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

[Riverpebble]

New thread for the start of the Oxbridge offers.

@purplepatty I was pooled many years ago by Oxford and went to a college I wasn't sure of but had a brilliant time (female and slightly further out) - absolutely no regrets. Had a brilliant time - best of both worlds it was a very outgoing college and a haven when the intensity of uni life was a bit much.

Wobbles at this time are completely natural. My DC2 is just finishing their year out and had a major wobble this week about the course they are doing. Without discussing it they emailed the college who said no you can't change. it was prompted by a friend who has being doing the course this year...

Good luck to all for the coming week. I remember it this time last year so vividly. The press ramping things up doesn't help either.

Hi @purplepatty i have seen something very similar on the Cambridge TSR thread, maybe your DC even posted it, or just coincidence and there is some great advice on there from people familiar with the college and being in a similar situation.

Thanks I'll take a look

What are her offer grades for the two unis purplepatty or are they the same?

PettsWoodParadise I think it may be quite a common dilemma.

DS is also sitting on a Girton offer from the pool; I think they have a large cohort for his subject. A new (or 2nd hand new!) bike will be on the cards if he meets his offer. I suspect he'll be in demand for music groups depending on how much he decides he has time for.

He's wondered about using a bike in London if he ends up there ... not so sure, there will be some research to do in that case!

A couple of my DC cycle into work from Clapham to the City and Kennington to the City. Lots do and bikes are subsidised by employers. I think this is the scheme:

Desire, in terms of Durham colleges, is in the eye of the beholder.

For every person who prefers a Bailey college, there will be one who prefers a hill college.

Hild Bede was also highly desirable during my time there, due to its sporting prowess and proximity to the river. I think it's only recently, due to its temporary relocation to various sites, that it's become unpopular.

@lastdayatschool I agree totally and was passing no judgement- HB has a great location but the current rebuilding is not necessarily great. Fwiw my dd ranked Collingwood last of the 16 and it always comes out in the top 3 most popular colleges. Similarly my dd is very happy to share and that would be many peoples worst nightmare.

@KittyMcKitty wow you're the first person I know of whose DC didn't put my old college - Aidans - as their final preference 😃

I hope your DD gets her place - I had 3 of the best years of my life at Durham, and my friends made there are still my best ones 30 years later

@lastdayatschool she put Aidans fairly mid table from what I remember - her bottom 3 were JoBo, South and Collingwood. Her first (which she was allocated) was Chads (yes she’s one who likes the Bailey). Her offer should have been easily obtainable but one paper went very badly so she thinks she won’t meet the offer - anyway what will be will be - I’m keeping fingers crossed as Durham is a very good fit for her.

Obviously don't know when you were at Durham lastdayatschool - probably a few years behind me - but when I was there HildBede was massively undesirable largely because it was so far from all the other colleges (but it a bit also because it was so ugly).

*but it a bit also should read but also a bit because it was so ugly (cooking :))

Anyone else a bit unsettled by all the stories of unexpected much lower marks through the Cambridge board yesterday? Adding to the media drama about how this year it’s much tougher. DD’s anxiety is through the roof!

I am not telling DD any of what I am reading unless there is something helpful like ‘let’s buy a door wedge it looks like a good way of making friends at Uni’. .

I do think those who post about missed grades are the ones in most need of help or advice. Those who pass are sensitive to those who don’t so won’t post ‘yay my child did amazing’ so we are getting a skewed view. Or at least thst is how I am choosing to view it as otherwise I would be more anxious than I am!

A couple of quick reminders before results day:

However excited you are, please don't share your DC'S eventual college on MN. The convention is to share subjects if you want to, but actual colleges are far too outing.

There's a rolling Oxbridge parent thread. Lots of lurking but they've got so much knowledge and no Q seems to be too stupid.

Trylinescore in recent years I've been very surprised by the numbers of MNers on the Oxbridge application threads who share college as well as subject. Not a great idea tbh.

So I have a question. My dd has an offer of a place at Oxford. She also has SEN which was diagnosed after the offer. Should I let her college know now or wait for results?

@Greengeranium given that results are only a few days away, I'd probably wait. Others may disagree, but I can't see that it would make a lot of difference.

I would tell them now as it could entitle her to mitigating circumstances as she wouldn’t have had special consideration / access arrangements for her A levels - most unis have a form on their website you can submit mitigating circumstances and accompanying evidence. Would her SEN count as a disability? I’m assuming yes and therefore it’s important this is considered prior to the 17th in the event she doesn’t meet her offer.

Sorry I meant to say tell admissions - if Oxford has this centralised and college based then I would tell both.

Greengeranium absolutely 100% not for you to inform anyone. It's for your DD to do any informing through her school.

If as a result of her diagnosis she should have been entitled to extra time in exams but didn't get it then it is worth the school contacting the college (not the department and not general admissions). But only if she didn't get extra time to which she should have been entitled. The timing of any intervention is tricky now as the college teams will be in overdrive with the results being released to them and of course your DD can't contact school until Monday. Between Monday and Thursday the Oxford colleges will all have meetings to decide which of the offerees who've missed their offers they still want to admit. In that sense an intervention prior to the meeting would be the optimum time. Interventions by the Ho6 on the morning of results day will usually be good to rectify a genuine issue too. My advice would be for your DD to contact her Ho6 by email over the weekend so that s/he gets it at the latest on Monday morning and explain that she has concerns and - assuming she didn't get the extra time she should have had- ask the Ho6 to contact the college as soon as possible after s/he is aware of a problem (schools get their results on Wednesday).

It would be completely wrong for you to get involved other than fretting silently on the sidelines.

And you know, she may get the grades - at least its the kinder Oxford grades which are is issue not the much more difficult Cambridge ones.

Incidentally had the diagnosis come earlier no Oxford offer would have been adjusted downwards in any event as extra time is considered to rectify any disadvantage caused by the SEN. The only case that your DD would have for a special plea - but it would be a strong one - is if she didn't get extra time/ adjustments when she sat the A level exams.

As @goodbyestranger I meant it should be your dd who contacts admissions. As it’s at this time post exams etc I think most universities (certainly Durham) expect the applicant to make contact as opposed to the school - Durham have an online form to use so I imagine Oxford have similar and they are clear that this should be used if the school didn’t apply for special consideration.

Special consideration is a separate beast KittyMcKitty.