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 🙏

Well I'm a medievalist and had never heard of TMUA but even I can see that his score is pretty damn fine! Fingers 🤞 for hom.

Sorry it’s a no, but lots of other great offers I am sure. Good luck to your DC.

Sadly DS has informed me no interview for him. I think he is partly relieved; and said it is easier to handle the disappointment now rather than post interview.

Sorry to hear it’s a no. As many others have already said, lots of fantastic universities to study Physics. Good luck with all other offers.

Ah no, he sounds very pragmatic and sensible. Can understand the relief of getting off the merry-go-round.

Have people had interview date/times yet? we haven’t but dd has had confirmation of 2nd college interview.

DS finally got his interview invite today. He has 2 interviews next week plus at least 1 more at another college but I think this will be the week after.
He has dates times and interviewers. 🤞🏼

Commiserations to those who have received a no. It sounds like they are all dealing very sensibly with it.

DD has dates, times and interviewer names for her two interviews (same college). It took a little while to come through - about 5 days from being notified that she had an interview. Haven't heard anything about a second college so far.

DS has both his interviews on Monday.

He has the names of those conducting the interviews.

He's resisting googling them and doing. a deep dive into their research interests as a bit too try hard.

Yay great news on the interview.

Hopefully more details soon for dd.

My dc had interview invite from first college last Saturday but has heard nothing re times /dates or second college yet. This is for maths.

She has one interview Monday and second collge interview Tuesday, so not much time to recover on between but it's all right. The first college interviewer is someone who's book she absolutely adores so she'll have to try not to come across as too starstruck.

Sam here for Maths. I think they will get details next week.

Just coming back on Manchester interviews - in my ds's year (2019 for Sept 2020) everyone we knew who applied to Manchester was interviewed. He was interviewed for ML, a friend's daughter was for BioChem, another was for Geography . The BioChem girl was offered a much lower offer on the basis of her interview - not contextual.

DD's Interview is on Monday. Any tips or ideas on how to help her prepare this weekend? She's had a mock interview at school and one with a family friend. She's feeling fairly calm.
My best ideas at the moment are to feed her lots of food, encourage her to get early night's, and read over her personal statement.
Any other ideas?

Afraid I havent got any info from mine. She wont be home till tomorrow night. Her school organised a mock interview with a teacher and that has been it so far. It will be academic interviews we were told so just solve/discuss maths problems and debate/discuss philosophy theory in our case(I would have thought). All interviews are online so important thing is internet connection and that she has a quiet room for them.

DS has his interview this afternoon, he had a mock interview at college yesterday which he said was really helpful!
Me and DH (both WFH) have been banned from using the Internet, just in case! We are going to take the dog out so she doesn't go crazy if someone dares to walk past the house!!!

Good luck 🍀

Experience from DC1 last year. Each interview was ‘Hello …….., now let’s do some maths’. Each of the three interviews were the same. DC2 expecting it to be the same this year.

Ha! Exactly the same here. Nobody is to use the internet at the same time and the dog, who is a yapster, has to be taken far far away to avoiding the barking on every Amazon xmas delivery for the street/borough. He also has a habit of scratching to get into any room where a zoom is taking place and then promptly scratching to go out.

Good luck to all with imminent or upcoming interviews...DS didn't have any preamble - in both interviews it was straight in with maths/problems (Engineering). His EPQ was discussed very briefly and one of the theorems in one of his supercurricular reads was raised - so make sure that if they have put books/papers/lectures in their PS, that they can actually recall what was in them!!

Definitely refresh whatever is in the personal statement. DD has been told that they will talk to her about this and that she should be really confident with anything academic that she has written about.

One point someone made recently to my DD is not to read too much into how interviewers come across i.e. some will seem friendly and some will have a much more aloof, stern vibe and not to be put off by the latter because it almost certainly won't be reflective of your DC is handling the interview questions - they probably respond the same to everyone.

Yes, definitely! And also, don't start worrying if you get something wrong/make a mistake. There is every chance that what they really want to see is how you respond to getting something (maybe pretty tricky) wrong.