Oxbridge Aspirants 2022...Part 2...applications submitted now the tense wait!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Thought I would start a new thread as part one is nearly full and found thread one to be of great support.

So its deadline week this week for our applicants then the nervous wait begins to find out of they have made it to interview. DD applying for HSPS at Cambridge. We know it is a long shot but got to be in it to win it and she is very keen to try. Looking at the admissions info it does not look as though she will need to sit a test prior but all the best to those who will have to.

Just a heads up re SAQ - email to complete it went into junk folder and we didn't see it for 3 days!

Seems most other HSPSers are politics inclined. DS is sociology/social policy. He has sociology A Level (or will do!)

Thanks for the new thread .. DC going for Cambridge and Bath ..we have pressed send and had the SAQ back to fill in. Grateful to have others in the same boat

Thanks for the new thread. DS was off with covid last week so he is going to see the Head to collect his references today. Fingers crossed he has everything he needs to press send by tonight.

He has ambitious choices and is applying for Nat Sci at Cambridge, Physics at Durham, St. Andrews, Lancaster and York. Although he has only visited Durham and Lancaster thus far.

We're in Cambridge now looking at colleges. One which we were very interested in refused to let us in, although we explained DC was a prospective applicant. It was a real F off moment from the porter. Which makes the choice much easier. All the other colleges let us in. Downing was open to the public, but the others not. Chapel services were open to the public yesterday.

@Nootall

We're in Cambridge now looking at colleges. One which we were very interested in refused to let us in, although we explained DC was a prospective applicant. It was a real F off moment from the porter. Which makes the choice much easier. All the other colleges let us in. Downing was open to the public, but the others not. Chapel services were open to the public yesterday.

Pffft. Their loss. (I am in love with St. Andrews because the lady on email was so nice, though I realize this is not a valid reason ) DD is currently in a video call with her reference writer who is NOT UNDERSTANDING ANYTHING AND DOING MY HEAD IN. I know she's Italian but...she's just asked what course DD wants to study at UCAS God love her.

Can I join you? DS is applying for MPhys/MSci Physics and has literally just had a meeting at school where the UCAS was sent.

He's applied to Oxford, Durham, Bristol and Royal Holloway. He was all set to apply for Bath but was not impressed when we had a look around the campus this weekend (didn't like the feel of it). So he's going to add his 5th (well, 4th sort of thing - Royal Holloway is the back up) in a week or so's time, once he's thought about it a bit more. He's going to think about Bath some more (maybe he didn't give it a fair chance), but also possibly Birmingham or maybe Leeds (he liked the city centre feel of Bristol). He hasn't visited B'ham or Leeds, though

Oxford is rather a long shot but there's no harm in trying. He's applied to one of the 'less popular' colleges, which he really liked when he looked round in the summer (in so far as you could look at any).

Best of luck to everyone

That isn't correct. Student presses submit. It goes to school (UCAS does that ). Student doesn't get it back unless changes are made. School submits...

I think we're saying exactly the same thing Piggy!

Sandy it's not a long shot for a student with your DD's profile. But the BMAT does remain critical to bag the interview, so a bit nerve wracking until it's done and she feels ok about what she's done. Don't forget she'll automatically interview at a second college at Oxford as well as the one she's selected, so it could be that she's chosen by the second college in any event.

Just wondering how long it took those who've already applied to get confirmations from UCL and Durham?

I forgot to add DD is applying to Cambridge AMES (with European language) & Manchester.

Later will add Durham, Bristol and Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, McGill Canada and a handful of US colleges via their College Board portal. All courses Middle Eastern/Hispanic related, Arabic being ab initio.

Would prefer to stay nearer to home since Covid and US ones are very stretch and subject to some financial support so long long shot indeed.

DD applied on Friday and UCL confirmation came at 2am Saturday morning.

@ealingwestmum

I forgot to add DD is applying to Cambridge AMES (with European language) & Manchester.

