Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 4

[Lightsabre]

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

Those stats do also mirror what seems to have happened in DD4's college tbh. I assumed it was unusual last year, and limited to college rather than a faculty wide thing.

It's very interesting though. I don't think that shift in numbers would be seen for any other subject. Classics II is of its own type in terms of access because Classics I is almost exclusively independently educated applicants and Classics II the reverse. Very positive anyhow.

Happy New Year - whatever happens this month most of our DCs will start univ this year and have a great next stage 👍

Likewise from me, Happy New Year to everyone on this thread. Good luck to all the DC of posters on this thread for whatever January may bring and for their other applications x Thanks for all the helpful support.

Happy New Year to everyone.

I had managed to put uni offers out of my mind over Christmas but new year feels like a countdown.

I was trying to think about my reactions to the news - positive or negative. Currently I believe my ds is fortunate with great offers but also know getting a rejection will sting - irrespective of how prepared I think ds night be.

On a practical note, when do the emails come out? Assume in the day at various times so dc likely to be in school. For rejections are they a little warm and fuzzy or fairly blunt? As in "you did well but not enough to get a place" or "you didn't make the grade" type?

I'm just trying to prepare myself as I know ds will ultimately be fine but it's just the first few days after, especially if anyone else he knows gets offers.

I have vague memories of emails or ucas updates coming out at 8 but that might be wishful thinking - would like to get it over before school starts. Was 3 years ago that we last did this More recent experienced parents may remember?

The last four DC have all had emails at between 9am and 10am.

Colleges definitely vary though.

The email was around 9.30am here but I don't know if it's the same for all Colleges.

Is this for Oxford or Cambridge? I think Oxford were early (ish) in the day. The Cambridge offers trickled in through the day....DS definitely got his after lunch; he was in a cohort of 20 waiting on offers - 5 for O and 15 for C. He was one of the later ones so we'd thought it was a no....

Really good luck to everyone waiting, whether for O or C....! So glad DD didn't want to put herself through it so I didn't have to do consecutive years.....am in awe of @goodbyestranger with her many multitalented DCs!

DD has a mock exam in the morning on the 9th so hoping she doesn’t get an early email tbh

My DD will be in college on the 24th so has decided not to look at all til she gets home!

Don't forget not all of those offered places take up their place so there's still a bit hope if they don't get offered place initially.

@Mirrormeback is this really so for O? Surely this is what open offers cover or else how does it work?

No additional offers are made at Oxford. A number of open offers are made on offer day, guaranteeing a place somewhere if the offer conditions are met.

I understand that Cambridge tell candidates initially turned down if they will be eligible for a later decision. They still need to find a firm & insurance elsewhere though.

Isn't the C stuff their widening access summer thing or only applicable to a specific group ?

Sorry that should say "so only"

I guess the addtl Cambridge offers are the summer pool? So it would be after results and very late in the day? They definitely need a firm and insurance!

(The boys in DS' cohort who didn't get Oxbridge offers, but who really wanted to go, withdrew their applications and reapplied the following year - one successfully, two not.)

My DD has several mocks on the 9th as well. Shes decided to wait until the end of the day to check so she's not distracted either way by disappointment or joy! She's got more willpower than I have.

First day back for DD on 9th so she will be out of the house before any news arrives. And so will I, so no chance to sneak a look at UCAS which is for the best 🙈

@stoneysongs my thoughts exactly!

Ds is back this week but revising steadily for mocks so, with that and Christmas, it's not been on his mind much. I'm glad that we'll know soon so we can move on. Neither of us think an offer is likely (due to pretty disastrous first interview) but he's quite excited about two of his other offers so that helps. I think the main difficulty will be if all of his friends receive offers (very likely for most of them).

Out of interest, will anyone's dc be requesting feedback if they don't get an offer? From last years thread, feedback seemed mixed. Some was quite generic and others a bit more detailed (interview scores/test scores for example). I wonder if you need to request these via a FOI query.

Happy New Year everyone.

Hadn't really considered asking for feedback if rejected Lightsabre but it maybe worth DD doing as she has mentioned she might take a year out and reapply. She does get TSA results as well early January, think maybe after 9th which may make it clear.

Interesting about the 1 in 3 getting in who tried a second time. In DDs case there may be some point to it as her A levels are unusual and very special circumstances and she has great jobs she can do in a year out which pay very well and she enjoys. Plus could travel. And she has mentioned taking Economics A level. First year of A levels she was working 35 hours a week which took her mind off her brother and got her through but her A levels suffered. Though amazing GCSE results from a contextualised school and far more than average so those are the same as the average that gets in for E&M but A levels are 3 A stars which is lowest 20% for E&M offers. And her A levels are unusual.

She has gone from I think I will get an offer to I definitely won't. I have no idea as it's E&M and competition is incredible, some amazing all 9s at GCSE and far more GCSEs than normal plus 4 A stars rejected with no interview and they had Maths, FM and Economics. DD just has Maths. She keeps asking me but I have no idea. She has only applied for 3 so far and LSE is just as hard, infact probably harder given the no FM A level, 5% chance there. Bristol should offer and then she needs to add two more. Given the price of London accommodation I am hoping no London ones.

The one in three stat is anecdotal not data. Would not read too much into that

Yes I know that