Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 4

[Lightsabre]

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

Opportunity Oxford first ran in 2019-20, so summer of 23 was the fourth occasion. Most - but I don't think all - subjects are now signed up to it.

@TenSheds I had a conversation with my DS today about it only being 4 months after Christmas, including 3 weeks of holidays, so not to get upset about what he can’t control. The isolation for him will come if there are no other students preparing for the STEP. At present there could be two other students that’s have applied for CS at Imperial - hopefully they will receive an offer.

Someone upthread mentioned playing the long game and I agree this is the only realistic strategy at this point.
My DD became very bored with one of her A Level subjects (Psychology). It wasn't being taught particularly slowly but it just didn't provide enough engagement as it required rote learning rather than applying acquired knowledge. DD memorised just enough content to get an A* (and met her Oxford offer) but by the end of the exams she absolutely loathed A Level Psychology.

My daughter is hoping to apply for oxbridge 2025 so hoping someone on here may have some advice. She has started trying to apply for some of the outreach support type stuff but seems to be hitting a wall as she doesn't tick any of the widening participation boxes. While she obviously appreciates that she is lucky to be able to say she feels a bit caught in the middle as she is just at a comprehensive and not one of the grammars / private which probably provide more support.

Does anyone know of any programmes which she might have more luck in applying for?

I never went so have not been through it (her dad did go but frankly didn't really benefit in anyway from it)

She could apply to UNIQ or The Sutton Trust? My DD got a place for the UNIQ residential but couldn't go due to a personal situation so she did the online course instead and then went to the outreach 3 day residential at Hertford college a few weeks later. She went to UCL with The Sutton Trust for their 5 day residential and had a great time.

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky I assume your DD is currently in year 12. She might be interested in the Cambridge Masterclasses
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/masterclasses#:~:text=What%20are%20they%3F,about%20a%20topic%20of%20interest.

Also this one seems to be open to anyone at a state school
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/magdalene-college-subject-taster-sessions-2024

General Cambridge events listing
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events-listing

@Redhotchillipeppers DS is likely to be the only one at his college preparing for STEP and I'm not sure how much support they will be able to give him. I don't know if they have even had anyone sit them before. Fortunately DS doesn't seem phased by being an outlier!

@catmomof3 Sutton trust she got declined. UNIQ she needs to apply for. She is also applying for subject one.

She got turned down for zero gravity as well which I often see mentioned on here.

Oxford does study days for high achieving applicants from non-selective state schools. Here is a link to the St John’s ones:
https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/access-and-outreach/our-programmes-sjc/study-days/

So long as they do plenty of past papers that's all you can do really to get used to the bizarre way the questions are asked which is what they need to get used to.

School told dd about a study day which was in October this year so there might well be more opportunities to come. But there is a lot of info on the uni website she can read - that should help a bit.

Thanks everyone - I guess she just needs to apply for everything she can and keep her fingers crossed. She was getting a bit disheartened when she kept getting no's back. She did one for bath as well yesterday and got an immediate no for that. She understands why it's happening just finds it frustrating.

I read an article in the observer at the weekend saying choral tradition in the uk is being weakened due to fewer private school kids getting into oxbridge. And heaven forbid, the US now has stronger choirs.

Yet in the article no one thought to think that perhaps musical kids are less interested in choral singing than in the past and might not want to spend every Sunday in church.

Anyway if anyones kid does love choral singing sounds like they will be welcomed with open arms if they do get in

Is it necessary for her to do them? It sounds like she is already keen and there is so much information given by colleges that is available on You Tube these days, plus open days. You can even stay in colleges rooms during university holidays and explore the respective cities to get a feel for them.

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky my son is in a non selective state school, but not contextual. He was able to attend to get places on various taster lectures/masterclasses some with day visits, but knew any residential was unlikely and only actually unsuccessfully applied to one.

Schemes run by your areas link college are probably the best bet. I would agree with Walkaround and question if they are necessary. If she finds topics that interest her and does research herself that might be time better spent. My son didn't write about any of the lecture series he attended in his personal statement.

DD is at a non selective comprehensive and has applied for a choral scholarship at Oxford 😃

She did go on a residential which I think was organised through the Oxford outreach college for our area but tbh it was a nice thing to do rather than needing to. The events put on are more to spark interest and it sounds like your DD has that anyway.

Maths teachers at DS’s school are being supportive, but they don’t have much experience with STEP. The last time a student from his school was accepted for maths at Oxbridge was 2 years ago. There haven’t been any students that have applied for the college DS has at least in recent history. They are trying their best with the experience they have from what I’ve heard from DS. My worry is him feeling isolated from his peers and keeping the motivation going.

@Mirrormeback I agree with your thoughts on STEP prep. DS is beginning to feel more confident with STEP 2 questions. Don’t think his preparation is far enough along for STEP 3 yet.

That is fantastic progress to be starting to feel more confident with STEP 2 papers already! A lot of students don't start to seriously prepare for STEP until after offers (Though preparing earlier is advised!).

@Redhotchillipeppers @IThinkIMadeItWorse

It is very usual for students to be the only one at their school preparing for STEP.

I run the STEP Support Programme (https://maths.org/step/) and we have lots of free resources available, as well as links down the side of the page to other places which offer free stuff for STEP!

We also run a series of preparation webinars in March-May for Offer holders from UK State schools. There should be info coming round in February for those that qualify.

Any questions/problems/advice do feel free to use the STEP Support Programme email (you can also message me here, but I don't always see those).

STEP is now administered by OCR - their website is https://www.ocr.org.uk/students/step-mathematics/

Ds received this email but it's from a mailing list. The newsletter is about funding courses and doesn't mention opportunity Oxford I don't think so is a different email I think.

Hi is your DD studying music ?? Do I you have to be to apply do you know ??

@KazzaV Dd also has a choral award this year should she get in - def don’t need to be studying music; a v few colleges wont give them to students of certain subjects due to mismatching time commitments, but that’s the exception not the rule

DD hasn’t applied for music - the college she’s applied for doesn’t take students studying music I don’t think.

I know how Oxford's system works - you apply for the choral scholarship before applying to Oxford, and know whether you provisionally would get the award before you apply to Oxford. However, there is no direct connection between them.

For Cambridge I think the process takes place once students have started at Cambridge and so it is quite different.

Could we start a new thread for oxbridge 2025!!!! For all step/mat and other discussions??? Just a thought..