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.

I’m not surprised Piggy, throwing in an EPQ at the 11th hour! What a waste of the summer, on thinking through topic alone.

I have been put in my place by DS. I was moaning that I haven’t figured out how to cheat the character limit and why can’t they just have a word limit like in Word which is really easy to cheat? He pointed out that (1) people cheating the word count is probably why they introduced a character limit and (2) solicitors shouldn’t cheat. Sigh. I miss the age where they were too young to contradict me.

The ‘first draft’ of the PS hasn’t materialised here …
School’s internal deadline for ‘final draft’ is 8th October.
DD reckons if her UCAS ref isn’t frazzling about it then there is no need for me to either!
She’s registered for the CAT test so that’s a plus.
Also, it’s looking like finally a college to apply to has been decided
@pantjog can I take you up on your kind offer to discuss said choice over PM?

@Eightytwenty cunning use of hyphens and white font. If you type “one two three” it counts it as 3 words. If you type “one-two-three” (and make the hyphens white) it counts it as 1 word. Obviously not suggesting anyone does this …

Is she really set on Merton sandybayley? All of mine have said exactly the same about Merton and the medic DS had a friend at Merton who found all her friends outside the college, to get some light relief from the intensity. Ditto a school friend of DD3. Still time to re-consider, and I guess your DD may favour intense. My older DC have always strongly counselled the younger ones against Merton. Such a beautiful college and gorgeous squirrels, but the vibe isn't what any of mine would have liked. If you notice, going into Merton, there's almost always a creepy silence.

That’s true, goodbye.

On paper, Merton looked perfect for ds. Ds signed up for a mock tutorial at open day, whilst I had a fine parents’ lunch.

The rooms were divine, the chapel magnificent, the grounds sublime. Ds came out and said he hated it. We agreed it felt a bit cold .

Btw, @goodbyestranger , feel very envious of you as my Oxbridge journey is now done.

I could always become That Famous Mother from the student room and take over as the oracle on admissions (joking!).

My DD has three friends from Merton, two of whom were classicists. I think intense accurately describes all of them. They are incredibly kind and very funny. Listening to them is like Hancock's Half Hour, they are so quick and sharp. All three are ferociously clever and very driven academically but don't have an unkind or unfriendly bone in their body. Slightly donnish and a bit other-worldly perhaps. I totally accept that Merton's not for everyone, but it could suit some DC down to the ground if that is who they are. The musical life of the college is very special - the Advent service is magical and worth queueing for - but unless DC are potential choral scholars I guess such things will have little bearing on most DC's decisions.

@DottyHarmer

That’s true, goodbye.

On paper, Merton looked perfect for ds. Ds signed up for a mock tutorial at open day, whilst I had a fine parents’ lunch.

The rooms were divine, the chapel magnificent, the grounds sublime. Ds came out and said he hated it. We agreed it felt a bit cold .

It's so important to visit. On paper DS and I both thought magdalen was perfect for him. We visited and we both hated it. He ended up at a tiny college which he absolutely adores.

DD has visited Merton. She did a residential at Hertford and it included some sessions at Merton. She really liked it! She's quite musical so that aspect appeals.

I'm leaving her to it. It's her 18th birthday today so she's officially an adult 😉

Happy birthday to your DD Sandy!

Thanks @ealingwestmum - I can't quite believe it. She's all grown up but not at all grown up at the same time...

I know exactly what you mean We’re 2 weeks behind you. She’s strangely affectionate with me right now; hoping it’s not just prospect of gifts/party related!

It's so important to visit. On paper DS and I both thought magdalen was perfect for him. We visited and we both hated it.

Those of you who know - is it really bad to pick without visiting and/or to put in an open application?

We tried to visit, twice. Both times majority of colleges closed to the public. DS has very little idea of what he wants - think he's finding it impossible to imagine student life after a very restricted time in 6th form with Covid. We don't know anyone at Oxford he can visit. I've suggested a final trip but he's worrying about losing a day of MAT prep (bless him).

How bad would it be just to pick one? Or not to pick at all?

The only reason we went to Cambridge really is because it's quite near us, and we fancied a day trip. We managed to get inside 3 college's grounds , and concluded they were all lovely. It really did not inform the decision making process, especially compared with DS1 and other uni Open Days a couple of years ago. It feels to me like a lot of other factors swing things for other universities.

@VikingNorthUtsire. Given how he feels, I think it makes total sense not to choose one, or just be brisk about it. Is he happy to go absolutely anywhere? Then do an open application and move on (there was a C applicant last year who did an open application and then there were lots of posts about not liking that allocated college - so one has to be willing to anywhere, but in reality the same is true for everyone else, given how much reallocation and pooling goes on).

Alternatively, get the list, do a quick filter eg they have v few places for my subject/ He does to an independent so not Mansfield / I am desperate not to be in a non -traditional building) and then just plump for one of the majority that are left.

And then move on and don’t waste any more agony on it.

DD hasn't decided on a college either, and is unlikely to get the chance to visit the city before the Ucas deadline. So we've put it on the back burner while she sorts out her personal statement. On the basis that it probably doesn't matter that much anyway, plus she's unlikely to get in.
Does anyone know what goes into the extra Oxbridge questionnaire? So that she can take that into account when drafting the personal statement?

Firstly, neither dc completed the questionnaire. I suppose it might be useful if you are a choral aspirant or an elite sportsperson, but otherwise there’s not much to add.

College choice is not the be all or end all. In fact it is quite iffy to get fixated on the perfect college. At Oxford in particular you are highly likely to end up somewhere else. On ds’s first go, he was interviewed at three colleges, each one progressively more distant from the centre….

Also, if you’ve found The College, then it’s highly likely that it appeals to masses of other people too, and will be oversubscribed. One look at Worcester and it’s “Yep, that’s a lovely college” but take a look at the application stats and it’s “Eeek - no thanks!”

Basically just have a punt at where you like but - a job for a mum! - drum it into your offspring’s head that a place anywhere is a Massive Win.

After coming out of his GCSE’s feeling badly done to when the school algorithm was applied and missing out on the grades he thought he deserved. DS pulled his socks up in 6th form and was delighted with his predicted grades this week 4 x A*s including (his EPQ) and an A in his fourth A level. His PS seems to finally be shaping up a bit with some input of small tweaks from his teachers but I don’t know whether it is Oxbridge standard. He/we have absolutely no idea whatsoever about colleges and as we live up north no time to visit until half term and after the deadline date. He isn’t private school educated but has gone to a local GS and wants to do Nat Sci at Cambridge (def isn’t choir material) he enjoys playing basketball is interested in football and is fairly sociable. What colleges would anyone recommend please and why? Thanks

[quote Horace123]@Eightytwenty cunning use of hyphens and white font. If you type “one two three” it counts it as 3 words. If you type “one-two-three” (and make the hyphens white) it counts it as 1 word. Obviously not suggesting anyone does this …[/quote]
DD says that she needs a character count, not a word count?

DD decided to choose a college this evening. She went through the list, crossing a college out if she could find anything significant against it. After a couple of hours she was left with zero colleges...

Oh dear!