Cambridge route....

[moved]

DD and her friends have interviews next week. I will update afterwards.

[SteveDH]

Good luck, and even if the interview seems to go terribly, you may still get an offer,
and even if you get a letter saying the college doesn't want you, you may still get a place through clearing.

[Daogroupie]

How does that work? I thought Oxbridge did not use clearing? DG

[Guest55]

I think SteveDH means the 'pooling' process in January.

[Daogroupie]

OK thanks. I know about pooling at Oxbridge and Clearing as two different things! DG

[moved]

DD unlikely to make the pool as her UMS were only 89% average due to a dodgy paper.
Really hoping that they like her. I've warned her about the fact that an interview can be dreadful and she could still be offered a place.
What will be, will be.

[SteveDH]

Yes sorry I meant pooling.
A ums just means you don't automatically get pooled, so a college can still think your good, just that they don't have enough places and pool you.
Anyway good luck... and even if she doesn't get in that could be for the best.

One new Student in DD's college only lasted a couple of weeks this year before giving up.

[Daogroupie]

Gosh. Does she know why? How terrible.

But I do know of a engineering student at Oxford who hated every minute of it and gave up at Xmas a few years ago. They moved to a red brick and loved it. DG

[KB]

Yes, please remind them that Oxbridge is not right for everyone and that getting a place doesn't guarantee success any more than not getting a place indicates inadequacies.
They are suited to a certain kind of intelligence and character but there are still plenty of very able students who do just as well or better elsewhere.
The lifestyle is very special but it only lasts 3 or 4 years and if you aren't happy there the wearing of gowns for dinner doesn't compensate much!

To those with interviews, very best wishes for the right outcome.

[SteveDH]

Gosh. Does she know why? How terrible.

DG

As far as my DD knows she just didn't like it there and actually really wanted to go to Leeds.
I'm guessing there was some pressure from parents, and I hope she managed to sort something so she could switch, although I expect she may have to take a year out.

I quite liked Leeds, we went to a post offer open day, and while us parents were being told about all the practical stuff, our DC's were taken off to solder quite an interesting led device etc.