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

I'm pleased you agree @opoponax as I wasn't sure if it was my personal circumstances that were colouring my judgment.

I understand the need to train Doctors who will stay in Scotland but it does feel really unfair. Imagine the outcry if an English Medical school did the same and restricted the number of non English places.

I've checked the figures, and in 2019 Scotland was the region with the lowest success rate in the UK, and Wales had the highest success rate.

for Cambridge. Will try to find Oxford.

Is it because Scottish students get free university education if they attend a Scottish university and have to pay fees to go to university in England? With so many fantastic and well regarded Scottish universities, perhaps many bright students from poorer families decide to take the option of a free education instead of taking on a hefty student loan? Or have I misunderstood this?

That partly explains the very low number of applicants, but not the very low success rate of those who do apply.

Those figures are bad storm. I think Oxbridge need to fix that. A very small number of Scottish students go to private school, too, so the figures are even worse than they seem!

I'd like to know what private schools they are ,as most Scottish private schools in Glasgow use the Scottish curriculum.

I think you and me are maybe just blaming different things for the same problem.

The effort Oxbridge is making to include eg BAME pupils and working class Londoners (quite rightly) needs to be extended. Unless they don't care about a Scottish intake.

@Abetes I think what you say is true to some extent with regard to general RG universities for many subjects e.g. why would a Scottish DS trek off to Uni in Bristol and pay fees rather than go to say Edinburgh. However, I think the Oxbridge offer is something unique and, although economics are clearly a consideration, there will always be very bright Scottish students who will still want to pursue it. Fee disparity wasn't an issue when I was a student many moons ago and my best friend set his sights on Oxford Medicine over Edinburgh due to the way it was taught there. He didn't get in though and ended up at Edinburgh but now teaches at Harvard!

Yes, the private / state ratio is really extreme.
At a v quick glance Gordonstoun, Glenalmond and Fettes all do A'levels. No doubt some of the others too.

Yes Fettes does IB and I believe Merchiston Castle and St George's (Girls) in Edinburgh do A Levels

It's supposed to be difficult for bright Scottish students to get into the top Scotttish universities, too, because there's a cap on the number. I've heard it's really hard for a Scottish pupil to get into St Andrew's - much easier for an English child.

With the best will in the world,I doubt Gordonstoun will have many Oxbridge offers,its not exactly first choice for an Academic child,Fettes should have a few..

@Piggywaspushed

I have said this before so don't want to start another row. I accept that the Scottish curriculum is different , but it isn't inferior (I teach in the English system and find it very limiting and very spoon fed! It certainly was pre 2015 reform). I do not agree that it is a one year sixth form. Highers are equivalent to ASs, not GCSE. AHs are equivalent to A Level +. The problem seems to be in maths. But I am sure lots of non Scots struggle with the entry tests when they are less than a term through their second year of A Level depending on sequencing of curriculum.

Reading all your thoughts with interest. Piggy has it bang on with the comparators. Most academic kids stay on for S6 these days, but not all. I went to university at 16, leaving after S5. Because DS hasn't studied the whole Advanced Higher course (A level +) there was much he hasn't covered in the MAT. This does not mean he doesn't have the innate potential. In fact, he's got 100% in his 2 assessments so far. But maybe he just bombed the MAT. I don't see it to be honest, but that really could just be it. It's so sad how few Scottish kids get in, never mind STEM.

Thank you for more utterly lovely comments. You are all so supportive on here. I suppose I wanted him to arrive- a wee guy from a working class school in Glasgow- and face up to the big boys at Oxford. But as Valley says, he doesn't need Oxford to validate him.

Best of luck to all you fabulously supportive parents. Sending peace, love and crossed fingers.

All the main boarding schools in Scotland do either the IB or A levels (Gordonstoun, Glenalmond, Strathallan, Fettes, St. Leonard’s, Merchiston and Loretto) with the exception of Kilgraston that does the Scottish curriculum. I think all the others are primarily day schools and do the Scottish Curriculum. St George’s in Edinburgh does a mixture - GCSEs followed by Scottish Highers then Advanced Highers.

The Scottish private day schools are more academically selective than the boarding schools.

Conversely, historically my DH's family have pretty much all seemed to waltz into Oxbridge/the LSE from home counties stockbroker belt so I guess it is swings and roundabouts. If you're a University Challenge regular viewer, you'll note that the vast majority of Oxbridge participants are London/Home Counties.

Thanks for the new thread @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango
I second @SandyBayley suggestion that it would be best to ‘sort’ for want of a better word, those who have DC applying to Cambridge or Oxford and the subjects they are hoping to read.
I find the category ‘Oxbridge’ when folk are presenting data very confusing- although I’m not a ‘number cruncher! !
@Storminamu for me, the region in England in the table you posted about Cambridge that stood out is the North East
The Oxford stats are here:
www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics/undergraduate-students/current/nation-region

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

Conversely, historically my DH's family have pretty much all seemed to waltz into Oxbridge/the LSE from home counties stockbroker belt so I guess it is swings and roundabouts. If you're a University Challenge regular viewer, you'll note that the vast majority of Oxbridge participants are London/Home Counties.

Yes, or overseas...

Thanks @Flyonawalk I’m chuffed for her but I do wish the whole process was a bit quicker. I want to know which direction I will be driving and to start planning.

I don't think all the statistics are out yet for this year but DD would say that over 80% of the people she has met at Cambridge (which is obviously a tiny proportion of the whole) are from London and the home counties (and 75% of those from London). She has one friend from Manchester but that's the furthest North so far...

Congratulations to all the successful young people and commiserations to those who are destinated for equally illustrious academic careers elsewhere.

It's a very tough life lesson to learn at 17/18/19 though.

DN has an Oxford interview of MML. Doesn't have an interview date yet though.

It's absolutly shocking that so few Scottish young people get into Oxbridge.

I'm sure it doesn't exist but I'd like to see stats that show the average distance from home that students travel to university. I suspect you'd see that many students have an idea of 'reasonable distance' they want to travel.

I know many posters will say 'x is only 4.5 hours on the train' but that's a long way/time. For most students staying within, say, 2 hours is very appealing.

I'm sure that's true @SandyBayley.

It’s not just the time it’s the cost of travel. For students on a tight budget being far from home is a huge expense.

That's so true @5zeds.

Agree @5zeds - having been thorough the last 2 years of covid, being able to get to home and family relatively easily and cheaply is definitely appealing.

Saying that, lots of DC seem to flock from London/SE to Durham, Edinburgh and St Andrews and that's quite the trek. Also in Scotland I think there is less of a thing about 'going away' to University. A number of my Scottish friends' DC who live in or near cities stay at home at least to start with. In my DS's friendship group down south this is unheard of.