With Oxbridge taking less and less private school students, is it still worth it??

[SillySmart]

stats shows that the number of private educated students Oxbridge enrolled has dropped 1/3 in the past 5 years. Any thoughts?

Many more reasons for going private than just Oxbridge!

Yes, I think it's great that Oxbridge are accepting more kids from state school.

Fewer and fewer.

😄

Thoughts on what? Use your words OP...

Is it worth what? Going to private school or applying to oxbridge?

Either way the proportion of any applicants that get into oxbridge from anywhere is still so small that you can’t really factor it in for huge decisions like where to choose for schools….

Or are you suggesting that paying for education should buy a child an Oxbridge place

More qualified state school applicants applying.

Is it worth going to private school, compared to free grammar school

Yes. Sorry 😅

It depends what you want from the school

Still worth it to avoid the riff raff and meet the right types, surely?

The thing around this area is private until sixth form then last two years in a (very good, house price selective) state to get into oxbridge as a state candidate.

PLaying the system big time.

If that's the only reason, not sure why you'd bother. What if your child doesn't want to go to Oxbridge or wants to a course they don't offer?

Not exactly. But I suppose one of the main reasons why parents paying for private school is to help their kids getting into a good university, right? I’m a bit worried that private education might be looked at negatively by top universities.

Haha. Good idea!

I know this is a bit churlish and an ‘unhelpful’ response but the fact parents are going to find it harder to buy their children an unfair advantage makes me very happy.

Hopefully Oxbridge will cotton onto that soon

Ditto! Here here!

When I got told about the 'state for the final 2 years' trick by a mum, I had to stop myself from slapping her.

Unis know the game of moving to state for sixth form, be careful

As another poster on a different thread pointed out recently, the far smaller percentage of privately educated still take about 40% of the available places at Oxford University and 37% at Cambridge. Statistically still more likely to get in from a private school versus State. Furthermore, of the remains places a decent % go to international students.

@WoodsTreesWhere damn you beat me to it! Anyone who doesn’t know the difference between fewer and less shouldn’t be at university at all 😂

Do Oxbridge not look at the school where GCSEs are taken then? Warwick take it into account for contextual offers I believe

OP
This is absolutely disgusting for so, so many reasons.
First- does your child even know what they want to do? What if they want to be a primary teacher, or ( heaven forbid) a plumber? Why are you deciding years in advance that they need to go to Oxbridge?

If you can afford private, you really shouldn’t be taking up a place at a grammar school.

Playing the system as per pp? Ugh.

Finally, yes, Oxbridge are taking MORE students from State schools - more than they used to. There is still a disproportionate number from private education, but you seem to begrudge even that?
Those attitudes are absolutely foul

It’s “hear hear” actually.

Anyway OP it’s true that Oxbridge is taking fewer applicants from independent schools but 🤷‍♀️ there are plenty of other great universities, I went to Cambridge and had a rubbish time, so rushed and stressed, I’d much rather my DC went somewhere fun. I’ve sent them to independent school because it’s a better and less stressful education than state school and I can afford it, not as part of some elaborate plan to get them into Oxbridge.