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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge Aspirants 2022

997 replies

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 26/03/2021 07:35

Hi not too sure if there is another thread started as could not see one. May be waaaaaay too early but wondered if any other parents out there who have a child applying for next year?

Dd would like to apply to Cambridge to study History and Politics in 2022. She is at a state A-level college doing History, Politics and English Literature. I have never had to push her towards studying she is a very motivated child and wants to give Cambridge a shot (a very long shot as we know!). Her GCSE results were good but not top notch (9s in History, English Language and literature and the rest 7s and 6s) so not sure how much this will affect her. So far her A-level essays are coming out at As and A* and those are her predicted grades so if she continues on track that should meet the criteria.

She reads a lot of extra curricular stuff and has a genuine passion for politics, has joined the local Labour party youth group. She has applied for the summer programme at Cambridge & is part of an Oxbridge group that the college puts together.

It feels like a such a long shot and the stats of actually getting in are very low only 18% of applicants successful in 2019 so I am trying to tell her not to get her hopes up whilst actually supporting her!

She is my first born so I have never been through this before. Anybody else out there? Would be lovely to hear from you.

OP posts:
sandybayley · 22/04/2021 20:44

I think it was New Hall wasn't it?

I applied to Kings and got interviewed at Newnham. I think I've blanked most of it out but I remember a lot of nervous giggling from me. I did get pooled (I think they must have felt sorry for me) but not fished. Edinburgh's gain though!

juicy0 · 22/04/2021 22:48

Thank you for all the advice,, I will pass it on to DS for his decision making. He's told me he doesn't want to talk about confirming his A level choices until the end of May when his 'assessments' for GCSE are over!

Piggywaspushed · 23/04/2021 18:58

To answer my own question from before I have just discovered that unifrog is really good at providing info and stats (and the price of a pint and a meal!) for all the colleges, if anyone's DC uses it.

sandybayley · 24/04/2021 08:57

Thanks @Piggywaspushed . It's worth noting that one of the surprising things about Oxbridge student life is that it can be quite cheap. Accommodation is very affordable and food in college subsidised. Money available from colleges for books as well.

So if anyone is concerned about Oxbridge costs please don't be. It's definitely more affordable than many other universities. DS1 had an offer from Imperial which would have been horribly expensive.

FoolsAssassin · 24/04/2021 09:13

I think it’s a fair bit cheaper than quite a few universities Sandy from the prices I have seen. A full maintenance loan would go a pretty long way I think.

DS has said he wouldn’t mind a look around Cambridge and feels he saw a fair bit of Oxford when we went there before so no need for a visit there. Will plan for the summer holidays as by then will have done more exams and I think College at that point suggest Oxbridge to those they feel will be strong candidates so don’t want to go traipsing off until they have suggested it , or not if that’s the case.

hobbema · 24/04/2021 09:19

Echoing Sandy re cost ; DD@C in one of the highest cost room bands at her old central college is paying about 50% of her DT at another Uni and roughly the same as her DB when he was at Cardiff a couple of years ago. Food is good and cheap in Hall.

ProggyMat · 24/04/2021 10:39

Oxford offer very generous scholarships/bursaries to students on a full maintenance loan too, fools
There’s quite a variation across universities in the financial assistance available to students from low income households.

FlyingSquid · 24/04/2021 14:49

Will plan for the summer holidays as by then will have done more exams and I think College at that point suggest Oxbridge to those they feel will be strong candidates

Well, they might. Ours didn’t, though they were happy enough to support DD when she said she’d like to give it a shot (she now has an offer). Your DS can decide to go for it or not, regardless of college advice.

I know you know that, but 30 years ago, DH was told not to bother trying by his very experienced school, whereas my clueless school said sure, why not? and was pleasantly surprised when four of us got in.

FoolsAssassin · 24/04/2021 15:08

I think they do FlyingSquid from what I have heard . They know their stuff and usually a fair few go so I am happy to be guided by them -unless DS adamant he wants to have a go then will support him fully whatever as wouldn’t want him to regret not trying . Currently he isn’t sure. Congratulations to your DD, that’s great!

FlyingSquid · 24/04/2021 15:32

Thank you!

