Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 3

[Lightsabre]

New thread as Part 2 about to fill.

I found the Durham emailing thing quite annoying when DS1 was doing this. After a while the endless emails about how cool D was, and Christmas events and societies and how great colleges are etc etc felt a bit trolling when the candidate is still waiting to get an offer. dS1 got a particularly perky "all the things you can look forward to" email two hours before his rejection :-(

Thanks for the thread! DS applying for Econ & Mgmt at Oxford with 4 A stars achieved. Currently feeling that Cambridge might have been a better bet (guaranteed interview and pooling it seems if you have 3 or more A stars) - and with such low interview rates for E&M but we'll see.

My DS had also applied for Cambridge maths. 4 A star predictions and A star for EPQ. He wasn’t originally keen on the EPQ but I felt he should give it a go with him studying all science A-levels, it would give him the opportunity to carry on with some writing.

I agree with the Oxford route too, but like your DS mine also prefers Cambridge. STEP is super tough and there’s no STEP support at my DSs state school.

Has an offer from Manchester and Leeds. Also applied to Warwick and Durham.

Not DD is also applying for Econ and Mgmt. I think she thought UK applicants had a 30% interview rate and 10% acceptance rate, overall 5% acceptance rate incl non UK applicants so would have thought your DS would definitely be interviewed with 4 A stars. DD is jittery about the low acceptance rate and when it's that low it's hard to be certain who will get an offer but your DS must be one of the strongest candidates esp if state. I am expecting DD to get an interview and she interviews well but with so many strong candidates you just don't know. She has only applied to LSE as well currently though maybe about to add Bristol.

@Revengeofthepangolins how awful! When my daughter was looking at art UAL were like this. Took forever to make an offer but she was regularly bombarded with 'while you are waiting for a decision here's another reason why we are so fantastic'. She did get an offer, but felt they were trying too hard, plus every time the name appeared in her inbox she thought it might be a decision. Ridiculous really as they have tons of applicants no reason to be so needy!

@Silkiefloof I don't think there are different quotas for home or int'l - but TSA might be tougher if English isn't your first language so maybe they do worse? Home students may also fare better from the ranking of TSA scores - at open day a tutor said TSA scores were ranked and then the rankings adjusted by various contextual factors. This aligns with a story from a Times journalist and her son's experience with his E&M application (Jo Kessell May 4 2022) - despite A* predicted grades and an amazing TSA score he didn't get an interview. He was 4th out of 62 applicants for his college based on TSA scores but when the ranking was done he was moved down to 16th and they only interviewed 12 (he was at a grammar). DS was at a private school (no TSA support). Fingers crossed but who knows....

Thanks for starting this. DS has applied for Engineering at Cambridge, also Bath, Bristol, Kings and Exeter. We are new to this whole process!

Thanks all for the new thread. My DS is applying for CompSci at Cambridge with 4 AStar predictions. The course has a 5% acceptance rate so we are also realistic about his chances!

Other applications are Imperial (also 5% chance), UCL, Bristol (offer in hand - AStar, AA) and possibly Southampton but the fifth has not been submitted yet.

DS is also applying for Chemistry at Oxford. He’s had an offer from Manchester and has an interview scheduled at Imperial. He has also applied to UCL and Edinburgh. He is predicted 4A*.

He’s a bit uncertain about Oxford. He loved the open day but fancies London. His brother is at uni in London and makes it all seem thrilling. We are from a small university city and they get itchy feet. This DS has very itchy feet. He’s ready to go.

Been lurking on the previous threads but thought I’d join in. DS has applied for MML at Cambridge (French and German) with 3 x A star predictions. Been here 2 years ago when my DD got an interview then got pooled so didn’t quite make it. She’s very happy at York though so he is approaching this with a ‘what will be will be’ attitude thankfully.
He has also applied to Durham, Edinburgh, York and Newcastle and has a York offer already which helps.

Yes hopefully they will both get interviews Not DD seems to think they effectively penalise for grammar and it's on GCSE school which is good for DD as that was state comp underperforming but seems harsh on the grammar kids, DD did one year at a London grammar. She thinks more weight goes on GCSEs than A levels. Though don't know if that would be same post A levels, can understand them doing it pre as some grade inflation for predicted. Anyway can just hope now, no point worrying.

Evening all, reporting in after lurking on the other threads. Thank you @Lightsabre for the new thread.

DD is applying for history at Oxford. Has 3 offers so far. She hasn’t submitted her written work yet (deadline is the 10th I think?) so fingers crossed!

DS3 has applied to Cam for Chem Eng. Sat NSAA test on 18th Oct - sadly he ran out of time. Hoping he has done well enough for an interview.
Has a visual impairment so trying to navigate the access arrangements for the application process.
He has also applied to Imperial and Nottingham. Manchester is on the cards but needs to decide on with industry year or not. Probably Bath as 5th choice.
Offer received from Nottingham. Fingers crossed for interviews for Man and Imperial.
All new to this although DS1 applied for medicine 5 years ago so feels equally complex and competitive.

DS3 has applied to Cam for Chem Eng. Sat NSAA test on 18th Oct - sadly he ran out of time. Hoping he has done well enough for an interview.
Has a visual impairment so trying to navigate the access arrangements for the application process.
He has also applied to Imperial and Nottingham. Manchester is on the cards but needs to decide on with industry year or not. Probably Bath as 5th choice.
Offer received from Nottingham. Fingers crossed for interviews for Man and Imperial.
All new to this although DS1 applied for medicine 5 years ago so feels equally complex and competitive.

@ladsmum I would suggest applying with the year in industry. Lots of people end up not finding one they are happy with or not securing one and change to the straight degree. Sometimes people go the other way from straight degree to one with a placement year too! (MY DD has just done that, decided she wanted to do a placement at the beginning of 2nd year). This is also true of MEng/BEng.

Hi, my DS has applied for Maths at Cambridge. He decided he would prefer to do STEP next summer than any extra exams this term. I don't think he will get much support for STEP at his state sixth form, not sure if they have had anybody do it before. Fortunately his dad is happy to help him look at stuff, they did a BMO1 past paper together yesterday. His GCSEs are quite "spiky" so we will see what happens, I think I will feel annoyed if he doesn't get an interview (Cambridge said they interview 75-80% of applicants at the open day) but I guess we just have to wait and see.

So will he be taking a year out, with STEP only available to sit in June in each year?

@Redhotchillipeppers no he'll do STEP in the summer at the same time as his A levels. He didn't want to do the MAT or TMUA.

👍

I think the PP means he chose Cambridge with STEP exams next summer, rather than Oxford and the MAT now?

Oh sorry, cross posted

My DS sat the TMUA, but only because two of his choices will take it into consideration, if he scores above a certain threshold, when making offers.

@Redhotchillipeppers How did he find the TMUA? Ds had a friend do it whi said one paper was OK but other was tough.

DS2 has applied to Cambridge for medicine as well as UCL, Kings and Leicester. His non medicine choice is Nottingham.

He said it was ok, but that he ran out of time and couldn’t complete 4 questions. He performed at the top of his year during two mocks he sat at school, so keeping fingers crossed he will have performed well enough to receive a reduced offer from Durham and Warwick - if they make him an offer. It’s always good to have a little less pressure at the end.