Oxbridge 2020 interview

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stroudydad
Posts: 2246
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: Oxbridge 2020 interview

Post by stroudydad »

Jean.Brodie wrote:
SteveDH wrote:Good luck to your DD.
The college may give a hint as to what to expect in the interviews, although at least in my DDs case reality didn't match what they said, however as long as your DD knows her subject and can think out of the box if necessary she should be ok.
Even if she thinks the interview went terribly it may have not,
and even if it did there is clearing.

My DD failed her interview, but got a phone call in the middle of clearing offering her a place without another interview.
Hi SteveDH! ... A fellow, former Henrietta Barnett School parent? ... My daughter is still at Cambridge, now in her final year. I wonder if the two girls' paths crossed there!

For the benefit of current and future applicants, did you mean 'Cambridge Summer Pool' after A Level results come out in August or 'Cambridge Winter Pool' in January of Year 13? I believe 'clearing', as such, is not available to Cambridge. Either way, in those days her original offer must have been made in January.

As for interviews, different subjects use them differently, to establish different things. For many candidates, they can also be varied in the same subject cohort and used to probe for, for example, passion for subject, evidence of critical and wider reading, breadth or depth of subject knowledge, ability to think, suitability to learn in the distinctive tutorial style, resilience under pressure, and so on.

The Admissions Tutors I know have said that another feature is that most who make it have done relatively 'badly' in their interviews. But the 'low' interview scores nevertheless show that the stronger candidates on paper also did a bit better in the 'bad' interviews.

Getting an offer means that the candidate was strong enough overall and relatively few start at Cambridge having done brilliantly in every part of the application process.

Cambridge also now do adjustment, so if you exceed you firm offer, you can apply to Cambridge for adjustment. (As long as you had an initial (unsuccessful) interview.
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Oxbridge 2020 interview

Post by ToadMum »

Cambridge Adjustment isn't the same as the normal UCAS Adjustment process, though. For the latter, the applicant makes the decision whether or not to try to 'trade up' if they exceed the terms of their existing conditional firm offer; however, for Cambridge, you have to have gone through the whole application process but failed at the interview stage and fall into one of the 'contextual' groups. And Cambridge contacts the applicant to advise them of their eligibility.

Applicants who meet the above (contextual) criteria will have received correspondence from the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges. Applicants who do not meet the above criteria will not be considered.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/adjustment
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
stroudydad
Posts: 2246
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:25 pm

Re: Oxbridge 2020 interview

Post by stroudydad »

ToadMum wrote:Cambridge Adjustment isn't the same as the normal UCAS Adjustment process, though. For the latter, the applicant makes the decision whether or not to try to 'trade up' if they exceed the terms of their existing conditional firm offer; however, for Cambridge, you have to have gone through the whole application process but failed at the interview stage and fall into one of the 'contextual' groups. And Cambridge contacts the applicant to advise them of their eligibility.

Applicants who meet the above (contextual) criteria will have received correspondence from the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges. Applicants who do not meet the above criteria will not be considered.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/adjustment
That’s what I love about this place. Always someone to improve your knowledge :D
Reading Mum
Posts: 1841
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:44 am
Location: Reading

Re: Oxbridge 2020 interview

Post by Reading Mum »

Happy to report that DD got an offer from Clare for vet med.
She has great grades but not in the league of some of those I have seen mentioned, and only 3 A levels.
8x9s, 8, 7, 6 (she would insist on doing art)
predicted A*A* and the 3rd was either A or A* (school never said what they put in the end).
No EPQ but plenty of vet relevant work experience
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Oxbridge 2020 interview

Post by Daogroupie »

Those are great grades and great predicted grades.

Odd school wont tell you what the third one was.

Work experience is definitely very key. DG
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