking at Leeds next - though I expect he'll make the best of it. I'm feeling sick about it, I have to admit - not showing it, obviously, but I think I will feel pretty aggrieved on his behalf!

goodbyestranger, your question about whether DT2 actually feels any enthusiasm for any of his choices made me laugh out loud - it's fair to say there he's not one to show an excess of keenness!

He does seem to have been coming round to the idea of Oxford independently of the Durham decision (and independently of DH and me; we didn't broach the subject with him for ages) and has joined some sort of Oxford History offer holders chat.

He does sometimes sound quite enthusiastic about Warwick, too, though that's mainly because of the term in Venice option. He sounded quite keen on Durham back in the Autumn but had pretty much dismissed it, because of the long wait, before this evening's news.

SeasonFinale · 22/03/2021 19:44

@goodbyestranger

Also harsh but I guess you have to put high performing independent into the mix on your school's front SeasonFinale - and those don't seem to be flavour of the month. I hope that your student also has solace with another good offer.

Yes they will be off to Oxford I suspect

. To be fair it isn't that unexpected in the light of some of the rejections we have had based on the cut back of offers this year, the fact that D were paying people to defer etc. And I guess the reality of most Durham offer holders where they already hold an Oxbridge offer is that the offer is worth nothing by way of an insurance offer as invariably they are the same or higher grade offers and won't generally budge on results day.