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.

Maybe @Piggywaspushed . I wonder if it's a bit different for STEM?

When DS1 went to an open day at Oxford (when such things happened) the labs were so amazing that he was sold there and then. After that every other university was an 'also ran'.

Yes, I can imagine those kind of world beating facilities would make a difference. He has never really shown an interest in anthropology which is quite a big part of it and the sociology is definitely theory rather than applied, it seems to me. I think doing well in his recent exams has made him feel he shouldn't pass up a chance at least. I think he'd probably interview well because he really does know his stuff and likes talking about it.

I was on this thread before under a different name. DS wants to apply to Cambridge to study pure economics. I have no idea which college. Any suggestions? ( we are new to the UK) Got his predicted grades today and they are good enough. ( Is it ok to talk abt grades here?)

@sandybayley congratulations to your DD. I am familiar with how tough the IB is and 45 is marvellous.

Of course it's OK to talk about grades here @MareofBeasttown - this is intended to be a place we can share freely in a way that's it always possible IRL.

Thanks for the good wishes to DD. She works so hard, I'm pleased she has something to show for it. It's a definite confidence boost.

As an aspiring Medic it's the UCAT and BMAT aptitude tests that matter more though.

I really can't advise on Cambridge colleges, sorry.

The only think I know is that a few (Girton is one and Churchill another) are a bit further out form Cambridge, if that's an issues.

Some take more students for certain subjects than others (so, for example, Homerton takes 11 HSPS students where most colleges take 4 - 8)

Unifrog (if school has it) is a good source of stats such as m/f ; state/private intake if that matter to you/DS.

thing !! Not think...

Another question: DS has predicted grades of AAA for Maths, Further Maths and Economics and an A for Physics. He wants to retake Physics over the summer as he was only 2 marks away from an A. I think he should focus on his application and preparing for the entrance test. Is it really worthwhile doing a retake or should he just convince his Physics teacher to predict an A* ( feel a bit cringey about that)?

Outstanding IB predicted grade Sandy, well done to your DD!

You're very kind @ealingwestmum

@MareofBeasttown - I guess it depends. Those are brilliant grades. I think if it's a very high achieving school where A stars are more common I might push for a retake in September. But I wouldn't worry about it too much.

SandyBayley my own DC would advise your DD not to apply to your DS's college, particularly given their respective subjects in which there would be a good degree of crossover between tutors. The college is very strong for Medicine, but even so - your DD will surely want her own Oxford life. Given how small the college is, it would be particularly difficult.

You're probably right @goodbyestranger - I'm also steering her away from the other colleges where other family members went. MIL is gunning for her old college in particular.

I suspect DD would enjoy a large central college with a good choir, some opportunities for hockey and nice architecture. Happy to take a suggestions....

Queen's for choir and lots of choir associated perks.

Magdalen good for on site accommodation of medics in later years.

Which college did MIL go to?

The issue is really about family members currently at the same college and the very natural wish to be entirely your own person when you start at Oxford. Some siblings do bunk up and of course each to their own, but that wasn't for mine.

Mine always checked out the numbers of students taken in for their own subject, because there can be some surprises - they all wanted a decent number of peers.

Fabulous IB prediction on top of fabulous GCSEs. She can clearly afford to be bold in her choice of college. Given her school, maybe steer away from the colleges such as Worcester with the most overt state school drive?

I meant to type very well done her re IB. Outstanding doesn't quite fit it.

MIL was at St Anne's, her father was at Christchurch.

@SandyBayley

You're very kind *@ealingwestmum*

@MareofBeasttown - I guess it depends. Those are brilliant grades. I think if it's a very high achieving school where A stars are more common I might push for a retake in September. But I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Thanks @SandyBayley. DS had a long talk with his teachers and they are divided on this. Some say his grades are enough- I certainly thought so- some say that it might be good to do a retake because his school is a high achieving school. I am leaving it to him.

Well done to your DD, @SandyBayley, that's a wonderful achievement! Re colleges, Queen's does indeed have a fab choir but it's (AFAIK) only choral scholars who sing in it... unless your DD is planning to apply for a choral scholarship?

We went to Oxford on Saturday to pick up DD1 and to give DD2 a chance to look round... so we saw lots of closed front gates! We also had a chat with an old friend who is involved with her subject so it wasn't a wasted journey. (Incidentally, he said that apparently interviews are already planned to be online this year -- a decision which I find very depressing given that we'd hope things will be normal-ish by then.)

DD2 feels very frustrated about the lack of open days. Of course it's understandable in the current situation, but it makes it very hard for them to choose. On the other hand, both DD1 and DS1 have ended up at colleges they hadn't even set foot in before their interviews, so it's good not to set too much store by a particular choice.

For her, she's ruled out DD1's college because she doesn't want to tread on her toes. She would love to go to the college DH and I went to but the choir is all male so that would rule out singing in it.

@MareofBeasttown there's a really useful graph generator here where you can see how many applications and acceptances there were for each subject at each Cambridge college. I wish there were the same thing for Oxford!
www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

@pantjog - thanks. And congrats to your DS for surviving his first year at Oxford. We're still waiting for DS1's results, he claims not to know when they'll be out 😬

DD is a great singer but an amateur one so a friendly choir, welcoming choir wound be nice.

The statistical tool was a really helpful aide in helping DD shortlist her choice of colleges. She's applying to a small course that only offers few places, if any by college. But it wasn't necessarily the larger colleges that offered the most places, so she's kept to her overall criteria of where offers good sport & music provision, as well as DoS/subject fellows attached to each college.

It's highly unlikely she'll get to visit before deadline but it also avoids getting overly attached, should be fortunate enough to go further in the process.

Thanks @SandyBayley. DS is C not O… but same difference!

That’s a good perspective @ealingwestmum.

Can I join in? My DS has fallen in love with Oxford and is going to apply to do classics. He is doing IB and has been predicted all 7s for his subjects so hopefully he has a chance. The classics thing is quite new - up to now he was set on maths.

Two questions - he is struggling to decide on which college to apply for. Are any better than others for classics? I think from his school 3 students are applying to Oxford for classics (although not all for the exact course). I have a memory that schools will usually only support one candidate per college - is that a thing? Or is it one candidate per college per subject?

@Horace123 - at our school it is one candidate per subject per college.

And welcome @Horace123

My DD is applying for Classics with A levels in Latin, Classical Greek and Ancient History- no UCAS predictions as yet.
I too would find pointers towards colleges very useful!
@Horace123 I think at DDs school there are 2 possibly 3 applying for Classics but for different courses .
The advice is one college per student

Thanks @SandyBayley.

@ProggyMat That subject choice sounds good. I am worried that having chosen not to do Greek will count against DS (his school does offer it). His higher subjects are maths, Latin and chemistry. Which other universities is your DD looking at? DS so focused on Oxford having trouble getting him to focus on others. Think he has a meeting re application this week so if I get any info re colleges I'll let you know.