Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 4

[Lightsabre]

New thread as our dc start the rollercoaster ride of interviews.

Ah, ok. I wonder if Oxford over offer if they have enough good candidates.

Both Oxford and Cambridge published detailed stats of offers versus acceptances. I looked at it a little while ago. Cambridge tends to make more demanding offers, so has a slightly lower acceptance to offer rate than Oxford. But obviously both much, much higher than will be the case for other unis.

I think last year would have been very difficult for the unis; marks were supposed to revert back to 2019 levels but they may have been more cautious with offers and not reflected this to avoid the problems they had in 2020 with being oversubscribed.

@onceinabluemoon2 I personally don’t think they need to start preparing a year in advance, especially if they are applying for a subject they already take at A level. DD hadn’t even decided what subject she was applying for in October of Y12!

Given the lower offers And expect Oxford doesnt over offer much, but I think they probably use open offers to cover gaps, whether from declines or failure to reach the offer.

Cambridge maths of course is famously massively over-offered.

Which test is it? My DD did the TSA and started looking at it after submitting her UCAS form. So in the autumn of Y13, about a month before the test itself. I can't speak for other tests but I've never heard of anyone starting in the autumn of Y12. Summer hols after Y12, maybe.

@Lightsabre the Physics department at Oxford make a small number of “open” offers. These are not from a specific college, and the candidates are promised a place but will only find out their college after A level results day. These are specifically to cover those who don’t make their offer/choose to go elsewhere. Their report says they made 9 offers in 2022 in addition to the c200 places across the university, if that helps give an idea.

DS didn't really start revising for the ENGAA until the summer after Y12 if that helps. As a PP said, if they are taking a subject they are studying for A level, then they shouldn't need a year.

There were missed offers this year at my DD's school, and also at my sons' (though they still sent 15 to Oxbridge). I think there were some real surprises due to the return to 2019 grade boundaries. Tough on the students who the year before would have got a comfortable A star, but who 'only' got As and missed places. Hopefully this year, they will be more accurate?!

Dd has interview next week and is really doing very little, seems very lacklustre.

I haven’t seen a hunger and drive in preparing, has been laying around a lot and on phone. May be harsh but think this interview may have been better going to someone who really wants this.

Would also save her the (half arsed) effort and allow her to get on with her work which she does take reasonably seriously.

I don’t know the details but apparently they expect 1 or 2 maybe out of 12 not to get grades. Not sure why they didn’t fill from the pool. Actually my daughter thinks one did come from pool so maybe only 11 offers originally. Maybe not enough candidates they felt confident about to go up to usual 10.

One of the Cambridge webinars mentioned they make 3 times as many offers than places for maths - reason stated was so many missing the STEP requirement as opposed to A-level grades. Surely it would be fairer to have the STEP earlier, before decisions on firm and insurance need to be made.

@onceinabluemoon2 my DS didn't even start to consider applying until after his year 12 exams so he definitely wasn't preparing for his test this early.

He started preparing in September for the October exam afaik. But I suppose it might depend on the test, I think maths and science ones might require more preparation than the HAT.

With regards to lower numbers meeting grades last year, I think that this was generally true due to the fall out of the covid grade variations. I think schools are being more cautious not to over inflate predictions this year so fingers crossed more will meet their expectations.

Anyone whose DC has done an online Oxford interview - do they have to show them a 360 of the room that they are in? I mean to show that there's nobody else in there or other ways to cheat? I remember DD had to do this for an online ABRSM exam and just wondering whether I need to tidy up a bit 😳

@Redhotchillipeppers the Cambridge Maths offer rate is around 2.1 offers per place (roughly). The reasons they use STEP are listed on their website but basically it allows them to test people on the whole of Further Maths and also allows a level playing field for international applicants. They have also found there is a good correlation between those who do well at STEP and those who do well in the Cambridge Maths Tripos. A significant number of those on the course (I think possibly about a third?) may have actually missed their STEP grades but still got in - perhaps to a different college through the summer pool.
https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/step

Stony I did suggest to DD that she tidies her room before the interview but she replied was doing it at school so no need and even if she had it at home they'ld only see a tiny bit of room. Though she did appear home with 2 rolls of bin sacks she had bought yesterday but added this doesn't mean I'm cleaning my room, it means I am thinking about it.

@Silkiefloof
Haha! Your DD is a class act.
DD is doing hers in my study which is currently a bit of a tip organised chaos. I think I will give it a tidy just in case.

Thanks for clarifying @InvestedButNotOverinvested and @Revengeofthepangolins.

Ds has had enough today - basically 'revisioned' out and thinking what he doesn't know now, he'll never know. He'll be finished by 2.30pm on Monday (unless he's called for an extra interview the week after at a different college).

I seem to remember DD needing to give a virtual tour of the room before her online Oxford interview. They asked questions about some things, not that there was anything there in my fiction collection that might have helped her work out maths problems.
She didn't even start thinking seriously about what universities to apply to until the summer before Y13, so this stage in Y12 is certainly not too late.

DS interviews are week after next for each O college. His chosen one and another

DS only starting revising a couple of months before the MAT

Where did I hear about the 'showing the room' - was it on the earlier thread? I know I've heard that before - my daughter said she'd tidy her room in case! She had an online assessment but didn't have to show her room, though she said she could see the other candidates through the assessment. As it was an essay question and you could pick from three, she didn't see how you could cheat. The invigilator was watching them all.
She dies plan to put stickies to herself around her monitor like : breathe, smile etc

Great, thanks all. That seems much more sensible to leave it to when you know a bit more how you're going to fare. Phew!

@onceinabluemoon2 DD started looking at the old tests 'for fun' in Y11 I think, but she's keen like that 😂 She started preparing properly in the summer term and over the holidays (joint degree so twice as much to look at).

She's spent the day Christmas shopping and is having a chilled evening, with interview prep tomorrow. She's got two on Monday, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday. It doesn't feel like she's done enough prep to me compared with what her rivals may be doing, but she's feeling confident. She is very efficient generally when it comes to revision and the work/life balance. I'm quite envious really.

@Sybill I am also interested to know more about the Oxford Medicine selection error. Really not good enough.

I have no idea how prepared DD is - she cycles through telling me everything to scowling if I so much as mention it, and very much in the latter phase today 😬

I am not sure how prepared DD is either, sometimes I get 2 hour non stop details of her day, other times she goes straight to sleep / her room. Don't think she did much prep for TSA. She's super excited and very happy though came back drunk and giggly for first time ever mid week then fell over some of her floordrobe and home gym. Think that's what inspired the buying of bin sacks.