Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 5

[YouOKHun]

Good Luck everyone whatever the outcome!

Interesting update when DD got home and went through the email she'd had. Apparently she's been selected for Opportunity Oxford - as with UNIQ, we can only assume it's because she's Welsh, since both DH and I are RG educated with solidly middle class jobs. She's quite chuffed about this - not only does she have a short (but intensive) online course to complete before results day (she generally gets bored and seeks something out anyway) but gets a funded 2-week residential in September, if she gets her grades. It sounds like it will really help her with all aspects (not least her intention to be a student ambassador, if she does get in).

We've been wondering about offer holder days - Brasenose are doing one I believe, but we haven't visited DD's prospective college, so will probably enquire about visiting if they don't do them otherwise.

That is kind of them, sounds like a supportive environment. All the best to your DC and all the families 'redirecting'as @WombatChocolate describes.

@Rzim DD never went to a lecture for PPE. She had to go to a different college for a specialist module last year. Every other tute was in her college

Great post @WombatChocolate . This bit really resonated:
We are now adjusting to moving from the category of ‘Oxford applicant and interview invite holder’ who still had some hope for Oxford, to ‘reject’ and no longer being in that slightly special club of Oxbridge applicants who might get an offer. Now we are with the rest of the UCAS applicants going for non-Oxbridge. I imagine many families who’ve been rejected today have a bit of a sense of this shift now too….no longer quite in the top and reducing in size club.

@WombatChocolate those words resonate with me too.

I feel a bit not sure whether to leave this thread yet - might have a look when the Cambridge offers come and then quietly depart 😊

DD has not only gone to choir but has met up with her dad afterwards for pizza. So still haven’t seen her since early this morning. Am hoping I manage to say the right things when I do

Congrats to those with offers and sympathies to those who have had their dreams dashed today.
Also waiting for Cambridge offer day for DS (maths). Why is Oxford so far ahead with offers?The long wait is terrible!

My DS is home from school and all O applicants there were rejected today. Including the school "genius" who has 11 x 9s at GCSE and is doing 5 A Levels.

Everyone very shocked apparently, including me, as he was the one to beat all these years. I am really feeling for him tonight, as well as the other kids in DS's Oxbridge applicants gang.

He now thinks if this guy can't get in that he has no hope on C day. I told him that's not the way it works. I guess at least we are saved the scenario where everyone bar DS gets in ......

@PandaPacer Wow, that puts rejection in perspective.. What course was he doing?

Wow @PandaPacer . (DDs friend who also had 11 x 9 at GCSE but is only doing 4 a levels did get an offer!)

Don’t know about other Oxford applicants at DDs school but should find out at some point, assuming she knows.

Spot on post @WombatChocolate . I promise that feeling fades faster than you’d imagine, by the time they arrive at their eventual uni you couldn’t care less, you’re so proud of them for their A levels and taking the next step. When they get to that uni they will also find themselves surrounded by other Oxbridge rejects, who - after all - are a sizeable bunch and they all just laugh about it. “Reject” dc’s bff applied and was rejected twice and finds it hilarious, it hasn’t impacted on his enjoyment of current life at all

I think just seeing the number of rejections on this thread brings it home to me that it’s really just a question of luck to some extent. DD isn’t expecting an offer in 2 weeks time and she’s not even completely sure that C is for her anyway.

I shall be sad to see the Oxford posters leave the thread. It’s been such a lovely supportive group.

@Thatisagreatquestion it was for CompSci, the same course DS has applied for at C 😭

@PandaPacer 11 x 9 GCSE’s here also (and an 8) plus 4A star predicted. Top of the year in the subject. No offer….🤷‍♀️

Mentioned this exchange with Dds at dinner tonight and they both chimed in that I must have been asking on MN for the last letter we needed the letter F!

They remember being excited the day I picked them up from
school with the fairy light magnet and when they got the Frankenstein one. Amazing how they recall how they felt about these more than 10 years ago!

@PandaPacer and @RIPMatthewperry that's just astounding. Computer Science is the course that my son got rejected from today. It's an incredibly competititve course, especially at Oxford. I don't understand why they haven't made more places for the course given the soaring demand over the last few years. My son is thinking of trying again next year, as he is taking a year out anyway and didn't really do any prep for his application/MAT/interviews, so has scope to improve.

is this an independent school?

@lostinlego Both my DC had the chance to attend offer holders days at O but I know not every college holds them. DC1 didn't go as he was in France at the time but DC2 did. As they hadn't been to O much and had been allocated to a different college to that they applied for DC2 was delighted to go and had a great time. They were very careful not to tell me parents could attend too! Attending the offer holder day made them much more relaxed about accepting the offer.

Congratulations to all with offers and all the very best to those who weren't accepted today. Its a super competitive and pretty random process especially when almost all being interviewed probably could do the course.

What type of school? Independent?

If any offer holder parents have questions for existing parents of O and C then do head across to https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4930798-current-oxfordcambridge-students-supportchat-continued-2?page=10

Is this an independent school ?

DD seems OK (finally seen her about 12 hours after last seeing her and thinking I was possibly going to have to look after her rather more) - she was talking about Bristol in an animated way so that’s good. She said she’s sad about not getting in as she would have loved to go there but I think it helped that the friend she’d made at the choral scholarships auditions also didn’t get in.

She’s gone to bed now - another two mock exams tomorrow and she said she was awake at 5:30 this morning

I have not read the whole thread, but I'm very sorry for any DC and mums who didn't get the news they were hoping for today. It's a brutal process and also very arbitrary, in my view. DS was rejected first time, but then successful on a gap year, so it just shows - same applicant, different outcome. Its a very imperfect process and they know that.