Continuation of Oxbridge 2025

[BananasAllofIt]

I for one still have a kid waiting to hear about interviews. Thought I'd carry it over...

Having said that mine has just today received an email from C to say that some of those pooled who may need to be reinterviewed will get an email on Jan 12.

Can I ask what subject that is @pandapoop ? Sounds unusual for Cambridge.

History

I thought so too......was wondering if others got the same message or not?

DS interviewed at C last week (humanities course) and received the same email today. He said the information about notifying of reinterview dates was included in a general email about timelines after interview and the date offers would be sent out, so it sounds like it was sent to everyone who interviewed rather than selected candidates/courses.

Just asked DC1, and they received same message today. Will check later with DC2.

My child does not appear to have received anything from Cambridge about the Winter Pool and re-interview.

Yes, DC2 has NOT received any email today. Noted that the email received by DC1 came from a college though, and not the university, so it's hard to draw any conclusions.

It's just college communication. Under 50 candidates are re-interviewed annually of the few thousand who go in the pool, so while not impossible it's incredibly unlikely..

I found this info on the Cambridge university website re the 2024 entry & winter pool:

4557 applications were pooled in total

49 of these applicants were invited for a Jan interview

1249 pooled applicants were made offers and of these:

1226 were made an offer without being re-interviewed
23 received offers following a Jan interview

Thinking more about the winter pool stats for Cambridge, it’s the most tough on those 26 students who were re-interviewed and subsequently not offered a place. For the remaining 1226, the reshuffle is just going on in the background,

I guess that’s why everyone hears their outcome on 30th Jan at the same time, regardless of their overall score.

Do you know if you have been pooled by C if you are rejected on Jan 30?

Yes, they tell you if you were pooled but not picked up

Hello everyone. Just discovered your thread.

Hope you're all well.

DS is feeling quite dejected and self-critical after he feels he really ballsed up Oxford interviews (for physics) last week. I feel so sad for him. The PAT went well and he really enjoyed it, so he'd been feeling hopeful and excited. He doesn't know anyone else at his college who applied for Oxbridge - not sure whether that helps or hinders. I never expected this to be so hard, emotionally. It's just so intense, isn't it? I'm dreading how he's going to feel about a rejection in January as he'd so set his heart on the course. Argh.
Anyone else feeling this way?

Hi @NewBatteries ! It seems completely normal to me to hate seeing your DC disappointed and annoyed with themselves, and you are right, it is an emotional process that requires a lot of investment. But it's over now and nothing more can be done except try to minimise expectations (including our own) and make light of it all. I would just remind your DC that (a) there is NO link between how you think you did in these interviews and whether you get an offer (there is a bar chart circulating that shows this) and (b) how brilliant a scientist (or how happy a person) you turn out to be has no link to whether you went to Oxbridge or not. Trite but true. Good luck!

I can totally understand this, but as many have already posted, I think it’s impossible to tell how well the interviews went from the interviewers perspective. On the whole there does seem to be no correlation between how the student thought the interview went and whether they got an offer. My DS’s interviews went fine to not so good (as nerves got the better of him in the final interview and he made silly mistakes which in an exam where he’s under less pressure he wouldn’t make). He really wants to go to O but knows at this stage he’s got about a 1 in 4 chance of an offer-so is ready for rejection but will be absolutely delighted if he gets an offer 😀. We have always told me that he’ll do well wherever he ends up he ends up and he is happy with all his other offers. All our lovely DCs have achieved so much in even applying, sitting exams or submitting work-I certainly didn’t want to put myself through this at 17/18 let alone an interview!

@NewBatteries totally agree with @Gina555 and @Risingroad My DD was similarly frustrated after her interviews feeling that she made mistakes/struggled to get to grips with things she’d find easy in real life. The nerves and pressure is immense. She said she wished they could follow her at school for a couple of days to see what she’s really capable of 🤣 🤣🤣. Obviously that’s never going to happen. Totally agree that it’s been far more intense than I ever imagined and am very glad it’s over now.

We’ve been very pragmatic from the outset and she’s been expecting to be rejected at every point. Even at this stage the chances of getting in are still stacked against them so it’s best to see that as the most likely outcome.

But all our DC are incredible for putting themselves through this. As others have said, getting a place or not at this point is in no way a reflection of their ability or determinant of future achievements. There are so many amazing universities here with some fantastic opportunities. Wherever they end up, our hardworking, talented young people will do brilliant things.

DD had Cambridge interview yesterday and was totally and utterly laid back about it all. She described it as a scholarly chat like with Dr X the Head of Biology. Asked 4 academic questions and she knew the answered in detail to them all and no problem solving, no stress, no why Cambridge or this subject or this college or anything about her personal statement - just 4 topics to discuss with two hours and an 30 minutes per topic. 2 different interviews, she knew the interviewees from her summer school. She is passionate about her subject and this shows probably in her discussions. But she’s a bit laidback about it all and would rather go to Bristol (she already has an offer from them) etc as she prefers the course and the department and knows a number of the professors from the department through doing work shadowing etc

Her viewpoint was let them reject me I’m good enough for my top choice and you aren’t them. This worries me as I wonder how she came across about wanting to go there for the course or if she came across as apathetic.

if she’s laid-back about it and would rather go to Bristol, I fail to see why you’re worried

Was that for an undergraduate degree? Two hours is a long interview - well done to your daughter for being so utterly laid back about it all!

Yes undergraduate online. Two interviewees and two topics for an hour and another two different interviewees and two different topics and then discussion. No in her mind ‘tricky’ questions and no problem solving. She did do very well in the ESAT though 🤔

Gosh two hours for one interview! That's really long. Surely not the norm? What subject is she applying for? DC has had 4 for O, longest being 50 mins, others all about 30.

I’ve put up with all the stress for 6 months preparing for the ESAT. Summer schools etc going round colleges until she found ‘the right one’ all the stress of it - never ending and now she’s like ‘whatever’.

Bristol - did her work experience with them. Gave her an offer of ABB within days and no need to interview. Then gave her a week and then emailed to say they had reviewed her application and were dropping her offer to ABC if she made them first choice. They have offered her support from mentoring and extra financial incentives since. She wasn’t happy after reading the report from Cambridge her department review report just published and changed her mind about Cambridge at that point. I don’t know! I just was astounded by how laid back she was. She had an interview for Nottingham and was the same. Maybe she just vents her stress on those around for months and it vaporises for interview when the time arrives. It is baffling me.

She had one interview online with two people for an hour and was asked about two topics, so two big long discussions basically, then two more more joined online and the original two left (online) then the next two topics were discussed so total on line for 2 hours and 30 minutes. 30 minutes prior was audio and video check and it lasted 10 minutes and then she was left to riddle her thumbs for 20 minutes as it was all good.

But probably then the same amount of time in total - no?

30,30,30, 50 is two hours 10 minutes total.