Oxbridge 2023 support; it's offer month. Good luck all.

[Riverpebble]

New thread for the start of the Oxbridge offers.

Some might not be held until the Easter hols to give as many offer holders as possible the chance to attend.

My grandson finally got Hertford College Admissions on the phone yesterday late afternoon - the new Registrar and Head of Admissions. She is only just settling into the job - there has been a complete change of staff in Admissions since the beginning of term. The college is hoping to notify Offer Holders about Open Days in the next couple of weeks, so it looks like they may be in the vacation. Pity really - he had hoped to go when the students were in college to get a real feel for the place. The Offer Holders Day at Durham a couple of weeks ago was apparently very good in that regard and he got an excellent feeling for the university as a whole. But he is still pleased that there will be this opportunity to see the college properly and perhaps find out more about the ‘reality’ of the course.

There will be plenty of students just bumbling around along with students doing the tours and events. It's a nice little earner for them in the holidays.

Yes, DD does these types of events in her department. It's the one job she can do in term time, and it pays enough to make it worthwhile going back in the holidays for a night or two. We're not too far away, and to be honest I think she'd go back even if she only broke even. I know people worry that Oxbridge doesn't give students a taste of busy city life, but Oxford is a helluva lot livelier than round here.

Hello everyone
Ds has an offer for oxford. However he is having some major health issues (physical though am concerned they will impact mentally too). There is a possibility that he will need to ask for a deferral on health grounds. Does anyone have any experience of this? I have googled it and it says it is at Oxford's discretion. But I'm hoping that the reality is that if his doctor sends a letter explaining, they would be sympathetic.
(Ofc he needs to get his grades first).
Thank you for any insight

Congrats to your DS @Crumpetty but sorry to hear about his health issues. You may get a better response on the current student thread (which I hope I've added below) as there are parents from all across the Oxbridge year groups, so there may be someone who had had experience and can help.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4689829-oxfordcambridge-current-students-supportchat-thread-2022-cont?page=15&reply=123992065

Tysm for taking the time to reply, I hadn't found that one! Xxx

Stats came out for ds’s college yesterday and he was the only one this year to get an offer out if 6 applicants! A lot of pressure on him now to get the grades!

Where did you see the stats please ?

He told me his friend told him and then I googled the college name and admission statistics 2023 and it came up.

Sorry it came up in the college web page under statistics and it said click here for offer statistics and it showed a table for all application and offer numbers 2019-23

Merton college has published the stats for most subjects for this year.

www.merton.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate/admissions-feedback#:~:text=Merton%20received%20630%20applications%20in,made%20for%20deferred%202024%20entry

Lovely day yesterday for DD’s offer holder day. The college did a fantastic job of keeping parents separate from DCs. Parents had our own tours and talks whole DCs had theirs. DD met some who are doing the same subject and has exchanged Instagrams. I got to chat to some lovely parents too.

Second lot of mocks start tomorrow for DD, then only a few weeks to Easter break, school are debating when study leave might start after the holidays and it could be just a few weeks back and then they are off. Rumours that if there are strikes they may not go back at all after Easter.

@PettsWoodParadise sounds wonderful - good luck with all the mocks and run up to Al Levels....

Thank you @Juja wishing all the best to your DC and to all those on this thread.

My child also went to a college open day on Saturday. It was vey well done, and both of us had a good day.

Most reassuring was the comment,
"They were all normal like me". So there is now an increased incentive to work for mocks as they can see the goal they are aiming for.

Have to say, I felt the same - I got on well with several parents, which was a relief!

Glad your DD and you enjoyed the day too Pettswood (I wonder if we were at the same day).
Good luck everyone with impending mocks!

Good luck with the mocks.
We just got the results - 3 x A*

Offer holder day for us yesterday and a similar experience. Everything was really well organised, students and parents got the chance to ask lots of questions - both together and in separate groups - and the student ambassadors were candid and friendly. But most of all it helped DD settle a niggle that she's not posh/rich/white enough for Oxford and indeed the diversity of the intake was clear to see. As she said, everyone (including the very charming Principal), was totally normal.

How are you all holding up? Mocks are now behind us, and I am just trying to keep everyone stress-free at home.
This is the final workload I guess

DD enjoyed her offer day, but at her college parents were most definitely not invited, which I think is a shame as I would have liked to have a nose around too!

I guess Bianca you will have to go on your own! That would be quite a fun trip i suspect

I’ve said to DD I don’t have many requests but one Formal (if she gets the grades to attend of course!) would be much appreciated. DD said she would love that, but I have horrific visions of DH and a cheeseboard with too much red wine so don’t know if I could subject DD to that…

Just ideas and fears at this stage I remind myself.

Still no offer holder day here (O). Assuming won’t get one now?

No Offer Holder Day or any communication at all from my grandson’s college either. Trying to decide whether to organise a visit ourselves for next month. It’s such a ‘slog’ from here… He is still very keen on and generally impressed by Durham and Oxford continues to seem rather ‘remote’!

Please don't forget that some colleges may have relatively small intakes and by the time you factor in overseas students as well, it's quite challenging to have an offer holders day. They didn't exist in 2020 & 2021, so don't take it personally. The colleges are all very open to visitors and if you call on advance they can usually find students to show you around.