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!

Fingers crossed for him Ireallydohope - how is he viewing it, is he expecting to get there or does he see it as a bit of a long shot?

@Ireallydohope - best of luck to your DC but I'd urge caution about any child being 'destined' for Oxbridge. As it happens both DS1 and DD are at Oxford but I'd never have entertained the thought it was their destiny. Both were outstanding from primary school but it plenty others were as well and went elsewhere - bath by choice and by rejection.

Give it a go but be aware there are lots of very talented candidates doing the same.

Also, with the benefit of hindsight, don't get too wrapped up in "the perfect college". As I have written before, DD's college chose her. We now know it was the right place for her as she has done amazingly well and got some lovely like-minded friends. DD was picked out of the pool - we actually met the admissions officer who did that who joked with us at her graduation that she was one of his best picks (he probably says that to all proud parents!)

The other thing to keep in mind is that probably not all your DC will get offers. One of mine did, the other didn't. However, again using hindsight, the non-Oxbridge DD2 has had opportunities in her degree that C DD1 didn't have. Yes, for the right kid it's worth a punt. But it's not worth obsessing about it all. Bright DC will thrive anywhere.

No expectations.

He's only going along with what his 6th Form are advising and is aware that Oxbridge could be an option.

I'm suddenly realising that as his maths GCSE was only a few points off full marks and that he finds his A Levels easy that he must be pretty decent at it.

Hence suddenly mildly panicking and realising I need to take more notice of the situation.

I'm a bit annoyed I didn't look into it sooner and sign him up for some of the one day courses or whatever it is they can do there that have been mentioned by PP. It's sort of slipped me by.

I'll definitely make the effort to go to the Open days though even if it's more for my benefit now than his to look around.

You've kind of got my point completely wrong I'm afraid

I'm only realising now that his natural ability at maths means that he's probably always been 'destined' to go there.

NOT that I've spent his academic life believing he's destined to go there.

Destined is probably the wrong choice of word but I wasn't expecting it to be jumped on or that I'd have to defend any of my comments

Don't worry Ireallydohope, people are just looking out for you as they know from experience how much luck is involved, how many super bright DC don't get in, and how disappointing it can be if they are very invested.

Ireallydohope Everyone who applies will be exceptionally talented at maths., but only around 1/8 (or thereabouts) will actually be offered a place. However, encourage your DS to start discussing how to solve maths problems out loud, as the interview process is similar to the tutorial system and going beyond the A level syllabus by investigating Cambridge HE+ and similar resources.

No one is 'jumping' on anyone else but having seen so many very talented students not get a place I think it's really important not to assume anyone is 'destined'.

If you read back over the last few years on MN you'll see that every year there are disappointed students with exceptional grades and achievements.

And sometimes extremely invested and devastated parents. I remember on Cambridge offers day one year, a poster saying she couldn't face the thread about it because she was still so upset about her DC getting rejected the year before 🤯

@Ireallydohope to avoid sounding arrogant or entitled perhaps language like ‘solidly capable of’ rather than ‘destined’ might be more appropriate?

DD got an offer but we never saw it as certain. She could still have a bad day on the day of her exams. The process can be unfair. Yes she is doing well at a top grammar, works hard, has personality and wit but that is nothing if the interviewer thinks you are not a good fit for them. Aiming high of in with a good chance is good but teaching our young people to fail (and pick themselves back up) is also a life skill.

I’ve seen some who thought they were a ‘shoe-in’ and yes had all 9s at GCSE, top A Levels predicted but they didn’t get offers. We won’t ever know why.

I reckon @Ireallydohope was spot on in with As his DM though I just advise him that there are plenty of other excellent Universities in case he doesn't get in.

