OR 22 - Edinburgh, Warwick, St A, UCL, Durham, Nottingham, Bath and more

[Valleyofthedollymix]

Following on from the Oxbridge rejects thread but I've got rid of those two words. I for one am interested to know where they all end up and when Durham might finally deign to reject/offer DS...

He sounds like a really grounded dude. Type of character that you know will do well
in life.

I lament my appalling memory. It hindered me at university and continues to cause frustration for me at work. Jealous of those who have instant recall.

Thank you Eighty that's a lovely thing to say.

My memory used to be pretty good back in the day. It's been slowly worsening, and peri- menopause renders me unable to recall words like 'baby-wipes' / 'volunteer'/ 'soup' - just a few examples from the past week🤣

@cosenza I wasn't aware of these tables - so seems like Maths is still the big outlier hence I suppose need for STEP for high tariff institutions. I guess for many gifted mathmos full marks in Maths and FM eminently possible and probably expected. Interesting that Chemistry and Physics don't show same trend which I guess marries somewhat with what we were told a few years back i.e. that the exams in these subjects just got harder. I do remember being told that an A* in Chemistry is a really big deal. Stark reminder of what DS is up against!

Not of course trying to imply that Maths and FM are not bloody hard - DD did Maths and had to really graft for her A, just there were some in her school for whom A* in FM was never in doubt. She was just not in that league.

Well, I'm in awe if anyone who does anything with Maths even remotely in it. But when you see these stats, it probably explains why lots of degree courses requiring Maths and / or FM have had to increase the offer conditions to three A instead of 2 - when almost half of FM entries were awarded an A last year!

One of the comments by DS’s friend about last FM paper was that he had sat easier STEP papers. Another paper later today and really hoping it isn’t as awful. Just want him home for the weekend now.

three A stars instead of 2 - when almost half of FM entries were awarded an A star last year.

Very best of luck to him Volterra.

Thank you cosemza 🙂!I’m really flagging with it all now so goodness knows what it just be for them.

My DS finishes Tuesday. He has had an exam every day this week and is exhausted. In retrospect, I think doing Math, FM, Economics and Physics was too large an ask but his school insists on 4 A levels. He really looks so fed up with it all :( FM again today; Physics yesterday was apparently awful because he says his head is too overloaded with daily exams. I wish they had structured to give a day in between but I guess that is impossible or tough.

Luckily we live by the river so he has been going to school by Uber boat on tube strike days! I find this very amusing. It seems far too leisurely an activity for exam days but it is actually the fastest way to get there as we are a car free family.

That sounds like a lovely way to go to school 😀I’m not surprised he is exhausted and expect DS to be when we pick him up later, he only had 4 this week but that feels like enough. DS has one a day Tuesday to Thursday next week. The poor people doing Computer science have that plus another on Friday.

I’m clueless about stem and math.

Do the DC sit a STEP paper at the beginning of the admissions process or after being provisionally accepted?

@Stockpot After - they sit them same time as A levels. They are apparently exceptionally challenging. Family friend has a son who is an academic in a London uni Maths dept - they apparently would expect their typical offer holder to get A stars in both Maths and FM without breaking a sweat so they don't really help them distinguish, hence STEP.

@CaliforniaDrumming your poor boy. He's clearly very gifted so hope his raw ability gets him over the line, but it's so anxiety-inducing trying to manage their fatigue. My constant mantra to DS is to go to bed and get plenty of rest but whether he's listened who knows.

Gosh, so much stress for you all, compounded by strikes and heat! Although commuting by boat sounds rather excellent!

Take a breath and relax this evening, please all.

It seems silly to reject candidates with 4*s or the Scottish equivalent before knowing their STEP scores. They might be turning away the best ones!

I've always thought this was bizarre too. Son did the MAT and at the time I thought STEP may have been a better option as it's after the course is finished, so more knowledge. But thinking on it, if you're rejected, you're rejected with no chance to show your true potential. Pants, really.

My pupil was rejected from Camb before STEP and she's truly outstanding. She's going to St As and delighted, so another loss for Oxbridge.

I could be very wrong about this but I think MAT tests on year 12 English schools work and STEP is on year 13. Have also heard that Cambridge offer significantly over offer for Maths as approximately 50% don’t get required STEP grade. Must be horrible to have done really well on A levels but not get required STEP grades- at least with Oxford it gets the rejection over and done with and they can move on. DS’s Bath offer is a grade lower with STEP but he decided just easier to focus on A levels.

He came home tired but not as tired as he could have been. They are allowed in their rooms in accommodation during exam period to revise and I think this worked well for him as means then just a short walk to exams.

