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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

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

940 replies

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 30/11/2021 12:17

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 Flowers

OP posts:
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Original poster
TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 11/12/2021 14:35

@ACloseMatch Yep it's going to be a loooooong 6 weeks! Trying to put it to the back of our minds now though as nothing more to be done. Dd prepared for rejection and fine with second choice but it would be nice to put C well and truly behind us.

OP posts:
SandyBayley · 11/12/2021 14:44

At least Oxford put you out of your misery a
bit earlier than Cambridge! Had a lovely long walk with DD this morning and she opened up a bit more about her interview yesterday. It sounds like she struck lucky with her interviewer who had an interest in an extended essay she mentioned on her ps.

She did also share some very funny anecdotes from other interviews reported to her this week by her friends. I dare not repeat them but if Oxbridge interviewers contributed to an anonymous blog it could make for quite amusing reading.

Stockpot · 11/12/2021 15:14

I appreciate this is an Oxbridge hopefuls thread, but, since we are in the doldrums for spell, can I ask if you have any Xmas book ideas for the DC?

Piggyinblankets · 11/12/2021 15:15

Age ? Interests?

Piggyinblankets · 11/12/2021 15:16

TSR Cambridge thread seem to have all fallen out!! Not sure what kicked it all off but there has been squabbling and flouncing.

Stockpot · 11/12/2021 15:31

Girl, seventeen. Likes formula one, geopolitics, China, and cycling.

Stockpot · 11/12/2021 15:33

Kids this age tend to flounce…
I don’t think anyone encourages a stiff upper lip or rising above things anymore.

Piggywaspushed · 11/12/2021 15:36

No, it was was the adults flouncing....

Piggywaspushed · 11/12/2021 15:36

Not really my area for those books...has she read Prisoners of Geography ?

Stockpot · 11/12/2021 15:39

Yes, she has. I was just canvassing for novels other poster’s DC may have read and enjoyed.

Geamhradh · 11/12/2021 15:40

@Piggyinblankets

TSR Cambridge thread seem to have all fallen out!! Not sure what kicked it all off but there has been squabbling and flouncing.
I just asked DD. Apparently it all kicked off when a student who had been interviewed came along to say (naming both subject and college) how ridiculously easy it had been and he'd managed to make the interviewers look daft. Various people said "shudddurp" (and pointed out that some of the people who post and answer questions are actually part of admissions themselves- (in fact DD has had a few questions answered by a particular college's staff, and very helpful too) There's a mother too who (according to DD) has been really helpful, who also advised the student to perhaps be a little bit more discreet as you never know who's reading. Cue bunfight. The student has apparently flounced, but the mother has been kicked out of the group too.

All a bit Aibu innit.

If the mother is on here, my DD thinks you've been great!

Piggyinblankets · 11/12/2021 15:55

Mother wasn't kicked out : she flounced.

That is Oxford Mum and she is always very helpful. I do agree there is a heavy adult presence on there and it sort of isn't a student forum for venting anymore. It is a bit like my Facebook page for film teachers that is moderated by the exam board - and they keep telling us off for having opinions or complaining!

Some of the adults on The Cambridge thread are a bit condescending.

I thought it might be about the student who said their interview was easy and ridiculous! I couldn't find their post though!

Oxford Mum was on MN. She got hounded off here too iirc (or felt she did). It was the subject of a debate on TSR.

Piggyinblankets · 11/12/2021 15:56

@Stockpot

Yes, she has. I was just canvassing for novels other poster’s DC may have read and enjoyed.
Has she read any Amy Tan? Set in China.
Original poster
TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 11/12/2021 16:02

Do you think the teenagers read our posts like we read TSR? Hi DD!! 👋🏻 Highly doubtful of course 😂😂

OP posts:
JulesJules · 11/12/2021 16:08

@Piggyinblankets

Mother wasn't kicked out : she flounced.

That is Oxford Mum and she is always very helpful. I do agree there is a heavy adult presence on there and it sort of isn't a student forum for venting anymore. It is a bit like my Facebook page for film teachers that is moderated by the exam board - and they keep telling us off for having opinions or complaining!

Some of the adults on The Cambridge thread are a bit condescending.

I thought it might be about the student who said their interview was easy and ridiculous! I couldn't find their post though!

