I'm in agreement with much of what Valley has said. And I am from a FSM immigrant background, so can see from a different angle, but DD's already had much of what I didn't have, and will do well elsewhere (hopefully) if she doesn't get a place at Cambridge. Disappointed, for sure, but would move on easily. She has a wide network, it amazes me at times just how, how they are able to collect such a wide circle of acquaintances, much fuelled by prolific use of SM I'm sure. But, if my younger me met her and friends at an interview, she'd piss me off with her outward confidence. Of course, inside she's dying like most candidates, but we all demonstrate different game faces, and hers is not just developed from school and her community alone, but sub-consciously, me, as I have developed mine through life.
But, whilst she may appear, and is, a confident young person, it does sadden me when compared to the likes of Boris or negative references/jokes to Eton, as if all things about her schooling = bad. Her friendship groups are not school determined (lock down and park-life did a lot to break down those barriers locally), and not even southern biased anymore due to her sport and music worlds converging. I'm not sure if volume of applicants divide between South/North is ever broken, as I still know very few from my home Midlands town that look far afield, preferring to be more local on their post school interests. But that is anecdotal too.