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.

As @Lightsabre says, the advice is not to spend too much space on it but show how it's relevant. DD is mentioning both her work and sport for time management and communication angles, and her drama links nicely to both Classics and MFL. Besides, other unis like to know you're human!

DC said that 82 UCAS points were registered for music studies. Points are points anyway, no need to worry if ‘They don’t give a shit or not ’

@User11010866 did your DC enter the info this year? Just checked with DC who said ‘there was nowhere to enter the information’ I’ve asked them to check at school today.

I think though it's the reverse

They DO give a shit that you have broader interests, so D of E gold, Grade 8 cello, whatever, they don't care what but they like to see an individual with more than academics...

Yes. DC told me last night that the info was entered together with the GCSE.

@User11010866 thanks. All seems a world away from filling in UCAS/PCAS forms 😂

@Uohoxbridgeapplicationtime , there is a section where you add your qualifications. There are different boxes for the different types of qualifications and one of them is for ABRSM/Trinity exam results. Ds had to put grades and level; ie merit etc

I was told they don't care about extra curricular or jobs etc, most kids have outside interests, what they care about is interest in chosen subject beyond school curriculum.

Clearly if the child has something that counts towards UCAS points that's a different issue.

DD is including a v brief sentence about her hectic school life (sports/music/position of responsibility) and outlining how juggling all of that has prepared her for uni life.

Someone referenced having to send A level certificates in. Don't think you ever had to do that? Exam board links to UCAS links to the uni so they t5rust the info they're given.

this is v reassuring! Lots of analysis of the admissions stats blown out of the water when she visited on Friday. One college stood out and she's going with that one.

Yes just list any music or drama qualifications in the relevant sections. I can't remember if there was a specific listing for D of E, or if this is listed under 'other' or something like that.

If they are offered a place, they have to scan and email all GCSE certs and A level / IB certs, as well as music certs, LAMDA etc and D of E certs in Sept as part of registration. So make sure these are not lost if they do have them!

Does anyone know if schools find out about university offers automatically rather than the student telling them?

My son’s 18th Birthday is also the Cambridge decision day. If he gets that far he has decided he will not check the results on his Birthday, which I think is very sensible. His fear is school will be informed (it is a linked application) and will commiserate/congratulate him on the day - which would be far worse than him checking himself.

Thanks everyone for the music cert advice. The application process is being managed by school so I’ve asked them to check today.

They DO give a shit that you have broader interests, so D of E gold, Grade 8 cello, whatever, they don't care what but they like to see an individual with more than academics...

I really don't think Oxford care, they have no interest in whether you have hobbies and what they are. This point was made quite clearly by a tutor at the open day. Other universities might look for that kind of stuff, but even then I think it would be a very rare situation where an offer depended on whether you had grade 8 or whatever. Exception being sports internationals I guess, everyone wants them!

It was several years ago but my dd added one sentence to the end of her personal statement for medicine show she was a rounded person. Along the lines of "I enjoy playing piano and flute, singing in the chamber choir and playing netball". She was told that there was no need to spell out that this helped with time management/juggling numerous things etc if you are short of characters and want to save words as the reader would know this.

I'm not sure where you're getting this from? We didn't have to send A level certificates back in my day and my DC already at uni didn't have to either?

A level certificates are not out until later in the autumn so definitely not part of a September registration process.

My DD just added one sentence along the lines that she recognises the importance of a break from academic work so will continue with her activities in art, piano and exercise. She hasn't said that she's actually doing an art foundation course this year, her grade level in piano as not relevant to her course.
I personally think it's a shame they don't want to know more about the person applying but I guess they read so many and just stick to the academics.

Oxbridge may say they don't give care about EC, but in any case, they are doing the PS for all 5 universities and the other 4 might care, especially if it is linked back (somehow) to the course. Also need to be mindful that most universities don't interview, they make offers based on what's on the UCAS application.

My DS has pretty much finished his PS for Maths. It's Maths Maths Maths with one sentence about the rest of his life!

Blodwen9 - no I didn't have to send certificates back in the 90s either, but DC did for Cambridge. She had the A-level certs so it must have been last Sept. They are ok if you don't have these until later, but they definitely wanted proof of all GCSEs and other stated qualifications. She even had to scan and send D of E.

Another DD has just started uni (yesterday) and had to do the same a couple of weeks ago.

Cascais6 - very odd as DS is just off to uni and no talk of scanning any certificates?

Maybe it depends on the uni? DD definitely had to do this for Cambridge though and this was just last cycle. Anyway, it doesn't matter too much.

Also, in case anyone hasn't heard of this, there is a site called WhatDoTheyKnow. If you Google that with whatever Oxbridge course (or other uni course) your DC is applying for, you will see people have probably made various FOI requests in past years and it's quite interesting in some cases to see the actual GCSEs / A-levels of those accepted / rejected, plus admission test scores and interview scores for that subject.

Hi all - glad to find the new thread.

@Mihamiha my DD’s school do give some help/practice with the PAT and MAT. But because it’s a selective independent, Oxford will know that and my understanding is it means she’ll have to do relatively better in the test than others from schools without that support to get an interview. She will pretty much have to score above the automatic “cut off” score for interview, whereas your DC may have more chance of getting an interview even if they didn’t make the automatic cut off mark. Oxford publish a report on each year’s physics admissions process which includes lots of information including how the PAT mark translated into interview and offer success. Well worth having a read.

@singingstones completely agree that Oxford don’t care about extra curricular activities unless they relate directly to the course you are applying for. This may well be different to what has applied historically. But if you are trying to create a process which is fair to those from all backgrounds, it make sense to ignore most achievements outside of academics. For example, even for a very diligent and hard working musical student, plenty of money and parental support is needed for tuition etc to get to a Grade 8 distinction. Ditto many other extra curricular activities.

Ooh can I join in!
Child applying to do History at Oxford. TBH I don't really know much about it, haven't read her PS or anything. She's all on top of it though (one of us has to be) so fingers crossed 🤞