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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge Aspirants - Part 6

504 replies

HoneyMobster · 26/01/2022 14:58

The offers are in but there is still a long way to go...

@CurlyhairedAssassin
@Panicmode1
@PermanentTemporary

OP posts:
kitnkaboodle · 26/01/2022 19:47

I think if you type star+character+star then it sees it as a command to make the character bold. Unhelpful on this thread!!

heinztomatosoup · 26/01/2022 19:57

Ahh thanks so if someone types AstarAstarA it will appear A boldA A, no wonder I'm confused!

CurlyhairedAssassin · 26/01/2022 20:01

Evening, all!

DS is Churchill, Cambridge for Engineering. Details of offer still to come but he's doing FM as his 4th A-level so expecting that to be an A* requirement, he said. His others are Maths, Physics & Computing.

I'm so proud of him, he's so self-motivated and driven (not at all like me ha ha). He received his ENGAA result today and was thrilled to bits, did amazingly well. There has been little help from school with regards to the Oxbridge application process, surprisingly (state grammar), apart from the usual standard HE and careers talks. No practice interviews etc so he's researched a lot on his own. He HAS had some fantastic teachers who've really stretched him over the years. The school does expect you to be self-motivated and work independently from the start, so I suppose that HAS prepared him for the Oxbridge application process in a way, as those institutions are not for anybody who are not that way inclined, I guess.

He's on hold for Imperial (aero eng), Durham and Bristol. Has an offer from Southampton which will probably be his insurance choice. We are still heading to their offer holder's day in a couple of weeks, as you never know what's round the corner. Don't count your chickens and all that...

Hi to the other engineer mums!

Panicmode1 · 26/01/2022 20:28

@CurlyhairedAssassin Well done to your DS on the ENGAA - not sure DS has his result (he's not sharing if he has!).

DS also has Imperial, Durham and Bristol offers (going to the offer holder day in early March) - and he's going to Loughborough on Wednesday for an interview/tour which will be interesting. It was supposed to be in Dec, but was scheduled on the same day as his Cambridge interview.

Definitely no chickens being counted here...many a slip between cup and lip and all that.

pantjog · 26/01/2022 20:43

My DD has an offer for Music at Oxford — AAA.
Re the engineering offer, my DS who is a 2nd year at C was offered A-star A-star A; he already had A-star in maths (taken in year 12) and one of the stars had to be in physics. He got in to his first choice college and came from a comp so think it was a standard offer.

Ijw2025 · 26/01/2022 21:38

DS has an offer from Cambridge for Medicine
Offer AAA

Decafcoffee · 26/01/2022 22:41

@pantjog lovely to see another music student. Can I ask what instruments your dc plays?
My dd is considering the choral scholarship

Genegenieee · 27/01/2022 00:50

Hi all

DD is C Maths

Offer -
A* Maths
A* FM
A Physics
Plus STEP - 1,1

(DD also doing chemistry but not referred to in offer)

kitnkaboodle · 27/01/2022 08:59

Interesting that @Genegenieee's DD's offer doesn't even take into account the fourth subject .. I'm beginning to think that for Maths/Engineering at C, doing FM as a third and not a fourth subject (probably with just Physics and Maths as my DS is) is perfectly adequate from the admissions point of view, and any prospective applicants could save themselves a LOT of extra trouble by not labouring away at an 'unnecessary' A level in Chemistry, DT, etc ..??

OhYouBadBadKitten · 27/01/2022 09:07

@kitnkaboodle

Interesting that *@Genegenieee*'s DD's offer doesn't even take into account the fourth subject .. I'm beginning to think that for Maths/Engineering at C, doing FM as a third and not a fourth subject (probably with just Physics and Maths as my DS is) is perfectly adequate from the admissions point of view, and any prospective applicants could save themselves a LOT of extra trouble by not labouring away at an 'unnecessary' A level in Chemistry, DT, etc ..??
You absolutely don't need a fourth A level for Maths at Cambridge.

You can see typical offers by college here. www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/mathematics_subject_requirements.pdf

pantjog · 27/01/2022 09:15

Hello @Decafcoffee! I hadn’t spotted you! Has your DC got a music offer? And what instruments do they play?

DD plays the piano and bassoon and has a choral scholarship. So happy for her (grades permitting) but slightly worried about workload with the choral scholarship and other interests (she’s a keen rower). My older two DC are at O and C and having a very mixed experience to put it tactfully (but both doing subjects with a notoriously heavy workload — and very different characters of course).

VorpalSword · 27/01/2022 09:36

Typical offer for the course is Astar AA but my dd’s offer is Astar Astar A.

Anyone else got a higher than typical or know if this is unusual (or what it means]?

Frankl · 27/01/2022 10:10

Hi, I did not see we had a new thread!

DD1 has an offer for Law at C (her offer is A-star AA) while DD4 has an offer for Earth Sciences at O (hers is also A-star AA).

They will finish their mocks next week, but for now they are on track to get the required grades

KillingMoon · 27/01/2022 15:35

@VorpalSword

Typical offer for the course is Astar AA but my dd’s offer is Astar Astar A.

Anyone else got a higher than typical or know if this is unusual (or what it means]?

My DD has had a higher than typical offer too for History at Cambridge. Same as your DD, typical is one A and two As but her offer is 2A and one A. My DD was pooled and picked up by another college, not sure if this makes a difference?
Panicmode1 · 27/01/2022 16:57

I wonder if they are just making higher offers to everyone this year as so many had sky high GCSEs, so they are making sure they really are getting the most able?!

It is seeming like a very tough year!

PermanentTemporary · 27/01/2022 17:32

They don't have enough spaces. There won't be any wiggle room at all. They have to get the numbers right.

KillingMoon · 27/01/2022 18:06

My DH wondered the same, @Panicmode1. Possible. If you look at the offers spreadsheet linked from TSR, there’s are some typical offers for my DD’s subject from other colleges but the applicants were made an offer by the colleges that they applied to. This is what got me wondering about pooling being a factor.

Panicmode1 · 27/01/2022 18:12

@KillingMoon - DS was pooled and thought his offer was high. Perhaps a combination of the two. It's certainly not a done deal in this house, despite his predictions - will have to see what mocks bring (he's got them in about 2 weeks time I think).

Letsgoforaskip · 27/01/2022 18:15

Hi, my DS has got the standard AAA offer for Philosophy and Theology at Oxford.

Original poster
HoneyMobster · 27/01/2022 18:18

DD has the standard medicine offer for Oxford. 39 points (IB).

OP posts:
petitebleu · 27/01/2022 18:55

Still waiting for an offer here. DS is expecting A*AA and really hoping it's not more than that but I'm not so sure, although MML doesn't seem to be as competitive.
Yet another tense wait!

heinztomatosoup · 27/01/2022 20:10

DD got her offer through today of A star AA including History which annoyingly is the least secure of her 4, so the pressure is on!!

quest1on2 · 27/01/2022 20:17

If anyone has not managed to visit Cambridge yet, DS called his college today and they were super-friendly and said come along any time for a tour. So looks like colleges are now opening up for tours again (at C at least) if anyone is thinking of a visit.

heinztomatosoup · 27/01/2022 20:34

We've been sent a date for in person offer holder day as well as virtual alternative

PermanentTemporary · 27/01/2022 20:35

Well. Ds has got his detailed offer. A for Maths. Another A in either Physics or Further Maths, with the other one being an A. And a B in Chemistry. He is very relieved to have a tiny bit of pressure taken off FM and Chemistry.