Later will add Durham, Bristol and Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, McGill Canada and a handful of US colleges via their College Board portal. All courses Middle Eastern/Hispanic related, Arabic being ab initio.

Would prefer to stay nearer to home since Covid and US ones are very stretch and subject to some financial support so long long shot indeed.

DD will be applying to Trinity as well, (Dublin) a couple here in Italy and one in the Netherlands. She didn't want to, as really wants the UK, but I said you just never know come next summer and better to have a menu with 7 different flavours to choose from!

Thanks for the new thread.

@ProggyMat DS got an email confirmation from Oxford which reminds applicants to register for the CAT. He says school has done this but he hasn't had any confirmation from Oxford or the college saying he is registered - has your DD had anything?

@SandyBayley I'm sure nerves are usual - when are the BMAT tests?

Absolutely Geamhradh. It’s also a long wait for offers from TCD, being post results vs the conditional offers from elsewhere, but it is another good option.

Also, Brits in UK in particular get a little confused with the fees rules, post Brexit. 3 out of 5 years proof living in an EU state (not passport dictated), and UK citizens still benefit from EEA terms, including being able to apply for Free Fees Initiative (Irish Govt).

Just adding fyi for anyone else possibly considering Ireland. But, cost of living is very high in Dublin.

Exactly. And I'm keeping an eye, as I'm sure we all are, on ratio of f2f and online. Everyone is back f2f here, and WFH etc is but a memory, so to hear (UCAS this morning) that I might be talking to someone with pets and children in the background and to read some threads on here that some students are still online is a bit worrying.
Fingers crossed for all our candidates!

@Horace123 No, DD also registered for the CAT with school before she submitted her application last Friday.
I expect once they’re contacted by the college they applied to, they’ll be given a reference number for the CAT?

Thanks @ProggyMat. Let’s hope so. I’ll let you know if we get anything. I am having trouble letting go …

@Horace123 I’m sure both are registered.
I’ll update you if any more information given at ‘our end’.
Best to ensure the two pieces of work that needs to be submitted is sorted and they’re focussing on practice CATs me finks!

I’d like to join the thread, please.
DD just submitted her UCAS form for Geography at
Cambridge
St Andrew’s
LSE
Edinburgh
New Castle

Now anxiously waiting for SAQ. I do hope she gets an interview, so she feels she’s had a proper shot at it. If she’s turned down at interview, it wasn’t the right place for her!

@Stockpot

I’d like to join the thread, please. DD just submitted her UCAS form for Geography at Cambridge St Andrew’s LSE Edinburgh New Castle

Now anxiously waiting for SAQ. I do hope she gets an interview, so she feels she’s had a proper shot at it. If she’s turned down at interview, it wasn’t the right place for her!

Welcome! That's how I feel too, hopeful of an interview but if it's a no it wasn't meant to be. Good luck to your dc it's nerve racking stuff!

DD has applied for History at Oxford, Sheffield, Birmingham, York and Warwick. She already has an offer from York, which has settled her nerves somewhat. She's worried about the HAT, but has been practising a lot. It's definitely a lottery, but she's cleverer than me and I got in (studied at Mansfield College). We shall see.

Another with a DD applying for HSPS here! She has had confirmation and getting SAQ sorted this week. Good luck to everyone.

Love this thread, very helpful!

Ds2 has just submitted his application for Oxford. He has also applied to Durham, UCL, Sheffield and Exeter for Human Sciences degree.

Keeping everything crossed but feels like a long shot and the superstitious (ridiculous) part of me says lightening doesn’t strike twice. This feels really unfair to DS2 but DS1 has just started an engineering degree at Oxford and it all seems incredibly surreal.

Good luck to all applying and parents. There is a nerve wracking few months ahead.

Tell that to my roof Ariel CosmicComfort, and our massive bill for replacement TV’s as a result of 2 strikes in a month (and clearly not getting it properly fixed).

Think Goodbye’s family is also testimony multiple ‘strikes’, and I’m sure there are many others. Don’t write it off yet...