Oxford Mum was on MN. She got hounded off here too iirc (or felt she did). It was the subject of a debate on TSR.

She wasn't hounded off here really - it was more of a flounce. That was the Oxbridge threads for 2020 entry (my D1) As I remember, she came on to give us all lots of advice and recommend we read her pieces on TSR. It didn't go well and she went back to TSR and moaned about the ungrateful vipers of MN.Grin
Geamhradh · 11/12/2021 16:14

@Piggyinblankets

Mother wasn't kicked out : she flounced.

That is Oxford Mum and she is always very helpful. I do agree there is a heavy adult presence on there and it sort of isn't a student forum for venting anymore. It is a bit like my Facebook page for film teachers that is moderated by the exam board - and they keep telling us off for having opinions or complaining!

Some of the adults on The Cambridge thread are a bit condescending.

I thought it might be about the student who said their interview was easy and ridiculous! I couldn't find their post though!

Oxford Mum was on MN. She got hounded off here too iirc (or felt she did). It was the subject of a debate on TSR.

Oooh right. DD says she didn't see any of it (too busy stressing about school work now her interview is done) but read the aftermath today.
Geamhradh · 11/12/2021 16:16

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango

Do you think the teenagers read our posts like we read TSR? Hi DD!! 👋🏻 Highly doubtful of course 😂😂
DD has been saying since she was about 3 "well, can't you ask Mumsnet or something?" She used to know my very old user name because in a very not to be recommended way, I used it as the password for the WiFi. Grin
Piggywaspushed · 11/12/2021 16:17

Yes, that is what I was alluding to jules....

heinztomatosoup · 11/12/2021 16:37

@Stockpot my DD recently enjoyed Wild Swans (blast from the past!) and I also recommend Mao's Last Dancer

Storminamu · 11/12/2021 16:39

@Stockpot

Girl, seventeen. Likes formula one, geopolitics, China, and cycling.
1587 - A Year of Significance
Storminamu · 11/12/2021 16:40

NO Significance!

Stockpot · 11/12/2021 16:53

Thanks for the book recommendations, will check them out!

My own DD says she avoids the TSR, it just ends up making her feel insecure. Good decision.

Jinshei · 11/12/2021 16:56

Hi all, first poster!
DS feels like he barely survived his English interview yesterday with Pembroke, Cambridge, he said it went terribly. I suspect it went better than he thinks from the little tidbits I managed to get out of him. On the negative side (which of course is all he's focusing on!) while discussing a poem he couldn't think of a single other work by the poet. He said he hadn't read any Ted Hughes when he said he had in his PS (he had of course but "now they'll think I've lied mum!!") An opinion in his PS was ripped apart and he eventually ended up with nothing to say to support his stance. On the positive side the interviewers said he made some interesting points, he felt he successfully defended his opinion on another piece and he kept answering everything thrown at him. 25th Jan seems so awfully far away... DS is currently set on reapplying to Cambridge next year. I've told him not to trot out plan B just yet...

Original poster
TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 11/12/2021 17:02

@Jinshei Welcome to our support group 😂 It's a tough and turbulent process isn't it? I keep telling myself that until offers day it really is an unknown - who are they up against? Did they really do as well / as badly as they thought? We won't know until January but I feel it better to prepare for rejection then an offer is a bonus.

OP posts:
Storminamu · 11/12/2021 17:15

@Jinshei

Hi all, first poster! DS feels like he barely survived his English interview yesterday with Pembroke, Cambridge, he said it went terribly. I suspect it went better than he thinks from the little tidbits I managed to get out of him. On the negative side (which of course is all he's focusing on!) while discussing a poem he couldn't think of a single other work by the poet. He said he hadn't read any Ted Hughes when he said he had in his PS (he had of course but "now they'll think I've lied mum!!") An opinion in his PS was ripped apart and he eventually ended up with nothing to say to support his stance. On the positive side the interviewers said he made some interesting points, he felt he successfully defended his opinion on another piece and he kept answering everything thrown at him. 25th Jan seems so awfully far away... DS is currently set on reapplying to Cambridge next year. I've told him not to trot out plan B just yet...
Pembroke is a brave choice. They seem to favour rejecting a lot of applicants in favour of the pool - they're very keen on academic high flyers.