Her school quite possibly do suggest Oxbridge to good candidates (they also have several who go there every year) but if so, DD wasn’t one of those spoken to, if you see what I mean. Hence my comment.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 24/04/2021 15:36

I would imagine it's still the case that the slightly further out Cambridge colleges are less popular than the centre-city ones. So somewhere like Girton probably tends to get a lot of 'pool' students (certainly used to be the case).

Some colleges have a reputation for being more 'public schooly' than others. Somewhere like Magdalen (Cambridge) definitely used to be very 'ra-ra'. Not sure if that's still the case though.

FingernailNibbler · 24/04/2021 17:11

NewModelArmyMayhem18 "I would imagine it's still the case that the slightly further out Cambridge colleges are less popular than the centre-city ones."
Yes. I don't understand why so many apply to the less popular/farther out colleges, as they don't seem to pool much. So to me, if seems if you apply at a 'popular'/central college, you get 2 chances, but just 1 if you apply to less popular college?

Also, I think some of the stereotypes about central colleges have changed and (many of them) are more friendly and welcoming to all now?

Lovecatsanddogs · 24/04/2021 17:30

Applicants apply to the less popular ones to retain a little control ie not to end up in girls college and to increase their odds.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 24/04/2021 17:48

I think the whole application process for Oxbridge is about being savvy - about course and possibly college too. You stand a much higher chance getting in for some subjects and (Classics and now MFL) than others (STEM subjects for example) and colleges than others.

UnkindlyMay · 24/04/2021 18:04

I can highly recommend ‘girls’ college’ if, like me, you would otherwise have been the only girl at your college doing your subject.

By the third year, there were 9 (out of about 130) female physics students in my year and 4 of those were at Newnham - so most of the colleges had no female physicists left. Things might have improved, I suppose, but it’s worth checking.

Lovecatsanddogs · 24/04/2021 18:08

Yes I agree @UnkindlyMay - my DD had the opposite issue as studying vet med so very few males on course so would have been reluctant to go all girls college too.

Piggywaspushed · 24/04/2021 18:41

I noticed that ex girls colleges ( which might be a good place to apply if male?) are more heavily state school than most.

goodbyestranger · 24/04/2021 19:05

NewModelArmyMayhem18 that's a bit of a rookie error to make, assuming that you're more likely to get in for a particular subject because there are fewer applicants per place.

You're completely ignoring the issue of quality in relation to quantity.

There are reasons why there are far more applications for certain subjects and far fewer for others but saying it's far easier to get in for a subject simply because it has fewer applicants per place is being very simplistic.

goodbyestranger · 24/04/2021 19:10

Broadly speaking, if you're looking at a highly technical subject such as Classics or MFL, then there will be few who can wing it at interview or on any aptitude tests.

For 'chattier' subjects such as Theology, History, English, PPE far more might be prepared to 'have a go'.

FlyingSquid · 24/04/2021 19:40

@goodbyestranger

Broadly speaking, if you're looking at a highly technical subject such as Classics or MFL, then there will be few who can wing it at interview or on any aptitude tests.

For 'chattier' subjects such as Theology, History, English, PPE far more might be prepared to 'have a go'.

Oh, I think DD (MFL) winged quite a bit of it at interview...

Her teacher commented when she got her place, ‘Ah, how lovely that they saw your potential and not your bad grammar!’

Well, she said it in Foreign, but that was the gist.

PantTwizzler · 24/04/2021 19:42

Agreed @goodbyestranger. And given that subjects like Latin and MFL are perceived as "hard" subjects at A-level, the candidates taking these subjects are already self-selecting.

I think college stereotypes are just that. My DD is at an ex-women's college... and guess what? Most of her friends went to fee-paying schools.

Piggywaspushed · 24/04/2021 20:03

In case anyone has a DC interested (have to be state school)

www.cai.cam.ac.uk/access-outreach/resources-and-events/subject-taster-evenings

FingernailNibbler · 24/04/2021 20:49

FlyingSquid Grinhahahaha

goodbyestranger · 24/04/2021 23:31

FlyingSquid there's a bit of internal contradiction there. Given that the teacher was glad potential which exists was recognised, it suggests that there was less winging it than your DD thinks.

FlyingSquid · 25/04/2021 05:48

Ummm... you might have to run that one past me again! Less-than-perfect knowledge of a language can clearly sometimes be compensated by fast talking and thinking on your feet.

Anyway, good luck to all.