Oxbridge Aspirants 2022

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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.

And it's certainly not half - not all females suffer in the way a small number do!

I don’t think you read my post: it’s dubious as an adjustment as it could apply to any girl for any exam. I am very well aware indeed of period pain and welcome more openness surrounding it, but it seems difficult to judge who would on any particular day need breaks or extra time.

IrmaFayLear
"Anyway, worst exam experience surely goes to dsis in O Level Maths where the girl behind was sick and it went all over dsis’s cardigan. The the girl was sick on the way out over dsis’s paper. Dsis left in - literal - disgust and failed the O Level... No mitigating circs in those days!"

Just Your poor Dsis!

You go to the GP afterwards irma and the exams officer applies. In terms if an exam concessions, easily applied if you have medical evidence of eg dysmennorhoea. Rest breaks is a common one.

I invigilated three fun exams back in the day. One with a full on epileptic fit, one with a diabetic seizure and then the same poor boy had a nose bleed all over his maths GCSE paper about 10 minutes before the end! Chaos!

Extra time isn't applied to medical conditions.

DD has 10 'perfect' GCSEs from last summer. I'm frustrated for her as I suspect she would have got the same result if she'd sat the exams and they feel a bit devalued as they were given rather than earned. It is what is is though and as problems go it's not one to fret about, in fact it's not really a problem.

It may add something to her Oxford medical application but won't do much more than get her to the start. Far more important to get good predicted grades, then a great BMAT, then good interviews...

sandy DD4, like Irma's DD, was fed up with cancelled exams last summer. Not surprisingly she got all As on results day, then.... all As again when CAGs were announced. She was overwhelmingly likely to have got all A*s has the exams taken place, given her exam history. Any irritation has long since faded, as it will for your own DD and for Irma's. Best to accept it for what it is and focus on sunshine, end of lockdown and exciting new beginnings.

DD and I totally accept it for what it is @goodbyestranger - one of the outcomes of the pandemic that we have no control over.

As you know DS1 also had his A levels cancelled so has the same 'not sat'
grade scenario. As I said to him, his grades are just a stepping stone to the next stage and both he and DD got where they needed to be so it doesn't matter in the long term. In the bigger scheme of things it doesn't matter and hopefully DD will get her moment when her IB exams happen next summer.

Yes I forgot that sandy. I was being dim - you've more experience than me at cancelled exams!

It gets even better DS2 is (this morning) sitting GCSE assessments that aren't exams but feel suspiciously like them!

I have to say that I think last year's Y13 got away with things very lightly compared to subsequent exam year groups - counting our blessings here.

Dd says it feels really weird - normally she would have been panicking and worrying about what was on the paper - but they have been told what’s on the paper and the content has been halved. So it’s more like a timed essay.

Of course exams taken generally fade in one’s memory and become less important over the years, but the general sixth form experience was strange.. They are finishing for good next week - after hardly ever having been there!

You win some, you lose some: no doubt there were a fair few fortunate yr 13s last year who lucked out with CAGs and went to better universities than they might have done, but their university experience has generally been pants.

The big winners I guess are those who Durham paid to defer!

Somewhat hilariously we had a talk tonight about applying to Oxbridge for DD's year and one of the panel was DS1 😂

When it came to the questions I felt like asking him if he'd had any support from his parents but I resisted the temptation.

I felt very proud of him. Even DD said he was good.

Was it a virtual thing sandy? He might have removed you, in the manner of Jackie Weaver.

Yes virtual @goodbyestranger . It was good as they opened it up to all the local schools who don't all normally run such an evening.

Ah that's lovely @sandybayley!

Just realised this thread is dormant. How is everyone doing?

DD has got her IB predictions and has managed to get a maximum 45 😊 Absolutely chuffed for her. She's worked so hard this whole year.

She was supposed to be visiting DS1 in Oxford this weekend to help narrow down college choice but rising infection rates and the need to submit her extended essay on anthrax have scuppered that.

She has a UCAS week at school next week so I'm hoping she might narrow things down a bit then.

Hi there - I have a DS wanting to apply to Oxford for PPE. We’re in Scotland and he’s got 8 Nat 5s at Grade A and just learned he got 5 As at Higher (but they won’t tell us the Bands grrrrrr). He is doing AH Music and AH Maths and wanted to do AH History but time tabling doesn’t allow it but he’s chosen to do crash Higher Economics and crash Higher Politics - I think will need to get A in both AH and an A in one of his Highers which is apparently acceptable if he can’t do a third Higher through no fault of his own. He’s at a non-selective State school.

I’ve just posted a question on here, before spotting that there was a 2022 thread (doh) Hope you don’t mind me linking to it here as it might get lost otherwise:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4280480-Best-value-Oxford-College-accommodation-wise?msgid=108521272#108521272

We’re planning a little trip to Oxford in July - just looking at accommodation online for family of 4. Thinking a Premier In/Travelodge. If anyone has any other suggestions, I’m all ears

Thanks for bumping sandy. There are quite a few virtual open days coming up at Cambridge soon. DS has signed up for a specific HSPS one at St Catharine's so we'll see how that goes.

OxbridgeProject DD took her PPE prelims in Oxford this week whilst suffering from Covid. She thinks her college may reopen on 5th, once all the currently infected/isolating students can finally go home next weekend.

There is a new Premier Inn next to the Westgate shopping centre, but I'm not sure if it has opened yet. The Travelodge by the Redbridge P&R is functional and well located to get into the city centre. Have you looked to see if any Colleges are doing B&B?

DD went to a perfectly ordinary comp and got A levels in maths, history & Eng language. The maths will be very useful, as he would seriously struggle without it for economics & politics.

hoghgyni thanks for those tips on accommodation. Haven’t checked out the B&Bs yet - will do so.

Your poor DD having Covid AND having to sit the exams. Hope she has a good rest over the Summer. I responded to your reply on my other thread and didn’t realise that your own DD actually had Covid.

As I think I've mentioned before @Piggywaspushed I applied and was rejected for HSPS. I think it those days it was SPS. Went to Edinburgh instead and was very happy.

I recall that I selected my College (King's) on architecture. No research or thought. Says it all really.

DS1 applied to St John's on the basis it was very wealthy and he thought they'd give him a lot of grants for books and educational trips. He ended up elsewhere but his college is also pretty generous and beautiful.

DD is so far pretty clueless about college choice. I'm lobbying for a couple of not particularly good reasons but I'm sure she'll come up with something sensible. DS1 thinks she should go to his of course...

I just think he isn't all that sure about HSPS. We just did a 'blind selection' of unis based on modules and Cambridge came about 5th out of 10. They don't make it sound exciting on their website. I guess maybe they don't think they have to!