Oxford aspirants part 5......the wait is over the results are in!!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Thought I would start a new thread as its likely to fill up quick now.

So here we are after many months of applications, assessments and interviews. The wait is finally over for those with DC who have applied to Oxford. Those with Cambridge applicants have another 2 weeks to wait until the 25th Jan (bummer!!)

You have all been a lovely bunch to share this journey with and I wish your dc nothing but the BEST OF LUCK for tomorrow (and the 25th).

Me three @Eightytwenty and @doubleshotcappuccino - this happens every year. Let's get back on track and focus our minds on supporting each other.

In good news DD's mock results are largely back in and she seems to be where she needs to be to meet her Oxford offer. In bad news the school seems to be planning (unexpectedly) another set of mocks.

Good luck to all the Cambridge applicants. It's a long wait. Why the extra few weeks for decisions? Is it because they have so many more interviewed candidates to review?

@HoneyMobster yes another set of mocks planned for DD too now... at least post 25th we have one less thing to think another either way

I understand lot of schools are having to squeeze in an extra set of mocks at the end of this term to meet the government contingency requirement of 3 sets of controlled assessments on which to base grades in case A Levels have to be cancelled.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

Good luck to all the Cambridge applicants. It's a long wait. Why the extra few weeks for decisions? Is it because they have so many more interviewed candidates to review?

I suspect it is also to do with C pooling system. Whereas Oxford Colleges will interview all at the same time C has the winterpool which I think is taking place right about now.

@Eightytwenty

Hope you don’t mind me saying it, but we’ve had 4 threads of very supportive comments and this one has been a bit more argumentative. Could we try and get back to the supportive kind comments and take disagreements elsewhere. Maybe down to disappointments but it was nicer before.

Yep I agree I tend to stay clear of heated discussions as I don't have much to contribute but its not nice when the bickering starts, I come here for support. Some very snippy responses re Eaton not sure why and don't really care but would rather the positive posts returned!

Puffalicious - just to clarify, my family is in Scotland and my DC is in the Scottish education system. The question of whether Oxbridge should take into account the different system and syllabi in Scotland is an interesting one. I have seen discussion coming from Oxbridge along the lines that the work moves so fast that it's impossible for them to accommodate students who have high potential but who haven't covered the usual (as in English school system) work while at school. This was in the context of pupils from weak schools in England, though. And this presumably applies more to STEM subjects than to others.

DD finding the wait hard for C offers, finding out that some strong applicants in her year for STEM subjects at Oxford didn't get an offer (some even an interview) has brought home that a strong candidate may not get an offer. Of course everyone says that, and I don't think this is different to other years, but it puts it in context when it's a "real" person you know / know of.

Even if an offer were forthcoming, the STEP offer will still stand as a big hurdle. Sigh. It's a long haul.

She's still waiting on St Andrews and Durham, has an A* AA offer from
Warwick and 2xA*, A from Manchester.

Does anyone know when St Andrews and Durham offers tend to come out? I think if she'd had an offer from one of those two she would be more settled but I think they will come after Cambridge?

DC has decided, with unwavering certainty, that they won't get an offer from Cambridge. I've decided that I'll be happier if there is no offer from Cambridge, so that I can relax about exam results. I also like the current B choice. So we are totally chilled here! I will feel MUCH less chilled if there is in fact an offer.

TWAT if you read the posts about Eton the snip was all one way -from the Eton parent, in response to a perfectly ordinary and unloaded question. Completely uncalled for, as a third poster observed. But what can you do, if people are touchy? Never ask a question? One can stay polite and let others be snippy but it would be a bit absurd if legitimate questions or observations were drowned out because someone responds in an uncivil way.

Storminamu there were a number of posts about the pre-tests for STEM subjects in relation to Scottish applicants at the time interview responses came out. It genuinely is shocking that Oxford does seem on the face of it to be dismissing a whole raft of students from north of the border, effectively, if it is correct that the MAT etc penalise Scottish students. I've no idea if this is the reality (I'm not in any way equipped to judge the content of the pre-tests against the science syllabuses), but if it is, it's a serious issue.

I feel sorry for Eton kids - they presumably did not choose their school and it does now seem to carry a set of negative baggage.

I read in the paper the other day about the Rhodes Scholar unmasked: she had pretended she was disadvantaged and LGBTQetc and had in fact had an elite schooling.

It is a weird turn of events where people are desperate to claim any disadvantage in order to advantage themselves. Huge number of people on The Student Room asking what medical conditions/mental health/anxiety could bump up their chances.

Huge number of people on The Student Room asking what medical conditions/mental health/anxiety could bump up their chances. It wouldn't surprise me if there's not a trend to affluent people moving to disadvantaged areas short-term just to gain 'contextual offers' for their DC.

I think the Eton boys will be alright, @DottyHarmer

@goodbyestranger

TWAT if you read the posts about Eton the snip was all one way -from the Eton parent, in response to a perfectly ordinary and unloaded question. Completely uncalled for, as a third poster observed. But what can you do, if people are touchy? Never ask a question? One can stay polite and let others be snippy but it would be a bit absurd if legitimate questions or observations were drowned out because someone responds in an uncivil way.

Oh I know I was reading with mild amusement and bewilderment at the defensiveness

That's a rubbish answer. That's to do with application rates not application: offer.

Excellent question however! Well done to your DS.

@Genegenieee Durham offers can be as late as the spring I think .. a few trickling but not a lot as Paul Daniels would say ! Agree with those C support posters saying either way knowing would help and obviously a couple or one offer from any of the rest of list would be amazing !

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 - I think for such a move to work it would need to be fairly lengthy because the performance of the school where GCSEs and A levels are taken will also be taken into account.

www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/contextual-data

So would need to be more than a short term move to get the benefit of what is really only a marginally reduced offer

Attempts to play the system are the reason why it is so important that admission criteria / process for widening access is both robust and transparent.

I have a question re the Scottish education system - if a student stays on to do advanced highers, by year end have they covered the FM A level syllabus or something broadly comparable in terms of level and scope? Just wondering if the later timing of STEP in June would suit a student better than MAT in October.

Thanks @doubleshotcappuccino

Sounds like there will be continuing offer anticipations whether she gets a C offer (STEP) or not (will she, won't she about Durham and poss St A too). 

Enjoy this window of chill @Storminamu !

Following this thread and other comments irl, it seems that STEM students go through a tougher process than humanities students and will need to achieve higher A-level results. Why is that? Do the grade boundaries in STEM subjects not spread the field at the top sufficiently?

Trying to get my head around this for DC2 who will be coming along in a few years.

The full story about the former Rhodes scholarship holder is extraordinary. And apparently she is suing her current university.

I suppose with a stem subject you can get 100% of an exam paper right, no quibbles, unlike a humanities subject. And if you’re good at one stem subject, the likelihood is that your brain works in a way that makes other similar subjects easy, hence candidates often getting 4A* A Levels.

Of course this makes competing for Oxbridge et al more difficult - but I do think the step thing at Cambridge is horribly brutal.

That was a great question by your DC eightytwenty ! Shows real character.

Storminamu I wasn't aware you were in Scotland. I really hope your DC gets a C offer, it would show that some Scottish DC are bucking the trend. Really good luck.

goodbyestranger you raise an excellent and very serious point.

genegenieee I have no idea if AH compares with FM. It'd be good to know, though.

Good luck all.