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

But happiness, fulfilment, a balanced and diverse university experience? Meh! Not so much I suspect.

There's a lot of "suspecting" goes on about Oxford by people with no experience of it. A lot of the suspecting is crap.

Exactly. Whether a candidate will benefit from Oxford’s style of teaching is a significant part of what an interview will test, obviously, but there’s no point in her applying if this isn’t something that fires her up in theory. And I agree with @CovertImage that it’s perfectly possible to have an enjoyable, well-rounded etc student experience there.

I’d say the choice of A levels is surprising for a putative Historian. The GCSE results are not an issue at all but she’ll need to be really passionate about History well beyond the scope of her A level syllabus and that means extra read, lectures, research etc. essay skills are also vital which is why History A level is often teamed with English and Philosophy. Unless she’s really keen I’d let her make her own choices.

I say it's worth going to an open day and seeing what she thinks of it. People have lots of preconceptions about Oxbridge which can deter them from applying. Sometimes they are right. Sometimes not!

I thought my daughter was bright enough for Oxbridge, and that either would really suit her. She wasn't keen, partly because she had certain assumptions about the type of students who went, especially to Oxford (assumed everyone was a Bullingdon Club type) and partly because she didn't think she was bright enough.

When she was in the lower 6th, her school told her about a special day that one of the Oxford colleges was putting on in her subject and asked if she'd like to go. She said no (and didn't even tell me about it until it had happened).

I insisted on taking her to the general open days in June. She grumbled a bit, but agreed to go.

Oxford was first and we went to a talk on her subject (not history). 10 minutes in, I could see her becoming more interested and by the end she was talking excitedly about all the options. They also did a really good job in terms of convincing her that Oxford students were normal people! She also liked Cambridge, which we visited the following day, but by then she had fallen in love with Oxford.

Obviously I wouldn't have expected her to apply if she hadn't liked it, but she did, got in and was extremely happy there for three years.

@Notellinganyone That was my initial reaction too but the OP's dd is doing a history related EPQ, plus the admissions requirements states that history A level is recommended, ie, not essential

Not all schools 'inflated' their grades during covid but quite a few pre-moderated against the previous 2 years' numerical GCSE grades and other factors before submitting, so were less 'aspirational' (or 'inflated') and as 'realistic' as they could manage. Regardless... dismissive remarks about grade inflation are disrespectful and insensitive.

Do school offer any support? My y11 dd has had a visit to Oxford - from what I understand all the colleges are linked to local authority areas for outreach purposes. Her school identified top students in the year they though were capable of getting in and took them in a tour to 'demystify' it.

They generally have 1 person a year get in I think.

I don't really see the problem with it using up one of her UCAS options. She will have four others. The problem is that she doesn't really want to. Maybe do a visit and see how she feels.

If a school did not have inflated grades in the covid years then they did not follow the rules the government set down which required them to do so.

Oxford do take GCSE's into consideration, and although you don't need straight 9's I think your DD may have too many 8's. Many subjects also require an entrance exam, and extensive relevant extra curricular stuff as well as a genuine passion for the subject. Even wth perfect stats there are far more candidates than places unfortunately!

She should definitely visit and make her mind up from there.

It may be for her, it may not, but at the minute it feels a bit like you're pushing it more than her interest is self generated. From visiting universities I certainly knew more or less straight away where I wanted to go, and where I didn't.

DN 'scraped' into Oxford with a mix of 7s, 8s and 9s. He got an interview with that, and secured a place at his first-choice college.

There is an Oxford mentoring scheme which could be worth a look, it's free - pairs you up with a current Oxford student doing that subject who can advise on all aspects including interview help and applications.

Oxbridge launchpad

Her GCSEs suggest she isn't quite good enough but more importantly her choice of A levels isn't right if she wants to do history at a top uni. I'd expect her to be doing a language plus English or similar. Or even economics if she wanted something more sciencey so to speak. Pure sciences suggest she's not that interested in history unfortunately.

Confirmation that there is absolutely no issue with having a mix of grade 8s & 9s. They even accept some applicants with the odd grade 6 or even a D.

Nonsense!

Honestly, some of you are talking utter crap.

Her choice of A levels are absolutely fine.

The fact that she is doing a history EPQ is good.

Her GCSEs suggest she isn't quite good enough but more importantly her choice of A levels isn't right if she wants to do history at a top uni. I'd expect her to be doing a language plus English or similar. Or even economics if she wanted something more sciencey so to speak. Pure sciences suggest she's not that interested in history unfortunately.

She is taking HISTORY A level and wishes to apply for HISTORY. Even an A level in history isn't mandatory for history at Oxford.

I don't think there's anything wrong with her GCSE's or her A'Level choices. Unusual maybe but Oxford like unusual and as long as if challenged she can give a coherent explanation for them she will be fine. Stats (all on the website) and FOI's show a wide range of A'Level choices - you just have to be studying anything deemed essential for the course and get the grades.

The most important thing on top of this is a desire from her to go to Oxford because without the internal drive to go there I can't see that it's worth all the extra effort.

No point if they don’t want to.
I know someone who lasted 1 term he was forced into oxbridge entry he committed suicide by jumping in front of a train.

This isn't correct. Oxford don't differentiate between 8s and 9s at GCSE, they are both classed as A* grades. For PPE, one of their most popular courses, the average candidate who was accepted had 8.7 GCSEs at grade 8 or 9. That means the OPS daughter's GCSE results would put her in the top half of students going by GCSE results.
Lots of students are accepted with even a smattering of 7s & 6s!!

This is absolutely nonsense. Her GCSE results are better than the average Oxford Students.

Oxford and Cambridge also really value science A levels as demonstrates a high level of critical thinking.

There is an awful lot of 'spin' around Oxbridge entry that seems quite unhelpful.