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Higher education

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

Original poster

Oxbridge applications 2023 mutual support thread

889 replies

Riverpebble · 02/11/2022 22:05

A new, friendly thread.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 04/12/2022 09:54

DD's advice is to "think out loud". When they pose a question, don't just rattle off the answer, or make something up on the spot, but go through all the steps you need to come up with the answer. She said it didn't seem to matter that she didn't know certain things (the caloric value of a bar of chocolate - why would she? She is a size 6 and still fits in age 12-13 clothes at 23...!) so they guided her to guess. She was put in the "worth a place" category and snapped up by her present college. The Head of Admissions at her college told us that she was his best pick from the pool of 2016. It's almost certainly an exaggeration to proud parents at graduation, but she has done really well there.

Good luck to all the DC. The best parental advice I can give is to leave them to it. If they are successful and then make the grades, you won't be able to micromanage them, so for now offer good food, plenty of warm drinks and hugs. Then hit the gin yourself!

goodbyestranger · 04/12/2022 10:58

Thinking out loud is very good advice from Malbec's DD.

My DDs would also say don't overthink the questions and ignore the myths about Oxbridge interviews. The first question for one of the DDs (with all three college tutors seated behind a desk in old fashioned police interview style), having been handed a print out of a law report, was 'Which court gave the decision in this case?' DD replied that it was the House of Lords. One tutor said and can you explain why you say that? Yes she said, because it's printed on the page. Quite right they said, we've had some interesting and much longer answers to that particular question....

PauliString · 04/12/2022 12:18

DS similarly had an interview in which he was asked, ‘Can you identify the purpose of this object?’ Sure, he said, it’s a pump; you can tell this because there’s an inlet here and an outlet and blah blah, but mostly because it says ‘Silverstone Pump’ on the label…

Original poster
Riverpebble · 04/12/2022 13:28

Karwomannghia · 04/12/2022 08:50

Ds had his own landmark birthday this weekend and an interview tomorrow, not the best timing!

We had the landmark birthday and the interview invitation on the same day, thank goodness it was a yes

OP posts:
MajorityofThree · 04/12/2022 18:45

Best of luck to all our wonderful Ds's and DD's having interviews in next week or so. They've all done brilliantly to get this far and especially in having a go in the first place. I hope they manage to "enjoy" the process as much as possible.

Original poster
Riverpebble · 04/12/2022 19:00

I was spared the time to say what prep is being done

Reading their EPQ to refresh their memory
Ditto the personal statement
Reading some book chapters that are relevant
Reading some current subject news
Sample questions and interview videos

OP posts:
DeliciousViolets · 04/12/2022 19:53

My child had their interview (and 18th birthday) on Saturday. There really is no way of knowing how it went as far as we can tell. It all depends upon what the interviewers were hoping for and how everyone else did, which is unknown.
At least now, they can just focus on the A levels and revising for mocks.
They did say they really enjoyed the format and the difficult questions that pushed them; so that bodes well for possible future tutorials which would be the same style.

Motherhubbardscupboard · 04/12/2022 20:07

I've been lurking so far, hope you don't mind me posting. DS has his pre interview assessment tomorrow then interview on Friday, and has woken up with covid this morning. Feeling ok but not great. I'm sure he'll be ok by Friday but does anyone know whether he should just go ahead tomorrow despite the fact he won't be 100%? Do they even have a procedure for illness? (Cambridge)

Karwomannghia · 04/12/2022 21:24

Oh no sorry to hear that, my ds is ill too but not covid. I think he’s just going to do it anyway but if yours is really ill surely they will be flexible?

Motherhubbardscupboard · 04/12/2022 21:36

Just had a chat with him (through the closed bedroom door 😂 ) and assuming he isn't a lot worse by the morning he is going to do it. He is emailing both Admissions and school now to let them know, just in case there is any advice to the contrary. Hope your DS manages ok as well.

OnePlusOneEquals · 05/12/2022 06:34

Hope the week ahead goes well for everyone and those that feel unwell improve soon! Still waiting here for interview times for DS that start on Wednesday. Really hope we hear today.

princesdando · 05/12/2022 07:07

OnePlusOneEquals · 05/12/2022 06:34

Hope the week ahead goes well for everyone and those that feel unwell improve soon! Still waiting here for interview times for DS that start on Wednesday. Really hope we hear today.

Good morning all and hope all interviews go well this week and all DC go in relaxed and ready. DS has 2 today and 1 tomorrow.

@OnePlusOneEquals has your DS sent an email to prompt them? I have heard of a few DCs that needed to send prompting emails.

OnePlusOneEquals · 05/12/2022 07:13

@princesdando he's going to send it this morning. Good luck to your DS over the next couple of days and I hope he enjoys it!

juicy0 · 05/12/2022 07:38

OnePlusOneEquals · 05/12/2022 06:34

Hope the week ahead goes well for everyone and those that feel unwell improve soon! Still waiting here for interview times for DS that start on Wednesday. Really hope we hear today.

Fingers crossed you'll hear today, it's quite late notice isn't it!
Good luck to everyone with DC having interviews this week. DS has two today and spent all weekend preparing so he feels he's done all he can. Whatever happens next he's enjoyed the process and we have been impressed by his focus and determination. What will be will be x

Original poster
Riverpebble · 05/12/2022 08:28

Exactly what Juicy0 said applies here too.

Good luck everybody.

We are still waiting for the date.

OP posts:
EmmaStone · 05/12/2022 09:16

DD in her first interview as I type. We had some tears on the way in today, she was worried she was going to puke in the middle of the interview! Calmed her down and off she went, I think she needed to get it out of her system, but once in school, she'd have to be showing her game face.

Good luck to all those with interviews this week, and hope those waiting for details get them through very soon. Glad we're near the end of the process so to speak...

Original poster
Riverpebble · 05/12/2022 09:47

EmmaStone · 05/12/2022 09:16

DD in her first interview as I type. We had some tears on the way in today, she was worried she was going to puke in the middle of the interview! Calmed her down and off she went, I think she needed to get it out of her system, but once in school, she'd have to be showing her game face.

Good luck to all those with interviews this week, and hope those waiting for details get them through very soon. Glad we're near the end of the process so to speak...

I hope she's ok, it's such a hard time for them.

OP posts:
Codfishermen · 05/12/2022 10:02

Good luck to everyone's dcs with interviews today

Posie23 · 05/12/2022 10:37

Good luck everyone! First English interview this afternoon here, second on Weds. Eek!

princesdando · 05/12/2022 10:40

One down, two more to go! He said interviewers were very pleasant and he enjoyed the conversation. Fingers crossed for final outcome Halo

OnePlusOneEquals · 05/12/2022 11:40

His email came through about his first college before he managed to enquire!

redtulip12 · 05/12/2022 11:48

Good luck to everyone with interviews this week!

GoldieRetrieversRule1 · 05/12/2022 12:18

Dare I say that interviews continue nto next week too. Best of luck to those who sit interviews these 2 weeks!

BruceIsACake · 05/12/2022 13:53

DD is in her first interview right now. It's so hard treading the line between being supportive and seeming pushy.

ErrolTheDragon · 05/12/2022 14:05

Good luck to all of them!
One thing - if they come out of the first interview in despair, thinking it was a train wreck and it's not worth doing another - reassure them that's not uncommon and definitely worth persisting.

DDs first featured a staring match because she wouldn't guess a value needed for a calculation because it was something she'd obviously just look up IRL - she crossed her arms and eventually he sighed and gave her the number (not a recommended tactic!) but the second interview was fun with a lovely bloke. Whatever they wrote in their reports got her 'fished' from the pool.