Page 1 of 1

CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 12:21 am
by Looking for help
Hi,
My son has been asked by his school to apply to this - Cambridge University Students Union - shadowing. It's a four day thing aimed at children who have no experience of university. Ahem.
From the blurb associated it states that it is designed for 6th formers who have been spotted as expected to achieve A*AA but have no experience of university.
School have told mr lfh to go for it.
However his mother, father and three siblings have all attended university so how does he qualify ?
Does anyone have any experience ? Surely the fact that everyone he knows has been to university will count against him ?

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 7:51 am
by KB
http://www.applytocambridge.com/shadowing/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It does seem strange.
Does DC go to a school that doesn't usually have Oxbridge applicants? If so maybe they have just looked at their top students this year and not thought it through any further.

It is very popular so I think the same as you, that family associations will probably exclude him.
I guess it depends how time consuming the application is and if completing it has merit in itself.

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 9:04 am
by hermanmunster
I expect they haven't looked any further - there are several of these things around and they usually exclude kids whose parents went to Uni. Though sometimes I wonder how they would know.... ?

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 12:13 pm
by Looking for help
Hi KB and Herman, thanks.
I agree it is weird.
The school doesn't have many Oxbridge applicants, I think there were none in this year's Y13, but 2 in the current Y13.
He is in y12, and bless him, is really excited about this. I have explained it is unlikely he will be accepted .
the school really ought to have broached the subject first.

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:29 pm
by neveragain*
My dd is at Cambridge and has signed up to be shadowed! They are all very excited about it!

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 11:42 pm
by Looking for help
Which is great, I'm sure , if the process works correctly, neveragain.
Currently it seems it be flawed. There is no point whatsoever in attracting top students for a jolly if they will be refused due to family association to university .
Seems like whoever dreamt the scheme up needs to think about what it is they are trying to achieve.
My son isn't fussed about Oxbridge, he's more interested in finding the right course for him, I am confident he will. He is however upset that he is being used as fodder to make it sound like Cambridge is somewhere for everyone. Whether that is the fault of Cambridge (if you look at the form it does seem to be ) or the school that's a matter for discussion

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 7:41 am
by KB
I'm not sure I understand what Cambridge have done wrong? Not saying they haven't - just don't understand your point, sorry.

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:10 am
by Looking for help
All I am saying is for whatever reason the scheme is not attracting the people it is intended to attract. Whether that's the fault of Cambridge or the school, who knows ?
But my son and I'm sure others being asked to apply would love to do it but it seems to me that they won't be accepted. Which is a disappointment I think.

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:28 am
by ToadMum
The CUSU does say that the scheme is aimed at students predicted 'A's who attend schools not usually sending students to the university or don't have family association with university or who have concerns about applying to Cambridge. However, it then says that if family have attended university or the student is already intending to apply to Cambridge, would they please come to an open day instead.

Did the school just target its 'A' students, the school itself being in the 'few students going to Cambridge' category? Does the school know that you all went to university? DS1's school makes some kind of prediction of grades given background - sorry, can't remember the acronym - but I don't recall being asked about my own educational attainment. Perhaps a private chat to check the individual student's eligibility would have been in order?

Re: CUSU Shadowing project

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 11:01 am
by Looking for help
Yes I think that would have been the right thing. I don't know whether they have ever asked about our qualifications, although my daughter did some work experience there this year during her summer break from oh you've guessed it university !!
Also a quick word with my son would have sorted it out.
The school is a brilliant one but historically many students have left to go to a 6th form college local to us which is academically excellent -although pastoral care is shocking. So the school my son attends doesn't perform so well in league tables for a levels. But this is not a bad thing as students currently in year 13 going through the ucas process are getting offers of 2 grades below the expected offer. These are typically Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter so we watch with interest to see how it all pans out.
He will be very cross though if he doesn't do the Cambridge thing as his take on it was that it was the school not usually sending so many students to university rather than the families themselves. Although now I'm making the school sound terrible and it isn't really. This year and last have seen a rise in the number of the more academically able staying on, so the results should improve now.