http://www.mpshaw.co.uk/2012/08/23/you-are-not-what-oxbridge-is-looking-for/ The blogs, articles and various other products of Mike Shaw's fevered mind Mon, 25 Mar 2013 04:16:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.mpshaw.co.uk/2012/08/23/you-are-not-what-oxbridge-is-looking-for/#comment-1309 Mike Shaw Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:48:02 +0000 http://www.mpshaw.co.uk/?p=854#comment-1309 Hi Charles. It's great that you managed to get there, and fantastic that both your son and daughter did. It's fascinating how experiences differ. It would be great if there was a pattern; if the negative stories were coming from a particular part of the country or before a certain date, but from the many tweets I've received today, there's no rule. The one constant seems to be that in each instance where someone has been told not to apply for Oxbridge, it has come from one person in authority. A person who really should know better and should be helping the student be the best they can be; not stifling their potential because of politics or old-fashioned views about class. Hi Charles. It’s great that you managed to get there, and fantastic that both your son and daughter did. It’s fascinating how experiences differ. It would be great if there was a pattern; if the negative stories were coming from a particular part of the country or before a certain date, but from the many tweets I’ve received today, there’s no rule. The one constant seems to be that in each instance where someone has been told not to apply for Oxbridge, it has come from one person in authority. A person who really should know better and should be helping the student be the best they can be; not stifling their potential because of politics or old-fashioned views about class.

]]> http://www.mpshaw.co.uk/2012/08/23/you-are-not-what-oxbridge-is-looking-for/#comment-1308 Charles R Stubbs Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:21:40 +0000 http://www.mpshaw.co.uk/?p=854#comment-1308 Mike, I made it to Cambridge University from a comprehensive. My son and daughter both won scholarships to private schools. In the sixth form, a teacher at my daughter's school tried to put them all off applying to Oxbridge, and very nearly succeeded. But I think this was more of an anti-establishment view (perhaps the teacher had herself failed to get in?). A different take on your point, but potentially with the same result. Anyway, I managed to persuade my daughter to apply, and happily both son and daughter got in to Cambridge. Mike, I made it to Cambridge University from a comprehensive. My son and daughter both won scholarships to private schools. In the sixth form, a teacher at my daughter’s school tried to put them all off applying to Oxbridge, and very nearly succeeded. But I think this was more of an anti-establishment view (perhaps the teacher had herself failed to get in?). A different take on your point, but potentially with the same result. Anyway, I managed to persuade my daughter to apply, and happily both son and daughter got in to Cambridge.

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