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Original poster

Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 2

973 replies

Lightsabre · 12/09/2023 22:43

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Uohoxbridgeapplicationtime · 20/10/2023 15:42

@lifeturnsonadime My DC said the HAT was the hardest paper they’d sat in comparison to past papers - managed to write 1500 words but not sure it was they were looking for. Oh well, they’re all off partying now.

MathsParent2 · 20/10/2023 15:48

‘We understand the difficulty and disappointment some of our applicants will have experienced through technical problems with their online tests this year. We are very grateful to you for your patience and would welcome your feedback on these new tests. As you know, admissions tests are only one part of our undergraduate admissions process and we use a range of information, including individual circumstances, to help us assess academic potential.’
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate

Undergraduate admissions and outreach | University of Oxford

Are you looking for an exceptional education in an environment which values individuals for who they are? Oxford might be the place for you.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate

stoneysongs · 20/10/2023 16:18

I think it means they won't be used in a negative way so not to discount a candidate but may be used in a positive way.

Isn't it impossible to separate these though when there is competition for places - if you're favouring one lot of DC then the others are necessarily disadvantaged.

Also if they take test scores into account for some and not others they would be using two different selection processes which cannot possibly be fair. The whole point of the tests is that all the DC have good grades, and they know that PS and reference are not to be relied on.

They have two problems really - one is picking good candidates, and that might not be such a big deal as there are so many, they can probably afford to lose some excellent DC who would have had an interview if their test performance hadn't been scuppered.

The other bigger issue is trying to make the process fair to everyone. If they care about this, I think they are in a right old pickle and will need to interview lots more than they would in a normal year. But they might decide that the pool of applicants is strong enough that it doesn't matter if they miss out on a few good ones who would normally have made it. Their cohort might still be just as strong, but it's very unfair to the DC concerned. Extra interviews is the only way I think.

lifeturnsonadime · 20/10/2023 16:20

Uohoxbridgeapplicationtime · 20/10/2023 15:42

@lifeturnsonadime My DC said the HAT was the hardest paper they’d sat in comparison to past papers - managed to write 1500 words but not sure it was they were looking for. Oh well, they’re all off partying now.

Ah well I've just asked DS and he said he wrote about 900 words!! So maybe he was missing something, who knows?

But it's done now, he's gone out for the night, time will tell.

lifeturnsonadime · 20/10/2023 16:33

stoneysongs · 20/10/2023 16:18

I think it means they won't be used in a negative way so not to discount a candidate but may be used in a positive way.

Isn't it impossible to separate these though when there is competition for places - if you're favouring one lot of DC then the others are necessarily disadvantaged.

Also if they take test scores into account for some and not others they would be using two different selection processes which cannot possibly be fair. The whole point of the tests is that all the DC have good grades, and they know that PS and reference are not to be relied on.

They have two problems really - one is picking good candidates, and that might not be such a big deal as there are so many, they can probably afford to lose some excellent DC who would have had an interview if their test performance hadn't been scuppered.

The other bigger issue is trying to make the process fair to everyone. If they care about this, I think they are in a right old pickle and will need to interview lots more than they would in a normal year. But they might decide that the pool of applicants is strong enough that it doesn't matter if they miss out on a few good ones who would normally have made it. Their cohort might still be just as strong, but it's very unfair to the DC concerned. Extra interviews is the only way I think.

Yes it's a rubbish situation without a doubt. I think they will have to interview more people.

Just to pick up on one point though you said they will all have good grades, this isn't necessarily true. Some children will have lower than expected GCSE grades because of mitigating circumstances. My DS wasn't caught up in this fiasco but he certainly is not a 9 top grade at GCSE candidate.

stoneysongs · 20/10/2023 16:45

Just to pick up on one point though you said they will all have good grades, this isn't necessarily true. Some children will have lower than expected GCSE grades because of mitigating circumstances. My DS wasn't caught up in this fiasco but he certainly is not a 9 top grade at GCSE candidate.

Yes sorry, I should have said they will have good enough contextualised grades I guess. The point is that GCSEs and A level predictions are not enough info. If they were, they wouldn't bother testing.

eggsbenedict23 · 20/10/2023 16:49

Those applying to C, have Ur DC selected an in person interview?

My son has selected a college that is doing in person interviews this year. (Fingers crossed he gets an invite)

Redhotchillipeppers · 20/10/2023 16:52

eggsbenedict23 · 20/10/2023 16:49

Those applying to C, have Ur DC selected an in person interview?

My son has selected a college that is doing in person interviews this year. (Fingers crossed he gets an invite)

My DS has done the same. His said he will feel more comfortable in a face-to-face interview!

Rollergirl11 · 20/10/2023 17:20

eggsbenedict23 · 20/10/2023 16:49

Those applying to C, have Ur DC selected an in person interview?

My son has selected a college that is doing in person interviews this year. (Fingers crossed he gets an invite)

DD has applied to a college that is doing in person interviews. On the additional online form she filled in she had to say where the closest big city is to her though. Not sure why.

mondaytosunday · 20/10/2023 17:40

@eggsbenedict23 in person vs online was considered - she'd prefer in person - but in the end she went for one that's online. A bigger consideration was the fact it's one of only a handful that requires an assessment test for her course. She decided she liked the college enough to do that too - her assessment is end of November.

Jaxx · 20/10/2023 17:41

My son has also applied to an in person interview college. It wasn’t his original plan, but the college came out as his strong favourite post the open day.

