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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
ofteninaspin · 02/12/2021 09:32

A friend's DS has just heard he has an interview for Oxford Maths (from a large southern Sixth Form).

Interesting to read upthread where students at Cambridge live in the UK. DS's small staircase sample come from Scotland (reading natural sciences), the South, East and West of England. Mostly state educated but grammar schools, selective London sixth form (two are from the Academy of Excellence) and independent sixth forms on bursaries.

Valleyofthedollymix · 02/12/2021 09:53

Completely true story, a relative of mine recently helped a student from a low-performing state school in the North East (in and out of special measures, below average results) with their Cambridge application. The boy got in, yay, but his family strongly believed that it would be 'too posh' and so he opted for Durham instead (oh the irony).

So yes geography does come into play.

Now that DS has details of his one (just the one!) interview I am stressing so much about a) him doing little preparation and b) tech failures. Even the fact that his name has to be displayed correctly on the Zoom call has unnerved me. I so wish it were in person.

Valleyofthedollymix · 02/12/2021 09:54

Oh and his mock interview with a random old boy from his school was a disaster.

ofteninaspin · 02/12/2021 10:11

I honestly don't think interview practice and preparation is that important beyond being comfortable talking about your subject. Both my DC said their school practice "interviews" bore no resemblance to their actual interviews.

kitnkaboodle · 02/12/2021 10:18

@SirVixofVixHall - just get in touch with the original college, as that does sound a bit odd to me. I'd do it a.s.a.p.

No practice interviews for my DSs. DS1 isn't even in school any more! We have no relevant connections and my knowledge of engineering is non existent, so they will have to rely on watching videos. Mock interviews do seem like a bit of a mixed blessing in some cases though ...

nolanscrack · 02/12/2021 10:22

Mock interviews are only worth doing if the interviewer actually knows what an Oxbridge interview in the subject is like.It would seem that many schools/colleges dont,there is no excuse for that..

Darbs76 · 02/12/2021 10:28

@ofteninaspin - do you know what college for Maths at Oxford? My DS is still waiting to hear - he applied to Worcester college. He’s expecting to hear today or tomorrow - nervous

SandyBayley · 02/12/2021 10:43

@Darbs76 - the TSR spreadsheet suggests Brasenose and Keble are out..

Darbs76 · 02/12/2021 10:58

@SandyBayley - great thanks. The wait goes on!

cosmiccat · 02/12/2021 11:15

@Piggywaspushed

Thanks guys. I am more worried about tech fails than anything! I am keeping everything very crossed.
Hope it goes well @Piggywaspushed. Tech is my biggest fear too. DD's interview is Monday, she has to use a drawing table to show her maths workings. At least she is tech savvy but I am just hoping there aren't any broadband gremlins. Am trying to think of a Plan B & C but none are speedy.
SirVixofVixHall · 02/12/2021 11:19

Thank you kitn
She has sent an email. We don’t know if she has been reallocated, or quite what has happened. Hopefully they will clarify the situation soon.

ofteninaspin · 02/12/2021 13:28

@Darbs76, it's Keble. Good luck to your DS and I hope he hears very soon.

opoponax · 02/12/2021 14:54

Just wanted to give a bit of reassurance on the tech front. My DS didn't apply to Oxbridge last year but did have four successful virtual Medicine interviews. There were no tech glitches at all and although he felt beforehand that he would have preferred to do them in person, he said after the event that he felt he had been able to do himself justice virtually. He said that you are so in the moment on the day that you don't even really register that it is virtual. Wishing all your DC lots of luck.

Piggywaspushed · 02/12/2021 14:55

DS has been interviewed! He seems happy. He sounds like he kept his cool and was able to give detailed answers. The reading material wasn't too terribly difficult. He thought that interview was easier. The PS was barely mentioned!!

ofteninaspin · 02/12/2021 15:03

Well done to Piggy Jnr! Another hurdle cleared.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 02/12/2021 15:23

That all sounds very positive @Piggywaspushed. Well done to your DS.

SandyBayley · 02/12/2021 15:33

Good news that it all went smoothly @Piggywaspushed

DD has had details through of a 45 minute webinar from her 1st choice college tomorrow evening. I think it's just a 'welcome' thing rather than anything more formal or academic. Nice touch though.

Original poster
TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 02/12/2021 15:47

@Piggywaspushed

DS has been interviewed! He seems happy. He sounds like he kept his cool and was able to give detailed answers. The reading material wasn't too terribly difficult. He thought that interview was easier. The PS was barely mentioned!!

Fab news he's the first of our MN dc and so pleased to hear it went as well as it could. Let's hope for good news in Jan....Thanks

OP posts:
AndTheyFlyTheNest · 02/12/2021 16:17

I don't want to add to the fear of those scared about "tech fails" ... but please do be prepared. My DS applied and was interviewed last yr for C and had done everything he was told to do (practicing with using whiteboard on computer etc) and was v comfortable with it all as he'd been using his computer whiteboard since start of lockdown. But at last minute (literally before I walked out the room saying goodluck) I asked him if he had pen and paper handy in case. He had an old notepad on the floor.... And yes, there was a complete tech fail. It wasn't his end, but was their end. And they ended up reading out equations, he had to write the answers down on the paper notepad and hold them up to camera to show them. (Admittedly, he was probably one of the very first online interviews they had done.. and everyone has got much better at all this in the last year!)

Anyway, he was very glad he had the notepad (and random green felt pen) handy!

His second interview (he was pooled) was an entirely different experience and all the tech worked brilliantly!

Good luck everyone!

SirVixofVixHall · 02/12/2021 16:27

@Piggywaspushed

DS has been interviewed! He seems happy. He sounds like he kept his cool and was able to give detailed answers. The reading material wasn't too terribly difficult. He thought that interview was easier. The PS was barely mentioned!!
Best of luck for the piglet !
TerrifiedandWorried · 02/12/2021 16:42

DD has had confirmation of time and date - Tuesday 7th, morning and afternoon. She just asked if I thought she should go to school in between. Er...no. 🤣

Whatstheweatherlike · 02/12/2021 16:48

Sounds very positive @Piggywaspushed, well done to your DS. It'll be interesting to see in the feedback as more interviews happen just how much or how little the PS is referred to for the various subjects.

Piggywaspushed · 02/12/2021 17:11

I should probably know this but am suffering from cognitive overload. I know about Oxford pooling , but does Cambridge have pooling? If so, when, an how does it work?

I can't find a definitive answer to this online.

MFLMum2021 · 02/12/2021 17:27

@Piggywaspushed, that does sound positive re the interviews.

DDs interview times finally confirmed today for early next week - two, on successive days for the MFL and her other subject.

cosmiccat · 02/12/2021 17:28

@AndTheyFlyTheNest

I don't want to add to the fear of those scared about "tech fails" ... but please do be prepared. My DS applied and was interviewed last yr for C and had done everything he was told to do (practicing with using whiteboard on computer etc) and was v comfortable with it all as he'd been using his computer whiteboard since start of lockdown. But at last minute (literally before I walked out the room saying goodluck) I asked him if he had pen and paper handy in case. He had an old notepad on the floor.... And yes, there was a complete tech fail. It wasn't his end, but was their end. And they ended up reading out equations, he had to write the answers down on the paper notepad and hold them up to camera to show them. (Admittedly, he was probably one of the very first online interviews they had done.. and everyone has got much better at all this in the last year!)

Anyway, he was very glad he had the notepad (and random green felt pen) handy!

His second interview (he was pooled) was an entirely different experience and all the tech worked brilliantly!

Good luck everyone!

Thank you @AndTheyFlyTheNest for the useful advice.