Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 2

[Lightsabre]

Continuation thread (when old one is full) for those supporting dc through Oxbridge applications. All welcome as we enter the next phase.

Good luck to him @MuminHampshire - DS was a bit taken aback in his two interviews (both with two people) that there were no niceties, they just went straight in with a maths question...so it may be worth warning your DS! They asked him about one of the books hed mentioned on his PS and that was it. Also he found it helpful to have a little whiteboard (he could show to the camera with his workings). He also checked the tech obsessively beforehand.

Thanks @Panicmode1, that's really helpful advice.

Is anyone else just submitting for Oxford at this stage and intending to add their other choices at a later date- DD can't decide on other unis yet and wants to wait- will it affect her other applications do you think?

That’s my dd fancy - she’s done Oxford and is adding others after half term. Got a couple of visits to do then.

That's good to know @Newgirls We still have some open days to go to!

My DS is submitting 4 now and will decide on a 5th later. He said school isn't loving it.........

So my DS has below par GCSEs results compared to predicted A Levels due to factors relating to undiagnosed Autism and Dyslexia and School refusal for the whole of high school due to anxiety, one of his choices KCL has emailed him today asking for more information about the mitigating circumstances.

He has now submitted the required evidence and they aim to respond in 14 days so will see.

He's already had 2 offers without asking for any extra evidence.

So will see what transpires. DS is a bit anxious about it because it's his other first choice if Oxford doesn't pan out.

Fingers crossed.

@lifeturnsonadime probably encouraging re KCL, I’d say. If they weren’t open to cutting some slack for convincing mitigants, they wouldn’t bother to ask and would just ding. And well done for him for, presumably, spotting the email :-)

Thanks for your words of encouragement.

His predicted grades exceed the minimum required grades so I really hope so.

I'm going to show your post to my daughter @witheringrowan! She has had two complete meltdowns about her PS in the last 24 hours. She says it's the only part of the application within her control.
She's in with her Head of Sixth now sending the application. Other than HSPS at Cambridge snd Sociology and Social Policy at Bath, she hasn't yet decided on the many variations on the theme so will add later. Durham will it be Sociology or Combined Honours Social Science or Sociology and Anthropology? She wasn't impressed with Exeter on Open Day but she doesn't really know where else to apply. Distance is a big factor.
Oops she's back in the car and soooo much happier than before she went in!

DS has allegedly submitted today after meeting with head of 6th - thank God!! Version eight million of that PS last night, which involved me reading it out loud and him changing things that sounded weird out loud then him saying "what's the character count now?". Two hours of that! With a final read through at the end and me holding my breath until he said "Yep I am done" and me getting out there quick smart.

It will be funny looking back, surely?

. So funny, sounds exactly like my session with ds. Glad to see the back of it!

Well done on getting in the PS's. If you think that has been stressful wait for the two weeks or so of being in got interview/not got interview limbo :)

@Hertsessex not looking forward to that! When do they typically hear whether they are getting an interview? I suppose it varies a lot between college/course.

I can't remember when it starts but I just remember the drip feed over 2-3 weeks and no idea when it's coming for you but hearing of others getting or not getting interviews. If two weeks in and no news of course you fear the worst but it's just that your college/course hasn't yet got their act together. Those few weeks were the most stressful for my daughter and she stopped eating properly - more so than waiting for offer as that was a set day and nothing could do at that point. While waiting for interview there is a question as to how much time spend preparing vs other work.

@MuminHampshire DS got his interview notification around the end of November, so about 2 weeks before the interviews started for his subject (Maths)

I think it's a longer wait than that from application deadline to interview decisions - Oxford says they usually let you know from mid November and you might only get a week's notice 😱

Oxford interview timtable:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/interviews/interview-timetable2

I think DC was told min two weeks notice - there is a draft interview dates timetable on the Oxford site; it might change but i guess which weeks they will be in are roughly set

Thanks all, and does anyone know if they tend to get a notification if they're not called for interview or only if they are?

DD had 10 days notice from her college but friends had a week- for Classics, 2022 entrance.

I’m pretty sure DC1 got less than 2 weeks notice of interview at Oxford two years’ ago. Sadly, her experience now there is that this was a sign of things to come - her College’s organisation is pretty rubbish most of the time…

But the entrance tests were later that year (after half term). With the earlier dates for sitting the tests this year I’m hopeful we’ll hear one way or another a bit earlier this time.

Yes they get told if it's a no. I remember some no's coming quite early and others quite late. It's basically 2-3 weeks of chaos with nobody having a clue :) I think my DD in the end only had 1 weeks notice of interview.

Pretty sure they get a notification either way @muminhampshire

Here's where Oxford tell you when to expect to hear, and that it might only be a week before the interview (under "How will I find out if I have been invited to interview?")

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/interviews