Oxbridge Aspirants 2022

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

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.

Teaching is broadly good - improved significantly once ftf was possible.
Facilities good, sport povision excellent but expensive unless it matches all that the student wants.
Food average but coop on site.
What has made a difference was treatment during lockdown & care when students had covid, plus care of international students stuck there all year.
Compared to most other universities that I heard about from other parents, and that my dc heard about from their friends at other universities, Bath excelled at making their students feel cared for at a group and on an individual level. The 3 different dc at Bath whose parents I know (at different points in undergraduate journey) all have a striking sense of pride & loyalty to Bath, probably a result of how they have been treated.
I was a bit concerned that my DC turned down other more prestigious universities for Bath, but it has been a great choice.

More prestigious than Bath? Goodness. Is that just a clouded RG reference because Bath is v prestigious in my book.

Having had a DC apply to Bath in this last cycle, I can confirm they are far and away the best for student communication, efficiency and transparency. Very progressive, forward thinking uni that doesn’t rest in its laurels - that’s the impression I got. Also that they put student satisfaction first and foremost. No wonder it’s in the top 10 unis (above many / most RGs) for most subjects these days.

@roseteathecatsandme @tumfy A million thanks for your insight it's so so helpful to have first hand feedback on it. We are off for a visit in September for her 18th so I'm going to contact them to see if we can have a look around. Her mock grades were on point with their standard offer for politics so fingers crossed it'll be an option when the time comes.

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango @tumfy My Ds has just finished his 2nd year at Bath. I agree that certainly during the 1st lockdown they were far better than other unis at continuing with online lectures etc. (Friend’s Ds at York was on spring break when the 1st lockdown started & they had no more teaching after that!) When we moved his belongings out of halls in the summer I spoke to some of the staff & they seemed to have done a lot to support those who had been stuck there.

My Ds really likes it there. He was quite young & not very streetwise starting so the campus setup made him feel secure with everything close by. Btw he is not sporty at all & did not feel out of place.

The city is beautiful of course. Great place to visit! Most of the private student housing for 2nd year onwards is not that close to the uni. It has not been an issue this year with little reason to be on campus. Will see how it goes next year if there is more f2f

@Piggywaspushed

Sorry-I guess it could be a clouded RG emergence, but wasn't meant that way! Just that offers for Durham, St Andrews, Imperial etc were turned down in favour of Bath, and results exceeded offers for all those.
I think it reflects my lack of upto date Ness more than anything else!

Yes, in that mix , I could see Bath might not have quite the same cachet, but I am never sure how St As has achieved that. I idly wonder if it is just it's perceived poshness, and royal connections. Many moons ago, when I was at school, it was just another one of the unis, equal to Glasgow and Edinburgh, possibly even a bit behind. None of my friends went there as it was considered a bit provincial and undesirably English!

Have any of ‘our Oxbridge Aspirant ants’ actually decided upon a college to have a punt at?
Or is it just mine ?

*Aspirants - jeez I reckon ought to leave it up to DD

Yes @ProggyMat - we have a no 1 and no 2 Oxford college choice.

No great method in her choice. Possibly an element of sibling annoyance as no 1 is the college next door to DS1's which he explicitly told her not to apply to. There is a lot of rivalry between the two colleges.

Dd likes the look of Clare & Emmanuel. She has somebody personal statement session she applied for with Pembroke too next week so that could be up there too.

@SandyBayley I can see your DDs rationale particularly when told ‘not to’ grin]
My DD initially picked out 3 and asked my opinion.
Knowing DD as I (think) I do, they all looked a good choice but one in ‘my mind’s eye’ seemed the best fit as did DD.
Cue a friend’s DP saying ‘no don’t apply there’
Cue another shuffle and 3 different colleges selected by DD and my opinion sought.
Couldn’t see her at any and although I’m not the one having a punt my opinion was expressed
Cue another shuffle and the favourite ( of both) back in the mix, plus one of her original choice and one from second shuffle
Hopefully the 3 will be whittled down to one soon without her asking for any input from me…

I did a list of colleges but we haven't narrowed it down really. Down to earth/ unintimidating is main thing.

I'm popping back in. Was here early on then dropped away and now the clock is ticking. DD wants politics/IR and will be an international student despite us both being British as we're in the EU.
Going to catch up with everyone's progress now. (I think I've namechanged since the thread started)

Dd's other choices currently looking to be St A, UCL, Manchester and Lancaster. Along with Maastricht and Dublin, La Sapienza in Rome and Trento. (we're in Italy)

ProggyMat why does it matter what a friend's DP says? Was this DP at the college in question? What was his/ her objection to it? It must have been a pretty dire warning to put your DD right off. I would say that it's a little dangerous to say 'you can't see your DD' at college A, B or C, since she might be pooled to one of those colleges before interview or during. People should choose colleges lightly, imo.

@goodbyestranger - DD’s friend has a different ‘lived experience’ to us
And no, the DP didn’t go to the college in question and I haven’t a clue why they would think it not suitable for my DD.
I agree it’s dangerous to think A B C but often other factors force one to consider such things?

ProggyMat We visited Oxford last week to look around. My DS is still undecided on Colleges but did take a shine to the one College he’d shown the most interest in. It helped that we were allowed to walk around the beautiful quads and the Porters were lovely. Christ Church, however, was wanting to charge £50 to have a look round for a family ticket (2 adults, DS and DD) and that was with some halls closed for asbestos removal! DS loved Oxford and really wants to get there. Sleeves are getting rolled up and he’s going to give it his very best shot. He definitely needs to up his supra curricular efforts though - not easy when the weather has been so spectacular!

If an applicant is pooled to another college, that indicates that the academics of that college can 'see them there' which surely outweighs the opinions of parents or random blokes.

Tried to attach a photo. Not sure if it’s of interest to anyone

@ErrolTheDragon

If an applicant is pooled to another college, that indicates that the academics of that college can 'see them there' which surely outweighs the opinions of parents or random blokes.

Indeed in regard to academics! However, given there are ‘many windows from which to view the world’ outside of such a lens,I’m not so sure the parents opinion ought to be outweighed? I take your point about ‘random blokes’, though

@TheNextSteps sounds like a good time was had by all!
And if that’s not enough for DS to ‘roll his sleeves up’ proper, then nowt will !
What subject does he want to read?

What kind of criteria are you judging the colleges on ProggyMat?

@goodbyestranger it’s not a question of judging, per se, it’s a case of reminding DD - when she is selecting a college to have a punt at- of how she is positioned now and how she may well be over the four years of her degree.
That is of course, if she was fortunate to be offered a place.- whether at the college she initially chose or pooled to another
Anyhoo, hopefully a decision will be made soon.

I'm clearly being thick ProggyMat because I don't have a clue what you mean about position.

Does your DD have very singular circumstances?