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(that awkward moment when you realise Nick Griffin got in and you didn't)

Thanks again Miranda! I admire the work you do to console these applicants and I know how hard it must be to convince us applicants that life goes on when we can't get into the University that all of our heroes went to. I suppose we just have the be the heroes for the next generation of applicants instead. That seems a far more interesting chapter to me~
Original post by Silverland
(that awkward moment when you realise Nick Griffin got in and you didn't)

Thanks again Miranda! I admire the work you do to console these applicants and I know how hard it must be to convince us applicants that life goes on when we can't get into the University that all of our heroes went to. I suppose we just have the be the heroes for the next generation of applicants instead. That seems a far more interesting chapter to me~


I thought it was Minerva..?

But yeah, Minerva/Miranda, I think I speak on behalf of every pooled applicant that you are awesome! You've made this very cruel saga much more bearable, your advice was always very helpful, so thanks :smile:
Reply 4782
Original post by cath1509
This is my view also, if we get the grades a lot of re-applicants are successful second time around. They know and understand the system, how to play it and how to prepare. And in the grand scheme of things 1 year to mature and do something useful may actually be something which we will really enjoy!


I have posted on this thread before that my daughter reapplied and there were many others who did that and were successful. That said it's a big decision and my advice would be don't turn down any other offers until you have your A level or IB results. You will need at least one A* autopool is 3 A*s and UMS still counts. You also need to have have some thoughts about your gap year so you can talk about it in your personal statement and interview - my daughter did get questioned on it.

When we were looking at reapplying there was very little info on the Cambridge website and just a couple of TSR threads. There is no data in the stats.

It easy for me so say that I am glad that she reapplied, and that she has benefitted from taking a year out, but would I feel the same if she had been pooled again and gone thru the same pain and disappointment a second time?

Some reapplicants go to their second choice and reapply from there, but remember that the general rule at Cambridge is you can't do it - one or two colleges may allow it but you need the consent of the uni you are at. You would need to check each college for their stance.

Some colleges are neutral on gap years, others don't like them - same goes for reapplicants. Oxford is different and you can apply whilst at another uni. You still have to retake the first year. Check each college.

I know there are a lot of parents reading this forum and I have been hesitant about posting because the thread it is for applicants and not us, but I wanted to say how impressed I have been with everyone's maturity and resilience and I agree there has to be a better way to manage this process.

For those who cant bear the thought of going through it again or are not that disappointed, I am sure that you will be successful wherever you go - show Cambridge what they are missing by concentrating on your work and getting the results you deserve. Just remember that the likes of Durham, Imperial and UCL have loads of ex-poolees who were all worthy of a place.

PS If there are any parents reading this in a year's time when their daughters/sons are in the 2014 Winter Pool it might be a good idea to set up a separate parents' thread
Reply 4783
Original post by Silverland
(that awkward moment when you realise Nick Griffin got in and you didn't)

Thanks again Miranda! I admire the work you do to console these applicants and I know how hard it must be to convince us applicants that life goes on when we can't get into the University that all of our heroes went to. I suppose we just have the be the heroes for the next generation of applicants instead. That seems a far more interesting chapter to me~


This is perhaps the single worst part of my rejection, knowing he got an offer. :rolleyes:
Original post by Mystic Creature
I thought it was Minerva..?

I know :wink:

are you still swimming yourself btw?
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4785
Original post by Mothero
I have posted on this thread before that my daughter reapplied and there were many others who did that and were successful. That said it's a big decision and my advice would be don't turn down any other offers until you have your A level or IB results. You will need at least one A* autopool is 3 A*s and UMS still counts. You also need to have have some thoughts about your gap year so you can talk about it in your personal statement and interview - my daughter did get questioned on it.

When we were looking at reapplying there was very little info on the Cambridge website and just a couple of TSR threads. There is no data in the stats.

It easy for me so say that I am glad that she reapplied, and that she has benefitted from taking a year out, but would I feel the same if she had been pooled again and gone thru the same pain and disappointment a second time?

Some reapplicants go to their second choice and reapply from there, but remember that the general rule at Cambridge is you can't do it - one or two colleges may allow it but you need the consent of the uni you are at. You would need to check each college for their stance.

Some colleges are neutral on gap years, others don't like them - same goes for reapplicants. Oxford is different and you can apply whilst at another uni. You still have to retake the first year. Check each college.

I know there are a lot of parents reading this forum and I have been hesitant about posting because the thread it is for applicants and not us, but I wanted to say how impressed I have been with everyone's maturity and resilience and I agree there has to be a better way to manage this process.

For those who cant bear the thought of going through it again or are not that disappointed, I am sure that you will be successful wherever you go - show Cambridge what they are missing by concentrating on your work and getting the results you deserve. Just remember that the likes of Durham, Imperial and UCL have loads of ex-poolees who were all worthy of a place.

PS If there are any parents reading this in a year's time when their daughters/sons are in the 2014 Winter Pool it might be a good idea to set up a separate parents' thread


I'm a parent too, just wandered over from the Other Place. Did not get any answer today which is prolonging the agony. As we're overseas it could bemid next week before the letter arrives. There are quite a few parents reading these threads even if they don't join/post. I haven't seen any objections by students as long as we're open about it. I like the idea of a parents thread though!
Reply 4786
Original post by Silverland
(that awkward moment when you realise Nick Griffin got in and you didn't)

Thanks again Miranda! I admire the work you do to console these applicants and I know how hard it must be to convince us applicants that life goes on when we can't get into the University that all of our heroes went to. I suppose we just have the be the heroes for the next generation of applicants instead. That seems a far more interesting chapter to me~
Oh dear. I have an alias....

