Getting into Oxbridge for Postgraduate Study

Oxford don't do PhDs.

I have an undergrad degree that didn't meet Cambridge's expectations for my course (although that was over 25 years ago and in a different subject to my postgrad so fairly irrelevant), a recent part-time Masters with straight distinctions, loads of relevant practical experience…. and I'm now doing a doctorate at Cambridge.

So there is a similarity in our stories and I had your concerns two years ago.

I'd suggest you find a point of contact at Oxford - probably the postgrad admissions secretary for the department - and set out your question and supporting evidence so far. Like I said before, they're likely to consider every factor of an application, not just one. But do expect the answer 'well we can't tell yet - put in a full application and we'll consider overlooking the 2.1 IF all other aspects are very strong'

My feeling is that it's worth a try, especially with your interesting practical experience

Sorry OP, I'm not sure when funding offers are made...but for the ones that you're automatically considered for when you apply to Oxford, I think you are notified at the same time as you get your offer (if university funding) or your college offer (if college funding). I would be surprised if it depend on future results...

Asking for letters of recommendations was sooo awkward, but all 3 of my lecturers said yes and to send on some information about deadlines, etc. and they would take care of it Kinda surprised as I thought they'd ask me to write for them but I think it's probably better!!

Sorry OP, I'm not sure when funding offers are made...but for the ones that you're automatically considered for when you apply to Oxford, I think you are notified at the same time as you get your offer (if university funding) or your college offer (if college funding). I would be surprised if it depend on future results...

Asking for letters of recommendations was sooo awkward, but all 3 of my lecturers said yes and to send on some information about deadlines, etc. and they would take care of it Kinda surprised as I thought they'd ask me to write for them but I think it's probably better!!

I'm also curious as to why it was awkward, but even more so as to why you thought you'd be asked to write your own letter of recommendation for an academic to sign???

In reply to the recommendation letters comments: I was told by countless people that usually lecturers ask you to write it yourself and then they sign it (maybe it's culture-specific from where I'm from though) - I was feeling really awkward about the whole thing because of this. But then it all turned out all right since indeed they all intend to write the letters themselves

Translate is one thing.
Write your own references for Oxford or Cambridge is another

This is actually pretty common. In fact, I've heard of people at Oxford/Cambridge whose supervisors have done the same thing (i.e. asked them to write a letter that they'd then go on to sign).

Good to know, I was starting to think maybe my university/area just has horrible recommendation practices :/ (I do think letters written by the referee are much better ethically and in terms of your chances of getting in - IMO it would be pretty obvious if I had written the letter myself...)

Makes the whole concept of references pretty pointless then. Pretty risky on the academic's part too. Do you personally know anyone at ox/cam who said this has happened to them? Or just "heard" of them ?

There are definitely certain departments at Cam you can't do references like this for, for example one asks how the student compares to both his/her current cohort and past ones. It's not a case of "writing a letter".

If I had any doubt on the veracity of what I was saying, I probably wouldn't have said it. So yes, I personally know multiple people at Oxford and Cambridge (more at Oxford, only because I know more people at Oxford generally) who have been asked to do this by their supervisors. However, this has not been the case with my own supervisors (just to clarify).