Oxbridge applications 2027 entry

[Justlurkingmostly]

Starting up a new thread for anyone whose YP might be applying this autumn for entry next year!

Great to hear first interview here, congratulations! Looking forward to seeing many more to come.

Amazing, congratulations on the interview!

Congratulations on the interview!

Well DD finally sent her work in yesterday at 3.30pm for the 6pm deadline 🤪 and thankfully Pembroke have confirmed they have got it. So that’s something.

Many congratulations on the interview! I’ve seen lots of handy hints for interview prep on some colleges’ social media feeds (I’ve spotted them on instagram but I presume they also use tik tok) - I think Caius pops up quite a lot from the C side. DD found quite a few question banks by subject online, I’m not sure how accurate they are but they’re a starting point. GL to your DD!

My DD submitted her written work yesterday too. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute…. She hasn’t received any confirmation that it has been received. Do all colleges sent an acknowledgment? Many congratulations on the first interview! Exciting times ahead!

How exciting about the interview! And well done Kings on being organised. That was a close-run second for DS...

@Mumster40 - I think colleges vary whether they acknowledge receipt of application. St John's said something like 'don't ask us whether we've received it - we'll tell you if we haven't' or words to that effect.

Very excited for the first interview notification!!

Getting pdf cover sheet ready here for Oxford for next week & realisation that kids never have to fill out text boxes on pdfs really. Defo one of those boring adult admin things 🤣

DD told me that Jesus College instructions said something to the effect of that if the documents disappear from the upload portal then they have it and to not reupload it or check. I assume they get a lot of questions about it every year, but to me that would imply that an automated acknowledgement email wouldn't hurt ...

Hello @namechanged221this is interesting. How does Cambridge know what all the kids in a school got at GCSE and therefore where the applicant they’re looking at sits within that in terms of quintiles?

There are details about sources and it's use is explained about it at the bottom of this page (scroll past all the contextual, it's the last section)
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/after/contextual-data

@BumpyaDaisyevnahow I understand it is that Cambridge have their own system of assessment which uses the DfE data about gcse

Their system is the sum of best 8, but 9 and 8 both count as an 8, so the max score is 64.

This is then measured against the results of the school using the same method.

it’s different to the school’s progress 8 score, which includes 9’s, includes vocational qualifications and doubles maths and English scores.

…so a school that has a high progress 8 score may have a low performance flag in Cambridge’s system as some schools have a very high proportion of children taking Btec’s that wouldn’t be included in the Cambridge calculations.

…the applicant is then put into a quintile and their academic achievements are assessed within that context?

@Mumster40 The colleges work independently. Your DD shouldn't worry about anything the other colleges might be doing as it doesn't pertain to her college.

This could be a very useful website for tracking which Cambridge colleges are sending out interview invites. It all depends on people actually filling it in though, and only shows a number once three invites have been recorded for that particular college.

uniscout.uk/cambridge-interview-tracker

Well done to those who have offers and interviews already. We have our first offer for physics and maths at Uni of Warwick!! Only just been told by text by son, but I’m sure that helps give him a little boost. He’s been so stressed this week. His school don’t have applicants to Oxbridge most years so he feels like he’s at a significant disadvantage compared to most students on here.
His first choice is Natural Sciences at Cambridge, then imperial, but both will depend on the ESAT result. The waiting is painful…

@Mummydoctor congratulations to your son on his offer! The first offer is an emotional one - it’s such a confidence boost.

We’re in the same boat with the school - no one has even applied from DS school for years. They’ve been amazing though and have thrown themselves into it along with DS. I’m a firm believer in a very Scottish phrase my Granny used to say “What’s for you will not go by you” - despite circumstances, all the kids on this thread are bright and outstanding young people - they’ll all end up on the path that is ultimately right for them.

@Mummydoctor Well done on the offer. It definitely takes the pressure off.

My daughter is also in the no help from school camp. Last time someone from her school got into Oxbridge was four years ago. Her teachers are very supportive when she asks for help but there’s no formalised Oxbridge support. So, her wonderful maths teacher replied to a few emails over the summer where she came across practice ESAT questions she couldn’t work out, but there were no ESAT prep classes. Interview prep she’s going in blind (but her ESAT went so badly she doesn’t even think she’ll get an interview).

She’s looking at it as if a miracle happens and she gets in then it will be because it’s the right place for her because she has navigated the process without any help.

It's the one factor that doesn't get factored in among all the contextual, quintiles etc - the level of actual practical support the kids get.

DS's school does have formalised support. I think only one got to Oxbridge last year, but about 10 are applying this one...

This Chat has been very helpful and supportive though so thank you to all you kind posters 😊

@Mummydoctor great news re Warwick!

Back in the day we had an Oxbridge 'class' at my big comp. But the admissions process had changed so drastically since the head who took it had gone there that nothing she told us was relevant at all. We spent hours writing 'precis' of things, which apparently had been a thing 20 years previously. Bore no resemblance to my interview at all. So it was less help than it seemed!

DD2 says the same about the oxbridge class at her place - which also clashes with wind quintet. But music is such a weird one that I think it is less help than for, say, history. Music dept are trying to be helpful though they are far more geared to conservatoire.

At least there is lots more information online these days. I had a well-thumbed prospectus and that was about it.

Do you know how much weighting is given to that @namechanged221? DD did really well compared to her cohort but how significant is that???

We went to a really useful talk by the head of admissions at St Johns. He said that what they want is students who are both exceptional within their own cohort, and within the nationwide picture. The teacher's references are important in this regard. They don't just want 'Johnny is a lovely chap who'll do well', but 'Johnny has come in the top 5% of the past five years students' or similar.

Well done!

Can I ask what course it's for? We're patiently waiting for TMUA results for Maths, but a friends son applied for engineering.

Another with no support from school here. I honestly despair at them some times. It's been 9 years since the last person got into Oxbridge from their school, but son is working his socks off, but I veer from hopeful to "he has no chance"!

My daughter is in exactly the same position and @RatherBeOnVacationhas a similar attitude to yours. @AyeFairEnoughI love that expression: "What's for you will not go by you." ❤️