Oxbridge applicants 2026 - thread 2

[ArchitectureMum]

Someone has to be the OP and I have no fate to tempt now in this journey.

Congratulations to all the Oxford offer holders. Some lovely stories yesterday afternoon.

Comiserations to those who had different news yesterday. I hope your DC are doing ok and beginning to look positively towards their other options.

Good luck to everyone waiting for news from Cambridge on 28th January.

And hello to all the Oxbridge observers - alumni, parents of past and future applicants. It is always a thread of highs and lows and it was a privilege to be a small part of it for this cycle.

Very impressive particularly with that course. My dd got 3 x A* today. Oxford didn’t even want to interview her during the application process, same course as your dd.

Well done to her! Where will she go with those fab grades? Is you dd at an Independent school?

Yes she is at independent which is likely why she wasn’t interviewed. On 3 scholarships though. She’s going to Warwick.

Yeah - same for my friend's daughter. Oxford rejected outright. 4 A stars predicted and achieved. Went to St Andrews instead, and loves it. Another friends daughter offered Cambridge got her 4 A stars but missed out on STEP grade She went to Warwick instead and adores it - staying for post grad I think! Good luck to your dd x

Above, @WishfulThinkingToday explained that DD missed the STEP offer for Maths and otherwise got 4 A stars. Without knowing that DD was doing Maths, this was the scenario I had mentioned previously as being the well known brutal one.

Cambridge deliberately make twice as many offers as they have places and then set STEP grade boundaries to control their intake. The STEP requirement at most Colleges is Grades 1,1 on Parts ll and lll. Occasionally it is higher and in this case one would have hoped that if she got these grades DD would have been pooled. Contextual offers may.be lower.

With Cambridge setting the grade boundaries, the STEP formulae are used pretty rigorously.

Again, I am sorry she missed Cambridge and I understand how she feels.

But back in the world we live in, DD got Imperial Maths! It’s one of the best Schools of Maths in the world. Her future is wide open. It merits a grand celebration.

You will know best whether to share this with DD, but the Oxbridge tutorial system is not necessarily the best teaching and learning methodology for students on the autistic spectrum. The main learning tool in Cambridge Maths is weekly problem sets of a very, very challenging nature. You turn them in ahead of tutorial and your efforts are critiqued, sometimes quite bluntly, week after week. It can be harsh to say the least.

Engaging constructively with this and learning from it can be quite challenging. Towards the end of every academic year this Board has a number of threads from mums of Oxbridge students who were too intimidated to engage and, as of the time of writing, are in a very bad way. Oxbridge tutors always write urging the students in the kindest terms to get help, but they seem to find it impossible. It doesn’t end well.

DD may actually do better at Imperial, where she is not put on the spot quite so much. I for one am excited for her.

@Dlew same here 4AStars and 96 on entrance exam for Oxford-off to Imperial instead. I have learned that it’s not about the grades for Oxford/Cambridge-they look for something more-a magical ingredient. None of my DC got in 🙄

Thank you for this reply - I will show this to DD later. I think she has taken it a little hard because she has been a workaholic for two years (with even her teachers telling her to get some rest), and she really tried hard. I think it will take a day for it to settle in her head.

I, for one am super super happy for her, but upset she is not down the road from us (in Cambridge) to have a weekly meet up (and cheeky lunch meal!).

It might be a good thing like you said, maybe she will get a better work-life balance and there is always postgraduate study (if she wants)!

Congratulations to her but sorry to hear about Cambridge. It will take a while for her to get over the disappointment but knowing a few people doing Maths at IC, she has a very bright future ahead. Lots of internship and research opportunities which will really help in the real world.

Trinity Cambridge maths for my son who is super happy as the STEP exams are particularly tough especially as they fall at the same time as the ‘A’ levels. Congratulations to others whose children have done well and commiserations to those who haven’t.

I agree completely, OP. DD can be assured that everyone who matters has the greatest respect for Imperial Maths (and almost everything else Imperial does).

I hope she comes to feel true happiness about her prospects.

Sorry to hear this. There is an Oxbridge redirection thread which may help.

Just to acknowledge I’m obviously not talking Maths here. It’s the ESAT DC did twice - different kettle for sure.

DD's been put in the Cambridge summer pool? Is anyone else in the same boat? Does anyone know how likely it is to get a place via the summer pool?

Same as DD1 friend. She ended up at imperial and went to Cambridge for her masters and PHD so it all worked out in the end

Wow, this is not easy.

With the most typical STEP offer being grades 1,1, those who got 1,2 in either order do have a fighting chance @WhereAreWeNow . But it is far from a guarantee.

You said that DD missed ‘a’ grade. If she got a 3, successful pooling is not very likely, and the same for two missed grades. In these cases I would not say anything final to DD but I would speak in a neutral or gently discouraging manner.

However in retrospect, if her grades were 1,2 then the earlier delay was plausibly caused by the Admissions team pulling her STEP papers for a detailed review. She was indeed a near miss. I wouldn’t be wildly optimistic but a positive outcome is defo a possibility. I don’t envy anyone moderating this situation for a beloved DC but
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Apologies, @WhereAreWeNow , if I have confused you with someone else! The facts in my post are correct.

Sorry to hear about the STEP. My DD is going to Imperial to study maths too :)

The problem with tutorials, supervisions and seminars at some universities is that there are some students who are full of it which may cause difficulties for the quieter or neuro diverse students. About 15 years ago there was someone in my group who just wouldn't stop - thought she was god's gift to eng lit and drama. She was a complete bore.

DC has a place at Oxford. Such a nerve wracking build up!
Well done to all who secured a place. Thinking of those who missed out today- it doesn't change how brilliant, capable and hardworking they are.

Same here, we were told it’s highly unlikely, but I think it really depends on the course and the situation. We are asked to wait until tmrw evening to make sure. Insurance sent an unconditional offer now and said no need to worry!
i really feel for DD and anyone who is in similar situation, just because their firm is sky high, anything else feels like a failure

Thank you and others for being kind, it was an emotional rollercoaster of a day.

Update is it is not quite over yet…a near miss on one subject grade, going in for marking review as priority. College are holding his place until 31/08 pending outcome. He was miles above A* grade boundary in one subject, shame cannot shuffle a few marks to the problem one!

DD has got her place at Cambridge via Summer Pool. So relieved and happy for her, not least because she was unsure about her insurance. What a roller coaster!

Oh wow what relief she must feel, the wait must have been torturous yesterday. Congratulations to her