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 .

CurlyhairedAssassin My DS is patiently waiting to hear from Cambridge too re Meng… has applied to Christ’s and from what I’ve read they have not invited any for interview yet, for any subject!.. so feel ds May have a couple weeks more to wait!
Good your DS found the Engaa fairly easy… ds was confident but said it was obviously hard, as intended. Possibly as lots of physics whereas ds much more at ease with maths (until a few months back had intended on doing maths degree but then decided engineering much more interesting!!)

I’m sure engineering invites should start being sent next week…. But still live in hope they could be this week 🤣

Well done to your son on his Imperial interview @CurlyhairedAssassin. DS really enjoyed his - I think his heart is really at Imperial and he will be would be very sad if he doesn't get an offer, whereas I think he felt the ENGAA was so bad, that he's probably not going to get a Cambridge interview, let alone an offer. I think if he were to get in interview he will do well - he's very impressive when he's talking about his passions.

ooops - pressed too soon -

...he's very impressive when he's talking about his passion, but he doesn't think that he's reached the threshold. He'd been fairly consistently hitting interview threshold in practice, and really didn't feel he had on the ENGAA.

Just wish the emails would hurry up now - I'm running out of nails!!

expecting Classics interview emails to come by end of week @Horace123 @ProggyMat

A word of advice for Classics applicants — make sure you can talk about coins!! A significant section of one of DD’s interviews was on interpretation of a coin which DD found very tough. In fact she felt most of her interviews were awful (she was interviewed at three colleges) but did get offered a place.

@badasscafe1 Fingers crossed for your DD!
I think Oxford Classics will be the last week in November.
@pantjog DD was listening to a lecture on coins ( Ancient History) during the summer holidays. Thanks for the heads up!

Just re pooling at C, in case it is useful for anyone. Think it was @eightytwenty and @chilldonaldchill asking... Based on my DS last year - you can be interviewed by the college who pulls you out of the pool.
DS applied to College A; interviewed with them before Xmas; then (in Jan - a few days before everyone hears) he got a call from College B saying he had been put in the pool and was he available for an interview (errr- yes!). Got an offer from College B.

Think there are various options

• Apply to college A, get offer from College A.
• Apply to college A, hear nothing until offer day, get offer from College B
• Apply to college A, get asked for interview from College B

Hope that helps!

Thanks @badasscafe1. Just checked the original acknowledgment email from the college - it says not to expect to hear about interviews before 19 Nov. So I guess that means Friday is the earliest but could be later. You are asked not to contact them unless you haven’t heard “a week before the start date for scheduled interviews for your course”. Having trouble finding the scheduled start date …

@pantjog thanks for tip re coins!

@ProggyMat pushed post too quickly above - DS college email says interviews will be in December. Haven’t heard of any other unis making classics offers yet apart from Edinburg for our two and Bristol for your DD.

Exciting news - DD has received interview invitation for Newnham! So pleased for her but suddenly feel v nervous

Congratulations @Geamhradh jr especially after all the hoops jumped through to get the application in!

Xposted with @heinztomatosoup - congratulations to your DD

Good news Heinz

Good news Heinz! What date are you?
It's a bus kind of day here as St A has also confirmed that DD will be considered a home student. Which we knew of course she should be, but it's nice to see it on paper!

@DahliaMacNamara

Thank you for that, we didn't know they meant a virtual white board. We don't have a pen, but school does have this it seems, they let DC know today.

They also promised a room to use, but we don't know whether to rely on this - could easily see there being interruptions, it's a noisy overcrowded school. Set against that, we have rubbish Internet signal at home!

Wish it was in person. That's if an interview even happens, trying not count chickens.

DD's interviews for Classics were surprising in some ways. At her college at least (she only interviewed at her chosen college) they try to level the field by throwing in a bit of the unexpected, which made some Classics I applicants quite cross. It may be different elsewhere for Classics, but there was no scope whatsoever for edging the conversation towards a topic of interest to yourself. That's a central very beautiful college, with a large Classics cohort. I think her invite came around the 20th/ 21st. Earlier than I expected anyhow.

@Geamhradh 8th December so didn't expect to hear so soon!

Fingers crossed for all those waiting 🤞

I've just seen that DS's invitation to interview for engineering at Cambridge came on 22 November. That was in 2019.

Is anyone else's DC applying for Music?

[quote Eightytwenty]@heinztomatosoup congratulations
@pantjog thanks that’s really helpful - I did look at the website but your explanation is much simpler
@Geamhradh same subject as DS but different date / college. Will be interesting to compare afterwards. How come she counts as a home student given you’re in Italy?[/quote]
British Citizens.
There was a wtf with Brexit as we were briefly in a no man's land, the criteria was UK resident
EU citizen
Etc
There was no British citizen in EU box.
Then they added a clause and all BCs in Europe are to be home students until 2028.
I might have had to do unthinkable things with chains and railings otherwise as my taxes are paid there as well!

DS just had his mock interview which he seems quite upbeat about. Got some positive feedback and some helpful advice.

He was wearing a sort of teal fine knit jumper and the guy said he should wear a smarter shirt. Not sure this is right? I mean he could put on his black shirt but then he will look like he is on his way to jazz band/ to wait on tables in a pub.

Well, I've been relatively calm about it all, but though I know the college DD is applying to say they will send out interview invitations over this week and next, I did expect hers to be here already. Of course I know that is both idiocy and the way that madness lies, but...

@Piggywaspushed honestly they won't mind. @goodbyestranger has an anecdote about a rude T-shirt but anything comfortable and non-confrontational will be ok.

That's what I thought!