Re Newnham college - Cambridge. I was quite sad in a way that my DD decided to apply for Oxford - she did summer schools at both but because of her subject choice - opted to apply to Oxford. Cambridge had been supportive, clear and excellent all the way along.
My feeling is - that Newnham looks fantastic. I have experience of academia myself - and it can still be patriarchal so anything which encourages networks of women - supportive ones would be the way to go.
Course there are things that I don't fully get right now about how applications to various colleges are pooled both at Oxford and Cambridge. I'm not sure I want to dwell on it that much either as a mum - I get stressed out enough about it all!
My DD has applied to one college in particular at Oxford I understand. In terms of stress management I'm just thinking as far as the next step - i..e Thinking Skills Assessment exam - whilst hoping DD receives an offer from somewhere soon - just to take the pressure off - it is the uncertainty of it all - that's a killer I find ...
One thing to bear in mind with college choices - is perhaps the scholarships that are available, who they are available to and what kind of scholarships they are.
My DD. rejected one college as a choice because they had the Margaret Thatcher Scholarship. Having seen what the Tories have done to this country - over the past twelve years and the education and health systems in general - it is inhuman and I wouldn't want her to carry that around her neck for the rest of her life...
That's just me though, with my own biases....we all have them eh?