Oxbridge Decision Outcome 2020

[tiffinboys]

If some businesses make such rules, they would be handled as anti-competitive.

[tabasco]

Loobylou didn't say that any one who receives an Oxbridge offer would firm it...she said 95%+ which is about right. Very few students go through the entire Oxbridge application/interview/offer process and then turn the place down. 5% is probably being generous, and Oxbridge Colleges know this - they invest a lot of time in trying to identify whether they think these very academic students are a good fit for their college - and the students get a good idea of what they are setting themselves up for - any that have doubts usually pull out before the offer stage.

No other university has the capacity to be that rigorous as they are all so much larger - particular courses are more akin to the selection process (for example Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary where interviews are essential and there are other hurdles to jump before the application process). Their bigger size means that they have increased capacity to deal with any potential blips with over offering (and candidates meeting the offer) and under offering (and having to "find" extra candidates). For the small numbers at Oxbridge, they need to be far nearer 'bang on" with their offer ratio.

I have heard of a DC being rejected by Oxford even though with very high admission test score. The reason given was the applicant will find the tutorial system difficult according to the feedback.

There is also no resit if a student failed their end of year exam at Cambridge (not sure about Oxford). The student will then be asked to withdraw from the university unless there is extenuating circumstances.

[loobylou]

Loobylou didn't say that any one who receives an Oxbridge offer would firm it...she said 95%+ which is about right. Very few students go through the entire Oxbridge application/interview/offer process and then turn the place down. 5% is probably being generous, and Oxbridge Colleges know this - they invest a lot of time in trying to identify whether they think these very academic students are a good fit for their college - and the students get a good idea of what they are setting themselves up for - any that have doubts usually pull out before the offer stage.

No other university has the capacity to be that rigorous as they are all so much larger - particular courses are more akin to the selection process (for example Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary where interviews are essential and there are other hurdles to jump before the application process). Their bigger size means that they have increased capacity to deal with any potential blips with over offering (and candidates meeting the offer) and under offering (and having to "find" extra candidates). For the small numbers at Oxbridge, they need to be far nearer 'bang on" with their offer ratio.

Yes this is what I meant. Whatever algorithm O and C use to determine their offers will be very different from most other universities. They make far fewer offers (we were told at HE info evening at last week that 60% of applicants don't get an offer whereas many other universities seem to offer to well offer 90% of applicants) but the people who don't take those offers are likely to be those who don't make the grades rather than students choosing not to firm them.
We were told the majority of students get 5 offers (but obviously dependent on course etc)and so the rate of universities not having their offer firmed is going to be probably close to 70%.
It seems to me (and we're just at the start of this process with dd being in year 12) that students are deciding fairly early on whether they want to apply to Oxbridge or not. A relatively high proportion of their students do so it's definitely on the radar for many but lots have decided that their course isn't best served by Oxbridge or they dislike the collegiate system or they want to go to a bigger city etc etc etc...
But those who do like the idea are almost inevitably going to accept their place if they do the exam and interview etc and then get an offer

[Jean.Brodie]

Hi kenyancowgirl and loobylou! Some actual, latest, available statistics, from their respective Admissions Web Pages:

Cambridge 2019 Entry: Applications 19359, Offers 4761 (25%), Accepted 3528 (18%).

Oxford 2018 Entry: Applications 21515, Offers 3840 (18%), Accepted 3309 (15%).

[NB: Cambridge has offered more since losing, after Summer 2016, the use of 'AS' Level actual scores as a key selection metric. They 'over offer',usually with even tougher Offer Conditions, because they cannot fairly separate so many strong applicants in the January of Year 13. That final selection is done by actual, full A Level (and equivalent) exam results,especially A Levels, the following August.]

[streathammum]

So about 75% of Cambridge offers were accepted and about 86% of Oxford's. I admit I'm slightly surprised the rates aren't higher but I suspect they are still higher than for most institutions.

[tiffinboys]

What does accepted means here?

Accepted by applicants? or
Accepted by Universities after A level results?

[kenyancowgirl]

A very important distinction TB, as you note...!

[loobylou]

What does accepted means here?

Accepted by applicants? or
Accepted by Universities after A level results?

I assumed accepted by universities after results.

[Jean.Brodie]

Offer - means Applicant receives an offer of a place, usually in January of Year 13, conditional on certain grades being achieved in the following August.

Accepted - means Offer conditions met by Applicant and they started studying at that University.

These are standard terms in this context.

The key figures are 18% and 15%, which are the 'success' rates for Cambridge and Oxford Entrance, respectively.

[ToadMum]

Offer - means Applicant receives an offer of a place, usually in January of Year 13, conditional on certain grades being achieved in the following August.

Accepted - means Offer conditions met by Applicant and they started studying at that University.

These are standard terms in this context.

The key figures are 18% and 15%, which are the 'success' rates for Cambridge and Oxford Entrance, respectively.

Yes, but it's 15% and 18% of the given year's cohort of applicants. Neither Oxford nor Cambridge can (tempted to say, or want to, because neither is exactly strapped for cash for new buildings, land to put them up on, or academic and other staff to staff them, but...) increase the number of places available, so more applicants one year means a lower acceptance
acceptance rate (assuming that the 15% and 18% in the example year represent all places being filled), fewer applicants (assuming that there were still more well qualified candidates who just didn't make the cut) applicants and the acceptance rate would look more encouraging.