Oxbridge 2025

[SnowFairy2000]

Let's start the journey here !!!

I’m not going to get into the Oxbridge vs Other Russell Group debate (although I teach at an institution that falls into one of those categories)
I agree with those that say read the fine print - and I also think it is very important to consider the best option taking into account the student, the specific subject and their intentions for the future.
For those that don’t get in, or choose not to apply, then a postgraduate degree from Oxbridge can be equally (or more highly) regarded especially in academia. Arguably being accepted onto a postgraduate course at Oxbridge is less a question of luck and ensures a better “fit” given the student has had 3 or 4 years to develop a better understanding of their capabilities and aspirations.

Joining you as I have a DC wishing to apply as it's the norm at their school
I need to get my head around the whole colleges aspect

Don’t overthink the colleges too much. It’s common for candidates to be reallocated prior to interview if some are oversubscribed so it’s not worth DC getting their heart set on one. Nearly all Oxford students end up being happy with the college they end up in (even if it isn’t the one they applied to) and believing it’s the “best college”. That’s not to say it isn’t worth looking around and making a choice (given you are allowed to) - thinking about factors like size, location, what accommodation is on offer, size of intake for course, etc. But college choice isn’t worth spending too much emotional energy on.

Based on my limited experience of having DC apply to each of Oxford and Cambridge, I agree that applicants shouldn't invest too much in college choice with the caveat that college choice is possibly more important at Cambridge. Applicants aren't reallocated to undersubscribed colleges at interview stage; they are interviewed at their college of choice unless they make an open application. Cambridge applicants tend to be interviewed by a single college whereas at Oxford it is the norm to have interviews at two or more different colleges. I don't think open offers are a thing at Cambridge but please correct me if I am wrong/out of date whereas at Oxford, some colleges make open offers for subjects including History and Biology, where the college is allocated on A level results day. These are differences that I only grasped after my DC had gone through the application process.

DD (C) picked a college and it 'stuck'. From the small sample that was those that DD knew and now knows some of her friends picked colleges and were re-allocated, the Oxford ones seemed more inclined to move you about as @ofteninaspin says.

The only situation I am aware of where no college might be allocated is the summer pool. At Cambridge they might interview you and say a 'no but we will put you in the summer pool'. This is usually on Widening Participation criteria and then if too many of those with full offers don't meet their grade that frees up summer pool slots. The summer pool candidate still needs to get amazing grades and contact Cambridge if they do and a college may pick them out of the pool and offer a place. The person with a summer pool spot still gets to firm and insure with a different set of universities so Cambridge is lurking there as a potential option. At least that is how I have read it, DD wasn't in the pool so don't know but saw a lot going on this past year in the Summer Pool on TSR and it seems it was more active than usual due to a lot more than expected not meeting their grades.

@Digimoor Also, if your child is at a school where applying is the "norm", college selection is complicated by avoiding more than one applicant per college per subject. DS2 ended up at his third choice of college after not sharpening his elbows enough during the school negotiations. So best to be flexible.

Joining in, if I may. DS is aiming for Cambridge for Computer Science. Only the most competitive course at one of the most competitive universities. We’ll support him all the way and it will be interesting to see how far he gets.

@Revengeofthepangolins I had heard of this at another one of my DC's school
I'm not sure it's such an issue for this DC - their school sends about a third of the year to Oxbridge

I'll just add that if you don't know what 'drug discovery' might entail and therefore whether it might be relevant to a DD, note that Applications are encouraged from those interested in pursuing a variety of STEM subjects at university, including but not limited to: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Medicine. ... nowadays they should be adding comp sci to that. It's an important area of STEM in which women aren't so underrepresented as some others IME.

Same at my DC's, but to achieve one third, loads more are applying. Ended up with about 10 applying for english at Oxford, hence squabbling.

Yes I can see how everyone applying is an issue - they will all be applying for similar courses too as everyone has the same A level subjects!!

I'm joining the thread as DS (Year 12) has decided to apply to either Oxford or Cambridge to do Maths after doing incredibly well in his GCSEs (state school that in recent years has had two or three students a year get places at Oxbridge). He's applied to do one of the Oxford Maths Study Days but hasn't heard back and is worried that he won't get a place for the day because his first set of predictions (after only a month of Year 12) were AAAB rather than the AAA that will be needed. Does anyone know if that would mean he wouldn't get onto any of the Study Days on offer? We can wait until (hopefully) his predictions go up and apply to one of the Study Days later in the year but just wondering about this first one. We'd love for him to get the chance to get a bit more of an idea of what attending might be like if he was able to secure a place. We're not particularly invested in him going to Oxbridge know that it offers amazing opportunities and networking etc. but firm believers that equally amazing opportunities will also be available elsewhere but he seems to be set on the idea and so we are supporting him in any way we can. Any advice welcome and sending support to all the DC who have decided to embark on what feels like a daunting journey (I have barely begun to get my head around the whole application process!) Thanks so much for starting this thread and can promise not to join in any arguments as outlined earlier!

