Oxbridge 2025

[SnowFairy2000]

Let's start the journey here !!!

They decide when interview invitations go out if you are still in or out. Then they do the same on offer day, accept or reject. They look at every application holistically. There will be no rejections coming out before interview decisions are made (DD had 7 day's notice but that was when they were in person.)

Yes this makes sense from the timelines - UCAS 15.10, My Cambridge form in by 22.10, tests and then written work and college form (+ exten circs and SEN accomodation form) in by 4.11..... so doubt there is time to mark any of the online exams before written-work submitted

I can’t go through every department website to double check what it does or doesn’t say explicitly, but it is clear if you look at any of the admissions timelines and what it says about shortlisting: for example https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/449/~/when-do-i-hear-whether-or-not-i-have-been-offered-a-place-on-an-undergraduate. Ie shortlisting takes place during November and early December (ie after the deadline for submitting written work); shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in December. There are not two rounds of shortlisting. Those who are shortlisted will receive an interview.

Also it is not physically possible to fit in a second round of shortlisting. The test window is last week and this; those tests cannot be marked and shortlisting meetings happen in time to give some candidates adequate time to upload written work by 10th November.

@foxglovetree Thank you so much for all this. Tests were online so marking is immediate, dependent on correct or incorrect answers - its not like a paper test that a person has to physically go through, so I would dispute what you say about that. I suspect that the kids who truly tanked the exam, are not being pursued for further information (beyond the standard, automatic emails) because they will just get a rejection letter late November / early December. Its not a first shortlist and a second shortlist but it is very much possible there's a first round of dumped applications due to poor test results.

That's incorrect, as some tests involve a written element. Your DC will find out at exactly the same time as everyone else. Don't forget that Colleges work to a deadline. They have their own priorities with research, admin, current students etc. One thing you will learn is that each college and dept runs to it's own programme. Don't overthink it as no decisions are made and finalised until interview offers and actual offers are made.

I don't see how the HAT, for example, can be marked by a computer, despite being done online.

@HewasH2O @coffeerevelsrule
apologies. I was only aware of the TSA test format, which my kid took last week. entirely multiple choice.

@Bluearrivabus Your DD is doing languages too, if I remember right. DD has had a request from the college for written work with deadline of the 11th November, so she will sort it with school after half term.

The TSA is most definitely not all multiple choice. It’s 2 parts, one multiple choice one essay.

@GrimbutGerbil yes I think she’s had an email about it now - she has one from the college anyway saying her application is being considered etc so think it was in there somewhere, she was a bit vague!

The TSA essay applied to some subjects eg PPE at Oxford but other subjects at Cambridge required the multiple choice section only.

Part 1 is multiple choice only.
For some subjects only part 1 is required. thankfully.

The Oxford University website is all there is. Invites to interview will come usually around ten days ahead of the scheduled interview date although a few subjects (Biology/ Music) notify earlier (Mid November). Sometimes notice is very short (two of my sons were only given four days notice (History)). There is quite a bit of overthinking going on on this thread. There will be nothing of significance - either by omission or commission - until all students are emailed a rejection or invite. Basically, nothing to see anywhere until that happens.

Apologies-it didn’t occur to me that some courses would only require part of the test.

We have been contacted directly by the allocated college, this week - asking for more information on certain aspects of the application. That's not quite "nothing to see until that happens" because it is communication between college and applicant.

But it is nothing to see in terms of the likelihood of acceptance or rejection. There are a number of communications which can happen but no indication of the likelihood or otherwise of an interview will be given until all applicants for that subject are informed. Queries of the sort you describe are neither here nor there.

But you don't know what the query was, so it's not really for you to say.

This thread is so reactive and snipey when it’s surely meant to be for info and support

Having kids apply to Oxbridge seems to being out the worst in some parents which is really sad.

I said right at the start of this thread that every year this thread descends into nastiness, then a couple of weeks ago I said how happy I was it hadn’t done so so far and how lovely and supportive this felt ….

Unfortunately, every year the same poster(s) return at some point and the mood changes, I’m sure they don’t realise it but they have a patronising tone and it can wind people up the wrong way. My advice would be not to engage.

Yes, I agree. The kids just seem to get on with it. The parents on the other hand.....I guess it brings out all their competitiveness especially in this lull before interviews.

Good luck to all the kids applying. They are putting themselves through a lot of scrutiny and angst and whatever the outcome they deserve to be applauded.

this is my first year on the oxbridge thread. I have a DC in university elsewhere.

There’s definitely an air of head girl ticking off the juniors and it’s difficult not to react to that.

Good luck to everyone taking MAT today

Thedogismybaby the uni does communicate if it needs additional info which hasn't been supplied but that in itself gives no pointers either way as to likelihood of success. Invites will start coming through in a couple of weeks - not long for the applicants to go.

Good luck to everyone for the MAT.
It will be a relief once it is over and DD can relax for the rest of half term.

It seems odd that the same posters would come back each year - surely this thread is pretty boring unless you have a kid in year 13 applying this year?!