Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

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Looking for help
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by Looking for help »

Guest55 wrote:In 2012 many of my son's friends had grade drops accepted by their 'firm' because of the drop in National results - universities need to fill their places or they get fined.

Oxbridge also accepted people without the 'correct' grades ...
:evil: The poor kids that actually worked their socks off (eg my daughter) and got the grades they needed found that a number had dropped a grade. I think it was also the reduction in numbers applying last year because of the fee hike meant there were fewer applicants for each course too. Mind you if the shoe had been on the other foot I would have been delighted. :oops:
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by Guest55 »

Sorry - I don't agree - these students also worked very hard and some were caught out by really high grade boundaries ...

I don't think these 'adjustments' were just given out as it did not apply to everyone.
Snowdrops
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Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by Snowdrops »

neveragain* wrote:My Dd offer is A*AA but the A* can be in anything, her insurance is AAA. Cambridge have agreed to a gap year now if she wnTs one, we have 2 weeks or so to decide.....I worry she may get lonely. She has offers for some international NgO work, also some European Youth Parliament work - but in between she will be working in a shop over 25 hours a week and saving up....any thoughts?
I think her feeling was that she would benefit from a rest from academic work before the short terms and stress of Cambridge, also getting over the rawness of the grief from the suicides in our family.
I think it wouldn't do her any harm at all to have the year out, and what a year out is planned!

My son took a year out and it made him a rounder person who happily went off to uni when the time came, a little older and a lot wiser than he would otherwise have been.

She does need to 'get her head round' what has happened. I mentioned to you before that we too had a suicide of a very close family member a few weeks before Christmas. It is so very different from death itself, she will be struggling to come to terms with what's happened. Again, I can only seeing taking a year out being of benefit to her.
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Looking for help
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by Looking for help »

Oh my goodness, neveragain* I am so sorry for your losses, and I would agree that a gap year won't do her any harm at all. In the circumstances it might be exactly what is needed.

She must need some time free from stress and worry, where she doesn't have to be constantly thinking about essays and deadlines etc. In terms of loneliness, I'm sure some of her friends won't be going off to uni this year either for different reasons, I'm sure that won't be such a concern, especially if she's busy working too.
Marylou
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Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by Marylou »

Snowdrops wrote: My son took a year out and it made him a rounder person who happily went off to uni when the time came, a little older and a lot wiser than he would otherwise have been.
Same with my DD whose gap year was somewhat enforced, but she was so much more mature and prepared when the time came. The money she saved has also come in handy! :)
Marylou
jemima
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Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by jemima »

How heart rending to hear what some of your DC's have had to cope with.
In terms of whether children are ready for uni, interestingly my DS1 and DD 1 were June/July birthdays - I really notice how my DD2 is a Dec birthday and is raring to go off to uni. June birthday did a course change. I guess, even though they are older teens, we have to look at our children and what is best for them. Bizarrely when DS2 (16) starts talking about uni I struggle to think he's even old enough to consider it.
C. J.
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Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:06 pm
Location: West Watford

Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by C. J. »

I think there are lots of benefits to a gap year before Uni, many of which have been mentioned, but there are also lots of downsides too. Loneliness can indeed be a big feature.

Cambridge will be hard work and stressful, but it will also be loads of fun. And 'new', even if it is still academic.

I am so sorry for your losses, but my personal experience is that grief will stay with you for as long as it needs wherever you are, and it will be no easier or more difficult to assimilate either at home or away.

Would it be possible to go back to Cambridge and walk around again so she can ask herself honestly (now that she does have the choice) -'do I want to be here and part of all this next year? Or do I want to do the other stuff first and come the year after?'
T12ACY
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Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by T12ACY »

Warmest congratulations to those with offers. DS didn't get an offer to study English, totally expected that to be the case so wasn't fussed by the 'rejection'. What it did give was a valuable life experience imo. Cambridge Uni wasn't even on his radar until the school suggested he apply a few months ago so to get an interview was amazing, especially given the high standard of international interest in studying the subject at this Uni. He did get an offer from Queen Mary, which is where his heart always had been so all is good.

Our family have never been 'academic' (parents etc. have no qual's. to speak of or attended college, let alone a Uni!) so he has bucked the trend and I am super proud of him regardless :D
moved
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Re: Anyone got a DC making an Oxbridge application

Post by moved »

Congratulations, we all need our proud parent moments. :D
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