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Sent home from oxford interviews without being poooled?

I had 2 interviews at Hertford college for history last week. On the the last day they put up a list of people who could go home. It was roughly 10 out of the 40+ people who were doing history and joint honours. I was one of them told to go home. Everyone else had to wait around to hear whether they got another set of interviews at another college until much later in the day. Not a lot of the 30 left got another interview.
What does this mean for me? Can I read into it at all? I can’t wait until the 9th January 😨

Reply 1

Rohan77642

No. You cant read into this.

Reply 2

ConicalFlask

All it really means is that they'd already made a decision about you, but you can't know whether that decision is good or bad, so there's no point worrying about it.

Reply 3

hannah stovin

Original post by Rohan77642

No. You cant read into this.

Ok thanks. It’s hard not to think about the logic behind it all

Reply 4

hannah stovin

Original post by ConicalFlask

All it really means is that they'd already made a decision about you, but you can't know whether that decision is good or bad, so there's no point worrying about it.

Yeah you’re right. We’ll see

Reply 5

DEdEdD

I'm a parent and the same thing happened to my youngest who was interviewed last week. A friend who works at Oxford gave me this advice.

"I have two ex-students in the office who didn't have second interviews and still came here! A second interview is neither a good or bad thing - it can be used to moderate quality or to see if they would be suitable for another college or a range of other factors. So having or not having one is neither good nor bad. :smile:

Meh. Just move on.

Original post by DEdEdD

Thanks this is reassuring. Good luck to your youngest! ☺️

Reply 8

DEdEdD

Original post by hannah stovin

Thanks this is reassuring. Good luck to your youngest! ☺️

I posted this as a bit of reassurance to anyone else in the same position. It is out of your hands now so all any of you can do is try not to worry and enjoy Christmas. (bit I lnow that is easier said than done).

Reply 9

gabrielle22

This happened to me too! Instantly took it to mean I was rejected... I've gotten reassurance that it "doesn't mean anything" but I have honestly don't see why they would have kept me around and then not given me anything if it hadn't meant they had rejected me, thought maybe I had the level but then no college pooled me : (
The only two or three people I have found on the Student Room in the past who have had this happen to them ended up getting rejections so it is not leaving me very hopeful...

Reply 10

Txhmid

So basically, when I had my interviews I was told other colleges will also review my application and invite me for an interview if they wanted to. I do not think that the college you are at sends you to other colleges, rather, other colleges will just invite you if they like your application.
I had 4th interview at a different college and was told this doesn't mean anything about what my original college thinks of me.

Reply 11

That'sGreat

Original post by hannah stovin

Original post by ConicalFlask

All it really means is that they'd already made a decision about you, but you can't know whether that decision is good or bad, so there's no point worrying about it.

You will never know what pooling means. It can be because you did better than expected or worse than expected. It can be because you're good enough for Oxford but not the college. It could mean they want to give you an offer. It could mean they're dead against you. It could be part of their random sample cross-testing. it could be to see if you are consistent in another interview. It could be because they want you to be interviewed on something they didn't interview you on in the original college. It can literally be any reason, don't look into it.

Reply 12

That'sGreat

Original post by gabrielle22

I know a couple people who got offers and had this happen to them

Reply 13

hannah stovin

I just wanted to update the thread in case this happens to anyone in the future. I got an offer! :smile:

Reply 14

hannah stovin

Original post by hannah stovin

I just wanted to update the thread in case this happens to anyone in the future. I got an offer! :smile:

Also I think this thread got a bit confused and got the wrong end of the stick. 12 out of the 40+ Applicants weren’t pooled. 12 was the amount they take each year and I was one they didn’t pool. What I really wanted to get at was whether that meant I was likely to get an offer. 😂