PS the cross through was unintentional! I was trying to do dashes. Good thing I'm not the one applying eh? :)

@MsDemeanors good luck to your son. I can't answer about study days as DD didn't apply for any. She did enter an Oxbridge essay writing competition in Y12 though (and won which I think made a difference to her getting an offer but no way to prove or disprove that theory), most of those she knows at Cambridge didn't do a special access course or study day etc.

Just to highlight that at Cambridge last year most of DD's friends applying for STEM courses had Astar Astar A offers with specification of Astar in FM if doing Maths. DD doing an arts subject got an Astar A A offer with no specification of which subject to get the Astar in so it was a huge weight off her shoulders. This is from a grammar school that typically gets in 5 to 12 a year.

Is one of your son's A level's further maths? If not does the school offer it? I know there are some universities that have expectations around FM if the school offer it and the grade offers in that can be very very steep too at the top universities.

@PettsWoodParadise Thank you so much for your reply (and massive congratulations to your daughter on winning the essay competition before being offered a place! You must have been over the moon -- the competition for that would have been sky high!)

I tried to put the stars in my previous post as actual asterisks but they didn't come out so my first post doesn't make much sense! Our DS knows he will need to get at least two A stars and an A (if he's able to get an offer in the first place). He's doing A level Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Photography. (He also has a Further Maths GCSE.) Further Maths is actually the A level he's doing the best in at the moment and according to the school's report he is on course for an A star in it as well as in the Maths it's just the Physics he needs to pick up. If he did get the offer, guessing it's fairly sure they'd want the grades in the STEM subjects. I'm trying to tell him not to worry about whether he gets onto the Study Day but think he's seeing it as a pre-curser to a final rejection. Maybe that's not a bad thing though? Getting a plan in place for an alternative if it doesn't work out? Who knows what's best though I definitely don't!

I did the accidental strike through AGAIN. Can you tell I don't post much on here? :)

@MsDemeanors thanks for flagging the study days
I think it's a great way for the kids to get a feel for the place

Update re tests for Cambridge 2025 entry on their website

Am very new to all this — from the comments above re multiple applicants from one school, does that mean that if 2 peers applying to different courses at the same Uni they’re in no way competing with one another? My DC’s school only has a few applicants each year so it’s v unlikely there’ll be kids applying to the same course although there may be more than one applying to C or O respectively. But they wouldn’t be in competition for places if I’ve read correctly? Thank you. I hope that makes sense, I fear it doesn’t lol!

Schools only really advise not applying for the same subject to the same college - two candidates applying for different subjects at the same college isn't considered an issue (well, I guess if there were ludicrous numbers at some point there would be a fear of canibilisation, but I have never heard of that happening.

If the pupils refuse to shift they can't be forced not to double up - in my DS1's year two boys doubled up and there was lots of head shaking but extraordinarily they both got in. But most people avoid it. DS2 had to change college twice before it all got settled this year for his cohort.

Just popping onto this thread to say there are some Cambridge masterclasses (aimed at year 12 students) available to book now. My DS did one last year and enjoyed it.

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/masterclasses

We have 3 going to the same college for the same subject. Just a normal comp.

That is generally considered a high risk strategy but glad it worked out for them

@Revengeofthepangolins not sure why though. Because if they're good enough and that college can't take them then they are pooled. Might be more of a risk if go to a well known school as I know colleges are aware of the optics of that. But our rather scruffy comp probably looks ok to have a couple. But this is me just guessing - I have no actual knowledge 😊

@mumsneedwine I suppose it might not be the best option because often in school references school may talk about how someone is rated in the year - and in that group there may be a clear preferred contender (from the schools perspective at least). I also believe that relying on the pool is a risky thing to rely on - you are no longer competing against 'all comers' but those considered capable of a Cambridge place - and for a very small number of remaining places. Some in the pool will be very very strong - and colleges know which other colleges those students often come from. Look how many people who applied to trinity for maths get fished in the pool compared to students from other colleges. You can see it from the on-line admissions statistics by college and course.