Oxbridge aspirants part 4......Hold onto your nerves interviews ahead....!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Part 4 - A friendly supportive thread for those with DC applying to Oxbridge, its an arduous process to say the least. I suspect we will need some handholding and alcohol for the couple of weeks ahead as our dc have their interviews. For those still waiting to hear I hope news comes soon

Ps glad it went well @Piggywaspushed. Fingers crossed for the decision. And good luck to all those with interviews imminent.

[quote SandyBayley]@Geamhradh - DD has a webinar thingy tomorrow (Friday) at 5.30, maybe it's the same college? They are offering an alternative slot next Wednesday as well. DD surprised me by asking if I wanted to watch it with her! [/quote]
DD informs me they were offered 2 slots both today, so looks like not the same college.
DD tells me she doesn't want me present next week, which is fine. I don't particularly want to be there I'll just fix up every computer, tablet and phone we've got lying around in case one fails.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Because we're not in the UK. So I presume they'd presume that there's been no input whatsoever from school which would be the truth. They wouldn't know a personal statement if it clonked them on the head. The first dd's school knew that she was even applying was when she had to ask the form teacher for a reference. I don't think this places her in either an advantageous or disadvantageous position tbh, it's just that she'll be in the "so you haven't done A levels in these subjects, why should we take you on" pile.

Anyone else still waiting to hear from Oxford re Maths? No word here. I've been keeping an eye on the Student Room spreadsheet and have so far only seen one maths interview logged for the relevant college, and that was about 3 days ago.

@weednfeed when I asked DS yesterday morning, he said none of his friends whose subjects required the MAT had heard yet. He got his email about 5pm last night. So I think they're starting to come through but only just.

Well still waiting here (Oxford - Worcester college Maths). DS had a mock interview yesterday with Kings but struggled to use the white board thing on the computer - so he definitely needs to practice this at school as if he gets an interview he’s going to need to use it. I’m glad he had the mock as don’t want to realise that during the real interview. He said he couldn’t use it properly; not sure if he was just stressing, but guess he’s never used one before. He’s got another mock today with his school principal.

Hoping we hear today, he must be one of the last to hear. Anyone else still waiting? He said interviews are 14th

Hope I can join in here..
Dd has an interview at Cambridge on the 7th for music. She’s nervous and school is organising some mock interviews with her.
I’m not sure what to expect so keeping everything crossed but also trying to keep a pragmatic approach as it’s all so unpredictable.

I've now heard of one Scottish applicant for maths who has an interview - they're doing the Advanced Higher. So it's possible, but no doubt difficult, to get an interview. The problem is that with Oxbridge students have to hit the ground running. It's not really possible for them to help weaker students (because they've been through an easier syllabus) catch up. So I imagine that to get in in STEM you may need to do a lot of extra work at home, and/or be able to convince them that you're a mega genius who will catch up very quickly and without any extra help. I've seen this issue being discussed somewhere (not relating to Scotland, but the issue of whether Oxbridge should be expected to accept people based on potential when achievement to date is poor due to poor schooling).

@Decafcoffee

Hope I can join in here.. Dd has an interview at Cambridge on the 7th for music. She’s nervous and school is organising some mock interviews with her. I’m not sure what to expect so keeping everything crossed but also trying to keep a pragmatic approach as it’s all so unpredictable.

My DC1 is doing music at Cambridge and having a good time. I think they said the trickiest part of the interviews was the Bach stuff which they had to learn just for the interview - but that may be college specific.

Thanks @storminamu
Thankfully she doesn’t have to do the Bachs for her college. She had an assessment last week which went “ok”.

@Darbs76 my DD is still waiting to hear from Worcester College as well, although for Computer Science and Maths. Good Luck to your DS and hopefully we won't have to wait too much longer.

Waiting for Worcester maths here too. Let us know when you hear anything.

Chipping into the Scottish debate...
I have one DC at Oxford - AHs - Maths has been an issue - most of their contemporaries had Further Maths.
Another DC looked at Oxford - we visited and asked about the curriculum differences - the response from a member of the Physics Dept? "Tough - do the extra work yourself".
Eventually applied to Cambridge instead - entrance exam was hard - no interview. DC is currently flying elsewhere - Oxbridge's loss...

