Feedback from Cambridge

[Karmacat]

My DS got pooped this year but not picked up. At the time his school asked for feedback but never received anything. I was just wondering if this was the same for other people. He has moved on and hopes to go to St Andrew's in September (everything crossed) but he still is interested to know what happened.

POOLED! but pooped may be more accurate!

How long ago did the school ask?

DD asked Cambridge for feedback, and it was so vague and relative that it was meaningless. I guess they are making such fine distinctions that they can’t clearly explain their choices. Especially when it is a subject with no entrance test of sample papers.

DD is now at St Andrew’s and having a fantastic time. The sooner your DS can look forward to all the wonderful opportunities ahead of him, the better! I do appreciate that means coming to terms with the rejection, and understanding Cambridge’s rational would help.

I just wanted to pop on the thread and wish your DS every success.

DD1 got rejected by Churchill last year, and when the school asked for feedback were told that they don’t give feedback at individual level - just a statement that most of their successful candidates typically scored in the top 10% of the admissions test. Well, DD didn’t, so maybe that’s why, though it seems to me unlikely that can be the sole deciding factor (she got a place this year at a different college with practically the same test score).

I have seen on past Mumsnet threads that some people have had more detailed feedback - maybe that was Oxford though. (When I was rejected by Oxford back in the 80s, the college sent a detailed report to my school!)

Good luck to your DS!

Now they have to be so careful about mental health implications of anything with a whiff of criticism. So don’t be surprised if very generic

My DD got pooped (so fitting!) in 2022 by a C college that provides feedback for all rejected students. She waited until July and then followed up with them direct. They re-sent, saying school had been in receipt from March - don’t know where it ended up.

Experiences vary, but for her, whilst she’d moved on quickly in Jan, the more detailed feedback helped her to feel good about her fall back. Most of it was regarding the WP strategy but her own specific feedback was that she’d performed well across all sections, but too many applicants, she would do well for UG wherever she ended, but they’d welcome her back for PG.

How true any of it was, who knows, but at least she felt she could have done no more, and was fine with other her options.

My DS got very detailed feedback but the school sat on it for a while.

DS took it well but I thought some of the feedback nudged into overly critical and a bit mean spirited. It also had a data inaccuracy and revealed GCSE results are more important than they claim. Various algorithms were explained. It was about 8 pages long!

This was Selwyn.

Thanks for all this information. The school asked immediately after he got the rejection. In fact it was the school that asked us if it was ok to ask as we didn't know that this was possible. I think he is just curious.

Cambridge will provide feedback to the writer of the UCAS referee or the applicant if they applied after leaving school. From experience of working in a UCAS department at a school which has a high number of applicants each year Cambridge gives far more individualised detail than Oxford but in essay form whereas Oxford feedback is briefer but more statistical.

Perhaps the school received the feedback but felt it was better not to disclose it to the student prior to exams??

DS did get feedback, sent to his school. It was pretty vague as others have said.

Very competitive subject etc (Natsci) great application, in the top x%, but those with offers scored very highly.

What did slightly miff him was there was no interview feedback, even in general terms, it is what he would have found the most useful.

Interview 1 was maths, and he was told he got all the questions right, interview 2 was bio and he felt he did pretty well. DS is a massive pessimist (usually unfounded) so for him that was positive I thought.

So there was obviously something about him that didn't hit the mark, and he'd prefer to know in case it's something he can work on or if indeed it was nothing in particular / something he wouldn't want to change, he could move on knowing it just wasn't for him.

If your DS was pooled, Cambridge obviously were very impressed and considered him worthy of an offer. Any feedback you receive is likely to be very positive indeed.