Oxbridge 2024 Entry Part 5

[YouOKHun]

Good Luck everyone whatever the outcome!

DS has now had an email from his college so it’s now totally confirmed - his open offer is at the college he originally applied to.

Same here :) I've spent this entire process trying to keep my emotions at arms' length - initial application, admission test, two interviews, exams... But it is finally feeling real.

Congratulations to all of your DC -especially the STEP paper takers...such a hideous additional layer of pressure!!

Congratulations all and welcome.

Last year DD didn’t get her college email until late afternoon. Despite getting grades and UCAS confirmation she was still nervous until that came through so don’t panic if it doesn’t come straightaway.

DS going to Caius too - maths

Any Keble freshers received an email from the college yet? Patiently waiting here since the UCAS confirmation at 8am!

my son’s going to Keble, I’ll ask him.
not sure when I’ll get an answer mind you, he’s out with friends celebrating!

Oh, he just replied. No, he hasn’t had an email either yet.

Hopefully they'll get organised soon. DD's had a list of things to sort out and a welcome pack from hers, including a timetable for all the fun and induction events lined up for Freshers' week. All very exciting and slowly sinking in that it's really happening.

Hello everyone and well done to your DD/DSs. Mine is currently sleeping off a day of celebration ..

In terms of dates, DS got a short welcome email yesterday saying the arrival date would be Oct 6th, with more information to follow. He’s expecting a reading list and I’m keen to know more about accommodation and costs!

Well done everyone. No question us too stupid the current student's thread linked earlier. It's been running for well over 5 years now and it's very frendly.

Most info is freely available on each college's website, such as how rooms are allocated and battels (college accommodation & similar costs) are paid. There is also a reading list for each subject to get to stuck into on the university website. I remember that the Logic Book on DD's list said to see how far they could get, as it would probably be incomprehensible by ch6, but the author was her tutor.

My daughter had her confirmation email from her college through mid morning yesterday with Canvas instructions to find reading list, freshers info forms to fill out, accommodation preference form and so on.

Move in date is a tad unclear at the moment as there is a mistake in some of the docs in that it refers at one point to a day and date that don't exist this year! However I am fairly certain her move in date is 8th October.

More info is said to be due so will see what gets sent today and they have said we need to wait to receive an arrival 'slot' in any event.

Now all of the nerves from yesterday have subsided it's really starting to sink in.

@WobblyLondoner There ought to be information on the college website about the available accommodations and costs.

My DD is going to Lincoln College and they have a fab website ( undergraduate freshers hub ) that has all the information re accommodation and costs and matriculation etc - don’t know if all colleges do the same . Details of this were sent with the offer letter. She did IB so has known for longer that she was in .

Lincoln Move in day is Sunday 6 Oct as freshers weekstarts Monday 7 Oct

We have the reading list books and some reading has been done I believe !

Any idea how we can find out if there is storage facility in the college between the terms? We’re moving abroad so it would be great if there was a way to leave stuff on site in between terms. Checked the college website and can’t see anything. This is for Teddy Hall/St Edmund in Oxford. Or shall we email them? Don’t really want to bother them if they are still busy with admissions etc
many thanks

They will almost certainly have some for long distance travellers (DD's BF is from UAE/ Ialy & can always leave stuff). Again, it should all be on the college website.

Also be aware that although they have 8 week terms, they are often there for longer as there is a strange concept called 0th week as the start of term when they sit collections (in college exams) or 9th week at the end of term when they may sit pre-lims (end of year exams which allow them to move into year 2)

Thanks @HewasH2O It is useful to know that they might need to be there for 9-10 weeks+ per term rather than 8. Will need to keep that in mind when booking flights. Given the uncertainty of the results we have refrained ourselves from doing any “homework” on what life in Oxford or in the college looks like as didn’t want to curse it but it’s getting very real now.

They will have a whale of a time.

We are from Guernsey and would be grateful for storage space too if possible - will be asking

Welcome to those joining this thread

At DD’s college (C) there are also the.options of continuous licences so only need to vacate for summer. DD has a 30 week licence and gets lockable storage in her room and kitchen so was able to leave about half her stuff behind during the short vacations. Each college will be different.

Leaflets are left in the college for packing and transport companies but I’ve only glanced at them as it hasn’t been needed by us but they seem plentiful.

DD is in a college about seven minutes walk into town and easy to park outside - if you have similar just be ready with the Ringo parking app.

Hi anyone else’s dc a little disappointed by their subject teachers references? Dc says one is very generic (I’ve not seen them!) despite the work and effort they’ve put in. Amazing PS (been told this by an external teacher, best they’ve seen out of 2000 applicants they’ve looked at!), 4 A*s predicted etc.
They’re quite nervous now. Course they’re applying to is very oversubscribed @ camb and they have the tmua to worry about next week.
The sixth form doesn’t have a history of oxbridge applications - could this hinder dc?

My DC didn’t ever see their teacher references and I don’t know how much weight it carries in the application process. I assume it contains information about position in class for each A Level subject and any mitigating or unusual circumstances.

I only saw one of my dcs references- I don't think they can hold much weight as they know they can be either overblown or subjective .

I have never heard of anyone seeing the teachers ref and I am on my 4th DC going through the process. I dont know the structure etc would be interested to know - are they asked a set of Qs?

I also understood that this was also on its way our alongside the current PS format