I think the issue is FM. When I first started teaching I thought it was so weird that further maths was a thing and that no other subject had 'further'! This has led to lots of unis over the years requiring it as if maths doesn't somehow count. I find it all a bit odd, but not a maths teacher. DH is . But he thinks everything is 'too easy' so not the best person to converse with about educational matters! He does say that he thinks the wrong students often take further maths A Level and can't do it. It is how, over the years, maths has definitely positioned itself as a super elite subject imo. Scotland is a more egalitarian country, really, so may have avoided elite qualifications like this, so this is an issue only for the very very brightest ,which is a small proportion but a significant number on this thread really. Not sure how to resolve it but if there are gaps in recruitment form certain communities, universities are meant to address it and this is a blind spot.

From the Scottish end, the Scottish system in itself may not care how many students go to Oxbridge. It has bigger fish to fry may be its perspective. Whereas lots of English schools market themselves on progression to Oxbridge, the majority of Scottish schools don't.

Of course there is also the issue of bright state school students in England where FM is not offered, which do exist...often these will be rural/coastal students from disadvantaged areas. Wondering if they would say 'tough, do the work yourself' to them too...

@VikingNorthUtsire

I'm in another group (not Oxbridge or even uni focussed particularly, more of a general parenting chat group, but uni applications have come up quite frequently recently) where one of the other members is an Oxford admissions tutor. I've found her posts really reassuring, they are totally switched on to the fact that some candidates get a lot of prep/support and others basically none, and they're very keen to get past that and see each candidate's potential.

DS got an interview invitation yesterday for Maths and Computer Science It's not from his chosen college but the email suggests that his first choice are planning to interview him and will email separately. Hoping this is a good sign esp as they are a popular college according to some of the discussion here. They've asked him if possible to download a virtual whiteboard app onto a tablet, but have said if he can't it's not a problem, he can use pen and paper and share it on camera.

This is good to know, that they are aware of some candidates getting no help with prep. Very reassuring.

@Piggywaspushed, I agree with you that it’s the FM in particular that is an unusual feature of the English system. It’s sort of like doing a fair bit of a first year Applied Maths course as part of your A levels. It was unheard of in the country I grew up in, and university courses there were structured on the basis that no-one had done it. We all came out the other end with similar knowledge and skills though … I work in a maths related field and most of my colleagues would have taken the English route. They were no better placed for the final professional exams than I was though.

I’ve been following the comments on Scottish applicants with interest. I’m picking up that education is very much devolved. The home nations are effectively different countries when it comes to education. The attitude seems to be that each nation’s universities have a duty to applicants from their nation, but other home nations are effectively foreign countries like any other.

My own DD applied to two Scottish universities, I hope this wasn’t a tactical mistake. I think we may have been a bit naive about internal UK politics.

@Piggywaspushed DD was pooled unknowingly. The first time she realised was when the offer letter came, but from a different college. It all worked out brilliantly for her.

@ACloseMatch being interviewed by the Master would hopefully be rather nice. DD's is lovely and always talks about her in glowing terms.

My own DD applied to two Scottish universities, I hope this wasn’t a tactical mistake. I think we may have been a bit naive about internal UK politics.

I wouldn't worry. My dd is currently studying at a Scottish Uni, having applied from England (but with an EU fee status) - you would have thought that this would work against her application! I think the Unis, whether Scottish or English, know what they look for in their applicants (and thankfully politics or fee status won't interfere too much).

Scotland is a more egalitarian country, really, so may have avoided elite qualifications like this, so this is an issue only for the very very brightest ,which is a small proportion but a significant number on this thread really. Not sure how to resolve it but if there are gaps in recruitment form certain communities, universities are meant to address it and this is a blind spot

I'm still lurking now and then (to see how all your lovely DC do) and this has made me feel so much better. It seems to be so very true. What chance did my super bright DS have if he's competing with others who've completed/ completing first year uni maths? If we'd known we'd have got a tutor from the English system to ' do it ourselves ' as the Physics tutor told a PP. But that doesn't help the kids from areas where their parents can't afford that.

It's also exactly true that the vast majority of Scottish schools don't market Oxbridge as the final destination. Indeed, their fish that they fry are just as good.

Thanks Piggy

Well DS is out. He just got the email earlier and is definitely upset, though not showing it too much. He’s worried Imperial is out too now as relies on the MAT. He thought he had done well in it. I feel so sorry for him as he works so hard and quite a few in his Oxbridge group at schools have interviews. Onwards and upwards I guess. Good luck to all

I'm sorry @Darbs76 - harder somehow after a long wait. He sounds like an able, hardworking kid and I am sure he will do well wherever he goes.

Thank you Viking (won’t let me tag you). It will all work out well, that’s what we are telling him, but of course it stings a bit right now.

Really sorry to hear his bad news Darbs76. I hope Imperial comes through him.

Sorry to hear that @Darbs76 - it is bound to sting. Will he get to know his MAT result at any stage?