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

[Riverpebble]

New thread for the start of the Oxbridge offers.

How can clearing be sure what’s available before A level results are out?

Sounds like you have a really thoughtful and tactful daughter @PettsWoodParadise .fingers crossed to all the DC getting grades for their first choice or even better 😀.
Good point about how can you know what's happening with clearing pre results (apart from uncompetitive courses). I would think come to results day if grades aren't made would the uni not approach candidates that have applied in the past and not got an offer (or accept those they really liked but didn't quite "make the grade"). DS has a huge gap in grades from 1st choice to insurance A*AA vs A so hopefully has got his insurance grade already. Just 1 more exam to go .

I think the UCAS clearing list is a live list that constantly get updated after 5 July.
I know it does sound a bit dramatic to go from oxbridge hopeful to clearing, but fingers crossed it will not come to that.

No they definitely don’t go seeking previous candidates no matter how close they made the cut.

and Oxbridge won’t have places in clearing surely?

Ah I see they open the clearing site but most places will go live after results day when people haven’t made their grades

Clearing on 5th July will basically show the universities/courses that are still currently available under UCAS Extra.

And no, universities won't be tracking down any unsuccessful candidates who were close to being made an offer, to make them an offer if they have vacancies.

If students don't make their grades then just phone the college and hope for the best then. Very much what they said at offer holder's day then . The squeaky wheel
gets the grease. Fir those that got pooled it may even be worth a call if they get the grades. If many miss their grades it may be worth a shot.

DD’s college have a whole item on the ‘offer holder’ portal about missing grades which says if you just miss by borderline to get in touch with admissions team and they will review, This means understanding the granularity of results which school should be able to provide.

Two more exams for DS and he’s done. I think he’s even more relieved now that he’s “only” to get A star AA. Those physics papers were not as fun as he was expecting. Maths, Further Maths and Comp Science all been pretty good and he feels pretty confident about doing well in them. Hopefully there will be no upsets come August

@OnePlusOneEquals has your DC already done maths A level? It's great that the offer doesn't involve a requirement for every subject (if they haven't). DS is A*AA it seems so high yet also seems as if it could be a lot higher as well! It's computer science DS is worried/has been worried about (I think). Last one to go tomorrow (fingers crossed it goes well).

@yoyo1234 comp science today and a maths (or further maths?!) tomorrow. There seems to have been a lot of maths! I think the A star has to be in Physics or Maths for him, not sure about Further Maths. L

DS is going for MA in engineering . They didn't specify what the A* has to be in.

I checked this morning, his A star has to be in physics, maths or further maths.

Wow - is that at O or C? DS (MEng, C) was asked to get an A star in FM...with As in physics and maths (and a B in his DT) - which as DS said "just means they want an A star in Maths, and probably physics because there is so much maths". DS said that he went beyond his FM knowledge by week 2 or 3....so he was very glad of the A star.

Really wishing the best of luck to all of the offer holders on the thread - it seems like SUCH a long wait until the results, but it isn't really....! I'm sure that they will all have done better than they expect - Oxbridge candidates seem to be super hard on themselves and forget that if they (as offer holders for two of the best unis in the world) found exams hard, then the curve will reflect that nationally.

The Engineering MA is C.

So odd how much offers vary when they all sit in the same lectures!

My child needs Astar, AA, unspecified as well for her subjects. They are v pleased in that respect (super stressed in every other respect, last exam on Friday)

Dd requires Astars in FM and Chemistry specifically, she is glad she ‘only’ needs an A in Physics, if they had specified Physics for Astar she would have been worried after those papers.

DD, arts subject at Cambridge requires A star A A, A star is not specified for any specific A level.

DD needs A* further maths, Achem, Aphysics but had a debilitating stomach bug on day of pure maths exam! It did not go well. Also affected her revision for first STEP paper that week.
She is being very pragmatic and hoping now she gets enough for her insurance offer 🙈

Does school know all about illness, i believe there should be a 2% allowance for papers that have noted illness on an examination day (may help?).

Thank you. Yes school are aware and have been really helpful. The timing could not have been worse!

I didn’t realise they do STEP in the middle of A levels I thought it was after results day. What a horrible added stress

I know! Yes 1 a couple of weeks ago and the 2nd is tomorrow 🙈
she is not feeling at all confident and we are firmly adopting a ‘what will be will be attitude’

My child also very stressed, convinced has failed all exams and will be resitting. I don't know whether to tell them to stop being so daft or just hug them. I am mostly going with hugging and saying never mind, we will love them whatever happens. Which is true, and i have booked results day off in case of clearing issues.

So tough for all year 13 this year though, wherever they are going.

I think STEP papers sound awful. DS just had to sit some extra exams (I call them entrance exams!) in September/October. From what i recall, he went through some A-level maths (maybe FM) flash cards and did some past papers (available online for free) before sitting the entrance exams. The extra work of having additional STEP exams at this time is 😩. DS now finished and relaxing. Good luck to all.