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.

O&C then have the opportunity to enrich and elevate the research and outputs from both insitutions by broadening the range of perspectives and experience that WP necessarily inputs.

Can you explain to us how intellectual thought and advanced learning is manifested in a building? I think that's absolutely one of the most barking things I've read on here.

Have now read the full article (oops) and I see they were adding it on to other applicants which is still questionable but at least has some kind of justification.

Does anyone know off hand if the numbers predicted did pan out as of 2023?

I’ll put it more simply for you. Being an elite is as much about who you exclude, as who you include. The higher the ability of your rejects, the less of an elite you become.

I don't think you understand what happens at Oxford and Cambridge. They take the people with the most potential and they give them the very best education possible. Plenty of high achieving students go on to success from other institutions, they just don't benefit from having the same level of intellectual cohort or the teaching. Its quite a "simple" difference but one you've failed to grasp. You think its about name only rather than tangible differences. Do you know anyone who attended? Where did you go? Because you seem woefully under informed and just a bit chippy about it. I don't even know why you're on this thread.

Well, it's very clear why you're on here. The "very best education possible", measured how?

By the array of alumni who have gone on to dominate in their fields, who happened also to go to public school?

By the kind of politicians we are led by?

By the terrible case of that poor young man, bullied to death, in the news?

If you had read my OP, you'd have learned that I did go there. I know very, very well what goes on there. Much of which I cannot print.

I dunno, ask Magdalen SCR why they’re not in a prefab hut.

I know someone who missed their grades and got into O with a B last year on results day. They were from a top private school ie not FSM etc. Also someone who got in without achieving an A star in the actual subject they were studying at O.

What a strange turn this thread has taken.

I hope and expect that all of our DC who were redirected in the last intake are thoroughly enjoying their university lives. I know my son is! The disappointment soon passes over.

Anecdotally in our family 4 boys applied last year and only 1 was admitted. 2 of them were twins with both parents alumni of Oxford. The 'less intelligent' twin was successful. No matter how stringent the application process is a suggestion that Oxbridge always pick the best is absurd.

My own DC was “redirected” in 2022. She is doing very well at St Andrews. She would like to get a training contract with a law firm upon graduation. I don’t know if she will succeed or not. It’s very competitive. But so far, her applications are getting a fair shake and there is no evidence of being held back because she isn’t at Oxbridge. She managed to get a mini-pupilage last summer at a famous chambers. So even being a barrister, isn’t off the table.

Oxbridge has not expanded enough to contain all the high flyers that we now have due to population increase and expansion of university participation. Oxbridge will always be special due to its history and ambiance, but there is definitely a levelling out of intellectual talent among our leading institutions. And employers searching for top talent know this.

My St Andrews grad got onto a very prestigious grad scheme 👍 (not sure it’s any easier to get into st a than oxbridge but hey it’s what the thread is about!)

I know many students rejected by St Andrews that were accepted by Oxbridge.

My dc got redirected today from C for economics. Heartbreaking for them. Amazing profile etc etc
without knowing the tmua results yet what do you think their chances are for lse, St Andrews, Warwick? 😔

Depends on her application. What A levels is she doing and what predicted grades?

@Ellmau predicted 4 A stars, all 9s at gcse - maths, FM, economics & geography - fantastic super curriculars and great PS. We haven’t had the tmua results back yet but I don’t think St Andrews & ucl look at this? 😵‍💫🤞🏻

She sounds like a super candidate! It’s a numbers game tho isn’t it - it’s such a popular course. My dd loved St Andrews so fingers crossed (different course). Maybe have a look at some lower entry courses too just in case as those are all very in demand. But still very early days. St A took months to offer but it does vary by course

@Upperroom still a great chance I'm sure! My son was rejected from C for a different subject but got offers from St.Andrews, Warwick, Durham and Edinburgh. I remember the waiting being hard, good luck to you DC.

It's really disappointing for them at this stage. Mine also had all 9's, and 4A*'s has gone off to another country and has not looked back. Interestingly they got accepted to the Uni they are at, but not everyone who got a place at Oxbridge got an offer. The friends who did make the cut at Oxbridge are not having the same college experience it has to be said - and there is still work to be done over the holidays too. Look at how many extra councillors Oxford admits it has had to hire recently - there is something to be said for having the experience they want to have and with significantly less pressure. Job applications will be blind when they start applying and mine is concentrating on getting a first and then a good masters rather than stressing about what Uni their application won't reveal. Getting a first will be the new Oxbridge in the coming years.

