Oxbridge warning

That is awful to hear. However, that is largely what makes Cambridge the best in the country. They work you harder than the rest. It's not suited to everyone.

I find it 'amusing' that some people go to Oxbridge knowing they are the best two universities in the country (therefore their degree is more respected) yet they act so shocked and hard done by when they have to do copious amounts of work.

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/camdata/undergraduate.html

Only about 20% get a 2.2 or below at Cambridge. So unless about 80% get the same at Oxford, I think your stat is a bit out.

Not necessarily, I don't think. Using your link and narrowing it just to NatSci, it seems to vary by paper (and year) a fair amount, doesn't it?

Is there a source for the "20% overall" somewhere?

It's in the link I provided, under "Results for Tripos examinations with a divided second class summarised by year".

Even when you do narrow to NatSci, the percentage doesn't go above 50% for any paper except one taken by 7 people.

the problem of oxbridge is that too many people there do not deserve to get a place in the first place. (at least for maths)

Please expand.

My son, at a Scottish school, excelled. Everything he turned his hand to turned to gold. Straight A's in every exam he took, seemingly effortlessly. Dux of his school (ie highest academic achiever in his year). We were thrilled and proud when he was accepted to do Natural Sciences at Cambridge.

End of fairy tale.
Straight away he began to struggle. The short terms (8 weeks) did not suit his slow methodical work ethic. He just couldn't keep up with the pace. He had no time to enjoy the social aspects of university life. He got further and further behind, not fully understanding a topic before being forced onto the next. His 3rd year exams were a disaster. 'Talking' to a tutor would not have helped.

As parents, we had no inkling that this scenario was unfolding, as it happened so slowly. (And neither will you)
Only in retrospect can we say that going to Cambridge was the worst place for him to have studied.

Quite possibly, despite his early promise, he may not have excelled at any University. But I am certain he would have done a lot better, and enjoyed himself a lot more, had a less prestigious University been chosen, with less of a boiler-house culture and population of swat-heads.

If your son/daughter gets a 2.2 or worse at Oxbridge, as 50% do, when they could have won a 2.1 or better anywhere else, with improved job prospects (and had a more enjoyable time), they'll be kicking themselves for their vanity.

the problem of oxbridge is that too many people there do not deserve to get a place in the first place. (at least for maths)

Please expand.

I really doubt that, you do realize how thorough their weeding out process is right? MAT + Interview + Grades + GCSEs + PS ect. ect.

Whoops, sorry - it was the 20% I was querying, losing sight of the fact that OP was claiming 50% do. I think it probably varies by subject and by year.

In Law, about 50% of people in IA get a First/2.1, and the rest get 2.2s (going by the class lists, there was only one Third in my year). However, by IB it's increased to maybe 70%, and by Part II only 22 people in my year got 2.2s - this is probably under 10%. I can't explain why it happens, but "50% get a 2.2" isn't outside the realms of possibility if you're very particular about your use of statistics.

According to some academics I know (at Oxford), most people doing mathematics have very little understanding of the subject. The grades are inflated because of the rescaling system, otherwise a much higher proportion would not achieve a 2.1.

Evidently it is not enough. The standard of the students is very low, ask someone trying to get a phd place with a 2.1 or a low first from oxbridge in a decent place.


To my dear Greek Legume: I am soon to start my third year and was probably in the top 5 for mathematics last year.

Fair enough. So it's really just a case of 'they aren't as intelligent as me, so they are stupid.' Of course these people will seem to lack understanding compared to the Professors - Professors know their subject inside-out.

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