Original post by Mystic Creature
I thought it was Minerva..?

But yeah, Minerva/Miranda, I think I speak on behalf of every pooled applicant that you are awesome! You've made this very cruel saga much more bearable, your advice was always very helpful, so thanks :smile:
It is.... glad it's been helpful; that's what I'm aiming for.

Original post by Mothero
I know there are a lot of parents reading this forum and I have been hesitant about posting because the thread it is for applicants and not us, but I wanted to say how impressed I have been with everyone's maturity and resilience and I agree there has to be a better way to manage this process.

For those who cant bear the thought of going through it again or are not that disappointed, I am sure that you will be successful wherever you go - show Cambridge what they are missing by concentrating on your work and getting the results you deserve. Just remember that the likes of Durham, Imperial and UCL have loads of ex-poolees who were all worthy of a place.

PS If there are any parents reading this in a year's time when their daughters/sons are in the 2014 Winter Pool it might be a good idea to set up a separate parents' thread
We can certainly bear that in mind.... nothing to stop someone from starting one, of course, though I must say that keeping up with this thread alone has been a bit of a challenge this year!

I completely agree with you about the resilience of the applicants posting in this thread. This process is absolutely not for the faint-hearted.
Reply 4787
anyone heard from fitz?


I've only found 1 open offer post interview: throwaway_medic.

Another without interview was a vet med Elizabeth 1


Posted from TSR Mobile
Yeah but i'm assuming that vetmed open offers operate in a similar way to medicine

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 4790
Hi, I've been watching over this thread since last Friday and still haven't heard anything from Cambridge yet :frown: ....do you think there's still a possibility that people can get fished by the college that pooled them between today and the 14th?
Reply 4791
Original post by Sharpeyj
Anyone still not heard? Glad to see most people being positive about the future :smile: I am sure everyone in this thread will go on to be very successful!


Yes I still haven't heard et...most prob a rejection now :frown:
Reply 4792
Original post by Mellomum
I'm a parent too, just wandered over from the Other Place. Did not get any answer today which is prolonging the agony. As we're overseas it could bemid next week before the letter arrives. There are quite a few parents reading these threads even if they don't join/post. I haven't seen any objections by students as long as we're open about it. I like the idea of a parents thread though!
Will they not send an email for you? That's a bit off, though at least, even if the letters may be a bit delayed, what you'll get is a final decision one way or the other.

There is The Parent Room, if that helps, but it has to be admitted that at this time of year much of the action is in the Oxbridge forum!

As you say, the younger users don't mind parents posting - and in this thread particularly (the same was true last year) I personally think it's really helpful. What the parents can bring to the discussion is that longer perspective, which is so hard to see when you're starting out, as well as the reassurance that what parents really mind about here is not whether there's an offer at the end of this terrible process, but the anxiety it usually generates. No loving parent wants to see their child disappointed, but if they must be, every parent hopes that they've equipped their child with the resilience and essential optimism about the future to be able to deal with it, and move on to the many other good things life has to offer.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4793
Original post by GeeGee3
Hi, I've been watching over this thread since last Friday and still haven't heard anything from Cambridge yet :frown: ....do you think there's still a possibility that people can get fished by the college that pooled them between today and the 14th?
There is still a possibility, but it is increasingly unlikely.
Original post by medicdude
I've only found 1 open offer post interview: throwaway_medic.

Another without interview was a vet med Elizabeth 1


Posted from TSR Mobile



I know this is extreme optimism , but the way I see it , we must surely be in with a shout of an open offer ? If we weren't , surely our colleges would send our rejection letters at the same time that they do for other subjects ...

E.g I applied to Jesus , people for other subjects at Jesus received rejection letters today . As has happened with other colleges, yet no medics have heard... This may mean further deliberating to be done For most medics?
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4795
Original post by Minerva
There is still a possibility, but it is increasingly unlikely.
Which subjects are likely to get an offer until the 14th then?...because the letter says from 5th-14th for direct offers...
Reply 4796
Original post by JimJohnnyJones
I know this is extreme optimism , but the way I see it , we must surely be in with a shout of an open offer ? If we weren't , surely our colleges would send our rejection letters at the same time that they do for other subjects ...

E.g I applied to Jesus , people for other subjects at Jesus received rejection letters today . As has happened with other colleges, yet no medics have heard... This may mean further deliberating to be done ?
I think the process described on the Cambridge website here suggests exactly that.
Reply 4797
Original post by GeeGee3
Which subjects are likely to get an offer until the 14th then?...because the letter says from 5th-14th for direct offers...
I really couldn't say. What subject and college are we talking about here?
Reply 4798
Original post by Minerva
I really couldn't say. What subject and college are we talking about here?
Maths at Girton :/ I know Girton is one of the less popular colleges so I'm guessing no? :frown:
Reply 4799
Original post by GeeGee3
Maths at Girton :/ I know Girton is one of the less popular colleges so I'm guessing no? :frown:
Yes, but on the other hand 1 in 5 Maths offers last year went to poolees, and they generally over-offer to a higher degree because of the STEP requirements. So you just can't tell. Girton is also a college that does a fair bit of fishing, so may be doing a lot of comparing and contrasting and/or awaiting the outcome of any interviews, all of which builds in delay.

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