FWIW - a lot of peers got offers for both LSE, St A's and Warwick so I wouldn't stress too much. I hope she's ok.

While there are a lot of very good courses/unis around, and undoubtedly many graduates of other universities will be at the same or better standard as others from Oxbridge, it's overstating the case to say "a first will be the new Oxbridge". Getting a first is not massively selective, everyone knows the difference in standards between eg. an Imperial first and a (insert university you haven't heard of) first, and fully "Uni blind" applications are a bit of a myth, really.

On the twin example above, it does show as most people know, that there will always be more people qualfied for an Oxbridge place than get one (nd of course loads who are not up to it). None of my 5 graduate children could be bothered to apply and thought they would not get in. They have some cousins who are/were at Oxbridge. My siblings went and I did not try (no one had been from my school). I don't think it has made a difference to my legal career that I didn't go so I don't think any "rejects" need to worry. In fact if you fail at things that can help you sometimes. I was asked to write about my legal career recently and wrote about all the failures - too many people write as if everything is easy but most people all their lives have lots of things going wrong.

On the buildings point, it is lovely to work in gorgeous buildings. 2 of my children lived in Wills Hall in Bristol in year 1 and that was built in about 1929 by someone whose son was rejected by Oxbridge so the father built a quad, lovely buildings, a chapel etc to mirror the Oxbridge college experience to an extent - so even nearly 100 years ago people did then think buildings can matter a bit - perhaps they are deluded to think so of course.

Seeing as I started this thread I thought I might as well update on DD (not sure quite what happened to this thread recently!)

She started at Bristol in September and is having a good time doing many things and has also found a nice boyfriend who of course she wouldn't have met if she had gone to Oxford! She has now said she thinks she could well have struggled at Oxford and I think is nearly 100% OK at having not got in. One of her friends is at Oxford and 2 at Cambridge with one of them initially being rejected on results day but was pooled to a different college and DD was more unhappy that her friend might not have got in.

It did take a while for her to feel better about it but time does help.

Similar happened to DS a decade ago. 4A* predictions, but rejections by Warwick, Cambridge and UCL. LSE came through eventually, and he thrived there.

At postgrad level he has had offers from both Oxford and Cambridge, and indeed has just finished a funded PhD at a well respected University in the US, so an LSE education has done him no harm.

Economics is an extraordinarily competitive subject.Your DC will be good enough, it is just that the competition is tough. The chances are that they will get one of these, and they are all well regarded courses. One of DS' peers got Cambridge on reapplication after rejections first time round. though a second LSE rejection. Good luck. The big issue is that the other three can take an age to respond. The struggle for DS was getting towards Easter without an offer when all his friends knew where they were going.

Good luck

I agree a first from some Uni's will be less desirable, but the rise of 'fully blind' applications is the reality (one of my DC has been through the process recently for highly competitive graduate positions). If you can demonstrate a passion, relevant knowledge and experience (which you might not be able to afford to do if you have no time off during the hols) you are more likely to get a position. Obviously there will always be an old tie network, but it is certainly not the norm anymore. It is my belief that cream will always rise to the top.

My point to the pp is that it is not the end of the World for her DD at this stage - we've all been there (for mine falling at the last hurdle) but in the end the old adage of 'what is meant for you doesn't pass you by' does ring true. Mine has peers who have reapplied this year (with 4 x Astars in hand) but most of them freely admit that they should have taken a place on the course they were offered instead. FOMO when everyone is posting from their freshers week/balls etc only adds to the pressure of the reapplication - especially in the knowledge that they have almost certainly pissed off the 2nd choice from last year....

Glad she is doing well! Lovely to hear.

Glad DD is doing well @MirandaWest . Can't believe that it is a year now since we were all finding out about interviews for DC.

Seems like a lifetime ago.

DS is happy at UCL. He seems to be working hard and playing even harder.

I'm in London this weekend so looking forward to seeing him!

Almost everyone he's met is an Oxbridge redirect!