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 to hear that @fishingeagle. Sounds like you have an extremely sensible attitude though!

So sorry to hear @fishingeagle. I was an 'Oxbridge reject' and didn't do too badly - there is life beyond, but I'm sure it feels very raw right now.

DS just got a rejection from Clare College for Economics. Bit sad as his grades were as high as they could be ( ECAA was not great though), but taking comfort in the fact that even his very brilliant friends have not got interviews.

Congratulations to those who have got interviews!

@TomelettewithGreggs really sorry to hear that

It's ok; not entirely sure that DS is Oxbridge material anyway. But I am a bit nervous because his teacher told him this year is a tough year for all unis, given so many deferred last year.

Congratulations and commiserations are both in order this evening. Still not a sausage here...

@TomelettewithGreggs Huge commiserations - it seems even more tough this year than usual.

Wow what a busy thread today! Lovely to be able to be part of it.

Congratulations @Stockpot @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango @Genegenieee @Gardenia22 @TerrifiedandWorried @PermanentTemporary @Panicmode1

Commiserations @fishingeagle @TomelettewithGreggs

as appropriate for those still waiting on tenterhooks.

@Eightytwenty @TerrifiedandWorried thank you - I guess after having seen the outcomes with DC1 and 2 (Oxford and Durham) I am now more stoical. In my experience, for all that is undeniably alluring about Oxbridge, the notion that our DC's life course will be materially altered by going there rather than to any of the other wonderful universities Oxbridge applicants typically aspire to is not grounded in reality. Both DC (one lawyer, one civil service fast stream-er) are surrounded at work by graduates from all over, and increasingly the recruitment net is being cast wider than Oxbridge. DS will be fine, and is a lucky boy. Still needs an offer from somewhere mind!

I am now pinning my hopes on LSE because we are internationals, and LSE is v international. But I think even LSE offers are very hard to achieve.

[quote fishingeagle]**@Eightytwenty* @TerrifiedandWorried* thank you - I guess after having seen the outcomes with DC1 and 2 (Oxford and Durham) I am now more stoical. In my experience, for all that is undeniably alluring about Oxbridge, the notion that our DC's life course will be materially altered by going there rather than to any of the other wonderful universities Oxbridge applicants typically aspire to is not grounded in reality. Both DC (one lawyer, one civil service fast stream-er) are surrounded at work by graduates from all over, and increasingly the recruitment net is being cast wider than Oxbridge. DS will be fine, and is a lucky boy. Still needs an offer from somewhere mind![/quote]
I agree with you. A friend who went to Cambridge said that for her subject now, Imperial is far better. There are many other excellent universities that may be better for individual subjects, or where young people might be happier ( friend didn’t particularly enjoy her time at Cambridge) .

He will find perfect home fishingeagle, I wish him all the best.

And to yours Tomelette, fingers crossed on LSE coming through.

Panicmode: home an hour. I would have killed him Well done to him.

@TomelettewithGreggs my commiserations - Economics seems particularly savage this year. DS has friends with perfect grades getting absolutely nowhere with Cambridge for Econ and Engineering.

LSE looks great - hope your DS hears soon.

Thank you @Ealingwestmum - I surely hope so, preferably sooner rather than later! Hope you get good news.

Sneakily copying and pasting @OxanaVorontsova's list

Congratulations @Stockpot @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango @Genegenieee @Gardenia22 @TerrifiedandWorried @PermanentTemporary @Panicmode1

Commiserations @fishingeagle @TomelettewithGreggs

@fishingeagle - you're so absolutely right about it not being the be all and end all. So many people I know have lived slightly unfulfilling lives as they sort of thought they'd made it once they'd got their acceptance letters. Well done your boy for giving it a go and good luck elsewhere.

DS (not a stellar set of GSCEs) has an interview Cambridge geography. He took his time telling me and didn't seem particularly surprised as he said only one applicant from his school in the last seven years hasn't got an interview. I think it shows the vast difference between subjects - I was looking at linguistics as I thought how interesting it sounded and it's only two applicants per place! Whereas other subjects have so many extra applicants and hoops.

@TomelettewithGreggs absolutely concur re. economics - kids at St Pauls boys apparently were told not to apply to Cambridge for economics a couple of years back as you're not only competing with the country's best, but the world's best.

@Valleyofthedollymix Congratulations on your DS's interview! DD2 did Geography, it has served her very well!
Thank you for your kind words - much appreciated.

Thank you fishing.

Just wanted to clarify it was only one geography applicant in seven years who hadn't got an interview at his school. It's a whole heap for other subjects obviously.

Congratulations to those with interviews so far and commiserations to those who haven't been successful. DS is still waiting and is getting increasingly worried as more and more friends have received notifications of interviews. I keep pointing out that his friends have applied for different subjects/colleges but I don't think it's any comfort to him at the moment!

Scary reading above about economics being particularly brutal this year. DS has applied for PPE (Oxford). Whilst he was aware of how competitive it was when he applied, it didn't seem to put him off as he's just so enthusiastic about the course.

I find the idea of not applying for a course you want at a university you want because it might be too competitive a really odd idea - and not very St Paul's! But I can imagine it very much depends on what the kid in question wants. Ds is inevitably going to be upset now as and when the process hits the buffers. I don't want him to feel like he's lost out - just that it wasn't the place for him. But if he wanted Oxbridge more than the individual subject I guess I could suggest alternatives.

So much to catch up on.

Thinking of @fishingeagle @TomelettewithGreggs and wanted to call both out for their lovely attitudes. If your DC are cut from the same cloth they will both do very well in life.

Congratulations to the lucky recipients of interviews and hope you are enjoying the moment before worrying about the next steps!

We’ll done to your DS on the geography interview Valleyofthedollymix

Busy thread today! Best wishes and good luck to all DCs xxx

@SandyBayley That is so incredibly kind of you. He is just a really kind and decent boy who works incredibly hard, and I'm just a little sad that he didn't get a throw of the interview dice. However his GCSE's in the context of his school were deeply average, and when I learned that this year Cambridge are ranking applicants from the same school by GCSE results I knew it was game over, thanks for playing. He'll be ok. I am nonetheless getting stuck into a very large gin! Then tomorrow we go again.