Oxbridge 2025

[SnowFairy2000]

Let's start the journey here !!!

Sorry @Justlurkingmostly - your question was about insurance applicants, not clearing, but the answer I think is the same.

Sheffield and Liverpool guarantee accommodation for Insurance holders I think.

Many years ago when I was young, I drew a circle which was a max 4-5 hours from my home in Cornwall @ucasdone. I could get as far as Swansea, Cardiff, Bath, Warwick & Southampton. Exeter was too close to home & I don't yhink Bristol offered my course. Apologies for overlooking anything further north!

Yes

2 years ago Bristol were definitely only guaranteeing accommodation for those who made it their firm choice

Just bumping this question in case anyone knows answers. I’m sort of assuming it means he’s on the “maybe” as opposed to “yes” list for interview.

Appreciate I’m likely overthinking and it really doesn’t matter at this stage.

Don't overthink it. They haven't got as far as weighing up admissions tests or looking as work submitted yet.

Thanks I should have said the email states: “we have completed our assessment of your application….”

It sounds very suspicious. Couple of extra possibilities (that you might have thought about already, but anyway). 1) Could just be a mistake. One of the Cambridge colleges sent a template pooling email out in error a few weeks ago. 2) Check the email address in case it's phishing.

Agree. Don't overthink it. They don't send we might or might not interview you emails. They just send you a we're pleased to invite you to interview email or a we won't be taking your application any further one. Is this about allocation of college or has your DC had an acknowledgment from a college? Without seeing the whole text of the email it's hard to know if they've gone on some sort of an odd frolic this year - but I can see no point in them adding layers.

Does it mean on hold until the assessment test has been completed?

or was it an open college application and they mean on hold whilst they wait to allocate?

seems odd or a scam tbh

Arghh sorry bit of confusion: DC sent me two screenshots of emails received. One from the Oxford college applied to stating they’d received the application and it was under consideration, and a second screenshot (without email header visible) stating application on hold. Turns out second email was from another university. Which DC had failed to make clear in text to me 🙄. Panic averted.

I'm glad the mystery has been cleared up!

Hope everyone's yp's who did the pat (and all other uni exams) are OK tonight. Now we've just got to wait a month to see if they get an interview. Fingers crossed for all.

They are going through the applications this week checking everything is in order. We had a query this morning from Ox.

When do they hear if they have an interview? Is it all done together or college / subject dependent?

I think its quite late - middle of November / early December? so maybe at worst, only 2 wks notice.

Ok thank you - it would be nice to know asap as can either put it to bed now or she will remain slightly stressed! It makes applying for the other unis look so simple in comparison.
also, dd needs to submit some essays (Oxford) - is that via the college getting in touch to get hold of those? (Dd might well know but I don’t like to ask in case she feels I’m hassling her, very delicate state of affairs at the moment!) I know I need to let her get on with it and trust her but I’d hate for her to miss something vital.

DS had an email a couple of days ago from the college he has applied to giving full instructions on how to submit the written work and when. I know exactly what you mean @Bluearrivabus about not wanting to mention it but they do need to be checking emails. I also didn't want to ask whether he'd checked UCAS so it was a nice surprise when he told me he'd got two offers, even though they're his 4th and 5th choices!

For my DS C application - he had to complete a 'My Cambridge' form post UCAS submission by 22.10.24 - then following that a 'X' (specific college) College form by 4.11.24 as well as uploading two essays (subject specific), any extenuating circs and/or any SEN/ND accommodation requirements also by 4.11.24. Lots of admin to keep on top of - luckily no separate assessment paper to sit (but will have to do one 'live' on the spot if selected for interview).

It seems interviews are determined by each college at C - who all run their own timetable as to when these will be decided and scheduled. So college my DS has applied to will communicate interview invitations towards end Nov - but link to Trinity College C posted earlier says interview invitations will be sent out before mid-Nov. I undertsand that Oxford run all processes more centrally via the academic department.

If it’s a subject that usually asks for written work will they definitely receive an email about this? Or might no email indicate the application has not progressed any further after the entrance test stage?

@Gocompared I would hope that even if they didn’t want your essays they’d let you know? It would be very harsh to just ignore them after an entrance exam 😭 I think DD’s course requires written work from everyone regardless of how the test goes but it might check on that…

@Gocompared I would get your kid to double check their emails. Mine took the test on Thursday and got an email on Monday allocating college. They don't need written work for the subject choice, but written work was mentioned in the email "for those courses requiring it" saying the deadline was November 10th and providing an email where it should be sent.

The only shortlisting process is before interviews - they don’t whittle people down between the tests and the written work. Everyone who applies gets to submit written work (if their subject requires it)

Can you give us a link that explains this? I am not being arsey I am literally new to the process and would welcome a clearer explanation of process than I've been able to find.