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!

@10ppicnmix thanks, I am extremely proud. It is very surreal.

I could write a book about the resilience he has shown, or maybe one day he will.

DD is also applying to Durham as well as Cambridge and we have heard the rumours about them deducing Oxbridge applications if you apply early. But as @singingstones has already said I am equally perplexed that a university would discount an exceptional student In this way.

DD doesn’t want to add all her 5 options for the October deadline but given that her sixth form have already (incorrectly) told her she has to apply for them all at the same time I have a feeling that this is what they will make her do. She has the Warwick open day on 7th October and will not be in a position to decide one of her options until then at the very earliest.

DD did the early application and wasn't rejected by any as a result, but she wasn't a STEM applicant so maybe not so competitive. I had heard from an admissions person at Leicester open day (yes not RG but also not Poly, it has an awkward sit between the two as a Red Brick) that they love getting some people who are capable of applying and being at top unis but for whatever reason don't make it. They will tend to offer to those who are predicted the A starts etc even though they may have ABB or even BBB with EPQ as they may be 'the one' that gets some amazing students and they get enough of a cohort of these that it still makes for a great environment. They won't get many of them as many will have got their first choice or insured with another, but they still offer.

For DD she loved the early offer and it boosted her confidence she had somewhere she was happy to go to, even before she knew that she had her Cambridge interview, offer and then place.

I don't think anyone at DD's college has mentioned delayed applications (or not) yet but they have told her that offers are made on a first come, first served basis 🤦‍♀️

Hopefully they know this isn't true and it's just a tactical kick up the arse for the ditherers to minimise any last minute panic.

I know a lad at Durham who was a 'Cambridge reject'. As that seems to be a thing it's known for, surely Durham doesn't care if they've applied to Oxbridge?
I'm hoping my daughter gets early news from her other choices as she has grades in hand, but other than the offer being unconditional, don't know if she'll get news any earlier.

DD went to the Durham open day, the common theme seemed to be that they either hadn't applied to Oxbridge or had. No one seemed to NOT mention it. It was before they knew if they had interviews but it was an overhanging sword of damocles. She felt it had a more elitest air at Durham than Cambridge and didn't totally hate the vibe but didn't feel it as welcoming as her visits around Cambridge.

Ds also told me that school encourage dc entering for the same course apply to different colleges. I wonder if this is one of the reasons why they ask for early internal submission - to check who is applying to which college.

Time for a new thread soon as we head into the next phase.

New thread created as I may be busy tomorrow and miss the thread filling up but please continue on this one until full.

New thread (brain frazzled couldn't think of fancy title);

Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 2 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4894997-oxbridge-2024-entry-part-2

Just noticed this interesting thread for those who may have missed it (must go to bed now!);

Cambridge college choice - tactical www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4893847-cambridge-college-choice-tactical

It’s total rubbish that Durham has an issue about early applications. It doesn’t. It hasn’t done for generations, if ever. Durham’s bread and butter is Oxbridge rejects alongside other bright applicants who didn’t like the idea of Oxbridge, or didn’t turn their mind to it.

Whilst I know where you are coming from @goodbyestranger both my DDs applied to Durham alongside C. Both Durham NatSci offers took almost 6 months to come through, 2 years apart. In the case of DD2 who didn't get an offer from C, the Durham offer came after all the offer holder days in March, depriving her of the chance to look round the department. Her attitude was: they obviously don't want me.

I can’t help wondering if Durham delay some offers because they want to make sure applicants aren’t waiting to see if they would have got an offer from Durham before accepting an Oxford or Cambridge offer. It’s either that or they have an utterly incompetent selection process which alienates a lot of students. There is no good reason for making offers so late in the day that students can’t attend offer holder days.

Walkaround seven of my DC applied to Durham and none had a long wait for an offer with three getting an offer before the Oxford interviews even began. They applied for Law, History, STEM - not under applied to subjects.

Malbec I agree with you that Durham seems to move in mysterious ways. Knowing your DDs' profiles, I can't think why on earth Durham took so long to offer.

Does anyone know if Oxbridge 'over offer'? I assume they must make a few extra offers for each course as people do turn their offers down or don't meet the requirements.

