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Oxbridge application - I think I've blown it
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hiya!
I'm just starting U6 (Year 13, whatever), and I have always aspired to applying to Cambridge. There has never been a problem before - I got As and A*s in my GCSEs, I was predicted 4As at AS Level. However, I'm one of the people not favoured by the new system (there are many of us!) and I got 2As and 2Cs.
The advice from my UCAS advisor at school is that I oughtn't even apply to Cam until I finish this year, and then only if I get 3 or 4 As.
What does everyone else reckon? Anyone been here?
Cheers!
Picc.
xxx
I'm just starting U6 (Year 13, whatever), and I have always aspired to applying to Cambridge. There has never been a problem before - I got As and A*s in my GCSEs, I was predicted 4As at AS Level. However, I'm one of the people not favoured by the new system (there are many of us!) and I got 2As and 2Cs.
The advice from my UCAS advisor at school is that I oughtn't even apply to Cam until I finish this year, and then only if I get 3 or 4 As.
What does everyone else reckon? Anyone been here?
Cheers!
Picc.
xxx
Post edited by JustV on
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Comments
Don't take any notice of what your careers advisor says, I would say go for it. And don't worry too much about your grades at the moment. I bet that getting those two Cs has really motivated to to work your ass off 10 times harder than you did last time to try and get better grades next time?
I applied to Cambridge, since I was predicted 4 As like you. I was rejected though. But going through the interview, I could tell that grades are not the be all and end all of getting a place. I got my 4 As and still didn't get in.
It's because they look at you as a person. You have to really WANT to go there, and they have to be right for you just as much as the other way round. I knew as soon as I went to the Open Day that the course wasn't really what I wanted, but I still applied because of the prestige.
I think they knew I wouldn't be happy there when they interviewed me. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. I couldn't imagine being happier than where I am now. But that's besides the point really. If this is something that you genuinely want to do, then don't let anyone tell you you can't. Much better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all!!
Oh just as an aside, a friend of mine also applied to Cambridge in the same year as me. He was given a conditional offer of 3 As, but when he got his results he only got 2 As and 2 Bs. So he took a year out to resit his B grades and applied again, and got in. He's been there for 2 years now and loves it.
Wow I am really sick to death of hearing this! Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you just assumed too much ability and didn't work hard enough. Stop blaming the system and take responsibility for your own "failures". Some people would be chuffed with those grades. Famous universities more often than not suck if you're aren't the kind of person who will easily fit in.
Precisely the reason i didnt apply to Oxbridge, and turned Durham down after I'd got my offer from Liverpool.
U may as well apply even if your grades are down on what was expected. Alot of my friends that applied didnt get As, some werent even predicted them, but a couple got in anyway. And from what ive been told most of them were'nt turned down because of the grades but because of other aspects-
One friend applied for French and Italian having only ever done French to any standard. She got into the pool but they eventually said if she took a year out and worked on her Italian theyd have her for sure (well, grades dependent of course
Another applied but they got the impression in her interview that she didnt really want to come, and was being forced into it, so they didnt offer her a place even though her grades were of the standard they'd want. And they were right.
Their application process is much more involved than most universities. And grades really dont mean everything. You dont lose anything by applying (apart from £15 ish is it??) and all they can do is turn you down.
What are you wanting to study?
Good grades are essential, and excellent grades are preferable, but you may well get away with AACC. Which subjects were the Cs in? Were they in the ones you want to do at uni?
I'm going to Cambridge this October, and I did manage AAA at A Level but there are plenty of people who don't. The interviews are the most imporant, and I got on really well with my interviewers which I think was what got me the place.
Go for it - the worst that can happen is you don't get in, and then if you want you can try again next year
This isn't so true, but they do base your offer on your school reputation. Anything else they say is a load of bullsh*t.
And they'd know that how exactly....?
Actually a girl here got 4 As and a full attendance and went to the interview and said they were horrible to her. To be honest and I've heard it from all sorts of places, it really depends on your socio-economic grouping and location.
In a sense it pisses me off because mummy and daddy don't pay for everything for me, thus I work 16 hours a week on top of college and I've had a lot of problems with depression, which has affected my grades. So basically I'm fucked for a good uni... and all these people with a lot of money just do what they want... go where they want...
But then who said society was fair?
I worked hard, and I'm not the only one. You don't even know me, don't assume I did no work just because I didn't get my predictions. You actually have no idea.
.
the 9 people who were rejected found places in good unis all over the country. and i only know about 3 of them, but they are all highly successful now. the girl that went to oxford dropped out after 6 months and last time i saw her she was working as a waitress.
moral of my story? successful people don't let anything stop them. and oxbridge may not be your cup of tea.
if you want to apply, do it. if you get in, great. if you don't get it, you can get what you need somewhere else. the only thing that will make you successful is you. you could have a degree in crap from the crap college of crapville, but if you have motivation and talent, you can do anything.
Aww diddumses. They were horrible to her- aww, the poor dear. Everyone I know that went to Oxfor4d interviews said everyone was nice, but it was formal and it was difficult. Its not meant to be a cake walk, its meant to be tough and challenging. Obviously this girl just couldnt hack it.
NEWS FLASH: Im from a poor background- I get nearly all my fees paid for me, and I get the full loan- yet I got into Durham University with 3 As and a C. I know people at Durham, Oxford and Cambridge in the same situation. Therefore its not a rich mummy or daddy that gets you into a good university, its EFFORT and ABILITY. Instead of working 16 hours a week to pay for going out, I went out less often and, woh, would you believe it- I got good A'Levels and got into a top-class university.
