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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!

OP posts:
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7
goodbyestranger · 27/07/2023 16:07

Ended up with 1/5 offers (and this is from state school) - and their 5th choice was one they really didn’t want to go to

That's definitely more of a wasted choice in my view than having a fifth aspirational choice.

LoveTurnips · 27/07/2023 18:09

I wonder if anyone has children studying for the NSAA entrance test for Cambridge NatSci. My DS was rather casual when I asked if there were any revision materials he needed. He said he just needs to revisit his science and maths GCSE notes. I don’t want to interfere - but does that really seem sufficient.

DorotheaDiamond · 27/07/2023 18:47

goodbyestranger · 27/07/2023 16:07

Ended up with 1/5 offers (and this is from state school) - and their 5th choice was one they really didn’t want to go to

That's definitely more of a wasted choice in my view than having a fifth aspirational choice.

Agreed but hindsight is 20/20 (not one of my dc tho)

HewasH2O · 27/07/2023 18:57

Durham offer no leeway on insurance places for humanities & have confirmed this, as GS said. If you have the standard Oxford offer of AAA there is absolutely no point in insuring Durham, even if they also also offer AAA. Even if you get 2 x A* B, they will still say no.

PettsWoodParadise · 27/07/2023 19:12

DD found this with Durham, her Cambridge offer for English was A star A A with any subject being the A star. Durham was same grades but slightly harder with A star specified in English so DD felt she had not choice but to decline Durham, if it had been all As she would have insured with them but that wasn’t the offer.

Original poster
Lightsabre · 27/07/2023 19:29

LoveTurnips · 27/07/2023 18:09

I wonder if anyone has children studying for the NSAA entrance test for Cambridge NatSci. My DS was rather casual when I asked if there were any revision materials he needed. He said he just needs to revisit his science and maths GCSE notes. I don’t want to interfere - but does that really seem sufficient.

@LoveTurnips there are some specimen papers on the Cambridge website.

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goodbyestranger · 27/07/2023 20:43

Yes Durham's email to DS3 was very long and helpful in that it explained the reasoning behind the numbers and indeed gave the numbers for the previous year by way of illustration: they have many more History offer holders who firmed Durham narrowly missing their offers than they have remaining places for. Dismissing those who've merely insured still leaves them with a difficult sifting process, because some in the former group have to be told no. It seems a perfectly valid approach.

goodbyestranger · 27/07/2023 20:49

It was very helpful to have this said so clearly. DD1, DD2 and DD3 all put Durham as their insurance and would have been snookered if they'd missed their grades. DD4 also put Durham as her insurance even with the benefit of DD3's intel.

goodbyestranger · 27/07/2023 20:50

*DS3's intel. DD3 had none :)

ProggyMat · 27/07/2023 21:39

@goodbyestranger i can see why your DCs insured Durham- and why not?!

ProggyMat · 27/07/2023 21:55

Should add as given I’m juggling lots of stuff at the moment, that I ‘hear’ what you’re trying to say on this thread incase you think I’m being arsey.

ShanghaiDiva · 27/07/2023 22:27

LoveTurnips · 27/07/2023 18:09

I wonder if anyone has children studying for the NSAA entrance test for Cambridge NatSci. My DS was rather casual when I asked if there were any revision materials he needed. He said he just needs to revisit his science and maths GCSE notes. I don’t want to interfere - but does that really seem sufficient.

Dd has some past papers/ specimen papers from school.

LoveTurnips · 28/07/2023 13:02

Thanks @Lightsabre I think he’s had a look there but I understand it’s changed format recently so I just wondered if there was anything else that could be used.

@ShanghaiDiva I’m not even sure that the school will let him sit the test there, so unfortunately I doubt they’d have any resources. I’d asked him to check at the end of term but he forgot!
Thanks anyway

Original poster
Lightsabre · 28/07/2023 13:09

I think the specimen papers are a mixture of old and new formats. The new format for NSAA is a 60 minute paper of maths then one of either Chemistry, Physics or Biology then a second paper of selected subject. There's a lot of information on the Natural Sciences web pages.

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LoveTurnips · 18/08/2023 17:16

Another question! He’s now looking at his personal statement. They have to get it in soon after they go back in September. DS has got this idea he HAS to write about at least three relevant books in it! I’ve told him to read the guidance on the actual Cambridge website but I wondered if anyone had any knowledge. He’s read more than three books over the summer but wants to have a common ‘theme’ to them so can’t pick three
thanks.
(Results day yesterday was a bit scary. I thought getting an interview and then an offer would be the really hard part. But results seem to have come back down to earth with a bump!)