From what he said when he filled out the form last night did they not want to know the location so they could see if accommodation was needed?

whowhy · 20/10/2023 18:15

Hope it's ok to chip in, but I'm just reading this and I'm so sorry to hear about this fiasco with the tests that has affected so many. As if they haven't got enough on with upcoming mocks etc and they will have worked hard to prepare for those tests.

Also, I wanted to say that quite a few subjects have done away with these admissions tests anyway - for
instance, Cambridge don't bother with what was the GAT anymore as they decided the results had no bearing on anything (inc degree outcomes). So for geography, it's just interviews, PS, references and contextualised grades / predicted grades (plus essays for some colleges). So there is no reason why other subjects can't do the same, particularly humanities and social sciences. I think also they dropped the Chemistry assessment at Oxford? So no reason why they can't make decisions in the absence of tests for other sciences.

I think the MAT may be more integral as maths is much less subjective, but they will just have to shortlist without it I suppose.

I also once saw a list of admissions test scores for a few subjects correlated to who was shortlisted for interviews at Oxford. I think it might have been on this site a few years ago when I had a DC applying. There seemed little correlation between those with high test scores and those shortlisted for interview - I was very surprised and wondered why they bothered with the tests at all, based on what I saw eg. people with a 2 or 3 were being interviewed while others with much higher marks were not. What did correlate though, was a high interview score to an offer. So even though they talk about a 'holistic' assessment, I think it's probably the interviews that hold most weight. That's my feeling having gone through this twice.

Redhotchillipeppers · 20/10/2023 18:44

Rollergirl11 · 20/10/2023 17:20

DD has applied to a college that is doing in person interviews. On the additional online form she filled in she had to say where the closest big city is to her though. Not sure why.

Show quote history

I don’t recall seeing a question about the nearest big city. Are you uk based?

mondaytosunday · 20/10/2023 18:47

@Jaxx you're probably right. My daughter has had to say where and what time zone she will be in for her interview. As it happens we are travelling to the States towards the end of the interview period, though I think it's unlikely she will be interviewed that late in the month, but she will be prepared if so!
She's just now submitted everything! SAQ went the other day, tonight examples of written work, disability forms plus supporting documents...next it's sitting the assessment! Hopefully no online issues then 😬😬!

Rollergirl11 · 20/10/2023 18:58

From what he said when he filled out the form last night did they not want to know the location so they could see if accommodation was needed?

Very possible. DD isn’t the most observant and I wasn’t with her when she filled it out.

@Redhotchillipeppers yes we are uk. Is the college you’ve applied for doing in person interviews?

Redhotchillipeppers · 20/10/2023 19:03

Rollergirl11 · 20/10/2023 18:58

From what he said when he filled out the form last night did they not want to know the location so they could see if accommodation was needed?

Very possible. DD isn’t the most observant and I wasn’t with her when she filled it out.

@Redhotchillipeppers yes we are uk. Is the college you’ve applied for doing in person interviews?

Yes they are conducting in person interviews.

Redhotchillipeppers · 20/10/2023 19:11

It looks like the additional information around your closest large city and time zone is only requested if you select ‘rest of world’ as opposed to ‘UK’. As we are in the UK, the other questions did not appear for my DS. I was beginning to worry we’d missed something.

Original poster
Lightsabre · 20/10/2023 19:26

@whowhy, the Chemistry dept at Oxford are thinking of introducing tests again from next year or the year after we were told. I think there are a lot of changes afoot from next year with the change in PS format, dropping the BMAT etc.

OP posts:
TenSheds · 20/10/2023 20:06

@Rollergirl11 DD had to say where her nearest city was to register as a test centre for the Oxford tests and we're in Wales. (Defining this was a challenge; nearest large cities are some way away, but little cities are nearer) Not sure why this was relevant 😕

MirandaWest · 20/10/2023 23:07

DD said she thought it wasn’t the best HAT she’d done but it wasn’t the worst. And MLAT was OK too. Now to wait…

Rollergirl11 · 20/10/2023 23:42

Redhotchillipeppers · 20/10/2023 19:11

It looks like the additional information around your closest large city and time zone is only requested if you select ‘rest of world’ as opposed to ‘UK’. As we are in the UK, the other questions did not appear for my DS. I was beginning to worry we’d missed something.

DD received an email with her submitted answers so I had a look. It asked where you will be resident during the interview period and she selected ‘United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man’. The next question was ‘Which large city are you closest to during the interview period’

TenSheds · 21/10/2023 09:23

@MirandaWest DD thought the MLAT was ok too. A couple of things where she had no idea, a few educated guesses or workarounds, but all to be expected. Relief at no further technical difficulties.

Redhotchillipeppers · 21/10/2023 10:15

Rollergirl11 · 20/10/2023 23:42

DD received an email with her submitted answers so I had a look. It asked where you will be resident during the interview period and she selected ‘United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man’. The next question was ‘Which large city are you closest to during the interview period’

Show quote history

Thank you. DS has received acknowledgment of submission of the my Cambridge application and the college has also emailed with further information and actions to take. No mention of anything missing, so probably filled in fine.

mummylife123 · 21/10/2023 10:28

TenSheds · 21/10/2023 09:23

@MirandaWest DD thought the MLAT was ok too. A couple of things where she had no idea, a few educated guesses or workarounds, but all to be expected. Relief at no further technical difficulties.

So did mine👍 She thought it went okay, thank goodness!

lifeturnsonadime · 21/10/2023 10:46

So I know this has been addressed earlier but when will they typically hear the outcome and whether they are shortlisted for interview?