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Higher education

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

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:
LondonMischief · 17/04/2021 12:15

I am not sure know how they get the information.

It’s from about 48min in the video above. The suggestion, for Maths at least, is that depending on school if the applicant doesn’t have the stamina for 4 A levels, they should apply for other Universities with less arduous courses.

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 14:06

But only easy if the school has previous applicants in any volume sandy?

sandybayley · 17/04/2021 14:36

Possibly true @Piggywaspushed but given universities have access to GCSE performance of all schools it wouldn't surprise me if they also have access to A Level performance and typical number taken for the school.

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 15:27

Hmm, possibly. There are details like average point score and so on. Not sure it is easy to extrapolate this though but I may be wrong. Doesn't affect DS, but I did think general advice was never do 4, unless there is some sort of particular reason.

Does anyone who has been through this before have any advice how on earth one is supposed to select a college? It seems a bit overwhelming!

Lovecatsanddogs · 17/04/2021 15:36

Hi @Piggywaspushed

If for Cambridge it should say on college website depending on subject if works needs to be submitted prior to interview or their is an admissions test.

Also have a look here

www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

and here

www.whichcambridgecollege.com

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 15:37

Thank you.

sandybayley · 17/04/2021 15:40

That I can help on for Oxford @Piggywaspushed - don't overthink it. DS1 went for a big one, central and very well endowed. Also pretty. He got reallocated for interview and ended up at a completely different one. For his subject (Chemistry) the offers are co-ordinated but the Department so there isn't benefit to trying to pick a college to increase your chances.

DD is looking for a bigger one which offers good choirs and music. I'm encouraging New but we have family members encouraging St Anne's and Christchurch as that where DD's DGM and her father went. DS1 is ambivalent about St Anne's and anti Christchurch. He's not pushing his college.

sandybayley · 17/04/2021 15:46

Oh and not all colleges offer all subjects so that cuts out a few.

ClarasZoo · 17/04/2021 15:57

To address the question about 3 or 4 A levels- My view, backed up by extensive research this year, is that for Maths/Science you need four A levels if you want to have a competitive entry. Of course someone will say they know of kids with three. But the A star A Star A for science/med is the bare minimum, as was stated to me at several open days. Most successful applicants have more than that - four A stars is probably the average.. don’t be put off trying if you have 3 but be realistic. But if you are on here thinking- shall I do 3 or 4 A levels,do 4 (for Science). To address the question of college choice, extensively research the stats for your subject and college , for the last 5 years. Those stats are on the website. Yes, it does make a difference which college you pick, in my view...

sandybayley · 17/04/2021 16:04

It doesn't for all subjects @ClarasZoo - as I said below Chemistry at Oxford operates at a subject level and moves the best candidates around the colleges.

But I do agree on 4 subjects for STEM if you can. DS1 did Chemistry, Physics, Maths and History.

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 16:29

HSPS is at all colleges at Cambridge so no cutting down there! It's hard to know with no other people in the know The only Cambridge ex pupil I know for sure went to King's. I think, if he did apply, DS might not actually be all that fussed but I think a college where accommodation is definitely on site is the one thing.

I am not easily intimidated but it's all so -what's the word- arcane? esoteric?

FoolsAssassin · 17/04/2021 17:02

Obscure and divorced from the experience we had with older DC Piggy?!

I’ve worked the college thing worked out. 3 of year above he knows have offers so if he decides to apply I’m just going to say ‘X has an offer for A college, Y for B and Z for C. Have a read, see what you think and put one that appeals or have a look and see what else you like the look of’. That’s far as I’m prepared to go, I don’t want to expend too much energy on it given how it works.

Starting to plan some summer trips now as the way this year is going it will be time for applications before we know it.

ClarasZoo · 17/04/2021 17:09

@sandybayley

It doesn't for all subjects *@ClarasZoo* - as I said below Chemistry at Oxford operates at a subject level and moves the best candidates around the colleges.

