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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge 2024 Entry

988 replies

Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 13:52

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!

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10ppicnmix · 05/07/2023 13:13

Hi @InvestedButNotOverinvested (loving the username 😂) The Admissions officers I spoke with (college and subject) said in that scenario (DD is in a similar position) DD would get something but quite rightly, it would be less than someone from a school which has a lower outcome for pupils.Home Postcode is also taken into account so my take from this was that if you live in a highly MC area where kids generally get good GCSE results and in the main go off to university regardless of state or indie attendance then that application would score lower than someone living in an area where the likelihood of university attendance was the ‘norm’. If you are attending an indie school but receiving a bursary, your teacher reference will make that clear.

Hope that helps!

InvestedButNotOverinvested · 05/07/2023 13:31

@10ppicnmix thanks, that is helpful. Yes, DC is at a selective indie hence the question. Interesting about postcode too. The 2019 Physics formula for the “automatic” interview point was PAT score plus 10 x contextualised GCSE score. If they use the same approach, even a 0.5 is a helpful addition, so good to know.

looffa · 05/07/2023 13:44

@InvestedButNotOverinvested (ha ha) - I've wondered this too. I think it would be unfair to penalise a DC from St Paul's or similar for having 10 x 9s at GCSE, just because most do in such schools. After all, what more could a student feasibly have done - there is no Grade 10! I would hope they wouldn't get a negative score for 10 x 9s? Maybe they give them a 0.5 or thereabouts, but would give a 2 to those who had achieved those grades in less advantaged circumstances. It would be interesting to know.

I also heard that they make no distinction between an 8 and a 9 at GCSE?

InvestedButNotOverinvested · 05/07/2023 13:59

@looffa the information on the Oxford website does suggest they have treated 8s and 9s the same in the past. I may be wrong, but I think our DC are only the second cohort to have ever sat full GCSEs based on the 0-9 scoring system, so I do wonder whether they will reconsider this in future when they have more data.

goodbyestranger · 05/07/2023 14:05

Invested DS1 was told exactly what his contextualised score for GCSEs. He got 12A star in 2009 (he took all twelve in Y10 rather than Y11 - that was school policy back then) and that was reduced to the equivalent of 10.5A star (trying to avoid the * bolding here!). He was at a high achieving state grammar.

goodbyestranger · 05/07/2023 14:09

DD4 got straight 9s in 2016, the first year of full numbered grades and was joint top of the year but her grades were (in effect) deflated too. It's fairly minor tbh. Unfortunately it doesn't give as much of a numerical boost to those applicants from seriously poor schools as it should in reality to compensate for educational disadvantage. Not the point of your question I know :)

goodbyestranger · 05/07/2023 14:12

She was at the same state grammar.

goodbyestranger · 05/07/2023 14:13

Sorry, I meant 2018

InvestedButNotOverinvested · 05/07/2023 14:20

Thanks @goodbyestranger I agree it’s an interesting approach. I assume though (as should be the case!) that there is actually more weight placed on background and disadvantage in the non-numerical part of the process.

So I’m assuming my DC will only get to the interview stage if they make the (adjusted) automatic cut-off PAT score, since they have had pretty much every advantage. But for those at the other end of the scale, they could well still get an interview even if significantly below the required mark (even after adding the contextualised GCSE boost).

MirandaWest · 05/07/2023 14:21

I don’t know how you can tell if you’re over invested or not. Tbh I’m not sure that Oxford would be the best place for DD to go - I’m not convinced she’s resilient enough at the moment. But she wants to apply so I’m there to support her.

MirandaWest · 05/07/2023 14:25

She’s at a comprehensive school although it gets good results. Although my view may be skewed by her close friends, at least 3 of whom are also applying to Oxford or Cambridge with two of them getting 11 9s at GCSE. DD's disappointment at getting “only” eight 9s and three 8s is one of those things that makes me wonder about resilience…

goodbyestranger · 05/07/2023 14:30

I think that's about it Invested. All except one of my DC who took Oxford aptitude tests knew their scores subsequently and all achieved in excess of the cut off score (so two LNATs, one BMAT, two HATs (one HAT didn't get her score) and a CLAT). They didn't all get straight A stars but because of the test scores it's not possible to say what part their GCSEs played, in the case of those with fewer of the very top grades

goodbyestranger · 05/07/2023 14:41

I suppose a different example is an incredibly bright student - a friend of my youngest DS - who also achieved 12 A stars/ same grammar but was middling on the BMAT -right on the cusp - where the outstanding GCSEs/ top of the cohort weren't sufficient because of contextualisation to put the student through for interview (sailed in the following year to first choice college - this was for Medicine).

