Applications for 2011
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
Re: Applications for 2011
.
Last edited by Belinda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Applications for 2011
I used to be very surprised when I read in the press about candidates for Oxbridge who were turnrd away despite getting GCSE A*s and being predicted As at A2 but having been through the process of applying to Oxford with DD1 I am surprised no longer!
All those applying seem to have A*s at GCSE (usually 11), UMS scores of 90+ in the FIRST sitting of the AS modules and usually 100s in the subject they wish to study, many have OU 30 point courses (not the 10 point ones that they can do in school. In addition most are predicted 3A*s at A2 and certainly at least one. Not to mention all the extra curricular music achievements! It really is horrendous out there!
The Cambridge admissions tutor at school the other evening said that the average UMS scores of those admitted to his university were over 95 and of those interviewed the UMSscores averaged 93.
I seem to remember applying to university being a fun process with the postman bringing those little badly printed slips with offers on them and the student postman writing good luck messages on the distinctive envelopes! Now like so much else its just grim.
All those applying seem to have A*s at GCSE (usually 11), UMS scores of 90+ in the FIRST sitting of the AS modules and usually 100s in the subject they wish to study, many have OU 30 point courses (not the 10 point ones that they can do in school. In addition most are predicted 3A*s at A2 and certainly at least one. Not to mention all the extra curricular music achievements! It really is horrendous out there!
The Cambridge admissions tutor at school the other evening said that the average UMS scores of those admitted to his university were over 95 and of those interviewed the UMSscores averaged 93.
I seem to remember applying to university being a fun process with the postman bringing those little badly printed slips with offers on them and the student postman writing good luck messages on the distinctive envelopes! Now like so much else its just grim.
Re: Applications for 2011
.
Last edited by Belinda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
hermanmunster
- Posts: 12901
- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
- Location: The Seaside
Re: Applications for 2011
I visited one university that said they made no offers until they had looked at everything after January 15th. However I also worked for one university who dealt with applications as they came in ... however they tended not to look at the Oxbridge candidates straight away prefering to wait and see what happened with them.
Re: Applications for 2011
In reply to the question asked by Belinda a few posts back ... my DC has put in her application as it is for Oxbridge. A number of pupils from her school have also submitted theirs even if they are not Oxbridge. I know 1 applicant whose first choice is Durham he pressed "submit" on October 16th specifically so as not to be confused with Oxbridge applications.
Re: Applications for 2011
.
Last edited by Belinda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Applications for 2011
I see now why I was confused. I imagined that the non Oxbridge candidates would wait until after the 15 th of October to submit applications but of course there is no reason for that . Except of course that universities might assume the candidate is applying to Oxbridge and if the results are very good not make an offer.Last year two pupils at my DD's school had offers from Cambridge but no other university made an offer. If they didn't get the grades for Cambridge thay had no place at all. I have to conclude that the other unis they applied to had enough excellent candidates to not bother with them assuming that they would definitely get an offer from Cambridge. Very cut throat.
At the risk of being an Oxbridge bore my DD went to the Organ trials in September and was interviewed at both Oxford and Cambridge with Oxford as her first choice. She wasn't offered an organ scholarship and was disappointed but she did know she was flying a kite and did go there partly as a fact finding exercise as only organ scholars an apply to both and unlike Choral scholars have academic interviews at the same time .It seemed like too ood a chance to miss. She had a good nose around and of course got a chance to talk to students already there and go through the interview process . She had a fantastic time and it was ,in the end good for her to be turned down as she is used to being successful nd we all have to learn to cope with rejection. She only moped around for two days and then got up again and after seeing the feed back is applying again .
A couple of things struck her which might be worth a thought. Everyone at Cambridge commented on her results. No one at Oxford was remotely interested. They were only interested in how she could think and what she had said in her personal statement about the subject. No one was interested in anything extra curricula . In fact she had only devoted two lines to that type of thing and she had skewed them to refelect her interest in the subject.She also said there were plenty of people there who did not have loads of A*s but they did have a passion for the subject which was evident.They had all read widely outside the syllabus and lived and breathed the subject.Of course this is only her experience and may not apply to all subjects.
At the risk of being an Oxbridge bore my DD went to the Organ trials in September and was interviewed at both Oxford and Cambridge with Oxford as her first choice. She wasn't offered an organ scholarship and was disappointed but she did know she was flying a kite and did go there partly as a fact finding exercise as only organ scholars an apply to both and unlike Choral scholars have academic interviews at the same time .It seemed like too ood a chance to miss. She had a good nose around and of course got a chance to talk to students already there and go through the interview process . She had a fantastic time and it was ,in the end good for her to be turned down as she is used to being successful nd we all have to learn to cope with rejection. She only moped around for two days and then got up again and after seeing the feed back is applying again .
