Continuation of Oxbridge 2025

[BananasAllofIt]

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

Our son is still 'on hold' for Bristol for Aero - with offers from Bath and Durham (he was pooled for engineering at Cambridge but did not get a place). The long wait for Bristol has definitely diluted his enthusiasm - he loved the open day where we spend hours in the labs - and I think he is likely to firm Durham now, regardless of whether he gets a Bristol offer. I liked Sheffield too btw, but son decided not one for him. Good luck over the next few weeks.

How did it workout, Imogen710? I hope your DS got what he needed. DD got her grades and is off to Cambridge

Feel free to move over to here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5159139-current-oxbridge-students-continued-again?page=31&reply=146361450

It's a very kind, longstanding thread which has been rolling on for many, many years now.

The convention is that subjects are shared, but not colleges as some of your lovely YP might be one of only a very small cohort in their college.

Many thanks @HewasH2O !

That's great news! DS nailed his grades: AAA*A, but going to take a gap year and study music production before heading to uni - has an eng place at Bristol if he decides to go. Has been working over the summer for a flight engineering company repairing helicopters (!) and loving it, so may continue and get more work experience under his belt. Enjoy Cambridge!

That all sounds impressive! He’s using his time wisely!

DS made his offer for deferred-entry NatSci! In an example of great timing, he also had a phone call last night where he was offered his dream Gap Year job in New Zealand as a qualified watersports instructor...!

The gap years are sounding pretty amazing!

DD got English at Cambridge. Very happy and relieved, as are we. Glad that long wait is over.

My DC made their Cambridge offer too - we are all very pleased. Hoping that everyone had good news today! X

@Imogen710 has he heard of the Tonmeister degree at Surrey? A friend is gong into her final ear and has people making job offers already. She turned down Music at Oxford to go there and it's been the right move for her.

We are all happy here too, and school (where I work too) happy as has 3 Oxf and 3 Cam matriculands (?) now, the most for a few years and have had none to oxf for ten years!

Thank you will take a look - DS wants to do both music and engineering so this is a compromise!

It requires physics & music. My friend loves it, especially as there is a placement year.

The Tonmeister course is excellent and highly regarded. We sent 3 students there a few years ago and they are all making their way in that field.

Hello, glad to hear your DCs have got what they needed. My DC, didn’t get Oxford, and has decided to reapply, so I’ll be going through it all again this academic year.
He got his 4A * s yesterday and was delighted.

4 A*s is a strong hand. I hope he can find a gap year he enjoys while waiting for the next cycle.

Good luck to him, @R50!

He didn't do Music A-level, but studied to Grade 8 (distinction) and A* in A-level physics!

Thank you

Thank you

I hesitate to ask this in case the answer is “no” - but any other DC having a wobble now at the reality of it all?

Well, not a wobble as such in terms of wanting to go, but DS is disappointed to have 'only' got two A stars and an A, having missed out on the A star for his MFL subject. Obviously he needed 3 As for history at Oxford so no issues there, but he now feels everyone else will have at least 3 A stars, with most having 4. It doesn't help that the only other Oxbridge candidate at his school, who didn't get an offer, did go on to get 4 A stars, though a different set of subjects. DS is now feeling a little bit of a fraud, which I feel is ridiculous if slightly understandable. It's hard helping them navigate these feelings and understanding how to put them into perspective when there can be no doubt he has done amazingly well.

What is the nature of your DC's wobble, @LeifPatterns ?

Edited to try and correct the messed up bold as a result of trying to use the star button!

Thanks @coffeerevelsrule

Maybe one of our clever kids could sort out the pesky formatting gremlins once and for all :-D

I think it’s imposter syndrome, fear of not fitting in (from a northern state school with no family and very little previous school Oxbridge experience). There’s an element too of DC having persuaded themselves so successfully over the summer that they’d not make the grades - and as a result might have gone on to have a less academically intense Uni experience - that the reality of the challenge ahead suddenly feels daunting.

It’s mainly the social bit I think, though - worrying about not being posh/brainy enough.

It is daunting, that's for sure. Has he been involved in any of the outreach stuff? DS has and it has reassured us that there are definitely plenty of people there who do not fit the Oxbridge stereotype. I do think this is going to be an intense couple of months as the dream becomes a reality though!