Oxbridge 2025

[SnowFairy2000]

Let's start the journey here !!!

You would have thought so, but each to their own! People name change but are very recognisable.

It’s my third rodeo and I most assuredly will not be back next year, no matter how much knowledge I may think I have to impart.

I think there’s some benefit in people who have been there done that coming back and sharing their thoughts. I’ve learnt from people with more experience than me.

Equally there’s something comforting about the supportive we’re all trying to figure it out together approach and honestly I can’t imagine going on a 2025 GCSE thread so 🤷‍♀️

it’d be nice to knock the somewhat scolding tone that some posters default to on the head.

Agreed and once again I’d say the best way is to ignore and not engage, hard as it may be in practice

Anyway, good luck everyone and hope people can forget a bit about the whole ordeal until invites (and rejections - my dc is sure they’ll get one but since they’re the type to claim they’ve failed every exam they’ve ever sat I take a we’ll see view) come through 😊

Anyway, good luck everyone and hope people can forget a bit about the whole ordeal until invites (and rejections - my dc is sure they’ll get one but since they’re the type to claim they’ve failed every exam they’ve ever sat I take a we’ll see view) come through

Indeed good luck all!

Unfortunately my DC is opposite - convinced everything he does is an enormous succes 🙈

Yes that's absolutely correct. Which is why those whose DC are undergrads or beyond only ever really dot back very occasionally while waiting for a bus or something to answer questions or maybe say that's incorrect if disinformation is posted (it's always unintentional but not helpful).

It's much more the case that we stick to the current student's thread - more relevant to us and certainly significantly more pleasant :)

I first started on MN 18 years ago when said dc I am on this thread for was born! Over the years I have indeed learnt that it is best not to engage when the tone of the thread becomes less than friendly.

There are definitely posters with much older kids who still post on here though which I do find weird. Like someone said upthread, I don’t post on gcse threads or 11+ as that stage has gone - I find it odd, but there you go.

Have also been here since 2006 so it’s funny to still be posting - quite proud of my once baby girl applying to Oxford, even if (chancea are) it goes nowhere!

I think some people found it useful to learn from people who had gone through the process and so reappear for a year or two to try to pay back.

I still have an Oxbridge undergrad and it feels as though he's only just started - as @Revengeofthepangolins says I found the benefit of people's previous experience, and their advice really helpful so I've tried to chip in if it seems relevant - and having been through the hope/fear/waiting what feels like yesterday, I've popped in to try and be supportive if I have a spare 5 mins - but as we don't seem to be welcome, I shall pop off back to the current Oxbridge student threads which are very supportive and lovely.

Good luck to all of your hopefuls and looking forward to welcoming some of you to the current student pages in due course!

@Panicmode1 I find it helpful to have the experience and input from those who’ve walked this path before.

Agree @preemptynester

Apologies @Panicmode1, it’s more the ones whose kids are about 30 now and the info has probably changed quite a bit in the last 10 or so years, but there’s no recognition of this that I find a bit odd. And also I think why would you WANT to post when your kids graduated years ago? I just find it weird 🤣

Current student parents are a bit different as your info is likely to be relevant as it’s so recent.

I don't think any of us have DC who graduated more than 15 months ago. Oh well, I hope the advice I gave when you were all worrying about admissions tests was appreciated at the time and if anyone's DC was encouraged to apply after realising that you don't need perfect GCSEs, PGs or to have had work experience with Goldman Sachs to study economics, my job is done.

It’s all a question of tone, I think everyone appreciates helpful posts that don’t sound - and again it may be inadvertent- condescending. But I am not going to single out certain pp.

I've found this thread helpful but I can see where posters don't seem to be posting in good faith which is a shame. We all know the odds are against our yp's and if they don't make the cut it could be something and nothing that is the deciding factor.

I really do appreciate those posters who are being helpful. We've not gone down this road before and don't know anyone who had so I welcome people to travel it with and advice from those that know. I won't hold any bad feeling if my ds doesn't make it and wish everyone's YP well.

One of my DC graduates in 2025; another graduated this July; several of their siblings graduated before them at regular intervals. I think that if someone had no current experience their advice might run the risk of being out of date and therefore misleading. Things change in admissions.

I think it may be worth not confusing not being verbose and dishing out lots of with being condescending.

Sometimes I see things which are just incorrect (such as the idea that certain subjects are so applied for that they don't pool). And then I jump in. Fully concede that I may appear abrupt but whatever I post does tend to be based on sound knowledge.

Feedback suggests not everyone minds an abrupt/ inadvertently condescending tone :) Obviously apologies where due.

As a complete aside I've been in Oxford all day with one of my older DD's (History/ 2014). A beautiful misty day early on which broke into undiluted blue sky. Magical. Good luck to the current applicants.

Posts on any thread on mumsnet are largely made up from informed opinions, narrow experiences and sometimes just complete conjecture. You've not been nominated the arbiter of what is fully "correct" or "incorrect" even if you believe it to be so.

@Thedogismybaby I think you are losing your grasp of the purpose of this thread and perhaps should just chill a bit let things get back to usual

Getting back to the actual purpose this of this thread…..

has anyone’s DC who have applied for a subject that requires submission of written work not heard anything from their college about this yet?

website says it should be before the end of October (although wording is such that that isn’t a deadline clearly) and DC has not had any correspondence here.

I guess it’s just a college/faculty being slower but it’s a bit unnerving for the poor kids who are trying to make sure all the boxes are ticked for the all deadlines and hoops and trying not to read too much into anything.

@Gocompared my dd only got hers a couple of days ago - guess it’s college dependent? I think she was just given an email address to send everything to (by 10th Nov I think) if you’re willing to state the college on here maybe someone else with the same one may be able to help more? They’re just slow I’m sure.

@Gocompared If your dc is worried (understandably) maybe they could drop a quick “Just wanted to check I haven’t missed anything” sort of email to admissions at their college. Am sure the college wouldn’t mind

Can we please regroup and support each other because soon the rejections will arrive and we will need to stay positive for our super bright DCs who have worked so hard and yet still feel like failures?

I remember reading the highs and lows of last years thread. It’s tough.

Yes I suspect they will but it’s got them a bit that is said end of Oct and here we are without any word. If anyone else DC the same then pls post for solidarity!

Amen to that. I have been through the process nearly twenty times (!!) as a UCAS adviser/referee in my school and it's all so different now that it's my own DS. It's especially tough for applicants who don't have any offers in place before the interview requests/rejections go out. I wish that things could be standardised more between university departments, but here we are.