If your child got into Oxbridge from a state school what GCSE grades did they get?

[Battisborough]

if your child was offered a place at Oxbridge from a state sixth form what GCSE grades did they get?

Just interested as DD says there is no point applying as she doesn’t have all 8s and 9s. Do you have to have all 8s and 9s to stand a chance? I know predicted a levels are more important but she says GCSEs come into it too. We don’t have her predicted A levels get as she is year 12.

She wants to read history. She got 5 9s (in History, 2x English, RE, Art), 3 8s (Spanish, Bio and Latin), 2 7s (Maths, Chem), 1x 6 (physics). So all 9s in subjects similar to History but weaker in science and maths.

Oh, I see.

That's why I was commenting that the Hills Road intake is mostly not-posh, and not-private. Relatively privileged, yes, by dint of the area and the mostly decent state school options there.

Cambridge from state 6th form college, 6x9 2x8, 2x7.

Agree that the written work could be a problem if the school is not engaged. For MML, DC's Cam college asked for two essays in the target language, and they hadn't done any yet at 6th form. Fortunately, his language teacher was good enough to set and mark two essays , one timed, one homework, off-syllabus and he submitted them. I'm not sure that would happen at all state schools.

For the pre-tests, I found the mark scheme and did a couple of mocks, the school - and many parents - wouldn't have had the time/resources to do this but I'm sure private schools are all over it.

@tortoise18 where did your dc take their GCSEs?

I’m just starting to look at POLAR and ACORN scores to see how that might affect dc’s application (if they decide to apply). Does anyone have much knowledge of this?

We need to register for the MAT test, fortunately we won’t have to worry about essays.

Bog standard comp 2x9 6x8 2x7

In terms of parents and schools sometimes not having the time or resources to find past papers and mark schemes etc I agree, but surely the main driver of it all should be the young person themselves? I sometimes think I'm too involved in ds and his endeavours, but he has been the one doing all the research. He exhausted all the past papers online for the entrance test he had to do and created some of his own. As a teacher of a different but similar subject I had a go at marking some when he gave me the mark scheme but it was pretty much a stab in the dark! I think some schools don't do enough to encourage students to apply but I tend to think if a student has a parent capable of going online and finding all the requisite information then by definition they should be doing that themselves.

@coffeerevelsrule completely agree with this.
DD didn’t need to take an admissions test for her subject so her application really was straightforward and required no input from myself or DH.
DS completed the few available past papers he could find online for his subject but could not find a mark scheme/answers for all of them. We didn’t purchase any additional practice papers as we did not know they existed at the time and DS had left his prep rather late anyway and would not have time to do them.

did they do well in English? my daughter is worried because she got 7s in English + history

So DS did apply with 12 A⭐️ at GCSE and 3 A’s at AS level from a state school and didn’t get an interview.

He’s very happy with the other offers that he got though.

what degree???

Maths

ohhh was it his entrance exam then?

I think maybe 4 x 9s, 1 x 7 (Spanish in yr 9), 1 x Cambridge level 2 distinction (gcse equivalent) and the rest 8s. So I don’t think it’s a barrier but 6s might be unusual to get in with. Main thing is probably predicted grades and the supra curricular on the personal statement. Admissions tutor we heard also said they look for progression and potential implying that straight 8s/9s are not required.

Possibly. He’s scored pretty well. We’ll never know!

really did they say that? that's good. what exactly was it that the tutor said? my dd has 999888777 and wants mml

If they don't try @law4569, they will never know. As I said upthread, DD had 4 x 9s, 3 x 8s, 2 x 7s, 1 x 6 & a D.

I can’t recall exactly what he said but he said basically that, people on an upwards trajectory and people they think will benefit from the tutorial system (that was probably more in relation to the interview process). It was for a humanities subject that is slightly niche.

ah which subject? my daughter is thinking modern languages so niche too! was this Oxford. did he say that they accepted people who basically are doing better now?

Arch & anth
and yes, that’s how I took it. I don’t think GCSEs are that important in the grand scheme of what they look for,
he also said they’re not that interested in how you’ve done all your extra curricular and helped old ladies cross the road….
other than it does show that you’ve been able to do that as well as achieve well so have managed your time.
but he was stressing the importance of showing your interest in the subject.

Impossible to tell, DD was predicated 3A*s which she did get - GCSEs most 7s and 8s (only 1 9) and the feedback was past academic performance wasn’t good enough. No downside to applying though, same application form as others unis.

what degree?

@law4569 DD did get a 9 in English Lit, and 8s in English Lang and History - her 6 was in maths, but it didn't hold her back. She graduated with a II:i in MFL last year (she did two languages, one she'd studied at A level and one she started from scratch)

Just adding the flip side:

My DC got eight x grade 9, one x grade 8, and three x grade 7, with all the stem subjects in the 9’s.
He had an Astar for maths a level (taken in y12) and Astars predicted for further maths, physics and another a level.
Got bang on mid range in his ESAT, and got an interview with Cambridge for engineering but didn’t get an offer.

He was totally fine with it and has loads of great offers from elsewhere, but just wanted to flag that even with stellar predicted grades and great GCSEs (from v normal non selective comprehensive school and sixth form), you’re in no way guaranteed an offer - competition is fierce, and there are far fewer places than there are excellent students.

ESAT etc are v tricky and are likely better than a levels at really filtering out the absolute top students. He did have some coaching for it at college but they’re not a super competitive sixth form, and the reality is there were students scoring higher. And the interview, thinking on your feet, all of that. It’s competitive! V important for students to have a good open and realistic mentality about it.