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.

[Malbecfan]

@ErrolTheDragon is correct. I've toured Downing as it is the designated college for my area. I have taught students who have applied there but don't know anyone who got an offer. On the other hand, DD's college has had one student per year go for the last 4 years from her school. I'm not sure if anyone is going this year but at least one y13 is applying there.

I don't know a lot about Homerton either. Seriously, don't stress about the college. Apply to the one they like the look of. If they are good enough, they will either get an offer or get pooled. DD was picked out of the pool in 2016/17. Her Director of Studies thinks it's hilarious that he picked her out as she is now starting a PhD and working for him.

[ErrolTheDragon]

My mistake, it's not quite as far out as I thought.

[Chilldonaldchill]

We have had a few people say things like "DD should go to X college" but they are mostly a bit out of date. For example lots of them think that only certain colleges teach certain subjects etc or that historical links (eg I think Downing used to be the law college and Corpus history - though I could be wrong!) mean that a college is "better" for one subject than another. I gather that's not the case any more but lots of people seem to still assume it is.
We know someone at Homerton who absolutely loves it and I think the ground are beautiful but it does feel as though it would be a bit isolated (the person we know there denies that though).

[Piggywaspushed]

When we visited, we didn't get that sense about Homerton as it is on a main bus route and so close to useful shops , cinema, trains.

Selwyn was closer to town but felt more secluded, for example.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Thanks @NewModelArmyMayhem18 what is it about them that's different? @ErroltheDragon has nailed it about Homerton. Downing is very different although in some ways a bit of a 'newbie' upstart as it's nowhere near as old as many of the other centre(ish) town ones but has up and come in terms of reputation and academic prowess.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

But if your DD loved the look of Downing why not give it a shot? Someone has to get the places even at the most sought after colleges!

[pantjog]

DD’s boyfriend is at Downing and is very happy there. My DS is at another old C college, having decided to “dream big”. Someone’s got to get in, as PP have said.

[chitchattery]

I always feel that Downing looks like a US military academy but that means there is lots of space. Just not in a conventional courts and cloisters sort of way. Homerton is very new (as a full college) and so just doesn’t get mentioned very much by students that are not there. It seems to be seen as a bit of an outlier. I guess it takes time to build up the history of sporting rivalries etc. Go for whatever suits - the colleges all have good and bad points.

[Theendoftheworldisnigh]

I've just had a look at Homerton and it looks lovely. Like a very nice boarding school with big grounds. Must be wonderful in the summer.

[DottyHarmer]

One college that ds and I looked around (not on an open day) was Sidney Sussex - which is rarely mentioned on here - and we liked it a lot. Lovely gardens and a fascinating Oliver Cromwell exhibition. And very convenient for Sainsbury’s! Ds had to give it a swerve as his rival since Reception was applying there…

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Oliver Cromwell's heart is buried in Sidney Sussex. And yes, being right opposite Sainsbury's is a very definite advantage!

Apparently the reason why Cambridge had to wait until the 1950s to be granted city status has its origins in the fact that it was the Roundheads HQ (vs Oxford for the Cavaliers) during the Civil War.

[chitchattery]

Sidney is lovely. DD has just graduated and really enjoyed it there. She loved the gardens and they can actually use them. Good accommodation on site for all 4 years and their major building project seems to be nearing completion. Ngl - it was a bit of a pain as there were points where you had to go miles round to get to parts of the college- fun when carrying all the stuff when moving in. But all that has gone. They managed Covid well from what DD says.

[Theendoftheworldisnigh]

I got the impression that the student body at Sidney Sussex is particularly woke, which I appreciate may be welcomed by some. Is that the case?

[JulesJules]

DH went to Sidney (days of yore, obvs) and loved it. Beautiful buildings and gardens, very handy for Sainsbury's, hence nn Sidney Sainsbury's. Cromwell went there so his heart is buried in the chapel. Very central, but you may still have to go to other colleges - he had a tutor at Girton for one paper, just borrowed a bike.

[Gizmo98765]

DS is having a punt at Cambridge for Nat Sci. He is from the north, fairly sociable but not OTT (isn’t keen on singing or drama societies) but enjoys sport but isn’t brilliant at it good food and enjoys his subject. He hasn’t a clue with colleges his state GS have told him to maybe look at St Johns or Fitzwilliam? Any comments on which out of those two to go for or anywhere else worth considering unfortunately we will live to far away to visit before the deadline.
His second choice would be Durham and he is thinking of either John Snow, Josephine Butler, Van Mildert or St Cuthberts anyone with any knowledge of these also?

[JulesJules]

@SandyBayley

I'm on the current parents thread. We don't name colleges as it's too identifying. DS1 is one of only four studying his subject at his college and I do need to maintain some degree of anonymity! That said posters often respond to requests for info on a specific college by PM if you ask. DS1's Oxford college is small and not a big name 😉

I'm also on current parents thread. D1 is the only student doing her History joint degree at her (Oxford) college - and only half the colleges offer it, it's a shame not to be able to give more info, but it would be really outing! She doesn't think her college has taken anyone for her course this year, as she would have been their college parent.
I'm happy to respond to PMs!

[Piggywaspushed]

Fitzwilliam is near science teaching. Modern buildings but not ugly. Beautiful gardens. Good for music and other societies. Bit of a trek into town but not all that far.

[chitchattery]

@Theendoftheworldisnigh. I don’t think they are particularly woke! The usual student politics you’d expect to find, but I think DD felt it was pretty middle of the road in that way.

[Treeoutside]

There are some lecturers saying pretty scary things on the Snowflakes thread. This is really putting me off having a child at university. Look at this, for instance:
"I work with undergraduates and we have always given some students with a variety of problems a lot of pastoral support. This really has massively increased in the twenty or so years I’ve been doing my job. Where once one or two in every ten might need help or adjustments or exam allowances for anxiety or personal/mental health problems, I estimate it’s now close on 60%. The students who don’t are now very much in the minority. In recent years I’ve had cohorts where hardly any don’t have some kind of doctor’s letter for mental health issues, exam allowances, counselling etc. This dramatic increase means something is going wrong somewhere.

My department has cut the weekly workload and the number of modules they take by at least 30% compared to ten years ago. My students complain the workload is too high and they can’t cope, but ten years ago the cohorts were taking twice the number of contact hours and paper requirements per week, and managed fine. Ten years ago our department used to get over 95 percent satisfaction ratings every year in the national student survey. Now with a dramatically reduced workload, the percentage of complaints about overwork, anxiety and stress has absolutely shot up. A real complaints culture has taken hold in the last few years. It’s very marked."

[ACloseMatch]

DD has a short list. I can't read her spreadsheet - it looks like chaos to me, but she's going to sleep on it then have a chat with school tomorrow. Hopefully she'll mail the personal statement and then she'll be good to go!

[goodbyestranger]

Treeoutside what do you see as the problem?

[Treeoutside]

The mental health issues, drop in standards, complaints culture.

[goodbyestranger]

The fact that there's a complaints culture is manifest just from reading MN education threads alone. The authors of the pieces in your post make perfectly fair comments.

So are you going to actively counsel your kid not to go to uni on the back of those comments?

[goodbyestranger]

Oh I see it's author singular.

[Treeoutside]

It does make a university abroad seem more appealing.