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Why is everyone annoyed for being pooled?- People you still have a chance! You should smile 
but there's still hope! It better than a rejection!
However with this years new system of the 90% of top three a-levels and n A* at gcse being placed in the pool straight away- means that the pool will be more competetive- does that work out?
However with this years new system of the 90% of top three a-levels and n A* at gcse being placed in the pool straight away- means that the pool will be more competetive- does that work out?
lucho22
Got pooled from emmanuel for MML french + spanish...I really liked emmanuel...why oh why dont they want me.. 
...and so the agonising wait continues! 
...and so the agonising wait continues! Ouch
At least you didn't get rejected though!Gee.. so many pools. I wonder what proprotion of Oxbridge TSR got pooled, it looks a lot more than 20%.
I get the feeling I'm gonna be either rejected or pooled, my interview was basically a series of inept (with a few I managed to answer to my true ability) answers due to my nerves.
Bastard nerves.
Was that the case for many of you?
Bastard nerves.
Was that the case for many of you?
morgangills
I get the feeling I'm gonna be either rejected or pooled, my interview was basically a series of inept (with a few I managed to answer to my true ability) answers due to my nerves.
Bastard nerves.
Was that the case for many of you?
Bastard nerves.
Was that the case for many of you?
what scared me is that i wasnt challegend on most of my answers- even though most were so breif and vague because i expected them to ask more questions from there and so i can extend my answer-- but they didnt .
In the last interview my nerves realy messed up any chance i got of getting an offer, it was a question on liberty/democracy and religion- and i was so nervouse becase he kept on interupting me and saying i was wrong - so i did what everyone said i shouldnt, i gave up and actualy couldnt hear what he was saying anymore- and i had to keep asking him to repeat the question because i dont understand.. o god i have been through this a million times in my head .
In the last interview my nerves realy messed up any chance i got of getting an offer, it was a question on liberty/democracy and religion- and i was so nervouse becase he kept on interupting me and saying i was wrong - so i did what everyone said i shouldnt, i gave up and actualy couldnt hear what he was saying anymore- and i had to keep asking him to repeat the question because i dont understand.. o god i have been through this a million times in my head .
Ok, well I'm one of a few people on these boards to have gone through this process, so here it is:
Jacob's Comprehensive Guide to the Winter Pool
Firstly, if you have made it the pool, then well done. This means that whichever college you applied to thinks you're at the academic standard of someone they would happily give an offer to, but they just have too many people at your level, and they'll be trying to find you a place at another college. Usually somewhere between 1/5 and 1/4 of the people placed in the pool will get an offer.
The way the pool works (at least in small subjects like music), is that there is a meeting at which there are profiles of all the pooled candidates - these include your personal statement, your SAQ thingy, or whatever it's called, your submitted work, any test that you did at your first interview/interviews, and some sort of report on your first interview/interviews. From here, DoSes will look through the profiles and pick out people who they think would be the best students. They then either make straight offers, or do another set of interviews sometime in January. This decision is rather idiosyncratic to each DoS, and in effect gives rather random timing to the process. I think that more academics like to reinterview to see who they would prefer teaching for three years.
There are two slightly strange things that may happen during the pool. Firstly, you may be given an offer by the college you first applied to. This is more likely to happen with the more undersubscribed colleges, but I think it happens everywhere. If this happens then well done, I doubt they'll want you back for a second interview (given the awkwardness and the fact that they've already interviewed you). he other thing that can happen is that you can be pooled to more than one college. This means that you'll have another two sets of interviews. Mostly when this happens, they'll try and have the interviews on the same day, or have you stay up overnight and have the interviews on consecutive days. This is rather stressful to say the least, but it does appear to be a good sign, and will give you a good chance to show your off academic skills.
A further possibility is that you will be pooled to what snobs refer to as 'lesser' colleges. These are either newer colleges, single sex colleges, mature colleges, far away colleges. What one has to deal with is the fact that there is no such thing as a 'bad' cambridge college. In fact, they tend to differ rather less than most students would have you believe. Yes, Robinson isn't as beautiful as Trinity great court, but the chances of you living in trinity great court as an undergrad are pretty small anyway. Yes, Girton is an extra 15 minutes cycle ride away, but Cambridge is the only place in the world where 15 minutes cycling is viewed by the populous as a terrible plight. Wherever you go, you get an equivalent education. Wherever you go, you'll make friends, and you'll have teaching by world experts in the field.
In terms of hearing from the pool, you will normally receive a phone call, so keep your mobiles turned on. Try not to give up hope. Some colleges will contact you later than others, so the fact that a freind has been 'fished' out of the pool doesn't mean that you may hear a week or two later.
Remember to take pool interviews just as seriously as your original interview. Chances are you'll find it quite a bit easier having already gone through the process of being interviewed. To an extent you'll know more of what to expect, and how to answer questions. Make sure you know your PS and your written work if you do get a pool interview.
Being pooled is a reflection of your ability. You are all excellent students and even if you don't get an offer, the chances are that you'll do exceptionally well wherever you go. You are not to forget that. Keep up with the learning and the banter.
