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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:
pipnzip · 14/12/2022 23:36

balzamico · 14/12/2022 19:45

Does anybody know what time or how Oxford decisions will come out?

A friend of ours got an update on UCAS in the morning so knew he had an offer from Oxford, but then didn’t know at which college until later in the day when the college emailed directly. It wasn’t the college he’d applied to or been interviewed at! Seems to happen in c20% of cases from what I gather.

DahliaMacNamara · 14/12/2022 23:57

DD's Oxford offer came out shortly after 9am. Pretty sure she also knew which college it was too: she definitely knew it wasn't the one she'd applied to. That was two years ago and the school was still closed to most pupils, so she was at home.

JulesJules · 15/12/2022 06:00

D1's Oxford offer came through before 9am, her college emailed her. Ucas updated later on in the morning.

OnePlusOneEquals · 15/12/2022 07:09

The 10th isn’t really all that far away, it’ll be here before we know it. Emails are good…..but I also really like a letter on nice paper 🤣. Already looking at the many positives around his other choices. He doesn’t think he handled himself well in his three interviews, was very nervous and isn’t feeling too optimistic about an offer from them. Time will tell!

Catintinsel · 15/12/2022 07:31

"For this years admission round, Cambridge are notifying everyone on 25th via the UCAS portal, and colleges are following up with formal letters to offer holders from 26th."

They must have changed it for this year then. The only thing is with decisions this way round - there are two types of rejection email. If they were pooled but not picked out of the pool, the email states this and at least it can take the sting away a bit. UCAS would not show this.

balzamico · 15/12/2022 08:09

Do Oxford do offer holder days? I can't seem to find anything about them online.

HoneyMobster · 15/12/2022 08:58

It will be college specific @balzamico - DD went to one for her college in late Spring. Not all colleges offer them. DS1's college doesn't.

Firefox1066 · 15/12/2022 09:05

OnePlusOneEquals · 15/12/2022 07:09

The 10th isn’t really all that far away, it’ll be here before we know it. Emails are good…..but I also really like a letter on nice paper 🤣. Already looking at the many positives around his other choices. He doesn’t think he handled himself well in his three interviews, was very nervous and isn’t feeling too optimistic about an offer from them. Time will tell!

Yeah, my DS is feeling exactly the same...dont know whether its a coping mechanism in case its bad news.

On the 10th, make sure DC read the emails from colleges properly! DN burst into tears when she got a rejection from O......

It was only when my sister (her Mum ) actually read the email that they realised that the paragraph below said she'd been offered by a different college!

juicy0 · 15/12/2022 10:34

OnePlusOneEquals · 15/12/2022 07:09

The 10th isn’t really all that far away, it’ll be here before we know it. Emails are good…..but I also really like a letter on nice paper 🤣. Already looking at the many positives around his other choices. He doesn’t think he handled himself well in his three interviews, was very nervous and isn’t feeling too optimistic about an offer from them. Time will tell!

My DS feels exactly the same, as you say I wonder if perhaps it's a way of dealing with the potential disappointment

OnePlusOneEquals · 15/12/2022 10:40

Self preservation @Firefox1066 and @juicy0 !! I think by the time tomorrow is over at 6th form for Christmas he’ll attempt to put it all out of his mind until the return to education in January. Still not heard from Durham, but he’s still non plussed about going there so that’s ok. Three other excellent offers in, so will just have to spend some time on the pros and cons of accommodation…..financial encouragements etc etc

Juja · 15/12/2022 12:37

balzamico · 15/12/2022 08:09

Do Oxford do offer holder days? I can't seem to find anything about them online.

My DD was a invited to an offer holders day at O shortly after she received her offer. Her friend doing the same subject at another college also at O didn't have an offer holders day at all. I don't think they publicise on line.

Juja · 15/12/2022 13:03

Firefox1066 · 15/12/2022 09:05

Yeah, my DS is feeling exactly the same...dont know whether its a coping mechanism in case its bad news.

