DDA - are uni obiliged to do something?

The_One_Who

It's not even just the grade adjustments. With so many different exam boards across England and Wales they all teach different things, set different questions and are known to be of different difficulties. Also, with Scottish students being entirely different right from starting school it would need to factor that in.

Entry requirements don't really reflect how 'good' a course or a university is, just the popularity of the course.

melancholly

bestpud wrote: »

It's a shame more able students like her don't have the courage to go for it - too many still think it is out of their league!

oh i completely agree! the sad fact is that the outdated, unfair view of the place puts off people (i nearly didn't apply after a hideous time at an open daty!). that's what i think i react to posts making unfair generalisations - that attitude is a major reason why there are fewer state school students there - they just get put off and don't apply in the first place. a bit of balance (hopefully from people with knowledge of the reality rather than those who just like to throw in myth!) is desperately needed.

melancholly

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

IThis would put a stop to bias at Oxbridge once and for all. Of course, that wouldn't do for Oxbridge - they can't have fair, transparent admissions policies because..because...the unwashed masses might get in!

just so wrong i don't know where to start............. i say this as someone whose parents don't have degress and who knew nothing about the whole uni application process. and it's a shame that this kind of 'i have a massive chip after rejection' attitude spreads.

oxbridge interviews are meant to challenge students and ask them questions that they aren't likely to know the answer to. it assesses their ability to think through problems, which as The One Who says, isn't really tested in the current A level factual recall test.

maybe some people think it's unfair to be asked things they haven't been taught, but it really shows what kind of an independent student they will be and how they can problem solve. sadly, independent thought can't be captured without the interview and sadly, a lot of very 'bright' A grade students completely lack that ability.

(and since A grades are given out quite readily, there isn't the capacity for all top grade students to get into oxbridge, so some fantastic students will just end up missing out - it's a shame but there are plenty of other great unis and there really isn't this huge difference between oxbridge and others at the top.)

MrsManda

melancholly wrote: »

oxbridge interviews are meant to challenge students and ask them questions that they aren't likely to know the answer to. it assesses their ability to think through problems.

This isn't just something Oxbridge does. Pretty much anyone going for a degree with research or large independent study component which has a high number of applicants has an interview process which asks challenging questions. There's little point in a interview which asks about what the applicant has been taught - that's the point of predicted and actual grades. Interviews are there to find out more about the individual and how that person thinks. In some respects it is to find out whether the student will fit in with the course and the university but this isn't snobbery, it's sense.
A student in order to do well must studying at a place where the teaching structure and university environment is suitable for them. I have had friends who are incredibly clever from upper class backgrounds who have failed to get into Oxbridge for a variety of reasons, conversely I've known others to get a place despite not fitting what some people on here seem to think is the ideal Oxbridge candidate.

I was interviewed at two universities (neither Oxbridge) for the same subject and the interviews were completely different, because the course administrators were looking for different things. 1 wanted to know exactly what I already knew and seemed to be looking for students who were interested in very specific aspects of the subject. The other didn't particularly care what I'd been taught, and asked a lot of questions which they didn't expect me to have the correct answer but wanted to know how I'd approached answering it - in some cases simply admitting I didn't have a clue then trying to approach the question logically lead to further questions.
The interviewer obviously knew what he was doing as two years on, I'm on a course with 15 others, all from different backgrounds (social, religious, educational, age, nationality) who get on incredibly well and support each other through difficulties.

melancholly

true -any good interview will test the student, but many courses don't have the chance to interview! i was just trying to explain to PolishBigSpender why the person she knew would have been asked questions she didn't know the answer to!