Applying to Oxbridge for 2023 the offers are coming in

[bettbburg]

New thread

And yours.

Doesn't bode well with your labelling my opinions as 'aggressive'.

When and if your DD/DS gets to Oxford they will be expected to deal with opposing opinions calmly. Indeed I thought that was what the TSA was supposed to be about?

You can't cope with someone disagreeing with you?

perseverance there's nothing logically unsound about stating the fact that aptitude tests and interviews are intended to identify potential, and not achieve it. It's fact not opinion. I was correcting your error.

It's not a 'high stress drama' for us either.

The facts are though that the schools closed down for ten months during G.C.S.E's , there is now a teacher's strike in FE. and a recruitment crisis there.


There is also another wave of covid.

Not a 'high stress drama' these are facts and figures not something of a hallucination or just 'how someone feels'!

Aurea's DS has been though Oxford and has graduated, so was clearly capable of dealing with contrary views since he did three years worth of exactly that in law tutorials.

Oh right, so who do you reckon is doing that then?

I certainly haven't!

Sure that is Aurea's DS.
Not Aurea!

With all due respect @perseverence I think that's precisely what you're doing

I think the admissions process for Oxford is a good indicator of how things are once dc are there. My ds is now a 3rd year and he understood the application process and what it entailed before he embarked on it. He did positively enjoy the interview process and was sure he wanted to go once it was over.
Its fair to say the workload there is pretty intense, particularly the volume expected. End of year exams are pretty stressful, ds had 9x 3 hour papers on consecutive days at the end of 2nd year.
I'm sorry that some dc have found it stressful and I feel for then. But at the end of the day it's good preparation for life at Oxford.

DTJ I heard that all the time across the years and the outcome - who got invites to interview - showed little correlation. One of my History DC was on TSR at the time of the HAT and said one particularly obnoxious poster was incredibly pleased with himself, super punchy, dismissive of others who tried to engage and then..... failed to get an interview.

Oh right.
And there is nothing logically unsound about questioning the validity of said aptitude tests and interviews either.

Case in point 11 plus. Biased beyond belief and not inclusive to those of the none white/non/middle class variety.

Or are we all supposed to shut up and not comment on selection process?

Both DS1 and DD really enjoyed the application process, particularly the interviews. As @goodbyestranger said, the admissions tests are definitely there to identify potential in an applicant. I think over the years they've been refined to get better at it.

You're extremely welcome to comment on the selection process, even when you fail to understand its purpose :)

Think the main thing one needs to say to you Goodbyestranger is:

'Of course you are RIGHT'.

Sadly that won't stand you in good stead at all when you are faced with an oxbridge seminar and need to come up with opposing arguments...

Interestingly the Chemistry Department at Oxford considered using TSA as part of their recruitment process. DS1 sat it when they were considering it in 2019. They decided to drop it in later years as they found no link between results and student progress. But that's just Chemistry.

I'm trying to imagine the horror on the young people's faces if I were to turn up at an Oxford tutorial or seminar. I'll leave the young people to their fun.

Obviously, with eight Oxford educated DC, I get plenty of opposing opinion at home; definitely not a household short of argument :)

I won't prolong this but while I'm often wrong perseverance, and usually happy to admit it, I did know the peer groups of my own DC at their school very well and so can say with complete confidence that there was in fact no correlation between those who thought they'd aced the aptitude tests/ bombed them and those who got invites to interview. On that I am completely right.

DS hasn't had an offer from Oxbridge - but he has had unsolicited offers from 2 universities he didn't even apply to.

@Januarytoes how ??? That is bizarre as Unis in UK only offer via UCAS.

DS found it tough today but managed to finish and tried his very best. I simply told him that I was proud of him and that was it!

Lets see what the next few weeks brings

DS did the MAT this morning. Said it was ok and he's relieved it's over.

I've told him to sit back and relax now. One hurdle down!

welll done mum. They are no doubt tired at this point.
a good night's sleep and things looking brighter perhaps.

yes, goodbye stranger, we know...you are 'right' again...

It’s a tricky one. I had a look at a past paper with her but was no help as it was horrible! So she’s been left to her own devices, just did some practice papers. She said practising didn’t make a huge different to her marks but of course like any test they can be gamed with know how and practice. But hey ho, what will be will be. Hope your son did ok.

Perhaps that is part of the problem.
the 'establishment' thinking they never need to change...

you are of course, Goodbyestranger totally 'right'. lol

Thank you for the thread op, following!
Can anyone advise how best to prepare for the interview? DD very studious but not a natural when it comes to interviews