Oxbridge applicants 2026??

[Justlurkingmostly]

Is there a thread for this year’s applicants - I can’t seem to find with a search. Thanks for signposting 🙏

It's not reverted since Covid.

Sorry to those with disappointing news today, the whole thing is so up and down. It's impressive how they cope with it, and will flourish whichever uni they go to.

As for accompanying for interviews, we're driving DS to Cambridge from London, but will drop him at the college and pick him up after. Given the timing - mid-pm mid-December - it feels like a nice Christmassy mission and he's very different to how I was at his age. I was super independent from early teens but he likes our company and has no particular urge to travel there alone, though no doubt he could if he had to, and will if he goes there. But one step at a time...

DD has 3 interviews scheduled at her preferred college !

and also a St Andrews offer, which is helpful at this point .

Sorry to hear of those who have not got interviews. Our DC are super fab and resilient, tomorrow is a new day and hope that everyone feels revitalised.

it’s so tough for them

DS got rejected by his top 2 unis when he applied, it was so devastating. It’s a hard year this year. He was very happy where he went in the end though. But it’s almost like y13 is a brutal shove into adulthood. Hated it last time and hating it again this time!!

@puddock XH and I are both going with ds2 (for engineering, actually!). Partly because a train journey from where we are is longer than the car trip and partly because ds2 likes company. We're going to go out for dinner afterwards as well, rather than trying to negotiate rush hour. TBH, I think if I asked ds2 whether he'd prefer to go by train he'd say no ta, comfortable car ride is better!

Second interview offer came in today!

So she has one to her chosen college and one to a college she hadn't spent much time considering but which looks lovely. The reason she didn't spend much time on it is that the.cohort they admit from her program is tiny, but if they are interested then she's thrilled.

Are the two interviews likely to be similiar in content and structure? Do they reflect the interests of the tutors interviewing her?

Isn't this just one of the subjects where all applicants are interviewed by a second college, such as Medicine?

Still waiting for Oxford Physics. Hope it comes soon, either way to put daughter out of misery.

Are the two interviews likely to be similar in content and structure? Do they reflect the interests of the tutors interviewing her?

Neither likely nor unlikely. And no, almost certainly not.

I hear you. DS in same situation.

I'm taking mine, 3 hour drive. I wouldn't trust him on his own 😂

@puddock

So fairly random then. We'll, naught to do but leave it to her. She'll do her best and I'm proud.

DD has Cambridge interview and is going on her own ofc. Why wouldn’t she as we are in London - very straightforward journey. And we have consciously stepped back during 6th form - her independence and judgement blooming as a result has been wonderful to behold. Too many helicopter parents around (we realised at the end of Y11 that we were such parents - no longer!) - well meaning but stifling

Re colleges with Cambridge- my DS was pooled from their original choice and is absolutely delighted where he ended up. Apparently everyone ends up loving where they are, so it’s really not something to fret too much about. I also haven’t heard of any evidence of snobbery re colleges themselves, I don’t think anyone goes around thinking ‘Trinity is much better than Robinson’ or whatever.

Sorry to those facing disappointments, but a reminder again that it feels far more brutal to be rejected post-interview.

No news from us!

Is there anyone still waiting to hear from Cambridge, a friend’s son is for CS.

It’s sure been a long week for her although she has the distraction of physics and maths mocks today.

Same here but for Maths. Last year we heard about the 5th December. I remember Physics is late too.

DD got a confirmation that she has an interview, but no time/date yet. More waiting!

Yup, agree with all of this, especially post interview rejection. Although DS had a friend who didn't make his STEP offer for maths which I think is even worse again.

DS was pooled and initially was disappointed but now loves his college and decided that had he been accepted by his original choice he wouldn't have liked it as much 🤣. As he's reading engineering he spends his life in a lab, the faculty or a library so I'm not sure it would have really mattered all that much where he ended up college wise...

Congratulations and good luck to those with interviews and huge commiserations for those who weren't successful.

No news from Oxford for CompSci here yet, seems to be expected Monday? DS has a good offer from Birmingham however (which he really liked) which has really perked him up. Nothing from Warwick either but he’s taking later TMUA in Jan, so may not hear til after that? He’s taking it all in his stride I think, but having a good offer under his belt has definitely helped with perspective. Good luck to all for next week!

But what if your dd wanted you to go, would you say no? My dd often likes me to accompany her to things, and if I'm free I always say yes. (If dd gets an interview it will be online so this doesn't directly affect me, just wondering.)

My ds ended up at his chosen Cambridge college, but it was one that people were often pooled to, including several people who became good friends. They all now say it's by far the best college, and have scathing words for their original choices 😂

Ds got an interview for economics and management, found out this morning. Different college to the one he applied to.