Redirected from Oxford and Cambridge 2024

[MirandaWest]

Thought I’d start this thread in case anyone else with a DC who didn’t get an offer from Oxford (or Cambridge in a couple of weeks time) wants to say anything - I feel a bit out of place in the Oxbridge thread now but could be good to have somewhere to talk about how they are and what their plans are now.

I'm in the South East and never heard of it!

I have but only as I know someone's kid who went there and someone who was considering it. I thought it was supposed to be good though, that was the impression I got (both the children involved were quite high achievers).

I live in the north and have heard of it but that’s probably because I have been an avid reader of MN education threads for a number of years!

@Charlemagne38 I did laugh when you say Symonds was a hugely successful grammar! I went to Symonds (when it was a 6th form) and I’m 58 next month so it’s past status as a grammar really bears no relevance! Hampshire was one of the first counties to move to a 100% comprehensive education model. On a different note it still surprises me how huge Symonds is now - do they still run the specialist Hampshire music course there?

Symonds is hardly selective and it’s laughable to compare it to QE who chuck out those they deem not special enough for 6th form. Symonds has always had a high number of Oxbridge entrants (thinking back to my day) - I think a lot of that is possibly down to where it is - Winchester is a very middle class aspirational place where there is a long term culture of aspiring to go to Oxbridge (and having parents who attended) which undoubtedly drives a desire to go their / applications and so on.

@KittyMcKitty @Trylinescore I do apalogise for ruffling feathers in Winchester... Clearly I need to type with greater care and I should have put highly selective schools such as QE, Newstead Wood etc and also certain Sixth Form Colleges, such as Hills Road and PSC, whose students gain a very high number of offers.
I was actually commenting to @Newgirls about her comment re 'Rosie', in which she says she would have greater sympathy for her if Rosie attended a state school. We must all accept, surely, that all state provision is not equal and it is wrong and biased to state that ‘Rosie’ is less deserving of an Oxbridge place than students from these privileged state schools / colleges, because she is at an independent school. Most of our DCs do not attend establishments where it is clearly possible to attract many high calibre teachers and where Oxbridge preparation is clearly most effective. Many of us are middle class, aspirational and have attended Oxbridge but we do not have access to schools and college such as these. The students at these colleges / schools are highly priviledged in the education they receive. They are, of course, worthy of their Oxbridge offers - and at the same time they tick the 'state school' box for the ATs.
The fact that QE weeds out the less successful students at 6th form is irrelevant to the number of offers the school receives. These candidates would not be aspirational Oxbridge candidates.
My comment re PSC being a former grammar school (I do know when comprehensice schools were introduced) was because in many areas (not all, clearly) the most successful schools were originally based on these schools.

Comprehensive schools started to be introduced mid 60’s and was considered to be effected by 71/72 so previous grammar status is hardly relevant today. PS is not selective - non of winchesters comps have a 6th form - it is the 6th form option for the city.

I feel the ‘Rosie’ situation is will fully understanding both contextual and international offers. Going to a state school in itself will not get you a contextual offer. There are (in every Uni I can think of) several flags which need to be ticked (the exception being Bristol with its list of state schools - note at least one of Bucks Upper Schools - which MN likes to continue referring to as secondary moderns - is NOT on this list). The point if contextual offers is not to disadvantage those who are already privileged (eg those living in affluent areas, attending private / grammar schools) but instead to lift up those who are disadvantaged through for eg being care experienced / living in areas of deprivation so that they can be considered on equal footing. Nothing shouts privilege more than moaning and foot stamping about the raising up of our societies most disadvantaged. Similarly international students are allocated places out of a different pot. The article quoted referred to those who are on international foundation programmes- Durham as an example has a campus in Stockton where this is based - it’s quite separate from the rest of the Uni. As international students have a different allocation pot they aren’t depriving ‘Rosie’ a place. International students are keeping unis afloat just as humanities students (which MN also dislikes) are subsidising those studying STEM subjects. I have children at Manchester and Durham which both have high international numbers. Whilst I’m not going to dispute the fact that some groups aren’t interested in mixing with those others in general international students enrich the universities and student bodies.

Sadly there will always be some highly intelligent students with great grades who do not get their dream destination- there is always going to be others equally great or better - that’s a sad fact of life.

In our county, one state school gets a contextual grade drop. The rest don’t. In that group there is a huge range including one highly selective state, two single sex and 5 non selective state schools.

anecdotally the places ive heard allocated for oxbridge this year have been two choristers and two kids with serious health issues who have overcome challenges. So many factors in the mix.

Not sure if I want to ask this question as the answer may make me feel worse 😁

Any other “redirected” DC still waiting to hear from all of their other choices?

@CloudsandChimneys my DS applied with grades in hand. He didn’t get an offer from O but in the Autumn he very quickly got two unconditional offers from his 4th and 5th choice. He’s waiting on Edinburgh and Bristol but doesn’t expect to hear very quickly. It’s a bit discombobulating to have that Oxbridge focus and emerge from that into what feels like quite a long period of uncertainty isn’t it?!

DD is waiting on one of her choices - Edinburgh.

Edin and Durham

My friend from Singapore sent me this on Oxbridge admissions for Singaporean nationals. They are definitely on the rise. It may be of interest to some.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-s-porean-students-heading-to-oxbridge-what-s-fuelling-them?fbclid=IwAR3ycLxHtY_vaZdU-tgvwhFUwFayoEeS-tlUxo4ukZvISM0TlCzI5opc96w

Dd has heard from both Bristol and Durham - in some ways oxbridge having a set date is good

@CloudsandChimneys That must be hard on your DC. Are they all the usual suspects?

DD has heard from Birmingham and Liverpool but still waiting for Warwick and UCL.

@Revengeofthepangolins pretty much, yes. DC has very low self confidence so isn’t complacent at all about C, but the radio silence across the board when on paper they’re a strong candidate is just really starting to knock them

Ah I hope he hears some positive news soon. Some courses and universities are notorious for leaving it until very late. It's not easy when many of their friends will have had 5 responses by now.

I'm sorry to hear that @CloudsandChimneys . it may be subject specific. My DS heard from all his non-Oxbridge choices, including Edinburgh and Durham before Christmas. The Maths departments of these universities may simply send out offers earlier than for some other subjects.

My ds is still waiting to hear from 2 and he has grades in hand @CloudsandChimneys . He has heard from Leeds and Bath and is waiting for Durham and UCL. Which universities are you waiting for?

Ds is still waiting for a single science subject at a London uni, has had an Ox decline and offers from Warwick, Bath and Southampton.

There was a thread a couple of years ago where a poster admitted that it was a rejection not a redirection. Said a "noone redirected me"

@Cjdkidj what point are you making?

Still waiting for Bath and late addition of LSE. Offers from Durham and Glasgow.

Still waiting for Edinburgh here

@CloudsandChimneys we've only got 1 offer here (Nottingham) for a STEM subject. Still waiting for Imperial (top choice after C), Manchester and Bath. So the uncertainty definitely continues for us.