Oxbridge 2024 Entry

[Lightsabre]

Thought I'd start a thread for parents of dc considering Oxbridge applications for entry in Oct 2024 (I don't think there's a current one)? Past threads have been so informative and supportive and hopefully this thread will offer that too. Please feel free to add to the thread if your dc have recently had experience of the process, good, bad or ugly!

That's a separate process to the "near miss" pool; I found it pretty opaque to be honest, when trying to help my student.

Yes that ‘near miss’ seems to be a 3rd process of the summer pool.

Ds has his chemistry masterclass at C on Weds. unfortunately he is at the tail end of a cough and cold but will hopefully be well enough by then. I'm hoping this will help him to make his mind up re; which course to apply for - natural sciences at C or straight chemistry at O.

I think they should be releasing the open day bookings soon.

DD is meant to be having year 12 exams when the Oxford open days are happening. She has spoken to the head of 6th form who’s going to try and make sure there aren’t too many (and hopefully not any of her) exams that day.

I do vaguely remember having to do some mocks at another time due to an open day or some other course at I think Durham but as it’s now 30 years ago I may have misremembered 😀

@Lightsabre Does your DS have an idea of a Cambridge college? My DS is thinking of chemistry but it seems at Cambridge you either seem to apply for physical or biological sciences (although once you’re there you can pick any modules you’ve qualified for). My DS hasn’t got physics so would have to apply for biological natural science route but doesn’t have the passion for biology. Is there something we’ve missed? He likes the idea of natural sciences as there’s so many options and he has kept changing his mind and he doesn’t want to pick a single subject course.

@LoveTurnips, we've looked at a few this afternoon - all very imposing and a bit intimidating to us to be honest. It's all very Hogwarts. Porters have all been friendly and helpful and let us roam for free though so that helped.

Chemistry at C is under the Natural Sciences physical stream I think although I've asked ds to check tomorrow and also find out whether the interview will focus on maths/physics or chemistry problem solving (if he even gets that far)!

@LoveTurnips , @Malbecfan might be able to help with your questions as I understand their dc is studying NS.

Thanks @Lightsabre . My DD is a NatSci graduate now studying for a PhD in C @LoveTurnips . Yes, you do go via the Natural Sciences route. DD was always interested in Chemistry at school. 2 of her friends went on to study it, one at Oxford, the other at Nottingham. The Oxford course is very intense. The Cambridge course gives you options of other subjects, so my DD did Chemistry in her 1st & 2nd years but specialised in Materials Science. However, there are lots of strands to the NatSci courses. I taught a student who is there now studying BioNatSci but she's specialising in Earth Sciences.

Don't get too hung up on colleges. I've written this before but DD applied to one and was interviewed there. However, her offer came from one she had never visited as she was picked out of the pool (unknown to her). The NatSci course is possibly the largest intake so there will be others at any undergraduate college. The central colleges are historic & beautiful, but parking is a nightmare and there are often tourists around. I was always able to park at DD's college when she lived in - she only moved out for her PhD as she wanted to live with friends from other colleges.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask more

@LoveTurnips, ds asked about interviews and said the feedback was that you have two; one chemistry based and the other maths/physics based. My ds is doing maths and physics also but, although predicted high grades, is less confident in those two subjects than chemistry. He really liked C overall though and as Malbec fan said, NS offers more flexibility.
Will be interesting to compare to Ox chemistry course. My slight concern is that ds school has had offers for NS each year but I've never seen any for Ox chemistry so not sure how far they can support ds with this. There is a high proportion of international students on the Ox course and not a huge intake so the odds might be lower. Who knows.

We're going to check out whether the open day registrations for Bath and Warwick have started.

@Lightsabre ive just had an email to book Warwick open day.

@Norma27 thank you for the heads up!

@Lightsabre thanks for that feedback. My DS is doing biology chemistry and maths so although he wants to do chemistry it looks like he can’t apply via physical as he doesn’t have physics. Although his biology is strong he doesn’t have a passion for it or really has done anything extra for it.
I only asked about colleges as apparently there are a couple who will interview for physical stream just on chemistry and maths which would obviously be better for him.
he is really not attracted to the oxford chemistry for some reason- although it’s the only subject st Oxford that’s not got any additional test!

I think if his interest is chemistry then a strong personal statement would hopefully be enough to get through to interview. Hopefully there'll be more info at the open days.

May be of interest to some potential applicants. St Catharines (cam) are running some free online masterclasses for year 12 UK state school pupils. There are several subjects. The link is at caths.cam.ac.uk/masterclasses
I imagine other colleges will be doing similar if these courses are not the right subjects

DD and I are off to Oxford later on today as she’s going to a choral scholarship open day tomorrow (and I’ll get to look round Oxford and go to Evensong which she’ll get to take part in).

We’re staying with XHs parents who are very nice. I haven’t stayed there in years though!

Hope you and DD had a good time @MirandaWest
Very brave staying with your ex in-laws, not sure I'd be able to face that myself.

Thank you @ItsWorkNotAParty for the masterclass info and hope your dd's choral visit went well @MirandaWest.

Ds rattled off an essay for a competition- last minute as usual and unfortunately not his best work but that's down to him. At least he can put on his personal statement that he's entered a competition and it has piqued his interest in a particular chemistry subject which he'll read further about.

We have a problem though with the Oxford open days - they fall on days when ds is at a residential and the school want the finalised UCAS application before the Sept open day. Do you think it's worth contacting the schools link team to see if they can suggest another time?

Choral day went well - they were informative in the session I was at and DD enjoyed the workshop and singing at Evensong (and she and her Grandpa enjoyed Evensong too). The audition will be in September and as we live more than 100 miles away she'll get put up for the night before as well. From what they said I think there won’t be that many in that position as most of them applying live considerably nearer.

For anyone considering Bristol, their open days can now be booked.

Thank you. Will have a look at dates.

The summer ones are 16-17 June I think, Friday and Saturday. And then there's one in September. We are going in June tho.

I've also just had an email from Warwick inviting me to book an open day. Unfortunately their dates clash with others we fancy going to.

It’s so annoying how they all seem to be on the same dates. Thanks for the Bristol info @SoTedious , will book now.

Bath have also emailed today! They have gone for the same days as Bristol I think, may be helpful for those who live far away to visit them on consecutive days. Not for us though, we can only do one of those days, Bristol it is.