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?

Snort. Surely by your logic, it’s fine to ignore the talent and intelligence of WC young people who attended poorer schools?

Universities aren't that dumb. They look at where you did your GCSEs

It should mean the intelligence of the would be pupils is higher.
A place due to brain power rather than due to the better tuition money can buy.

I fear UK2020 is not Cambridge educated themselves with that “argument”. Durrr.

Oxbridge’s domestic intake is 3 in 10 from independent schools, which educate just 6.5 per cent of UK children (from FT).

How is broadening access a bad thing? Why is there an assumption that only privately educated students are good enough to go there? Why shouldn’t a student from a non academic family, in an area of low aspiration, achieving straight A*s have the opportunity?

There is no way for them to answer that question oxana without them outing themselves …..

Thank goodness.

Looking at merit rather than their parents ability to pay out so they can surpass all the hard working pupils who don’t have the money.

Great that they’re cottoning on to parents trying to game the system by using state education for the last two years too.

Because they must continue to be punished in society for the circumstances they were born into…

This.

This.

@SillySmart We didn’t choose to privately educate our children to increase their chances of oxbridge. I don’t care if they don’t go to university at all. They get so much from their school, that’s why we chose it.

Op would hate to hear about Dh he got to Cambridge entirely on his own merit no one in his family had even stayed on post 16 ever his parents weren’t able to help at all. Did it himself with the support of some fab teachers at his comp. How dreadful!

Aww sour grapes.

Discrimination, IF it were (it isn’t) not very nice to be on the other end of that for once is it?

A lot of moaning about how unfair it is now that a WC smart child should be picked over a private school child….just awful isn’t it!

The irony.

Not churlish at all. At universities, we want the brightest, not the richest.

Poor kids, imagine the immense amount of pressure from your parents if their main motivation for paying all that money for private school is you getting into Oxbridge.

And then it’s not even what you want, or you’re just not up to it.

With how competitive places are you’re just setting your child up to feel like a failure and disappointment, even though they’re not going to be either of those things Oxbridge or not.

Widening participation is a good thing, and it’s disappointing it’s taken this long really.

Oh my god that is awful. That place could have been taken by a respectable private school student, who deserved it because they paid for their education. How very dare he!

Just joking, I know of many like your DH and it’s fantastic. A fairer society would be amazing.

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?

There are many good universities, not just Oxbridge.

Tbh, the only two people I know who paid for private school did so because their offspring weren't that bright, so they wanted small classes to give them the best chance of passing some exams. Neither went to uni. (Clearly I don't mix in the right circles)

Don’t forget also those people with ‘middle or slightly above’ Dcs academically are potentially more likely to do better in an independent school than state as you are buying more teacher time, better resources and cutting out a lot of the stuff that might cause some children to underperform. your DC will only get to these top rated universities if they have the grades to do so. It is not a given that fees will buy you brainier children- if that makes sense. The very intelligent state school children will be brighter than those who score under them in independent s of course.They are there on merit and of course have worked hard to get there against sometimes less than perfect environments.

My thoughts are Hallefuckinglujah!!!

About time. May it continue until it represents the proportion of people going to private school (7%).
I always think if you compare 2 people with similar grades, you should choose the one who achieved them with as little support. Imagine one has gone to a school with a class size of 32, in a poorly equipped school, with children with lots of needs, behavioural problems, little academic motivation, parents not knowing the system and still perform well in exams and interview. Compared to one who was in class sizes of 15, all the support in the world and an ton of confidence (not always warranted - looking at our former PM). I would be more impressed with the former.

My daughter had a school access visit to Oxford. One of the things they told her was they look at your grade compared to average grades for your school. I must admit it's one of the factors in the decision for her not to move from a comprehensive to the local grammar for 6th form which she should get the grades to do.

So I'm not sure going to a grammar they gets all A/a star will get them all those state advantages.

she used in right context as students are countable -
www.sarahtownsendeditorial.co.uk/2015/11/less-and-fewer-simple-tip/

Me too. I hope it keeps happening in all areas of life. Until the old boys network crumbles.

What is the difference between a child from private school, a grammar school or a house price selective state comp? All of them give an unfair advantage to children from wealthier backgrounds. It is a very crude tool being used in efforts to create equality and try to solve the problem. What about doing it based on free school meals or universal credit (or similar) to truly and fairly offer the places to children whose access to “good” education has been limited by their position at birth?

Ok sorry you’ve lost me now! Private school Kids esp at boarding school may have more taught study time but it’s ridiculous to say they work harder in terms of independent work. But sounds like private is more your thing and I’m sure your dc will get to oxbridge if they try hard enough and show passion for their subject. Maybe go to an oxbridge talk- you’ll find out it’s not all about the grades.

mumyes · Yesterday 22:43
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

i think Oxbridge are wise to that trick🤦‍♀️

That article you linked says exactly the opposite of what you said @Happyvalleyfan. It should be fewer as you can count the number of students.