But I do agree on 4 subjects for STEM if you can. DS1 did Chemistry, Physics, Maths and History.

Yes I should have been clear I was talking about C. No idea about O!
Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 17:13

divorced from the experience we had with older DC Piggy?!

You can certainly say that again fools!!

sandybayley · 17/04/2021 17:15

I feel your pain @FoolsAssassin and @Piggywaspushed - just keep asking questions. Lots of people with lots of experience on MN and people do want to help.

FoolsAssassin · 17/04/2021 17:30

Thanks Sandy, really appreciate it. I say that about older DC but actually DD wasn’t very straight forward really 🥺😀

IrmaFayLear · 17/04/2021 17:30

Well, @Piggywaspushed , for colleges I would eliminate “top” ones unless your ds is top-of-the-tree dead cert type. After that they are all nice!

Ds roamed round the colleges - both academically and socially - and when asked to recommend a college to someone recently he said he genuinely liked them all, even the ones a bit further out.

Another point - which applies to both Oxford and Cambridge - is never get too invested in one college, because as sure as eggs is eggs you will be reallocated/pooled to another. So an applicant (or their parent!) does many spreadsheets and picks Ancient College, in the middle of town with three years accommodation, winners of University Challenge and reputedly the best vegan food offerings..... and they get sent to St Moderns, with brutalist architecture and a 20-minute cycle ride along a windy main road. You have to have an open mind. NB, with a modern college you get a decent en suite and kitchen availability; some more aesthetically-pleasing colleges have loos miles away from bedrooms and a two-ring hob between four...

Piggywaspushed · 17/04/2021 18:10

To be honest, Churchill is the college I know best so we may be outliers in that respect!

Lovecatsanddogs · 17/04/2021 18:26

Hi this may be useful too @Piggywaspushed
askacambridgestudent.tumblr.com/post/111074237015/hi-youve-said-first-tier-college-a-few-times

SeasonFinale · 18/04/2021 07:26

@Piggywaspushed

How would Cambridge know that?
I woukd assume they get the school by school UCAS stats each year in the same way the school gets their own and cab also sign up to see comparable schools
SeasonFinale · 18/04/2021 07:26

*can

IrmaFayLear · 18/04/2021 10:23

That link has it exactly right. If you are holding four aces, apply where you like. If you aren’t, make a more strategic application.

Oxford doesn’t seem to work quite the same way - this year people seemed to be reallocated and then pooled all over the place.

ClarasZoo · 18/04/2021 20:40

@IrmaFayLear

That link has it exactly right. If you are holding four aces, apply where you like. If you aren’t, make a more strategic application.

Oxford doesn’t seem to work quite the same way - this year people seemed to be reallocated and then pooled all over the place.

True but even four aces won’t cut it for some colleges. My friends daughter has five A stars and is doing medicine at one of the best at C. She is not alone there with her five A stars. And four a stars for maths at Trinity is the easy bit... Step is the decider...so I think you need to be strategic even with four a stars...
aashna · 18/04/2021 21:07

Hi interesting thread. Could I ask something to those who are in the know on here - would you say there is any advantage to applying post A-level with top grades eg. AAA plus A EPQ achieved? This would not be for a Maths or STEM subject (I heard they’re generally not keen on gap years for those). Just wondering if the odds are possibly slightly better for those with achieved grades who can also show they will be doing something relevant in the intervening year? I wonder if there’s any stats on this for either uni?

ClarasZoo · 18/04/2021 22:10

@aashna

Hi interesting thread. Could I ask something to those who are in the know on here - would you say there is any advantage to applying post A-level with top grades eg. AAA plus A EPQ achieved? This would not be for a Maths or STEM subject (I heard they’re generally not keen on gap years for those). Just wondering if the odds are possibly slightly better for those with achieved grades who can also show they will be doing something relevant in the intervening year? I wonder if there’s any stats on this for either uni?
I think Cambridge gives automatic pool for a star a star a achieved. So that would be an advantage...