Getting into Oxbridge through family connections

I was having a quite heated debate with a friend about this today.

He spoke to an Oxford graduate who is a teacher at our school, and he has stated that it's possible to get into Oxford through family connections or due to the fact your family is quite well off and your parents are of a good profession.

I argued that this was false, and nowadays entry to Oxbridge is based only on academics and not on "who you know".

Who's right?

Reply 1

Andy the Anarchist

10

I'm not an admissions expert, but given the prestige of the two institutions, the odds that they would risk exposing themselves to the media frenzy of the century just to let in otherwise unworthy candidates due to "family connections" seem remote.

Can you imagine if word got out what the headlines would be? They'd be discredited for decades.

Reply 2

Dijobla

17

bit of both, most likely, but grades moreso. You could get in on brilliant grades and no connections, but you couldn't really get in on brilliant connections with no grades, if you follow my drift. However the connections could help an otherwise mediocre applicant very much. I would hazard a guess it's the same anywhere else.

Reply 3

bodybuilder22

16

Blazor

I was having a quite heated debate with a friend about this today.

He spoke to an Oxford graduate who is a teacher at our school, and he has stated that it's possible to get into Oxford through family connections or due to the fact your family is quite well off and your parents are of a good profession.

I argued that this was false, and nowadays entry to Oxbridge is based only on academics and not on "who you know".

Who's right?

I expect it was even 40/50 years ago, but no longer I'm afraid.

Reply 4

Lrilol

1

It happens.

Same as every Uni to be honest. A nod and a wink > 3 A's.

Reply 5

Languagesfreak

13

It might have been in 1950, not anymore.

Reply 6

Nelo Angelo

Oxbridge is the most well known 2 institutions inside and outside Britain, their seen as the cream of the crop. If this happened the number of Oxbridge candidates finding jobs would dramatically drop cause no company would want to take one if they thought they might turn out to be a spoiled kid with poor skills.

Reply 7

Kolya

17

Andy the Anarchist

I'm not an admissions expert, but given the prestige of the two institutions, the odds that they would risk exposing themselves to the media frenzy of the century just to let in otherwise unworthy candidates due to "family connections" seem remote.

Prince Charles? Prince Edward?

Reply 8

Blazor

OP

It seems to me that he's taking information for truth from an Oxford graduate who graduated over 30 years ago ...

Therefore surely a large proportion of his admissions advice is irrelevant?

Reply 9

RaJz92

1

Nope. It does not work. Similar to this, I want to study A-levels at Latimer School (one of the best school in London) my older brother attended that school, however they did not invite me for an interview (rejection with no particular reason). It seems that it not fair for other who do not have family connection at Oxbridge.

Reply 10

jammythedodger

12

I'm sure it is true. I go to a relatively minor public school, but I know the odd person at schools like Eton, Harrow etc and they really do come from families which are well known in certain circles and the family background intself carries clout. Whether they are let in purely because of that, who knows but I think is unlikely, but for some in certainly is a factor in acceptance.

The person above saying they'd be "discredited" - quite the opposite. Why would there be headlines, loads of organisaitons and elite educational organisations aswell do partially work like this. For example, on my application form for my school, it actually asks for relatives who have connections to the school or who have been there. Family connections still play a huge part in Britain, and personally I think a touch of it is a great thing.

Reply 11

HEJ92

12

If you had 10 A*s at GCSE and 4 As at a levs, could speak 5 languages and play 2 instruments at grade 5, and an Oxbridge staffmember's family member applied with 6A*s 4 As at GCSE 2 As and 2 Bs at a levs, speaks 2 languages, can play 1 instrument at grade 4 and has rich family, the family member would get your place.

Obviously this is made up, but just using it as an example of what would happen.

Reply 12

Andy the Anarchist

10

Kolya

Prince Charles? Prince Edward?

Dayum, excluding the Royal family (plus didn't Charles have a course specially created for him).

Plus that's a while ago, it's not like William and Harry got in.

Reply 13

D3M!

2

Anyone that argued prestigue wasn't a relevant factor in going to the most prestigous universities in the country is clearly in denial . Have family connections alone obviously won't get you into oxbridge , but if I was to bet on a student that aced his exams with no family connections or an equally talented students with the proper connections then you know who'd i'd bet on (assuming they couldn't both get accepted).

Reply 14

jammythedodger

12

RaJz92

Nope. It does not work. Similar to this, I want to study A-levels at Latimer School (one of the best school in London) my older brother attended that school, however they did not invite me for an interview (rejection with no particular reason). It seems that it not fair for other who do not have family connection at Oxbridge.

Grammar schools I would see as seperate from this. Grammar Schools are some of the best schools in the country, but they do work almost purely on mertocratic grounds, unlike public schools and dare I say Oxbridge which can also look at your family background (I'm not saying acceptance comes purely on this, but it is a factor).

Reply 15

rnshan

13

It may not happen with UK residents. But I am sure there are places one can get through historical elite family / political connections. This true with Oxbridge, Harvard, Yale, princeton univs etc.

Think of students like Chelsea Clinton at Yale, or Benazir Bhutto or her son at Oxford, or Two children of Indira Gandhi at Cambridge and I am sure there are many more such examples.

One has to remember - they bring in money, name and political connections too which universities exploite in long run.

Reply 16

AutVinceriAutMori

13

Andy the Anarchist

Dayum, excluding the Royal family (plus didn't Charles have a course specially created for him).

Plus that's a while ago, it's not like William and Harry got in.

Pardon me, but I think Prince Harry is definitely not Oxbridge material :rolleyes:

Unless you think of the family...

Reply 17

RaJz92

1

jammythedodger

Grammar schools I would see as seperate from this. Grammar Schools are some of the best schools in the country, but they do work almost purely on mertocratic grounds, unlike public schools and dare I say Oxbridge which can also look at your family background (I'm not saying acceptance comes purely on this, but it is a factor).

Hmm, Interesting... Thank for telling me.

Reply 18

thenewromance

rnshan

It may not happen with UK residents. But I am sure there are places one can get through historical elite family / political connections. This true with Oxbridge, Harvard, Yale, princeton univs etc.

Think of students like Chelsea Clinton at Yale, or Benazir Bhutto or her son at Oxford, or Two children of Indira Gandhi at Cambridge and I am sure there are many more such examples.

One has to remember - they bring in money, name and political connections too which universities exploite in long run.

Yup, that's very much true. in fact, in the Ivy's a lot of it is on who you know.

Reply 19

Andy the Anarchist

10

AutVinceriAutMori

Pardon me, but I think Prince Harry is definitely not Oxbridge material :rolleyes:

Unless you think of the family...

That was of course my point, that he couldn't have got in even if he wanted to, despite being a member of the Royal family and having attended the most prestigious school in the country.

Getting into Oxbridge through family connections

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