Oxford and Cambridge

[Anonymous]

Did anyone receive unconditional acceptance to Oxford or Cambridge this year? I know of conditional acceptances from last year requiring perfect IB scores.

[Anonymous]

I think they only offer conditional acceptance, even to British students. My husband is an Oxford guy and he got a conditional acceptance in the 90s, he's british

[Anonymous]

I had an unconditional acceptance in 1998 (matriculated in 1999). I had 3 AP tests - all 5's - before I applied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had an unconditional acceptance in 1998 (matriculated in 1999). I had 3 AP tests - all 5's - before I applied.

This is the answer. If a student has enough acceptable AP results from junior year, they might be fine. Otherwise it’s always going to be conditional until AP or IB results are in.

[Anonymous]

I think there’s going to be a big surge in applications from international students next year after what has happened at Harvard. It’ll probably be much tougher for international applicants. Too risky to go to a prestigious US college when the rug can be pulled out from under you at any point.

[Anonymous]

DC got conditional offer (IB score >=42) at Cambridge two years ago even if they were predicted to have a perfect score. Unconditional offers must be exceptions, at best.

[Anonymous]

My kid, who had 8 APs with scores of 5 by end of junior year, got an offer on the condition that he submit an official score report from the College Board. Seems that, for foreigners applying to Oxbridge, the AP curriculum is more advantageous than IB for this reason.

[Anonymous]

Unconditional, 11 APs by end of junior year, almost entirely 5s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid, who had 8 APs with scores of 5 by end of junior year, got an offer on the condition that he submit an official score report from the College Board. Seems that, for foreigners applying to Oxbridge, the AP curriculum is more advantageous than IB for this reason.

It is just that the IB scores are only available in July. UK schools therefore select IB students based on predicted scores but want to see the actual scores before making a firm offer. I think IB is an excellent option as IB scores have been less subject to grade inflation than GPAs/APs and are therefore easier to assess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid, who had 8 APs with scores of 5 by end of junior year, got an offer on the condition that he submit an official score report from the College Board. Seems that, for foreigners applying to Oxbridge, the AP curriculum is more advantageous than IB for this reason.

It is just that the IB scores are only available in July. UK schools therefore select IB students based on predicted scores but want to see the actual scores before making a firm offer. I think IB is an excellent option as IB scores have been less subject to grade inflation than GPAs/APs and are therefore easier to assess.

Oxbridge look at AP scores, not AP grades. It doesn't matter if your teacher gave you an A+ in AP Chem. If you got a 4 on the AP exam, that won't meet the Oxbridge minimum.

Oxbridge admissions are a bit of a black box, but it seems that they are aware of grade inflation and look to exams as an equalizer much more than teacher-assigned grades (esp. predicted IB or A-level grades). In the UK, they care about earned GCSEs much more than predicted A-levels.

IB scores come out after high school graduation. AP scores drip in each year. If a student has more than 5 AP scores of 5 in October of senior year AND they do very well on the required tests (MAT, TSA, etc), they are likely to be taken seriously by the committee that makes up the short list. Then, about two out of three are eliminated at the interview stage.

I was not suggesting that AP is superior to IB for any other reason than (possibly) Oxbridge admissions. Conditional offers are awful for US students -- American kids don't regularly face that pressure at the end of senior -- so having the AP box checked is better.

[Anonymous]

DC is a junior in an IB program. They already have 5 APs - all 5s. They took a few more APs this year. They might do great on IBs, but would APs suffice? I understand there is no formula for admissions. DC thinks unless they ace IBs they don't have a chance.

[Anonymous]

I've not heard of any applicants with both AP and IB. My gut says they'd take the APs alone, assuming a high (UK) entrance test score and an aced interview, since they do take APs alone for other applicants. But I have no data on which to base this. Offers (and rejections) come out in late January, so at least your DC will know where they stand well in advance of the IB tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unconditional, 11 APs by end of junior year, almost entirely 5s

Sweet! MAT/ TSA? Was there an interview too?

[Anonymous]

Son got in with just 4 APs at 5. That was all his HS offered. But he scored 96 on the MAT….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had an unconditional acceptance in 1998 (matriculated in 1999). I had 3 AP tests - all 5's - before I applied.

I had an unconditional offer in the early 90s. No APs, I was taking A leavels later that year. But I was a very exceptional individual. I have, however, wasted my potential on dcum and TikTok.