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.

I have been reading some Oxbridge personal statements today to help students. My, they are florid! When did clarity and exactitude stop being virtues?

Hope I’m wrong too Sandy. I guess both are anecdotal; yet DD’s school advised not to take the risk unless it was a course that required early, based on their admissions experience over recent years. I’m sure there were exceptions...or maybe just a dislike for DD’s school!

Durham do seem to be a bit all over their place with their offers and can make people wait for a really long time. I'd worry that submitting later would just result in a really late offer, adding to stress.

Apparently, if you apply for the other unis later they can still see that you were an early applicant though. So I'm not sure it helps from that point of view.

Ah, that’s useful to know. Thank you both.

Do you have to pay extra fees if you add additional choices before the main deadline?

Not if you opted to pay the fee for 'more than one' choice at the outset. If you only put down one initial choice and only paid the basic fee for this, you have to pay the difference when you add the other(s). Ditto if you initially only apply to / pay for one and then need or want to use Extra later.

@Piggywaspushed

I have been reading some Oxbridge personal statements today to help students. My, they are florid! When did clarity and exactitude stop being virtues?

Were these successful applicants?

No, these are applicants!

It's really not widely known (as evidenced here!) that you can apply for Ox/Cam/Med in October and then add other unis later. It surprised me last year (have a DS about to reapply to Oxford...). My guess is that schools like student to have all 5 done and dusted together, for the sake of their own admin, so students then ASSUME it's the rules. I would advise anyone to take their time on the other 4 and argue with their school if necessary!

DS school has just sent a letter about filling in choices by October 1st in fact! Because I had covid we didn't do our lovely trip to Bath do that remains his unknown quantity.That said, pretty sure York will be a second choice anyway.

DS (wanting to do classics) has decided on which college he’d like to apply to at Oxford - Merton. It’s not one of the ones we visited and the only thing I’ve ever heard about it was a colleague saying it’s where fun goes to die 😱. Does anyone have any reassurance? Although his school has stressed that increasingly students don’t get their choice of college but end up enjoying the college they get.

I'm afraid that's what DS1 says about Merton @Horace123 - could be because they are deadly rivals with his college. Guess where DD is applying 🤔

Oh dear @SandyBayley! DS had his UCAS meeting yesterday - confirmed prediction of 45, signed off personal statement and showed him his reference. Feel quite relieved it’s done.

I queried about merits of applying for Oxford now and delaying other choices. Was told definitely do this if not certain of other 4 choices (and to please only apply to a uni you will actually be happy to go to). Was told definitely don’t delay applying for others as a tactic - as no evidence of any advantage.

I thought you might get that advice @Horace123

Well done your DS on the 45 prediction. DD says she doesn't think she'll meet her prediction and would be delighted to actually get 42.

We would be DELIGHTED with 42!

I think we chose the college today : DS has plumped for Selwyn, mainly because of location but also because it seems lovely.

He is not a talented musician but he plays euphonium and would like to be in a big band /brass band. Just wasn't sure whether Fitzwilliam might be a better fit for a fun and inclusive music scene.

DN has gone up to Oxford this weekend to do a whistlestop tour to help him shortlist colleges. I can see from this thread that he is very late to the party compared with others.

Good luck to your DS @Piggywaspushed. Selwyn is a lovely college.

Thanks , it does seem it! Very pretty too.

The Public Policy guy is at Fitzwilliam which is what drew him to that but Selwyn's charms (and dog) won over. I have never seen a bad word about it on Student Room.

Now to wrangle the personal statement so that it's more 'Oxbridge'. It's been done and I think it's good but it may not quite dot he biz for Cambridge. DS does loads of extra reading and watches loads for dramas and documentaries . Because I teach sixth form I think of this as a rather unique trait in and of itself, since vanishingly few of my students do this - but it seems he needs to 'build an argument'.

That makes 2 on here placing Selwyn 1st Piggy

Oh, lovely!

DS had done his. But having watched a few videos it now needs tweaking to be a bit less neutral, it seems. 4000 characters is not enough...

I think DD's PS is done. She's happy with it and her school seem happy with it. I thought it was good when I last looked. I think she just needs to lose 50 characters...

4,000 character count is definitely a challenge, but I like the fact that it’s the same rule, wherever one applies to via UCAS. Even if many institutions don’t read/value them these days, it’s been a great way to focus DD and to make sure she was committed to her course choice.

I didn’t read though, left it to her and school to make the necessary iterations.

I don't trust DS's school!