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).

@Storminamu

There seem to be a lot of noes. Far more than for Oxford. And no doubt the yeses come with tough grades. No word from DC and they weren't sure whether they'd want to send the news when it's received at school, so I may have to wait till tonight.

I think that's bound to be the case, I'm afraid, Storm: "Cambridge interviews around 80% of their undergraduate applicants. Oxford interview considerably less, ranging from 20% to 40%" -- so you'd expect a lot more noes at this later stage from C.

DS's Cambridge offer conditions arrived in the post a couple of days after his offer email. I don't know if this is college specific though. Some colleges might send out conditions with offers.

DS has been offered English at Pembroke, so happy for him and relieved he can now concetrate on his mocks which start on Friday!

Delighted to hear your news @PermanentTemporary 😊

@ACloseMatch @doubleshotcappuccino and @Balls2it so sorry.
@PermanentTemporary congratulations!

@doubleshotcappuccino - another stalwart if these threads. Sorry to hear your news.

It’s a no for DD. Tough because her best friend got an offer. Different college, different subject.

She has an offer from St Andrew’s, and is waiting to hear from Edinburgh and the LSE. So I think she’ll land on her feet. She’ll feel sad for a little while though.

Sorry to hear that @Stockpot - I can personally recommend Edinburgh though. Fabulous place to be a student.

Sorry to hear of those who didn't get their offer. Harsh and brutal life experience for them.

I'm very ecstatic and surprised to be announcing that my DS got an offer for Engineering! (grades offer still to come though) I was doubtful as he is very reserved and not socially confident, although quietly confident in his abilities. I wasn't sure he would have come off well at interview. I assume they must have seen something in him. It's a whole new world to me, I only to went to the local poly and his Dad just about scraped his A-levels and didn't go to uni (bad school, no mentors or people he knew going to uni. Quite a few ended up in prison!) So it's a big achievement within our family.

Although really what's the point of analysing these things when so many able and determined kids have been given a no? God knows how they choose people when it's a close call.

2 of his friends also got an offer, one for Maths, and one for Computing. Both at the same college. They are a nice bunch of nerds in their little group so I'm glad that if they all get their grades in the summer that they'll have each other for a familiar face.

Pressure is on though now to achieve the grades.

Thanks @HoneyMobster. I think after a few days of licking her wounds she’ll be ready to look forward to other opportunities.

It all gets quite puffed up and needs a little time to come back to earth with some perspective!

Absolutely @HoneyMobster and it will be exciting to hear about their choices. They have all done so well to be contenders.
Congratulations @CurlyhairedAssassin!

Sorry, that was meant to be tagged to @Stockpot

Congrats to those with offers! Lovely to hear.

DS really did put Cambridge down as one of his five options rather than a lifelong goal but the whole process really creates an overblown momentum that he's much more disappointed than he would have been. Perhaps the 'specialness' of the Oxbridge admission system needs changing in order to encourage a broader range to give it a go but also to take away some of the sting of rejection. I heard someone from a think tank say they should just have a lottery system for those that get the right grades.

That is absolutely not to say that those who've got offers don't absolutely bloody deserve them! And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure that DS did deserve one over these other amazing sounding children.

@stockpot - sorry about your DD who sounded so like DS and the same subject.

Congratulations to those with an offer and commiserations to those without.

I have to disagree with you @Valleyofthedollymix , however, about a lottery system. At the moment a very large number of pupils are getting the “right” grades, especially for Oxford’s standard AAA offer, and there is sometimes a quite large gulf between applicants who might look the same on paper.

Congrats all who got offers. Unfortunately my DS was pooled for Medicine but not picked up.
Bit gutted he was so close but also reassuring he was considered good enough for Cambridge and Medicine and there simply wasn’t enough space.
Doubt he’ll be reapplying unless it’s a complete bust with all other interviews. Has 3 others so hopefully he’ll get one offer, as ultimately he’ll end up a Doctor wherever he gets in.
Surprisingly he’s absolutely fine with it and was quite reassured to have been pooled. His friends have been super discreet and supportive so really proud of the way they’ve all dealt with it.
His brother is also in Cambridge so that was an added pressure but apparently the course is very essay heavy and I don’t think that will really play to his strengths.
Although it doesn’t feel like it I think it’s for the best and am super-proud he made it this far.

@curlyheadedassassin huge congratulations to a fellow engineering candidate......am thrilled for your DS.

(Still no news here...but DS' best friend was a no ...which they are all reeling from as he was one of those chikdren that you think if he doesn't get it, what hope does anyone else have...... I'm now waiting for the inevitable no!)

They have sounded quite similar @Valleyofthedollymix. Maybe they will both end up at St Andrew’s! DD is keen, but then if she gets an offer from LSE she may wobble.

A big congratulations to all the DC who did receive offers from O and C and good luck making the grades. Exciting journeys ahead for all of them.

@curlyhairedassassin that should have been!

So sorry @stockpot 😔

@Angharad01 - sorry to hear that. Medicine is a bit different isn't it? Adding in the interviews for all the medical schools to an Oxford application has made it really challenging for DD. Hope one of the other medical schools offers to your DS soon.

@CurlyhairedAssassin - big congratulations 😊

DD didn’t get I to Oxford past the interview days. She’s now in 3rd year at Durham and never looked back.

@Valleyofthedollymix

Congrats to those with offers! Lovely to hear.

DS really did put Cambridge down as one of his five options rather than a lifelong goal but the whole process really creates an overblown momentum that he's much more disappointed than he would have been. Perhaps the 'specialness' of the Oxbridge admission system needs changing in order to encourage a broader range to give it a go but also to take away some of the sting of rejection. I heard someone from a think tank say they should just have a lottery system for those that get the right grades.

That is absolutely not to say that those who've got offers don't absolutely bloody deserve them! And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure that DS did deserve one over these other amazing sounding children.

@stockpot - sorry about your DD who sounded so like DS and the same subject.

I don't agree that it's a good idea to take measures to take away some of "the sting of rejection", thus compromising the standard of those offered places. I think there's way too much emphasis on protecting young people from trauma / distress / discomfort. These are the people who will be running and just living in a world massively hit by climate change. How on earth will they cope if they can't manage what is, essentially, a pretty minor rejection in the midst of what is, for most of them, a successful and privileged life? For many people, life is full of rejection, and it will do our children no harm to get used to dealing with a bit of it.

@dottyharmer - I'm not sure I agree with the idea of a lottery either it was just something posited by this think tank. Helen Thompson of Talking Politics podcast (who I think is at Clare) has also proposed it.

We're bucking the general trend here. DS2 was fished from the pool and got a Cambridge Engineering offer this morning! (Hi @CurlyhairedAssassin!). DS1 rejected by Oxford for the same two weeks ago. What a frigging rollercoaster. I am a mess of emotions as I suspect that DS1 wanted O a lot more than DS2 wanted C. There was a poster in exactly the same situation last year (2 siblings applied and the less eager got the offer and suffered from guilt). Anyone remember who??
I can't see DS2 suffering much survivor guilt though! and DS1 seems stoical about it, but it must sting. We did warn him that obviously this was one of 4 outcomes that could (in my eyes) equally happen.
Well done/commiserations all. I can now relate to both sides, and it's weird. Will check in again later. Need to compose myself for DS2's return home.

@Storminamu you're right, he'll get over it very quickly, but I just read some of the students on TSR and my heart rather breaks for them. They're distraught.

Like I say, the lottery's not my idea but from people far cleverer than me who don't feel that the system is working at the moment.