Poorest pupils '55 times less likely to go to Oxbridge'

...No. Just, no.

It's an unfair system, of course.. but I don't think private education really affects your education. I have 10 cousins, all of which are privately educated, except for me (I go to a comprehensive). Two of my cousins are the same age as me and didn't perform as well as me in GCSEs this year..
(slightly going off topic mind you)

There's always a few people in my school who go to Oxbridge every year, usually about 2 or 3 (none last year). I think 4 or 5 people have had interviews this year. It's more about intelligence than social background, surely? Or am I just being naive..

This, I don't get why you got negged for it.

Yes. Have you?
No state school sixth form I've ever been to has been like that, even the underachievers I've visited in inner-cities.

A lot of the discrepancies between state school and private school grades seems to be that private schools have the money and the inclination to teach the exams to the letter; and they continue to play the system through the admissions process.

The unfortunate truth of the situation is that money is mostly begot by money, not worth - meritocracy has a long way to come. I agree that affirmative action is not the answer, but nor is ignoring the issue of social mobility entirely.

...No. Just, no.

It's an unfair system, of course.. but I don't think private education really affects your education. I have 10 cousins, all of which are privately educated, except for me (I go to a comprehensive). Two of my cousins are the same age as me and didn't perform as well as me in GCSEs this year..
(slightly going off topic mind you)

There's always a few people in my school who go to Oxbridge every year, usually about 2 or 3 (none last year). I think 4 or 5 people have had interviews this year. It's more about intelligence than social background, surely? Or am I just being naive..

What we need to do is work towards abolishing private schools and make sure every person has an equal education and is given equal opportunities. Until then unis will continue to choose the best students; unfortunately more of these will come form private schools than state schools.

Just got back from interview at Oxford, out of the 15 maths people i befriended, only the two going to private schools got a place, they weren't even in the right school year. Everyone else was from a state school and got rejected outright not even pooled.

The problem is with the education system, not discrimination from Oxbridge. At the moment Oxbridge chooses the best academically gifted students. There will be disproportionately more students who are academically gifted from private schools, because they have had a better education.

That is true. I know from current experience that certain students still believe in the stereotypes of Oxbridge; and there's also the fact that as a result of their ill-informed perceptions, they do not aspire for Oxbridge. Not everyone is the "Oxbridge type".

It seems that regardless of what Oxford or Cambridge try to do in order to improve their image, the stereotype will still linger on. But if people don't apply, well, it's just a vicious circle.

It's not even just about the stereotypes though. In my first year there was a Black and Minority Ethnic students' open day, which I was part of. I spent a whole day with a group of seriously underpriviliged kids from Tower Hamlets and spent the afternoon with a group of four Muslim 14 year olds. It was clear at the start of the day that they'd just come along because their school had dragged them. At the end of the day, I asked them whether they'd enjoyed the day. They said yes. I asked them whether I'd convinced them that Oxford was a uni where they would be happy studying/overturned their negative perceptions of it. I was thrilled.

I asked them if they were likely to apply. They said no. I was a bit shocked given their enthusiasm for the afternoon and asked why. They're not allowed to move away from home. One of the biggest FML moments I had at Oxford (and that's saying something )

I conveyed this back to the SU Access guy, who asked what we could do. I told him there wasn't much he could do, unless he had a magic wand to radically alter Asian family culture. (Even I was told Oxford or London. That was only because my older sis had gone to Oxford. My dad never had any intention of letting her go outside London either but she's quite a character )

Good point. I do know what you mean. Despite visits to Oxford and Cambridge; yes they might have enjoyed the day but it's not a place they would see themselves "fitting in". Well, what else can you do?

Although there are people who want to leave home, there are individuals who prefer to stay in their home town - and that's their personal choice, not something up to their parents to decide.

Source - BBC News


So is this another example of eliteness in Britains top universities or just another case of statistics being used to encourage uni's to accept less able students?

Well I managed to show them that they could fit in too. I did specifically ask that because they had a lot of questions about racism, religion and fitting in.

Also, unfortunately a lot of students have restrictions placed on them by their parents and it's difficult to ignore these due to cultural and financial reasons. We mustn't underestimate the power of that. No doubt many of them might just prefer to stay at home anyway but for others the decisions about uni are not as simple as that

Just got back from interview at Oxford, out of the 15 maths people i befriended, only the two going to private schools got a place, they weren't even in the right school year. Everyone else was from a state school and got rejected outright not even pooled. They get extra tuition and help to prepare for the MAT test, and we are invited for interview just as bums on seats. They don't care whether we have had preparation or went in blind. Who knows what kind of brown envelope underhand dealings are going on between these posh private schools and the Universities.
I am going to appeal against the decision. TBH i wouldn't go now anyway. Oxford is full of geeks and snobs, either people who have no life and study around the clock, or people who have been tutored all the way and fit the bill from a private school. There are very few normal kids from state schools who are just bright. And they're overrated anyway. I've heard they work you to the bone, and i've been advised to go elsewhere, there are plenty of unis with just as good reputations that allow you to have a social life too!!
They really aren't the Be all and End all...