Official Cambridge Parents of Applicants thread 2023

Hello Parents! In order to ensure that the applicants thread is for applicants, I'm requesting that - short of good luck wishes on deadlines - the thread is kept applicants only. The enormous presence of parents last year, as well as their general contentiousness meant it didn't really feel like a thread for applicants.

However, it's only natural that a lot of you would like to discuss your childrens' applications, so this thread is now that place. Also check out the Cambridge Parents' Association.

Happy chatting

Hello Parents! In order to ensure that the applicants thread is for applicants, I'm requesting that - short of good luck wishes on deadlines - the thread is kept applicants only. The enormous presence of parents last year, as well as their general contentiousness meant it didn't really feel like a thread for applicants.

However, it's only natural that a lot of you would like to discuss your childrens' applications, so this thread is now that place. Also check out the Cambridge Parents' Association.

Happy chatting

Posting for later @Reality Check in case you haven’t seen

Hello Parents! In order to ensure that the applicants thread is for applicants, I'm requesting that - short of good luck wishes on deadlines - the thread is kept applicants only. The enormous presence of parents last year, as well as their general contentiousness meant it didn't really feel like a thread for applicants.

However, it's only natural that a lot of you would like to discuss your childrens' applications, so this thread is now that place. Also check out the Cambridge Parents' Association.

Happy chatting

did not observe any issues on the Oxford 2022 thread.

Thanks for the clarity. I did not know that there are specific characteristics that define and differentuate people whose children apply to those unis.

did not observe any issues on the Oxford 2022 thread.

That’s because Oxford and Cambridge are different unis

did not observe any issues on the Oxford 2022 thread.

interesting...has anyone been able to identify reasons? Could it be that Oxford shortlists proportinately far fewer candidates for interviews than Cambridge?

ok if it is just for last year then I can understand that it is more of an exception and can happen anytime for any uni. From @Theloniouss response it sounded it is a perennial issue specifically for Cambridge thread.

That's because there weren't any, relatively speaking.



Not really. It's because the thread kept going off the rails and there wasn't a presence like @Oxford Mum keeping it all together and on track. When it had @Doones patrolling it, it was the best thread on TSR, and we never had behaviour from bratty parents like we did last year. @Theloniouss did a great job in trying to contain the worst of it last year, but it shouldn't have been necessary for them to devote so much time to try to get adults to behave appropriately, aided by the perceived imprimatur of @Peterhouse Admissions - who are here as (superb) official reps and do not want to be treated as mods or unofficial referees.

As has been pointed out by @Theloniouss let's not go over the same ground and focus on instead admissions. I do want to help on the Cambridge 2023 thread where I can, but this is mostly with encouragement and the odd forwarding of a Cambridge Demystified chapter. I can never give the detailed advice given by Peterhouse College. All I can do is cheer the students on.

@Theloniouss is absolutely amazing and has really stepped up to the plate since Doones left. @Peterhouse Admissions , are just busy being their awesome selves.

This new thread is a great idea. As a parent of former Oxford applicants, I wanted to ask loads of questions but daren't because the stars of the show were really the students.

@Reality Check

Didn't realise the parents' presence was that massive last year. But it obviously makes sense to separate the threads. Just wondering how well the separation will work though - I expect overambitious, overprotective or controlling parents still sneak in to the applicants' thread. Oh, well, one can always hope.
As for me I am neither fish nor fowl but kind of involved so would be interesting to follow. Thank you for opening it.

Beyond proud-officially a parent of a successful Cambridge applicant

Beyond proud-officially a parent of a successful Cambridge applicant

Thank you for the tag

I'm glad this came to fruition. Hopefully we can get the applicant thread back on track for 2023, and keep it for applicants and their questions, rather than their sharp-elbowed parents trying any which way to push their child to the front of the queue by some bizarre and misguided attempts to compete with one-another.

The behaviour of a large number of parents in the 2022 cycle was a disgrace - only ameliorated by their far more chilled, insightful, rational, and sensible sons and daughters who worked to support one-another, rather than engaged in unnecessary competition.

PRSOM

I wonder if this was a contributor to the % of applicants posts that are anon now...

PRSOM

I wonder if this was a contributor to the % of applicants posts that are anon now...