Jacob (MB)
Jacob's Comprehensive Guide to the Winter Pool
Firstly, if you have made it the pool, then well done. This means that whichever college you applied to thinks you're at the academic standard of someone they would happily give an offer to, but they just have too many people at your level, and they'll be trying to find you a place at another college. Usually somewhere between 1/5 and 1/4 of the people placed in the pool will get an offer.
The way the pool works (at least in small subjects like music), is that there is a meeting at which there are profiles of all the pooled candidates - these include your personal statement, your SAQ thingy, or whatever it's called, your submitted work, any test that you did at your first interview/interviews, and some sort of report on your first interview/interviews. From here, DoSes will look through the profiles and pick out people who they think would be the best students. They then either make straight offers, or do another set of interviews sometime in January. This decision is rather idiosyncratic to each DoS, and in effect gives rather random timing to the process. I think that more academics like to reinterview to see who they would prefer teaching for three years.
There are two slightly strange things that may happen during the pool. Firstly, you may be given an offer by the college you first applied to. This is more likely to happen with the more undersubscribed colleges, but I think it happens everywhere. If this happens then well done, I doubt they'll want you back for a second interview (given the awkwardness and the fact that they've already interviewed you). he other thing that can happen is that you can be pooled to more than one college. This means that you'll have another two sets of interviews. Mostly when this happens, they'll try and have the interviews on the same day, or have you stay up overnight and have the interviews on consecutive days. This is rather stressful to say the least, but it does appear to be a good sign, and will give you a good chance to show your off academic skills.
A further possibility is that you will be pooled to what snobs refer to as 'lesser' colleges. These are either newer colleges, single sex colleges, mature colleges, far away colleges. What one has to deal with is the fact that there is no such thing as a 'bad' cambridge college. In fact, they tend to differ rather less than most students would have you believe. Yes, Robinson isn't as beautiful as Trinity great court, but the chances of you living in trinity great court as an undergrad are pretty small anyway. Yes, Girton is an extra 15 minutes cycle ride away, but Cambridge is the only place in the world where 15 minutes cycling is viewed by the populous as a terrible plight. Wherever you go, you get an equivalent education. Wherever you go, you'll make friends, and you'll have teaching by world experts in the field.
In terms of hearing from the pool, you will normally receive a phone call, so keep your mobiles turned on. Try not to give up hope. Some colleges will contact you later than others, so the fact that a freind has been 'fished' out of the pool doesn't mean that you may hear a week or two later.
Remember to take pool interviews just as seriously as your original interview. Chances are you'll find it quite a bit easier having already gone through the process of being interviewed. To an extent you'll know more of what to expect, and how to answer questions. Make sure you know your PS and your written work if you do get a pool interview.
Being pooled is a reflection of your ability. You are all excellent students and even if you don't get an offer, the chances are that you'll do exceptionally well wherever you go. You are not to forget that. Keep up with the learning and the banter.
Jacob (MB)
Before I look at the stats, does a college like Robinson (I'm applying for SPS remember) tend to pool less candidates?
just look at the stats- i was stupid enough to apply to King's for SPS - i mean come on !
**noooni**
just look at the stats- i was stupid enough to apply to King's for SPS - i mean come on !
Robinson, SPS
[pre]
2001 2002 2003 2004
All applications 13 13 18 24
All offers including 4 3 7 5
Offers through pools 0 0 1 0
Offers by other Colleges 0 0 0 1
All admissions including 4 3 6 5
Admissions through pools 0 0 1 0[/pre]
I don't understand it...
morgangills
I nearly did that...
Robinson, SPS
[pre]
2001 2002 2003 2004
All applications 13 13 18 24
All offers including 4 3 7 5
Offers through pools 0 0 1 0
Offers by other Colleges 0 0 0 1
All admissions including 4 3 6 5
Admissions through pools 0 0 1 0[/pre]
I don't understand it...
Robinson, SPS
[pre]
2001 2002 2003 2004
All applications 13 13 18 24
All offers including 4 3 7 5
Offers through pools 0 0 1 0
Offers by other Colleges 0 0 0 1
All admissions including 4 3 6 5
Admissions through pools 0 0 1 0[/pre]
I don't understand it...
Take 2004 as an example; they had 24 applicants and made 5 offers. They took no one from the pool but did get someone into another college through the pool. Of those given offers, all five made their grades and were thus admitted but the student who received an offer through the pool was not admitted either because they missed their grades or did not take the offer I'd assume.
JohnStuartMill
Take 2004 as an example; they had 24 applicants and made 5 offers. They took no one from the pool but did get someone into another college through the pool. Of those given offers, all five made their grades and were thus admitted but the student who received an offer through the pool was not admitted either because they missed their grades or did not take the offer I'd assume.
Or the pooled person took the place and one of the original recipients of an offer failed to make it?
The whole thing seems very complicated, why don't Oxford employ this system?
The whole thing seems very complicated, why don't Oxford employ this system?
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