Life isnt meant to be easy, and if all you do is whinge that people are nasty to you at interviews or that other people get it easier thjen youll never get anywhere. Grow up and actually make an effort to do well, sitting on your arse moping doesnt get you a decent job.
My experience is the other way around, mind. The "posher" girl who was Head Girl got rejected, and the immigrant child of a single mother from West Bowling (one of the scruffy parts of good ol' Bratfud) got straight in after a fantastic interview.
Dont listen to the UCAS advisor, and apply anyway. Youve only got £10 to lose, havent you? Oxbridge offers are far more dependent on interview performance than anything else- I know people with offers of Ds and Es from Oxford because they did so well at interview, and people who got 5 As without an offer because they flunked the interview. And if you fail the interview, but come out with good grades, just try again, or try another university- good education doesnt just stop after Oxbridge.
One of my best mates was acedemically more then entitled to go to Cambridge but they turned him down .. to put into context how smart he was - he was one of only 2 people in the entire country to get a particular Ministry of Defence Scholarship and summer work with them. And instead went to Imperial college where he did a degree and masters at the same time.
Look at the Royal family - prince charles and his brothers all got into Oxbridge and their A-Level grades were totally crap.
in the end i got accepted for every university i applied to, inclduing bristol, imperial, nottingham, manchester and UCL and one crap one(cant remember name) and all my offers were about the same BBB or BBC because apparantly from speaking to them after they knew i had ability even if it not shown fully by my grades (ABB prediction for chemistry,physics and maths) because in my interview i apparantly gave good answers to the question they gave me, of which i had never seen before
now im going to be studying Chemistry with Maths masters in UCL, and i liked the uni and im also getting a £1000/year bursary which my college chemistry tutor put me in for which helps :P
hmm good luck on applying, and apply for a range of uni's and make sure you visit them and tlak to students there, who aint the guides, and theyll tell you what its like
yaddayaddayadda *yawn*
Youre quite right, grades dont count for everything. Non-academic ability counts for a lot as well- why thick Aussie rowers keep getting in:p- as does personality and chasrisma. He obviously wasnt what they were looking for, shit happens.
And William got into St Andrews with naff-all in the way of A'Levels. Point is?
For the record, my school (which is a local one, on the border between Peckham and New Cross in south-east london) put about 10 people in for Oxbridge. The one person that got in was a through and through Bermondsey boy, he was bright, yes - but neither of his parents had been to uni, his fees etc will almost entirely be state paid, and he talks with a very obvious south east london accent. He went to the interview, he obviously wowed them with his determination, despite various setbacks that he'd had... and they gave him an EE offer. I know about 12 very well off, bright people who didn't get in to Oxbridge. My ex boyfriend who is now at Cambridge, got AAC and works 40+ hour weeks during the holidays to pay his rent while he's at college because his family cannot afford to support him.
Those of you who truly believe that only people born with silver spoons in their mouths get into oxbridge have severe chips on your shoulders' and should probably get them dealt with before offering any more judgements. I'm not saying that oxbridge don't have a majority of private school people, who, by definition will generally have more money. Doesn't mean that they're 'better'. Certainly doesn't mean that they're 'favoured' by Oxbridge. Means that they had more chance to fulfill their potential, they were given the opportunities, and support in their UCAS applications, that perhaps those who went to the bog standard comp didn't get.
Piccolo, go for it, you've got nothing to lose. If you're the right person for it, chances are you'll get in.
And even if you don't, you can always apply for Bristol as a backup
no one in my college was 'posh', in the traditional sense. i went to a 6th form college in the city centre. i don't think we had anyone from private schools.
the girl who got in from my college was from a fairly deprived area, not a posh family at all, the rest of the kids were lovely and down to earth, and worked to support themselves. she was just a one off. she put on a posh accent, and laughed in a haw-haw kind of way.
and it worked for her.
and... the Oxbridge interviews select the genuinely bright people, some people can pass exams but some people are actually smart.
Archaeology and anthropology. Perhaps a less popular subject?
Cheers for all the advice!
Picc
xxx
The friend who got in was from Yorkshire and has a very strong accent. His parents weren't the richest people in the World, but they weren't the poorest. He's a very intelligent, determined person. He went for his interview and blew people away. They were so impressed that they gave him a really good offer.
My second friend is the son of a diplomat. He has been privately educated all of his life and has a very 'posh' accent. He went to his interview completely unprepared - he simply expected to be accepted because of who he was. He was given a ridiculous offer that he had no hope of achieving. He didn't get into Cambridge.
If you do well in your interview, you will be given a good offer. It doesn't matter if you're the son of an Earl or the son of a postman. If you demostrate the enthusiam and ability required, they will be more than happy to have you. It is the same with all Universities.
I don't know why people think that Oxbridge only accepts rich people. They are very selective, but only so that they get the best people, irrespective of background.
:yes:
i agree 100% with that i have got into a uni asking lowest predicted grades in Britain, i could have got into one way better but i know i will be happy there, its cheaper, its local and i have everything i'd possibly want if i went to oxbridge i would be severly depresed even before going but the fact is im excited about starting next week, and i will make a sucess as its the course i want to do and not the place im studying!:)