Continuation of Oxbridge 2025

[BananasAllofIt]

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

@coffeerevelsrule - I can relate to this. My DC got the (very) high offer needed for Oxbridge, but was three marks off the Astar boundary in their best subject and future degree course, which was a surprise. It was a shock as it’s simply never happened before in any exam, and the teachers have now read the paper. They say the marking seems off and it’s gone for a review.

It doesn’t really matter I know, but DC was thrown. I am offering words of encouragement and reassurance that no-one talks about A-level grades beyond this point!

@coffeerevelsrule your DS's results are excellent for history. A level results are a non event once you are there. DD (PPE) was told by her tutor team on their first afternoon that every single one of them had been selected for their potential and not to worry about anyone else. Lo & behold nobody bombed their degree results despite different starting points.

@coffeerevelsruleno outreach unfortunately, I think we must fall just outside the criteria, which is fair enough.

I sympathise too with the grades point - DC was a couple of marks off the star on the fourth A-level and that’s turned into a bit of a focus, alongside the fact that the degree subject isn’t one of the A-levels. Helpful to read PPs experiences and input above. Good luck to your DS getting ready for it all

I think most kids won’t have all Astars and those with four Astars will mostly those with Further Maths as their fourth which is a special situation.

It's totally understandable. I didn't have my wobble before I went, but about 3 weeks in. Luckily one of my cohort was feeling the same, and one evening over wine in her room it came out. We both had been thinking we weren't clever enough and should have taken other offers where we'd be top drawer (also not guaranteed!). We sank much wine, cried, were glad we had someone else feeling like that, got over ourselves and dug in. And both had brilliant times. It's better to verbalise it than keep it inside.

@coffeerevelsrule and anyone else with an Oxford starter, there is a very friendly WhatsApp group which might be reassuring - DD (not a natural party animal) has already met two people from this and there is talk of a meeting in early September, which just eases things a bit socially. DM me if you want the link.

Also, I have told DD v directly that one of the core Oxbridge experiences is suddenly discovering that you are no longer top of everything, but this is fine and she will live (it totally floored me when I arrived at Cambridge, after having been a bizarre prodigy at my comp and I just stopped trying with academics for quite a long time).

Oh definitely, she won't be the only one by a long shot. The scary thing is admitting it to someone else, but for me and P, it really helped to not feel alone.

I think my dd is having a bit of a wobble too. At dinner yesterday she just burst out with ‘Could we talk about anything other than Oxford?’
I think her wobble is because on results day she didn’t get the grades she needed. She was so sad and we had to rapidly start planning a plan B. Following a priority re-mark, she has the grades she needs and her place has been granted… but I think she now quite fancies the plan B!!
My son, her brother, is going into his fourth year at Oxford so we are very familiar with the system. She’s also going on the OppOx scheme (she’s not too keen about it to be honest) which involves 2 weeks in her college in September.
I’m so glad her brother will be in Oxford as she’s a bit of a home bird and we’re about six hours drive away.

My dc is studying an mfl and another subject at Oxford and got a b in the mfl! A stars in the other 2 subjects.
She has had a great first year there.
Her school doesn’t get many top grades so I think that is why still accepted with the B.

Is anyone’s DC still waiting to hear from their college about accommodation?

Yes, we still wait for info on when to move in, what size bedsheets, etc.

Have you checked the Fresher's Info for the relevant college for moving in info? Each college does things differently, but DD was told to monitor the Fresher's Mini Site for info, which said Fresher's would all have single beds, and then they found out which room they would have on arrival. Take a double duvet & pillows to last the full 3 or 4 years.

Your DC can also ask their college parents for help with any queries.

She doesn’t have any college parents yet. But we can look and see if we have missed any websites.

Search (college) freshers info. They usually contain all the info you need in IT registration, college registration, medical info, reading lists etc etc etc

Thanks - college website under accommodation and 25 Freshers sections says that new students will be sent an email to complete a form and express preferences. Nothing has landed as yet, so it’s a bit of a weird limbo

We do know when they need to arrive, thankfully, but could do with understanding what kind of accommodation they’ll be in will so we can start budgeting and think about what they need to take.

Does their college charge different rates. DD was lucky enough to be in a college which charges everyone the same and then you changed your place in the room ballot each year so it all vented out. Check the college Battels section which will include all the fees

Same for us @LeifPatterns

@LeifPatterns my DC's Oxford college has sent a moving in day but nothing else. However there's a freshers' facebook group (odd, I know, but apparently it's the college's preferred SM platform). It's manned by second years who are answering all the questions about rooms and arrivals. Although it's not official it's handy to know what happened last year, and (for example) all first year rooms have single beds, toastie makers are banned, you can park for 20mins outside college etc. Might be worth searching for the relevant college facebook/insta and DMing?

My ds is in a college where bedding is provided - and laundered as well as long as they stick to what is given. I asked my ds if he wouldn't prefer to bring his own bedding but he wasn't tempted funnily enough! He will find out where his room is when he moves in, which all adds to the thrill of the day I suppose.

Yes, different fees and “types” of rooms - most important thing for DC to know in terms of buying kit etc is whether it will have an actual kitchen or just a gyp. Freshers are asked to allocate their preferences, though obviously no guarantees, and it will all come out in the wash over the whole degree.

Nothing seems to be on any SM groups etc as yet which I suppose is hopeful that DC hasn’t somehow missed an email.

I’m sure it will all be fine, we just have a busy September with one thing and another and I’m a planner by nature!

DC rang college yesterday - accommodation preference forms haven’t gone out yet, but will shortly.

Ds has been sent a seemingly endless set of documents, some 4-5 pages in length, which he has had to print, scan and then resend in a specified format. I had to scan them at work for him and he is now trying to merge and save them in the correct order and format. To be honest, it's proving to be the most difficult part of the process so far and I fear for the well-being of my laptop at this point. It does seem to be triggering some kind of imposter syndrome on ds. I do wonder why they couldn't have been posted - to save the admin staff the bother I suppose. It's just that not everyone has the technical know- how and resources to do this type of thing - aaarrggh!

Can anyone advice I may need a new thread if ds does do oxford test does he just register and do the test or at that point so they need the UCAS form done as well ? Or do they test and then do UCAS ?

Hey @Realitycheck1 . Last year the deadline for applying for the admissions tests was well before the UCAS deadline. It's completely fine to apply for the test before your DC's UCAS form is in. I'd have a look at the test application now, as IIRC last year it closed in September, and depending on where you live the spaces at your most convenient test centre might fill up. The test itself takes place after the UCAS deadline so unfortunately your DC can't gauge their performance and then decide to apply or not based on that (Or maybe fortunately as they're not always the best judges!). Good luck!