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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Oxbridge Aspirants 2022

997 replies

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 26/03/2021 07:35

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.

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 07/04/2021 10:07

She has a boyfriend going to Manchester this year so I think that will sway the Scotland choice

Manchester is obviously pretty close to Liverpool, but also closer to many English unis than it is to Edinburgh.... do you mean it will sway her more against Scotland?

SeasonFinale · 07/04/2021 11:52

@MarchingFrogs

www.cbi.org.uk/media/3841/12546_tess_2019.pdf

p.53

Exhibit 4.4 Most important factor in graduate recruitment (%)

Attitudes and aptitudes for work (67%)

Degree subject (11%)
Relevant work experience/industrial placement (8%)
Degree result (2:1, 2:2 etc) (7%)
Other (6%)
Foreign language capability (1%)
University they attended (0%)

(Obviously the CBI managed to find a very skewed sample, though, if statements on MN are to be believed).

That just means that 0% did not have the uni as the most important factor and it may well have been second most in many cases but the data is not presented to show that. Many grad schemes will have the min 2.1 as the first listed criteria.

It certainly does not rule it out as important to employers.

IpreferInchyraBlue · 07/04/2021 16:37

I'm very tentatively joining you. DD is thinking about applying to Cambs but is aware that the learning style may not work brilliantly for her. The course is exactly what he wants though, so unless she unearths enough more like it, she will have a go. Well that's the thinking at the moment, knowing her that will all change again.

NCTDN · 10/04/2021 08:19

DD is also considering Oxford for 2022 to study law. My concern is that the pressure there will be too much for her. Is it different social pressure than other unis? She's from a very normal state school. Will the mix of friendships be a bit like keeping up with the Jones'?

Aurea · 10/04/2021 08:32

My son is second year law at Oxford from a Scottish state comprehensive. He's fitted in fine and has made many friends and was ecstatically happy before lockdown. The vast majority of students in his college come from state schools (although many from grammars admittedly).

ErrolTheDragon · 10/04/2021 08:55

@NCTDN

I'm not aware of my DD experiencing any 'social pressure'. She's acquired friends and acquaintances from many backgrounds and nationalities. I'm not quite sure what you're envisioning tbh.

juicy0 · 10/04/2021 22:31

@Hoghgyni my DS is interested in studying PPE at Oxford and will start studying his a levels in September, he's chosen History, Latin, Maths and Economics. His school tutor says they have never successfully had a pupil get onto the course so if you can share any info that might help I'd be incredibly grateful. Thanks in advance.

FoolsAssassin · 11/04/2021 07:46

NCTDN I think I get what you are thinking with social pressure. I can’t answer as no experience of Oxford and Cambridge but my DS has changed place for 6th form and is now somewhere with some considerably more affluent students by the sound of it than before . Doesn’t seem to matter, it’s shared interests that bond them.

I imagine (and hopefully not naively) that will be similar at university.

Hoghgyni · 11/04/2021 07:51

History & maths are the two recommended subjects for A level so he is on the right track. Does he have debating groups which he could join at school? Problem solving & logic are key for scoring highly in the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) test which they all have to sit at the end of October after applying, but the second part of the paper is a short topical essay from a choice of questions eg. Right to protest, climate change etc.

Online events such as Guardian debates, subscribing to podcasts or free masterclasses from any uni will help. Take a look at the Cambridge HE+ webpages for recommended extension activities.

DD found her EPQ was useful (she took maths, history & English Language) and it rolls into 2 of the modules she wants to take in her second year.

Piggywaspushed · 11/04/2021 08:04

juicy, is it the school policy to start on 4 A Levels because it isn't necessary and may spread your DS too thin?

juicy0 · 11/04/2021 09:03

Thank you @Hoghgyni. He is part of Model United Nations at school and took part in their virtual conference in March, he plans to continue in year 12 and is hoping to be appointed to one of the lead roles. I'll take a look at the website as you suggested but I've found many of the free events are only open to state school pupils. Are there any podcasts you recommend? I've just ordered the books you mentioned earlier in the thread.
@Piggywaspushed many pupils do 4 A levels and I have expressed concern about it being too much and perhaps focussing on 3 to get the top grades necessary would be a better idea but DC is keen as he says he really enjoys all 4 and wouldn't know which one to give up. Unbeknownst to me he asked school if he could do 5 but thankfully they said no!

Hoghgyni · 11/04/2021 09:43

By podcasts, I mean find something he is interested in, whether that's Tim Harford's How to Vaccinate the World or Jon Sopel & Emily Maitliss Americast.

