Chances of getting an interview

Dynamite - rearrange the words "up" and "shut" to form a commonly used phrase.

The point of this forum is to help people in educational matters. Ian seems to be contributing more in this one thread than all your power seeking whinging.

Apologies Ian, but internet forums do seem to sometimes reflect the population at large.

Fayzd: you couldn’t be more right. If/when you become a father/mother, you’ll probably go through exactly what I’m going through. Of course, I’d love her to go to one of the world’s best universities – what father wouldn’t want that for his daughter – but I don’t want her to feel she’s under pressure to go to any university at all. Neat call, by the way, on the vicarious thing. I’m going to deny it – who wouldn’t? – but I don’t think my interest has that element. Do I wish I could have gone to Oxford or Cambridge? Of course – who wouldn’t? On the other hand, I went to York, spent three years drinking more beer than I’ve drunk in the thirty years since, played football or trained almost every day – and came out of it with a First in English (back when a degree was worth something) [stands back…]. The three best years of my life, bar none, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. If she’s going to apply to Oxford – which I’m convinced she’s doing because she wants to – then yes, I want her to make the best possible job of her application. But I’m not going to her each time I get a response from here to tell her “you should be doing this” or “everyone says you should be doing that”. I’m doing it – I think – because I want to be as well-informed as possible so that if she asks me “Dad, what do you think about…?” then I can give her a sensible answer. One of the things I’ve learned as a father is that there comes a point where a bullshit answer won’t work any more. General experience of the world, or fatuous theorising, stops cutting the mustard: you have to know what you’re talking about. So, to cut a long story short: your comments are perceptive and might well be applicable in a number of instances – but not, I hope, in this one. If anything, I’m a little scared of just how much I have left her to her own devices on this, and how much she does indeed lead her own life – but I know it’s the right approach. I just need to be there for her (Oh God – all those years of sitting in the same room as my daughter watching ‘Friends’ are catching up on me…). The people on this board have helped me do a better job of that. And thanks for your good wishes.

Probably wrongly, I'd inferred that from 'huggus whorus'... And: nice to meet you too! (You're no relation, I take it, to the Akela who used to run our wolf cub pack? )

Fayzd: I wish... Acaila: well you pronounce 'Akela' Ar - KAY - la (possibly the only time I've ever had the opportunity to use knowledge I got from Cubs...) so you almost certainly are related... And how does one become a male Hug Wh*re - exactly? I'm not sure I could handle it, though. I bet it's like drugs - you start with the mild stuff like hugging, but before you know where you are that doesn't give you the satisfaction it once did and you graduate to stronger stuff like - like - well, kissing - and before you know it, kissing's no longer enough for you and - and - oh, it doesn't bear thinking about... Just be careful, won't you, and make sure you're hugging with only the right kind of people. Sorry to come over all fatherish on you but...

Well with deadlines drawing a close very soon for Oxbridge I would have registered on here by now if I was in her shoes.