I know this is recurring question - but how important are GCSE results for Oxbridge entry? Friend's child got 7 9s and 3 8s at GCSE. It boggles my mind that these would not be considered amazing results, but friend is now in a flap because her DC wants to apply for Computer Science at Cambridge (which is obviously very competitive), particularly as one of the 8s is in an A Level subject (Physics), and wondering if this would count against him.

Both over offer but Oxford far less than Cambridge because its offers are pitched relatively low.

I know your children went to a grammar school, goodbyestranger. I wonder what sort of school Malbecfan’s children went to? There either has to be a “reason” for two candidates who look equally brilliant in terms of everything else getting offers six months apart, or Durham don’t so much move in mysterious ways as don’t have a clue what they are doing.

Or maybe geographical location or socio-economic background? ie Keeping an eye on their statistics?

@Lightsabre for DD’s college there were some she met on offer holder day who didn’t make it. One additional person she met online who wasn’t on the original list but they are international. I gather it is a smaller cohort than usual. I saw a lot of activity on TSR re the August Pool this year so perhaps that is how they fill places if they want to??,

@redskydelight DD got a 6 in FM and a 7 in physics but is studying an arts subject where she did get top grades.in and starts at C in a couple of weeks.

There either has to be a “reason” for two candidates who look equally brilliant in terms of everything else getting offers six months apart, or Durham don’t so much move in mysterious ways as don’t have a clue what they are doing.

Whatever it is, it doesn't seem related to early entry as (I think) all those two posters children had applied to oxbridge. And conversely, I remember DD being puzzled by durham's apparent illogicality of the timing and offer or not for her cohort - being a northern grammar there were a lot of able students who didn't apply to southern unis so hadn't done early applications.
There are a few other good unis who seem similarly puzzling with late offers.

Of course they matter and of course they are amazing results. But most people who apply have amazing results at GCSE :) It would obviously be better if he had a 9 but no reason to be in a flap - can't change it now. Just apply and see what happens. As with everybody who applies your friend and her DC should do everything they can and hope for the best but recognise most people don't get in so not get too hung up on Cambridge. 90% of people won't get an offer and lots won't even get an interview.

I believe that Cambridge has stated they didn’t distinguish between 8s and 9s at GCSE. That may have been s couple of years ago though - is that still the case? If so then that should give some comfort.

I wonder if someone could give me some advice on mh wrt applications

A very dear friend's dd whom I've known since birth and am very fond of is applying to C. She (dd not friend) is asking me for a lot of reassurance around this purely on the basis i went to O a million years ago, though I did a totally different subject and know nothing about hers at all. Nor - apart from what I pick up on here, and there seems a lot of conflicting advice - do I know anything about the wider Oxbridge admissions process.

She has had anorexia since the pandemic, been in and out of EDUs and is still in a terrible state, if there was enough provision she'd be back in a unit. She's had to drop down a year because of all the school she missed.

She is absolutely fixated on C, obsessively following her cohort's progress and who did and didn't get in, to the point where she alienated some schoolfriends who got annoyed with her constant demand for updates. She has been telling me for the past couple of years she stands a brilliant chance because her subject is niche (it's not one of the big subjects but still has a 1/4 success rate). She also tells me her mh issues will give her bonus points and make her a shoo in.

She attends a state school but it's a "posh" one so not sure there will be much added value in that. Her postcode may give her contextual points (don't know, I haven't checked) but her mum is a super high-flyer and earns over £1m a year and is university educated. Her GCSEs were good, all 8s and 9s I think but they were pandemic GCSEs, so count for less I imagine. I haven't dared ask what her predicted grades are and the fact she hasn't told me may be significant ... She's asked me to read her personal statement, which appears great to me, lots of relevant summer schools etc - but it's not a subject I know anything about so I can't really judge.

ANYWAY, I am nervous that she is kidding herself that she will get in purely because of her terrible mental health and obviously concerned she'll go even further backwards if she is rejected. TBH, I'm not sure such a pressurised environment would be ideal for her either but that is not my business so I am keeping out of it. Does mh make a difference either way? Would she be prioritised? Or would it be held against her? I feel very sad just writing this so please be gentle