Scrapping into Oxford?

[fakenamefornow]

I think my y12 teen should try for Oxford, she thinks she shouldn't because she won't get in and it'll use up one of her Ucas options. I think she has a chance. Honest opinions please.
Context -
From excellent state school, never been on free school meals or other disadvantage indicators. Not tutored.
11 GCSEs - 6 grade 9, 5 grade 8
Doing chemistry, biology and history, A levels plus history related EPC
Want to study History

It would be worth looking at some of the Outreach courses available from both Oxford Balliol and Cambridge St John's.
How much she enjoys and reads for understanding outside of her A level syllabus for History appears to be key.
What period of History does she want to study? Has she looked at the content of the undergraduate degrees at several universities ?
Has she looked at similar universities that offer the college experience (if that is what attracts her) such as Durham or York?

I think some universities do take into account things like fsm. In that, these students would very likely have had extra challenges to overcome and so getting good exam results would have been harder for them than a student with their own laptop, studying at a desk in a warm quiet bedroom.

If you have some money available, there are great companies who can help her. Its highly unlikely state schools are equipped to support her - my teachers refused to help me in the 80's when I applied to Oxford. I ended up at King's London, so still a good uni.

Just one thing to bear in mind, employers are not looking at where people do their these days but the grade. I knew someone at Oxford when I was at King's studying the same course. Oxford def set harder homework....

@spellingtest I don't know if they do but I bloody well hope they would. A student on fsm should absolutely be raked higher than a student with equal grades who wasn't on fsm.

Do you really mean she would love to? Or is it you that would love her to?

I never thought of the potential discrimination before. Valid point, thanks for flagging.

DD graduated from Oxford last year

She didn't have all 9s gasp in horror she got 2 7s but did Beth well on the HAT and was memorable at interview

Entry requirements were AAA for history

Lots of myths about Oxford admissions

If you don't mind me asking, what were her best 8 GCSE grades?

I knew someone at Oxford when I was at King's studying the same course. Oxford def set harder homework....

Homework? It's not school. Also, how can you possibly state that no employers take any notice of where you get your degree from? If you know that the standard is higher there, just from knowing someone who went there, what makes you think that employers don't?

but did Beth well on the HAT

Did VERY well

Not sure who Beth is?

I’d respect her decision. I prob could have got in but know I would have hated it. I am glad I went to another uni with a focus on critical thinking and not obsessed with academic only.

For goodness sake! It's only a university and only one space on the UCAS form. Of course she should give it a go if she's predicted top A level grades.

The attitudes on here are why over confident private school children are over represented at Oxford.

@jgw1

3x9s 4x8s 1x7

Completely agree.
Even if it reduces my own childs chances of a place.

Not all that unusual in my experience.
Although the covid years with inflated grades will have been different of course.

My dc both applied, both got pooled and then rejected. Both happy they tried. Both somewhat relieved as the workload would have been intense and a different uni experience than other unis where more time to do other things. It’s only 1/5 choices and if she’s on track for top A level grades then it’s unlikely she would need to worry about not getting in elsewhere. They both had almost all 9’s, which they got with ease. Both got 4 A level top grades. But both were all rounders rather than someone who had a particular interest in one subject. Our School’s experience is that students who show a lot of aptitude and interest for particular subject eg extra reading on top of school work from year 8/9 have a better chance of getting through the interview stage than someone with 9’s who would happily study several subjects. The bright all rounders without a particular ‘passion’ are the ones who would have got offers 5-10 years ago but now aren’t. So if history is her ‘thing’ then she has a good chance as anyone else. It is a long process and it’s hard not to get invested even if you start out being not that bothered.

Because you probably won't?

One at Oxford and one with an offer.
Both contextual, one on FSM, one not
History and PPE, grades were 9998888874 and 9988887765
One did 2 practice TSAs the night before the exam, one spent weeks doing HAT past papers
One always interested, one doubted risking it
Go for it as one of many fantastic options -the best preparation is wide reading, following your quirky/niche interests and learning to discuss ideas Good luck !😎

@mackthepony 😂

If she wants to try, she should. DD is currently doing her PPE finals. Your DD's GCSE results are better than hers. Oxford considers applications from state school applicants with contextual indicators more carefully, but they don't get reduced offers, with the offer for humanities being AAA. The majority of students come from backgrounds just like your DDs.

I went to Oxford.
I also failed to get a job at Pizza Hut when I was a teenager.

If she'd love to go, she should apply. I know plenty of people who applied despite worrying that they didn't fit their perception of "the mould" and had a great time.

Re GCSE grades, my understanding is that Oxford look at them in the context of the school at which they were obtained. My DD went to a state comprehensive that gets relatively good results by the standards of state comps. She got 3 grade 9s at GCSE and still got a place at Oxford (though not for history). OP, the next question is what your DD's predicted grades are for A level. As others have said, if Oxford do make an offer, I believe it will be AAA. That said, for history they will be looking for the type of students who expect to get A* for history A level. So does your DD expect to get A star for history A level and at least A for her other two A levels?

My dc is a current History student at Oxford. I'd start by having a look at the History Faculty website

How to Apply | Faculty of History (ox.ac.uk)

How does she feel about the idea of doing lots of self-directed reading in and around her subject, writing two essays a week, and discussing them for an hour, possibly in a one-to-one setting, with an expert in her subject who takes her ideas seriously? (And IME it isn't the mythical 'confidence' that's required for the latter). That would be the question I would be asking her IIWY.

I would say its worth your dd giving it a go as it sounds mainly like lack of confidence is putting her off. She will still have 4 other options on the ucas form.
There is a HAT test for history but there are practice papers available online. As pp have said extra reading is good, but its all useful stuff to do anyway.