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Higher education

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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:
Thread gallery
5
Jinshei · 11/12/2021 17:47

Yes, quailed slightly when I saw how tough it was to get in but he was set on it...

Jinshei · 11/12/2021 17:56

[quote TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]@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. [/quote]
I'm coping nowhere near as well as DS who was unfazed by the lateness of interview invite (his came through 2 weeks later than many of his fellow students). His school had a lot of applicants but he was the only one for English, so sat the ELAT in a room on his own with an invigilator. I feel the most pressure comes from his teachers who seem to think it's almost a given he'll get an offer. He is a top flyer in the subject at his school, but he's against so many other top flyers! I know Cambridge are very vocal about their "holistic" approach to candidates and have said it's not all down to the interview. I suppose it just wasn't an experience like anything he'd been through before. I think he was rather shellshocked - he didn't come out of the room for 20 mins after the interview had finished! The hardest thing is there's really nothing you can do to help them is there?

Original poster
TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 11/12/2021 18:09

Absolutely nothing. To be honest I'm glad it's behind us now I always said I would be more gutted if she didn't get an interview than if she's rejected after interview. Chances of an offer are very slim and we all know you never actually allow yourself to think they'll get in because you literally don't know. I strongly suspect some of us here will be surprise either way come Jan (hopefully in a good way) DD is now completely focused on revision now especially with another COVID wave looming.

OP posts:
Steala · 11/12/2021 18:11

Sad

Steala · 11/12/2021 18:13

So sorry. Pocket post. I was in tied situation last year and came on to wish lots of luck

Jinshei · 11/12/2021 18:50

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango

Absolutely nothing. To be honest I'm glad it's behind us now I always said I would be more gutted if she didn't get an interview than if she's rejected after interview. Chances of an offer are very slim and we all know you never actually allow yourself to think they'll get in because you literally don't know. I strongly suspect some of us here will be surprise either way come Jan (hopefully in a good way) DD is now completely focused on revision now especially with another COVID wave looming.
Yes, thank goodness for mocks end of next month - he'll be revising and kept busy with that. I'm sure once he's processed the experience he'll settle back down but it's difficult. We had a meal with family today and of course everyone asked how it went - he was already feeling unwell as he had his covid jab yesterday, so was a little monosyllabic. Luckily he has some very young cousins and they soon got him smiling Smile best of luck to your DD in both exams and uni offers!
Storminamu · 11/12/2021 19:19

I feel completely relaxed about it, as the college has made it clear that you need to be absolutely amazing to get a deferred offer. DC is great, but perhaps not absolutely amazing in the context of Cambridge. And they can apply again in the gap year, if that's what they want to do. A bit worried about the gap year now though.

Jinshei · 11/12/2021 19:53

@Storminamu

I feel completely relaxed about it, as the college has made it clear that you need to be absolutely amazing to get a deferred offer. DC is great, but perhaps not absolutely amazing in the context of Cambridge. And they can apply again in the gap year, if that's what they want to do. A bit worried about the gap year now though.
Yes DS said he'd apply again next year, then said, hmm don't know what I'd do in the gap year! He's also applied to Durham, St Andrews and York, still not decided on his last choice. Had an offer from York so he's got options, no need to make any decisions yet. I'm sure it's a knee jerk reaction. It's all very different to when I was applying that's for sure!
Juja · 11/12/2021 22:56

To our great surprise my DD has been asked to another interview for a deferred entry Modern Languages place (O). Told Friday at 5pm and the interview is on Monday. I had seen elsewhere that deferred entries don’t get handed on. Clearly not the case for Modern Languages.

At her second interview there are fellows from two other colleges so effectively will be seen by three colleges. They are certainly thorough.

As others have said really hard to read anything into it. She just has to roll with it.

Bizarrely one of the colleges is one she refused to go to because it is my college!!

Time will tell. Even 11th Jan seems a long way away….

Good luck to everyone who has interviews to come and those killing time till they inform them. Hopefully Christmas will be a distraction even if festivities are scaled back.

ealingwestmum · 12/12/2021 08:28

I’d view any opportunity to present themselves again is a good thing. Good luck to her for Monday Juja

Juja · 12/12/2021 09:34

Many thanks @ealingwestmum

Storminamu · 12/12/2021 11:59

Oxford seem to be great at getting people seen by more than one college. Feeling jealous now.