Original poster
Lightsabre · 07/07/2023 21:35

Anyone at Cambridge today or yesterday for the open day? It was very busy today and, I felt, a little less organised than the Oxford open day. Managed to see a few colleges and look at accommodation which was very varied. Food offerings looked good. Ds enjoyed the taster lecture but was a bit intimidated by the amount of interest in Natural Sciences.

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IThinkIMadeItWorse · 07/07/2023 21:55

Today was very warm wasn't it! We visited a few colleges this morning (we already did the maths dept open day back in April). Town was heaving with loads of parents and teenagers wandering around looking a bit lost clutching maps. DS was in a slightly grumpy and tired mood so we didn't stay for too long. He says he def wants to apply. He has a visit to a college we didn't go to on Thursday with a group from his sixth form so wait and see what he thinks of that one I guess.

Rollergirl11 · 07/07/2023 22:18

We went yesterday and DD really loved it. She was enthused by the sample lecture. Managed to look around 6 colleges; all stunning to look at. I think she has some favourites. Definitely going to apply. I’m glad we went yesterday rather than today as think would have been unbearable with the heat.

ladsmum · 08/07/2023 06:00

Hi - my first post on this thread (got a bit of bedtime reading to catch up!)
DS3 is interested in Cambridge for ChemEng as he loves the biotech aspect. His school (state sixth form) took a group to the open day and they got to stay over. He really liked the accommodation at Kings so is hoping to apply there (although I worry it may be a popular choice).
It has taken him a bit of time to decide on a subject (taking Maths FMaths Chen Phys) so apologies I’m a bit behind the curve.
He is registered partially sighted so wondering if anyone else had any experience of disabilities and the application process and what the support is like for students.
Any other relevant info gratefully received too.

Malbecfan · 08/07/2023 10:46

@ladsmum welcome. I have no experience in this, but you or your DS might consider contacting the admissions teams for a couple of colleges he is interested in. When my DD was applying in 2016, we ended up needing some information and the admissions people were absolutely lovely. Given that your questions would be personal and unlikely to be answered simply by reading generic information online, I cannot see what harm could be done.

Original poster
Lightsabre · 08/07/2023 11:18

@ladsmum, there was a very helpful disability services stand at the open day yesterday. I'm sure admissions would be able to give you their details.

We looked at some accommodation yesterday- the rooms we saw at Kings were really disappointing- really dark and dingy as they were sub basement. I'm sure the rooms higher up would have been nicer and of course it's a magnificent setting. We really liked Wolfson and wanted to see some of the colleges further out but ran out of time and energy.

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PhotoDad · 08/07/2023 11:30

@Lightsabre You probably know this but Wolfson is only for students aged 21+!

Original poster
Lightsabre · 08/07/2023 11:33

PhotoDad · 08/07/2023 11:30

@Lightsabre You probably know this but Wolfson is only for students aged 21+!

My mistake! I meant St Catherine's (getting my colleges mixed up!). Ds also liked Pembroke.

Did anyone see St John's or Girton?

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Rollergirl11 · 08/07/2023 14:14

@Lightsabre we liked St Catharine too but was a fleeting visit and didn’t get to see a room. We also saw Emmanuel, Pembroke, Queen’s and Selwyn which were all really nice. DD saw Kings with a friend and didn’t seem that enamoured. Wanted to see Clare, Jesus and Downing too but didn’t get time. They all start to merge in to one after a while too. 😬

10ppicnmix · 09/07/2023 14:33

@Lightsabre DD saw StJ’s and was really impressed. The accommodation is expensive tho.

FlyingSquid · 09/07/2023 15:20

The colleges all vary hugely with themselves in accommodation anyway (memories of the friend who was told not to bring ‘too large a cushion’, some decades ago, while others had a two-room suite!)

LoveTurnips · 09/07/2023 17:26

We couldn’t go to the Cambridge open day in the end unfortunately. I wondered if anyone had any feedback on NatSci specifically? I am kind of telling my DS not to get hung up on a specific college as 20%+ get pooled anyway. Also I wonder if the sample lectures will be put on line. My DS thought it said somewhere they would but typically we can’t find that now!