A couple of things struck her which might be worth a thought. Everyone at Cambridge commented on her results. No one at Oxford was remotely interested. They were only interested in how she could think and what she had said in her personal statement about the subject. No one was interested in anything extra curricula . In fact she had only devoted two lines to that type of thing and she had skewed them to refelect her interest in the subject.She also said there were plenty of people there who did not have loads of A*s but they did have a passion for the subject which was evident.They had all read widely outside the syllabus and lived and breathed the subject.Of course this is only her experience and may not apply to all subjects.
-
hermanmunster
- Posts: 12901
- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
- Location: The Seaside
Re: Applications for 2011
Dinah, thanks for posting this - i think it is extremely helpful info, just out of interest which subject did she apply for?dinah wrote:.
A couple of things struck her which might be worth a thought. Everyone at Cambridge commented on her results. No one at Oxford was remotely interested. They were only interested in how she could think and what she had said in her personal statement about the subject. No one was interested in anything extra curricula . In fact she had only devoted two lines to that type of thing and she had skewed them to refelect her interest in the subject.She also said there were plenty of people there who did not have loads of A*s but they did have a passion for the subject which was evident.They had all read widely outside the syllabus and lived and breathed the subject.Of course this is only her experience and may not apply to all subjects.
Re: Applications for 2011
Yes thank you Dinah for the info ... more or less backed up what I had heard especially around extra-curricular. Slight concern over Cambridge showing more interest in marks but i am sure it will always differ between colleges and faculties. DD trully does have both ability and "passion" (she has been told never to use this word as too cliched) for her subject with a very good (but not exceptional) set of GCSE and AS's ... I think it will be down to her and the skill of the interviewer (if she gets an interview) to show what she has to offer. Having said that I keep reminding her and various friends of hers when we speak about it that there is a great deal of luck in the process as the standard is high. Good luck to all DC and DP's going through this!
Re: Applications for 2011
Hermanmunster-She applied for Classics.
I have just remembered she said at the general interview they asked her what she would do if she was PM for a day. I doubt if they will ask the same question at that particular college again as the same candidates might turn up again but as a guide that is the sort of thing that might come up for any candidate for any subject.
For what it's worth, the feed back said she was'very teachable' and 'very natural' and this is why they have asked her to come back for another go.Her school believes that the 'very teachable' bit is the most important and by this I think they mean that when asked a question which she didn't respond to exactly as they had wished she followed the prompts they gave and could add something to what they offered which moved it all forward.She felt that the parts where she didn't share her thinking were the parts where it wasn't so good. She also said she used far too many 'fillers' to buy some thinking time instead of thinking aloud which is what they wanted.For example, when the interviewer made a comment about the subject, she might have said things like 'that's interesting' which she was using as a moment to collect her thoughts which was met with 'that's not relevant or useful-I know it's interesting . I'm looking for some analytical thought'.
You can only take this as one person's experience in one subject but if it helps I am happy to share it because it is down to each individual candidate on the day,however much you try to analyse it all. Some of it is certainly down to luck as in who else turns up to the party!
I have just remembered she said at the general interview they asked her what she would do if she was PM for a day. I doubt if they will ask the same question at that particular college again as the same candidates might turn up again but as a guide that is the sort of thing that might come up for any candidate for any subject.
For what it's worth, the feed back said she was'very teachable' and 'very natural' and this is why they have asked her to come back for another go.Her school believes that the 'very teachable' bit is the most important and by this I think they mean that when asked a question which she didn't respond to exactly as they had wished she followed the prompts they gave and could add something to what they offered which moved it all forward.She felt that the parts where she didn't share her thinking were the parts where it wasn't so good. She also said she used far too many 'fillers' to buy some thinking time instead of thinking aloud which is what they wanted.For example, when the interviewer made a comment about the subject, she might have said things like 'that's interesting' which she was using as a moment to collect her thoughts which was met with 'that's not relevant or useful-I know it's interesting . I'm looking for some analytical thought'.
You can only take this as one person's experience in one subject but if it helps I am happy to share it because it is down to each individual candidate on the day,however much you try to analyse it all. Some of it is certainly down to luck as in who else turns up to the party!