SandyBayley · 12/12/2021 12:07

I have to admit @Storminamu the Oxford approach to admissions compared to Cambridge was something which appealed to both my DC.

For DS1 the course (Chemistry instead of NatSci) was at he main appeal and I think DD was probably influenced by more experience of Oxford through DS1 visits and tales. I'm not sure there is much content difference between Oxford and Cambridge for Medicine.

Original poster
TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 12/12/2021 14:05

@Storminamu

Oxford seem to be great at getting people seen by more than one college. Feeling jealous now.
Me too. Dd was torn between the two and we had no clue about pooling etc but the C admissions seems to be a more mysterious process to me!
OP posts:
ealingwestmum · 12/12/2021 14:37

I think all of us with DC who’ve applied to C will have a touch of green eye on the 11/1.

I guess we have to try and recall why our DC applied to one or other in the first instance: course, location, college, legacy or whatever the reason.

I don’t know if the offers announcement gap between the 2 was as wide last year? That clearly doesn’t help if this year’s is wider than previous years.

Storminamu · 12/12/2021 15:48

Any idea why Cambridge takes longer?

ealingwestmum · 12/12/2021 16:14

I may be wrong Storminamu, but having a quick look at dates/processes, the dates margin is similar each year. Oxford conduct their pooling as part of the interview process going on now, whereas Cambridge do theirs in early Jan, when applicants can then either be selected through internal process or via additional interview selection. This must add on their extra time.

I’m sure anyone with DC who’ve gone through this will correct me, this is my assumption of why.

Genegenieee · 12/12/2021 16:47

DD was keener on Cambridge maths course over Oxford, as she can pick up more theoretical physics courses I think. --Plus DH went on and on about Oxford as he went there so she dug her heels in about it all.

It does sound as if the Oxford admissions process in general and def maths is preferable. I didn't realise how big a difference before being on this thread but she says the school tutors (same as @SandyBayley's I think) did flag all this to them. Are C offers out much later than Oxford?

I'm just grateful she's relaxed now, they've finished for the holidays and she's got a comfortable time to relax (and revise for mocks). A weight has been lifted from the house for the time being. @cosmiccat I hope both our DDs get their C maths offers whenever they come

Good luck to DC with interviews next week 🤞🏻!

Storminamu · 12/12/2021 17:24

DC tells me they know a girl who applied to Oxford and had interviews with 6 other colleges!?! Over a 3 day interview period (pre-Covid). Apparently it was a horrible experience, involving I think 9 interviews. Finally got an offer from one of the colleges she hadn't applied to.

NDVR · 12/12/2021 18:13

My dd had 2 interviews at her named Oxford college and was offered a place. This was in December 2019, so pre-pandemic.

But she said there were other applicants who had up to 4 interviews at other colleges, and at least one person who was asked to consider a single rather than the joint honours course they had applied for.

The wait is hideous but I found

Christmas stuff/ the holiday break, mocks etc took over so stopped worrying.

I was an utter wreck on offers day tbh whereas dd was somewhat more laid back Hmm

goodbyestranger · 12/12/2021 19:17

Most of my DC were only interviewed at their chosen college and assumed that meant it was curtains for them, so they were all pleased to find that in fact it meant the opposite.

goodbyestranger · 12/12/2021 19:19

I think all of them pretty much forgot about Oxford once interviews were over because of end of term, Christmas, New Year etc. The time flies.

SandyBayley · 12/12/2021 21:19

Maybe it is @Genegenieee - send me a secret signal 😉 Maybe the girls were even together at a black tie 18th last night as well?

DD goes again tomorrow morning. I've cooked her her favourite dinner tonight and she's reading through some articles just in case she comes across something she can use. I think it's a 'keep calm' tactic but she enjoys reading BMJ articles (we have a stash from a family member) so good use of time.

Juja · 13/12/2021 07:55

Interview at second college today but DD has woken up with a horrible cold so turned around on the way to the station and brought her home to sleep and do her interview from home later this afternoon. Hopefully she'll feel much better later and pick up.

Now time to get the wifi, computers etc sorted and cancel my clashing work meeting.

Horace123 · 13/12/2021 08:09

@Juja sorry DD under the weather - good call to take her home and pop her in bed. Best of luck - will be thinking good luck thoughts for her.