On the 10th, make sure DC read the emails from colleges properly! DN burst into tears when she got a rejection from O......

It was only when my sister (her Mum ) actually read the email that they realised that the paragraph below said she'd been offered by a different college!

Show quote history

So true - My DC received the email of rejection from her original college before the email from the college she was being made an offer from and the first email didn't say which college was making the offer. UCAS should update in the morning as well and have the college code on the offer.

Aurea · 15/12/2022 20:32

One of my DC's interviews overran today. It was billed as being 20-25 mins and ended up taking around 35 mins. The last few minutes were spent discussing an item on his PS.

Should my DC be reading anything into this? He thought they both went ok, although the shorter one he found easier. This is for comp sci.

Teriyakieverything · 15/12/2022 21:15

Yes, dd’s interviews each overran by 5 to 8 minutes. Not sure if that’s a good sign or a bad sign.🤔

UnclearNuclear · 15/12/2022 22:07

Dd has been ill since yesterday.. she got through the Glasgow interview but has spent today on the sofa instead of school. She's emailed Edinburgh to see if any chance of rearranging from tomorrow but we're not expecting it to be likely but she won't be at her best and they are MMIs online. Proud that she thought to email them though - only told me later.

UnclearNuclear · 15/12/2022 22:10

Ah sorry guys, that was meant to be in the medicine thread...

Original poster
Riverpebble · 16/12/2022 06:14

UnclearNuclear · 15/12/2022 22:07

Dd has been ill since yesterday.. she got through the Glasgow interview but has spent today on the sofa instead of school. She's emailed Edinburgh to see if any chance of rearranging from tomorrow but we're not expecting it to be likely but she won't be at her best and they are MMIs online. Proud that she thought to email them though - only told me later.

I hope she's better soon

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 16/12/2022 08:34

I don't remember DD's college holding an offer holder event. As stated previously, her offer came from a college she hadn't even heard of. We googled it and it looked nice enough. So in our February half term holiday, we booked a B&B and she had her first proper motorway driving experience as we drove from Devon to Cambridge. We simply turned up at the porters' lodge, explained that she was an offer-holder and they could not have been nicer or more helpful. An admissions person came down to chat, they gave us a plan of the college and encouraged us to explore. We met the catering manager too. DD knew a chap from the year above her at school who was there and he kindly showed us his room (I used to teach him & know his parents).

ErrolTheDragon · 16/12/2022 09:36

DDs, the same year as Malbec's did have an offer holder event. Overnight stay, take a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor of a first year doing your or a similar subject. She had been still weighing up whether to accept the offer or go elsewhere to do electrical &electronic eng rather than the Cambridge general eng. but this made her mind up, she loved it.

Original poster
Riverpebble · 19/12/2022 06:45

I've heard of a few St Andrews offers in the last few days

OP posts:
Firefox1066 · 19/12/2022 06:55

Riverpebble · 19/12/2022 06:45

I've heard of a few St Andrews offers in the last few days

St A isn’t on DS’ list but that is good to hear for a number of his friends who are anxiously waiting. My experience is that the bulk of St A offers come a lot later, so nice to hear people getting them already.

Original poster
Riverpebble · 19/12/2022 09:33

Good luck to his friends.

Ds is waiting but I'm not telling him there have been some offers.

OP posts:
Original poster
Riverpebble · 19/12/2022 09:34

I'm keeping an eye on our number of posts and will do a new thread when the time comes btw

OP posts:
Karwomannghia · 19/12/2022 09:38

DS had an interview for Manchester and got a slightly reduced offer. It’s his next choice so that’s a relief

juicy0 · 19/12/2022 10:36

Thank you for managing the thread @Riverpebble, I find it a huge help and support!
DS has an offer from St Andrews and they've just published the date of an offer holder day, Sat 1st April. We haven't yet visited as we live in SE so DS wanted to wait to see if he would get an offer before making the journey.
Good luck to those awaiting news

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