FM yesterday went well. He has 2 next week rather than 3 as the main college timetable shows both of the FM papers next week and they only do one of them. The end is in sight !

DD got her feedback from Cambridge. It was a very vague form letter. They didn’t even customise the pronouns to match her, but instead used “their.” Not sure if they are woke or just lazy. Nothing a candidate could use, if they wanted to try again the following year.

Just, we had 37 candidates, made offers to 5; hard to tell good students apart because so many high grades predicted; we use a combination of grades, interview, ps, recommendations and other achievements and the other candidates were stronger than you.

It was a reiteration of what she already knew. Nothing insightful, such as knowledge areas she failed to get across, etc. Very much like a failed corporate job interview, if you are naive enough to ask for feedback.

I’m not at all surprised, I understand the risks and problems an organisation may face, if they are forthright, but I’d rather they didn’t do this to children. I’d prefer if they just posted bare stats and demurred from sharing any “personal feedback.”

I’m so grateful she is happy where she is at. I think she is ending up in the best place for her. She was lucky to get a place at St As, the interdisciplinary opportunities suit her well.

We could have skipped reliving the C rejection, but I suppose it is all part of growing up. I want her to be savvy, but not cynical.

Yes STEP is more advanced than MAT because it includes Year 13 content as well.

Thank you so much for sharing @Stockpot .. gosh they were bleak days after they got rejected and other offers weren't in .. DD will get see her feedback post last History exam. I was expecting the same for her .. but really don't want to relive seeing her so hurt in those early days of C rejection especially when we have brighter days to prepare for fingers crossed. She's got fantastic offers and I really don't want her to be plunged into any depths or thoughts of reapplication... but we wait till post History exam and graduation.

@Stockpot - that is utterly useless. Really what is the point?

But blimey 37 for 5 places! And this is geography, not computer science or medicine. How on earth do they distinguish them? DS submitted no written work, did no tests and only a half an hour interview.

I've always maintained (before son was rejected so it's not sour grapes, honest) that there's a huge lottery element. I know those with successful children always go on about how Oxbridge tutors are able to discern 'passion for the subject' and 'exceptional devotion to history/maths/whatever' but I always wonder, gosh have you ever met these tutors? A lot of them can't even convey their own passion for the subject and a good proportion are lacking in social skills. The idea that they have some magic ability to pick out the best 5 and reject the other 22 is clearly bananas. I think at most one applicant per 20 is a standout home run but the rest are a bunch of smart, hard working and ambitious children.

Hello everyone, application time (Oct 21) just seems like an eternity ago, I have not been good at posting on all threads I participated on then but have followed all of your news.

I'm sorry the feedback from C wasn't robust Stockpot. It's obvious that the quality really does vary from college to college. For context, I've summarised DD's for those still considering whether to re-apply/obtain feedback before they wipe it.

DD received hers in March, as an automatic process from the college she applied to. It was circa 3 pages of stats, how many apply, methodology, WP graphs etc etc. Most pretty general, but this last point really summarised the WP principle...

Applicants to whom we made an offer have generally performed well in the assessment relative to their demographic although some lower-performing candidates were able to demonstrate their potential in other ways and received an offer.

On DD's personal feedback, it was personalised using her name frequently, summarised all topics discussed, using descriptives of "enthusiastically, robustly, demonstrating her ability to go over and beyond standard vocabulary lists" etc. That it was a high calibre field, but for her not to be disappointed as it was clear she will have a good undergraduate career ahead of her, and perhaps attend C for PG studies.

At that end of the day, DD's application was unsuccessful, and there probably were more suitable candidates, but she was always aware odds were very low given each college only took 1-3 for her course, if that. But, like many of you and your DC, do believe she would do just fine elsewhere, and that she could have done no more, these are just the circumstances of selection now, and supply/demand challenges. The feedback did give her final closure, and I personally hope the PG comment was just lip-service, not something I think C are prone to doing vs usual vague? Though we'll never know.

I don't know if I would have endorsed re-application had the feedback been as vague as some have received, but thankfully re-application has never been a consideration for DD and she did move on quickly. We still don't know, grades permitting, if she'll stick with Durham or choose TCD if an offer is forthcoming (tbc - end Aug/early Sept) when Irish results are finalised. 50/50 right now.

I've come on to really wish all your DC best of luck with winding down (or continuing to wind down for those now done!) and best of luck for results day. It's been a long slog hasn't it?

wasn't just lip-service.

@Stockpot if that anaemic and half-hearted offering is the best they can muster then that college is probably one best avoided for PG study in the future! St As are lucky to get her. @ealingwestmum that's much more like what I would have expected and I hope it puts it to bed for her. They clearly know she's going to do well and I wish her every success. Durham or TCD what fabulous options!