The Cambridge masterclasses were always open to everyone (I sat behind Hugh Bonneville at a potential parent's session). The HE+ webpages give ideas which are available to all, even though the Cambridge HE+ & Oxford UNIQ live events are only open for those meeting certain widening participation criteria.

There is absolutely no point in listing books you claim to have read, but can't discuss. The PPE reading lists (all available on college websites) for reading just before you start your degree are full of accessible books, as well as the more formal texts.

Hoghgyni · 11/04/2021 09:49

myheplus.com/ This has ideas for activities to engage in which are available for everyone.

5 A levels would have been completely pointless. You only need to achieve 3 x A if you hold an offer for PPE, regardless of whether you went to Harrow or a Cornish comp.

juicy0 · 11/04/2021 20:57

Thank you @Hoghgyni

PacificState · 14/04/2021 12:46

@LondonMischief and others interested in Oxford maths - my DS's experience (offer holder) was that it really is all 100% about the maths. He has no extra-curricular interests, did ok in this year's SMC but not particularly well in Olympiad, but his predicted grades are all A star and he just is genuinely good at and interested in maths. His interviewers didn't mentions anything from his personal statements, it was just straight in with maths problems.

His advice would be focus on getting a star predictions (his school thinks these are highly predictive of getting an interview) and prep like anything to get a good score on the MAT (a decent score goes a very, very long way towards getting an interview). Don't worry about much else, although of course if you have other interests/are an Olympiad whizz then those are good things to pursue for their own sake.

In summary: maths

Geamhradh · 14/04/2021 18:33

@sandybayley, thanks for lots of useful info.
@juicy0, my DD has been doing the UN Models for 3 years now, she's already done 2 this year. She really enjoys them.

DahliaMacNamara · 14/04/2021 21:16

Agree with @PacificState about maths being the predominant factor throughout the process.
DD's offer is for a related subject rather than maths, and the only part of her PS that came up at interview was some theoretical notion of her own. The rest of it was working through maths problems. She does have some wider interests, but they're very much at recreational rather than championship level, and as a newbie to this game myself I was a bit worried about how she'd cope with talking herself up at interview. In the event this was not what was required.

Piggywaspushed · 15/04/2021 18:15

DS has a Cambridge taster on 28th April , for state school potential applicants. He is going to 'go to' history as they didn't have SPS. Be interesting to see how he finds it.

People keep dropping history at his school and there is now only 5 in his class! This may not be a bad thing as every time a favoured golden child goes he moves up the pecking order .

SeasonFinale · 16/04/2021 20:05

@Piggywaspushed

DS has a Cambridge taster on 28th April , for state school potential applicants. He is going to 'go to' history as they didn't have SPS. Be interesting to see how he finds it.

People keep dropping history at his school and there is now only 5 in his class! This may not be a bad thing as every time a favoured golden child goes he moves up the pecking order .

When DS who applied to Oxford went to the Cambridge History Masterclass he described it as unbelievably dull! He said it was a lecturer from an optional module and all it made him realise was that he would never "opt for that module" ! But it didn't put him off applying (despite the fact he didn't get an offer) because there were plenty of other options that piqued his interest.

So beware! HSPS did have a virtual session last year. I have seen you call it SPS a number of times so just want to check he is looking under HSPS if using the search engine on their website.

Piggywaspushed · 16/04/2021 20:43

I know it's HSPS. Just being lazy!

SeasonFinale · 16/04/2021 21:16

Just thought I would check in case he was searching the wrong title

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 07:45

Actually ,come to think of it, I didn't see the list of sessions. I'll double check...this was all done via school.

LondonMischief · 17/04/2021 09:36

@PacificState many thanks for the tips.

I just watched the 2020 Cambridge Maths online open day, and speaker made the point that even though only 3A levels are needed, they do look at number of A levels you take in relation to others at the applicants school and take that into consideration when calling for interviews/ offers. The thinking being that if the majority took 4 from their school but the applicant took 3 they would wonder if it was because they couldn’t cope with the work. Similarly I guess if the majority took 3 from their school and they took 4 it would looked at favourably.
Is this also the case at Oxford? At my DS’s school all/most start with 4 but drop one at the end of Y12 , but do have the option to take all 4 to Y13. I wonder now if he should stick with all 4.

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 10:48

How would Cambridge know that?

sandybayley · 17/04/2021 11:29

It would be fairly easy for Cambridge to look at the application stats for candidates from an individual school.

At DD's school 4 A Levels is the norm. I worried about DS1 taking 4 and having read posts on MN wanted him to drop one. But it worked out fine and he met his Oxford offer. For a candidate from a high performing school I think 4 A Levels can make them stand out but it's only worth doing if they'll do well across the board.

DD is doing IB, which feels like more than 4 A Levels at the moment...

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