PettsWoodParadise · 18/08/2023 19:36

Thinking of DD’s PS she didn’t mention any single book other than the one she wrote. For reading it was about the depth of reading on a topic and interest. She was able to summarise this through her EPQ, there are probably other ways Focus on the interest. DD must have read 40 plus books in Y12. Citing one as inspirational or relevant to the course in the context of wider reader might have merit but maybe takes up a lot of space for other potential opportunities.

Yay she got the offer in Jan, and as per yesterday the place. Phew.

ladsmum · 18/08/2023 20:38

@LoveTurnips not sure about Ox but C have a webinair on PS’s might give him a bit of a steer and loads of stuff on YouTube too. I’ve told DS that his PS should be a lead into some interview discussions so needs to be something he can confidently talk about (my take - so might be nonsense!)

LoveTurnips · 18/08/2023 22:30

@PettsWoodParadise she wrote her own book! Wow. He can’t compete with that

AwayYouGo · 21/08/2023 10:13

DD is about to start sixth form and is at the point where she is considering which unis to aim for. She wants to study Psychology, potentially with either education, criminology or forensic psychology.

My concern (which I haven't shared with DD) is that as a student at an independent school she is out of the running for the Sutton Trust and similar schemes. However, she is on a full bursary (and more!) and were she be at a state school would be on free school meals, which I know is a criteria.

Is there any hope of her applying for Oxbridge if she is ruled out of the widening participation schemes?

(and this is a great thread, very supportive and informative Flowers

stoneysongs · 21/08/2023 10:45

@AwayYouGo

Thousands of people get into Oxbridge every year without taking part in WP schemes, so don't worry about that.

I would have a look at the courses at Oxford and Cambridge though - you might find that if she is interested in those combinations then other unis would be better for her. The closest is probably PBS at Cambridge. Oxford have experimental psychology, or psychology in combo with either philosophy or linguistics.

Other unis will actually offer undergraduate psych + criminology / psych + education / forensic psych courses, if that's what she wants.

Original poster
Lightsabre · 31/08/2023 13:43

How is everyone getting on?

Summer hols nearly at an end here and ds has been sent some back to school work. He has finally decided on a Cambridge application so is tentatively starting the entrance test papers. Didn't do too well on the first one but apparently the expectation is around 55-65% to get an interview.

No further work on PS which is making me a bit nervous and he doesn't want me to 'nag' him. Sigh

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MirandaWest · 31/08/2023 13:53

DD has been to Oxford to stay with grandparents and went on a whistlestop tour of many colleges. Although I'm sure there's more to it than being able to visit grandparents and have chocolate cake there I think this may be a strong pull to Oxford!

She is also applying for a choral scholarship which is a complicated process - you have to apply by 1st September listing the colleges in order that you'd be interested in. Then get references back from singing teachers etc by 15th. Then there are auditions about a week later.

Then you will know if they are interested in you....but then you have to make a normal application through UCAS and could end up with a different college anyway. But when we went for a choral/organ scholars day they said that if you get into Oxford and want to sing in a choir you will find one. Just the scholarship would get a tiny amount of money and also singing lessons.

She's done some more PS drafting, I think has had a reply from head of 6th form although she may be ignoring it at the moment. And has done various bits of coursework/other work. Not sure how much entrance test work she's done and she'll have to do two due to the course she is applying for.

Various other friends in her close friendship group are also applying to either Oxford or Cambridge so a fun few months ahead of us!

Original poster
Lightsabre · 31/08/2023 15:38

Sounds complicated @MirandaWest but hopefully she'll be in with a good chance. It's good that she has support from her peers who are applying to Oxbridge too. Ds sixth form submits about 80 applications so it's a big thing there too, downside being if your friends all get and you don't then it's a bit heartbreaking.

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MirandaWest · 31/08/2023 15:43

@Lightsabre not quite so many applications from DD's school but it is the thought of the heartbreak if some get in and not others that concerns me. Oh well what will be will be I suppose.

PandaPacer · 01/09/2023 20:35

Hi all, I might join if OK? My DS has decided to apply for CompSci at Cambridge in 2024 as well. He knows it's a very slim chance but he figures someone has to get in!

He's been spending some time practicing the TMUA, and doing maths work set by the school for summer. He's also got two paid jobs coding (one local startup, one company in the US) that were meant to be for summer only, but they both want to keep him for the next few months for additional work. He is loving the cash and the challenge, but I am worried he needs to focus on the TMUA!!!

What this summer work has meant however if that he knows he will be OK even without Cambs, so from that angle it's a good thing.

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