whose dc has got into Cambridge from state school?

[brimfull]

dd thinks she has no chance.

my nephew did

maths

my nephew got an offer & turned it down! Dh & I both went, all from grammars though. It would be interesting to know the %age of non grammar v grammar state oxbridge entrants.

I went to oxford from a pretty rubbish comp. Being from a state school isn't that much of a disadvantage, and tutors in most oxbridge colleges are actively looking for ways to increase state-school numbers.

But no point in applying to Cambridge unless she knows why she wants to go there rather than another place. And that involves deciding what subject she really wants to do, and which place teaches it best.

my Dad is a bursar at one of the colleges in Cambridge - they have alot of access days from regular state schools and send students and lecturers to schools across the country to try to up their numbers.
The difficult thing for alot of schools is that the application system is totally separate from the UCAS system and if they don't have many students going through that system it can feel complicated.

If she knows which college she would like to attend she could be getting in touch to see if she could look round etc to wet her appetite.

I was offered an Oxford place coming from a rough comp and an even rougher family. It was clear in the interview and exams that I had not been educated to the level of other students and I had to work hard but they wanted me despite my background. IN the end it was me that turned them down for the lights of London.

One friend's child going to Cambridge and one to Oxford this year from comps.

Both universities run open days specifically for maths, which may help your dd clarify her thoughts about what she wants to study and why.

Not my DC, but my sister studied maths at Cambridge and went to a comprehensive school.

i went to cambridge - having been at a very rough state school to GCSE, changed schools to a much more academic one for A levels - i think this helped me to get in as my headmaster was very keen to get a pupil into Cambridge (he started at the school just before i joined) so used to fire practise interview questions at me whenever he saw me

with cambridge a lot of whether or not you get a place depends on the college you apply to as much as the subject you study - for example colleges like trinity & st johns which are probably the best known have very stringent interviews & still make about 3 offers for every place - which means if you drop a grade you almost certainly wont get in. the newer colleges like robinson are supposedly much easier to get into especially if you are at state school, and they have a lower ratio of offers to places.

kings has a lot of state school pupils but they very much pick to a certain type - all the people i knew from there were VERY pc, politically active etc - the girls all used to do the reclaim the night marches etc (no offence to anyone meant - but thats the type they look to admit)

DH went to Cambridge (natural sciences) from a bog standard Manchester comp.

Which year is your DD in ggirl? If it is year 13 then AFAIK Oxbridge applications have to be made by October 15th (and you submit the rest of your UCAS form at the same time). If it is year 12 then she has rather longer to think about it.

she's yr 12 so we have time to think

there are obviously plenty of other great places that will suit her

she just needs to decide what she wants to do....difficult one

Oxford and Cambridge have stopped the separate application forms this year. The applications all go through UCAS now and the forms are filled in online. There should be no disadvantage at all applying from a state school. Go on the Oxford and Cambridge websites, they are very helpful and give lots of advice. They are trying really hard to help those pupils with no experience with family/friends of the Oxbridge system to apply. But your daughter does need to realise how stiff the competition is, e.g needs lots/probably all As/A*s at GCSE to start with and definitely 3 As at A2. The state school to which my DC go/went has 20+ students gaining places at Oxford or Cambridge every year so it is more than possible (is a grammar school, though). Good luck!

My friend went to a rough comprehensive. She studied maths at Cambridge. And now teaches at Harrow.

I think the stats are 50/50 for state versus independent students. That said I think the majority of those state students are from grammar schools.
However, I am a firm beliver that you have to be in it to win it. Your DD should go for it. Why not? The worst that could happen is she ends up another great Uni.

2 pupils from my DS's school last year.

do encourage her if she is very able in maths
They are specially wanting natural gifted maths students to do maths degree

DS 1 was told this He is 14
Although he does not now want to do maths degree
thhis is from boys state grammar
8 students last yr went to Oxbridge
5 from the girls grammar

Google millenium maths project at cambridge
And sign up to the site as they have seminars and publications etc

I noticed that DD's state comp only mentioned one girl that got into Cambridge this year .

If DD is predicted top grades at A level then I don't see any reason why she shouldn't apply. She wants to study medicine. But there are plently of other choices so we won't be too dissapointed if not.

Quite a few go from the local comps around here.

DD is applying to Cambridge this month - just completing her personal statement etc etc.

She preferred Oxford as a city, but Cambridge has a moew modern course. It's tough, but if you don't apply you will never know!

My best friend went to Oxford from our bog standard state school. Three others went to Cambridge around the same time (one of them was the writer, Zadie Smith ).

She has nothing to lose and everything to gain!

my cousin went to Cambridge from state school and he was only 15. But it was yaers ago. And his impressive achievemant was somwhat sullied by happening in the year that Ruth Lawrence was accepted.

Not bad from a bog irish family though

DH read maths at Cambridge from a state school. Only thing I would say is he is very bright and breezed through 4 A levels gaining A's without much study (I know - we were dating then) but found the jump to Maths at Cambridge where he had to work fo rthe first time a huge adjustment. He did make the change, but I will never forget how hard he had to work - lectures 6 days a week and studying for much longer hours than I did.

That said, he had a fab time and would do it again, and no, being form a state school should not make a difference.

Suggest you look carefully at the Colleges - the mix between state and independent schools varies by College. There is a lot of info available on the net - including details of all the Open Days for subjects and colleges. My son started in October - we did a lot of research to choose the right College etc. He is doing Maths and I have quite a bit of info about offers per place for each college, etc etc. He is loving it - good luck!!

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I am an admissions interview for a top Cambridge college. This is how to get in if you go to a state school:

1. Get considerably better GCSE grades than the average for your school. If only 25% at your school get 5 A-C grades, and you get 6 A or A* grades, you will look amazing to us.

1. Make sure you're predicted AAA or AAB at A level, with a couple of good grades at AS level as well if you can.

1. Consider sitting an Advanced Extension Award, even if you have to teach yourself.

1. Mix with as many other bright Year 12s and Year 13s as you can, and practise having lots of cut throat debates about the subjects you are studying and intellectual matters in general. Get yourself used to the rough and tumble of academic debate (this is where most people fall down).

1. Go to one of the college Open Days and practise talking to other bright people there as well.

1. Make sure you actually apply. You have nothing to lose because our admissions system interviews everyone, which will level the playing field for you a lot.

1. Remember a lot of academics are quite left wing and will bend over backwards to encourage people from state schools to get on in life.

1. We are not that interested in what hobbies you have, unless you have done something amazing like circumnavigated the globe single handedly. Everyone has loads of hobbies down in their personal statement and they look very formulaic to us as a result. Having said that, we do like seeing things like Grade 8 instruments and playing sport at county level though, because that takes masses of graft over a very long period of time, which is a good indication someone will work hard at university.

Hope that helps - other admissions tutors might have bit and pieces to add as well.

my best mate got into Oxford from a state school