Oxbridge Aspirants 2022 part 3....Will they or won't they make it to interview? Our Mum nerves are in tatters!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

New thread for us, lots of lovely support whilst we wait. Some of our lovely DC now have interview dates whilst the rest of us hold our breath and try not to hassle our teens into checking their SPAM folders at least several times per day .

Sorry @Puffalicious I didn't mean to scare anyone. This was 30years ago, I'm sure things are much different now.

I think the key thing was they were trying to see if she was articulate and able to argue a case, and whether she could still do that when rattled.

Ah, I see. Still awful- I was at university 30 years ago, thankfully I went to one with a huge working class contingent, the biggest in the UK at the time,I believe.

@VikingNorthUtsire @Piggywaspushed I would sincerely hope and truly believe that things are completely different now. One of my DD’s female interviewers at Oxford a few years ago wore bright red socks with cartoon characters on them. I don’t think it was an unconscious choice. The tutors are interested in how the candidates think, not how they look. I would say dress in what makes you feel comfortable and confident so you can forget about it and be ready to work hard and think out loud. They will push a candidate hard academically for their thoughts until they run into the sand, but not in a sneery way. It’s an opportunity to shine, and the tutors very much want you to do so. It’s a shame that in-person can’t happen because my DD felt the nicest thing was the support she got from the college helpers or ‘runners’, who are usually undergrad volunteers. They were lovely and got very invested in ‘their’ candidates!

@fishingeagle we met a few students when we visited Oxford (informally, not an open day). They were all lovely and really kind to DS when we mentioned that he was applying. The porters were lovely too and very welcoming.

A mum here from last years cohort popping in to put a couple of minds at rest! I thought it might be helpful to write about my DD's experience who is a 1st year at Oxford. Firstly, since arriving, not one single person she has met has talked or asked about what school they went too (private,state,grammar).It's just not a thing apparently and no one cares. They are all just new freshers, excited at being there, happy to make new friends from all different backgrounds and they talk about their course, going out, interests, being silly and nothing to do with what your background is or where you come from. Maybe she's been lucky with her college and the truly lovely people she has met. She did attend a private school but almost wouldn't dream of telling anyone. That was her old life and she's starting afresh.
Also, when she had her interviews last year, one was scheduled straight after her games lesson so she did it in her school tracksuit and they didn't bat an eye. She would definitely say don't worry about what you wear as they literally don't care. In fact her tutor for both her history modules this year is the same guy who did one of her interviews. Now she knows him properly, she said he is super chilled and very relaxed and she really enjoys the tutorials. Interview notification came through very end of Nov for interviews on 8th and 11th Dec. So really just over 1 week notice.
She's doing AMH, a joint hons between the history/ classics faculty. Happy to share her experience of what to expect at interview but not sure if I've noticed any history applicants this year - last year there were so many!
Anyway, good luck to all you DC's for the rest of the process 🤞

Great post. Hope your DD’s uni experience continues to be as positive as its start Jalfrezi

A much appreciated post @Jalfrezi

Have just seen on that TSR spreadsheet linked to above that there are a couple of Trinity engineering interviews now....fingers crossed that the other colleges' engineering interviews start coming through now too....🤞

Hi @Jalfrezi ds is a straight history applicant

Ds2's just got an interview confirmed for Law at Cambridge - Downing College. He's really pleased because his big brother got an interview 2 years ago to do Economics at Downing (didn't get in), so he has at least equalled that and won't be teased for the next million years

Hehe, good luck to your DS2 Dotty - not taking sides, but…

@Panicmode1

Have just seen on that TSR spreadsheet linked to above that there are a couple of Trinity engineering interviews now....fingers crossed that the other colleges' engineering interviews start coming through now too....🤞

Yes, I saw this! The first engineering invites 😱 none from other colleges yet tho! Was really hoping for news: good or bad… as my ds fed up of me asking him to check his e-mails!

@DottyDotAgain congratulations on the interview , fantastic news! So hard when younger siblings applying .. I possibly have this to come

Congratulations @DottyDotAgain !

I had a spare 30 mins earlier and reviewed when offers of interviews came out last year for Oxford medicine. The peak day was 1 December, the Tuesday following the release of BMAT results the previous Friday. If the same thing happens this year that means 'most likely' day for DD to hear is Tuesday 30 November.

Next Friday is my current focus when BMAT results are released at 9.

Still ages away...

@Puffalicious
Don't worry, it's completely different now. One of mine graduated from Oxford a couple of years ago. Being from a state comprehensive, not landed gentry, was simply not an issue. Not like my days there, I also have some horror stories, but that was last century!

Mum to a second year here also hoping to reassure people. DS was treated very kindly in all his Oxford interviews and had only one question not about his subject. His interviewers were encouraging when he got stuck on a problem and allowed him to continue solving it.

@piggywaspushed, "posh" (smart?) clothes not necessary at Cambridge aside from a dark suit for matriculation and formals.

Posh clothes not needed at Oxford either. I sent DS1 a parcel of 3 forgotten hoodies - seems to be all he wears these days.

He has been to a couple of balls this term but wore black tie that he had found in Oxfam when volunteering there last summer.

@DottyDotAgain - I hear you on the siblings. I think DD needs to at least get an interview to satisfy sibling rivalry. Not sure how it might be if they end up at next door colleges though...

Thank you @Jalfrezi, that's very reassuring.
We seem to have heard about the interview earlier than many of you. Unfortunately we discovered it's bang in the middle of mocks week. One exam will have to be rescheduled.

Great that school/college are demonstrating flexibility for your DC TheresacrackinEverything, well done to them on interview.

Can one ever have enough hoodies? Says a parent, never…

Thanks, @ealingwestmum It's a fairly niche subject and seems to work a bit differently to others.

Dd's interviews were lovely - she said the tutors were gorgeous, and really encouraging and supportive. She is state school too - absolutely no sense of 'why are you wasting our time'. They are now her tutors and she still loves them.

If it's of any help or reassurance, this is what happened to two of my dd's fellow applicants during the interview process at Oxford in 2019.

Student 1: applied for a joint honours humanities degree. The student was invited to a 3rd interview at another college and asked to consider doing a single honours instead.

Student 2: got a phone call during lunch from a 3rd college, offering them what would have been their 4th interview. The student was told that a taxi had been ordered and was waiting outside the college to take them there.

Just been on StudentRoom on an Oxbridge thread and there's a discussion about what it feels like to have put down books you haven't read on your PS...