Why are Oxford/Cambridge decisions on a different day each year

could it be because t e n s i o n ?

Reply 2

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Does anyone know?

:biggrin:

Otherwise TSR would literally die if they were both on the same day.

Oh, it did anyway... :wink:

Reply 3

username2998742

Original post by Doones

Otherwise TSR would literally die if they were both on the same day.

Oh, it did anyway... :wink:

PRSOM

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Doones

Otherwise TSR would literally die if they were both on the same day.

Oh, it did anyway... :wink:

I meant year on year .... they both chose the same day the other year and we were okay :cry2:

Reply 5

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

I meant year on year .... they both chose the same day the other year and we were okay :cry2:

i feel a spreadsheet is needed to check the dates ... :lol:

Oxford moved to January decisions in 2012
https://cherwell.org/2012/12/12/oxford-decision-letters-delayed-until-after-christmas/

Reply 6

Also Cambridge used to be early January, with pooled decisions a few days later but that was too stressful for TSR, so they moved there's a bit later for (nearly) all candidates.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by Doones

i feel a spreadsheet is needed to check the dates ... :lol:

Oxford moved to January decisions in 2012
https://cherwell.org/2012/12/12/oxford-decision-letters-delayed-until-after-christmas/

I can tell you from our traffic spikes alone :lol:

Cambridge.. this year 15th, last year 13th, year before 9th, year before 8th

Reply 8

OP

@Doones Oxford was on the 14th this year but on the 8th before then :beard:

Is it just the way the weeks fall after Christmas?

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Does anyone know?

*I mean each year, year on year... not that the unis coordinate being on different days

Like I mean one year they're on Jan 13th, the next year Jan 10th...

:biggrin:

I haven't been tracking them, so I don't know if there is a pattern. If you can tell me a few dates, I can 'hypothesise from the inside' or probably find someone to explain.

It's almost certainly due to a)ensuring everyone in the system is back from NY Leave, which depending on the date of NY can be a few days later, and b) giving everyone the right prep time to confirm decisions, check systems, arrange the necessary meetings, set up the IT etc.

Also probably something to do with the weeks Cambridge operates. We don't like Mondays (but I don't know why, obvs!) so we start the Administrative week on a Tuesday and the Academic week on a Thursday (nice to have a choice).

I presume Peterhouse Admissions might know.

Reply 10

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

@Doones Oxford was on the 14th this year but on the 8th before then :beard:

Is it just the way the weeks fall after Christmas?

I don't know the rhyme or reason... @Peterhouse Admissions
@Murray Edwards Admissions will...

But I note this year some Cambridge colleges had a different date for a while which they then changed to align with the rest So I think it's decided some time during the process, not years ahead.. ?

(I thought I posted this hours ago......)

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 11

OP

Original post by threeportdrift

I haven't been tracking them, so I don't know if there is a pattern. If you can tell me a few dates, I can 'hypothesise from the inside' or probably find someone to explain.

It's almost certainly due to a)ensuring everyone in the system is back from NY Leave, which depending on the date of NY can be a few days later, and b) giving everyone the right prep time to confirm decisions, check systems, arrange the necessary meetings, set up the IT etc.

Also probably something to do with the weeks Cambridge operates. We don't like Mondays (but I don't know why, obvs!) so we start the Administrative week on a Tuesday and the Academic week on a Thursday (nice to have a choice).

I presume Peterhouse Admissions might know.

Here's Cambridge from the past 4 years: 15th, last year 13th, year before 9th, year before 8th - IGNORE THIS, ALL WRONG :biggrin:

Amazing... I figured it might be something to do with the calendar but I'm too stupid to figure it out :rofl:

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 12

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Is it just the way the weeks fall after Christmas?

I'm going to risk it and say yes.

Reply 13

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Here's Cambridge from the past 4 years: 15th, last year 13th, year before 9th, year before 8th

:lol:

Amazing... I figured it might be something to do with the calendar but I'm too stupid to figure it out :rofl:

It was 14th Jan in 2019.

And Oxford?

Reply 14

Original post by 04MR17

I'm going to risk it and say yes.

Reply 15

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Doones

Of all the Oxbridge myths to debunk, the idea that this might be some kind of secret code is possibly the most conspiracy theory observation I've seen. :tongue:

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Here's Cambridge from the past 4 years: 15th, last year 13th, year before 9th, year before 8th

:lol:

Amazing... I figured it might be something to do with the calendar but I'm too stupid to figure it out :rofl:

Are you sure about those dates, the 13th and the 8th were Sundays?

Reply 17

ReadingMum

19

Original post by Doones

I don't know the rhyme or reason... @Peterhouse Admissions
@Murray Edwards Admissions will...

But I note this year some Cambridge colleges had a different date for a while which they then changed to align with the rest So I think it's decided some time during the process, not years ahead.. ?

(I thought I posted this hours ago......)

DD applied to Clare and they definitely said 20th to her at interview in December. They also did not update their web pages with anything more specific so she was fully expecting to wait a few more days. Happily she got her acceptance email 3pm on 15th

Reply 18

OP