DD3 wants to apply for Ancient & Modern History at Oxford. She is drawing up a reading list to 'demonstrate passion' (and I'm trying to persuade her to enter an essay competition as well) but not sure how much of it will actually get read! I also think an EPQ would be helpful but she wants to keep up her fourth A-level instead (at her school they mostly start with 4 subjects and then drop one at end of year 12) but that is Chemistry and though she's good at it, it's not particularly relevant to history, and it seems depth is more desirable than breadth. Sigh. I just feel if you're going to apply at all, you might as well give it your best shot.
I have very mixed feelings about it really, as we went through this with my older two and it was stressful. They were both rejected, though DD1 reapplied post A level and now has a place at Cambridge (I think it does make a huge difference having the A*s in hand rather than as predictions). And DD3 is prone to get excessively stressed at the best of times. We'll try to go to the open day next term and see how she likes it, but by that time she probably ought to have read half a dozen books!

Good luck to your DD3 @BiancaBlank if it is any help in DD's Cambridge interview they asked about her EPQ. I've also seen some offers from Oxbridge on our 2023 thread where students are doing 4 A Levels who got an offer and that sometimes included 4 A levels at a very high level, but if just doing 3 it is just the 3 (except where FM is involved). DD did most of her EPQ over the summer between lower and upper sixth and it meant she had the right level of momentum coming upto assessments and interviews. I don't think the EPQ swung it at all, can't prove anything either way (except for lower tier unis where she has some exceptionally low offers as she has top EPQ), but for her for the Cambridge process it did play a significant part in her confidence, interview and demonstration of passion.

I've also seen some offers from Oxbridge on our 2023 thread where students are doing 4 A Levels who got an offer and that sometimes included 4 A levels at a very high level, but if just doing 3 it is just the 3 (except where FM is involved).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but while this happens for Cambridge esp. STEM subjects (and including FM), I don't think I've seen Oxford doing that?

DS1 took 4 A levels for Chemistry at Oxford. His offer was A star A Star A. The 2 A stars had to be in Chemistry and one of either Maths or Physics. The A was unspecified and could have been his 4th subject (History).

No where gave him an offer based on 4 grades (Imperial, Durham, Manchester and Bristol).

I would be very interested to know this, about Oxford offers when you're doing 4 A levels - DD is doing 4, doesn't want to drop any. If Oxford offers are all on three subjects that will make life a whole lot easier, she will probably see doing four as an advantage, four goes to get three grades.

According to Oxford's website, they don't make 4-a level offers. They seem to have a standard offer for each subject.

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/entrance-requirements/level-offers

If in doubt, the applicant could contact a couple of college admissions tutors to ask if they have any advice on 3 vs 4.

I just can't imaging the history admissions tutors at Oxford will be particularly interested in what DD3 can tell them about alkanes, whereas they might be in a relevant EPQ. She just finds the prospect of an extended project daunting, especially when she's got her history A-level coursework looming anyway. With this aversion to essay writing, I do sometimes wonder whether history is the right subject for her!

You’ve got to love reading and essays for a subject like History, sorry but you might do ok, but wouldn’t thrive or enjoy it.

Thank you Errol

If she does decide to apply I'll suggest she asks the college, that's good advice. Or maybe she can ask at the open day if she remembers.

Following

I just can't imaging the history admissions tutors at Oxford will be particularly interested in what DD3 can tell them about alkanes, whereas they might be in a relevant EPQ.

I'm a chemist but find some aspects of history interesting, I'd hope historians aren't one-dimensional in their interests!
Maybe your DD can think of synergies in ways of thinking? Don't these subjects both require abilities to think logically and analyse evidence? I am convinced that the 'two cultures' mindset is to the detriment of both arts and sciences.

A thought. With mixed science/essay A levels, would History and Philosophy of Science appeal?

@ErrolTheDragon I agree with you entirely, and I think a broader IB-style curriculum instead of A-levels would have suited all three DDs better; but everything the school and the uni websites seem to suggest is that it's passion for the subject that the poor student has to evince, rather than wider-ranging interests. I quite like the American system of majors and minors .
@FlyingSquid Now that sounds interesting. DD did actually consider Philosophy A-level so maybe she could come back to that.

I don't think having wider interests is in any way a negative, so long as they're not at the expense of engagement with their chosen subject. It's more that they don't actually need a raft of other activities.