Eating Disorder as a mitigating circumstance in UCAS reference

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I think you need to be clearer about what, exactly, it's mitigating. And there would need to be evidence that the sufferer had sufficient insight into their condition and how it might affect their future academic work - a declaration of 'I'm anorexic, I didn't do as well as others you might be considering but give me a chance anyway' aint going to wash.

No, universities like Oxbridge are incredibly unlikely to lower the threshold for an interview or offer. Why would they?

To be honest mental health support at Oxford is not great, and due to the high workloads and stress, lots students take at least one year out of their course due to mental illness. .

lots students take at least one year out of their course due to mental illness.

To be honest mental health support at Oxford is not great, and due to the high workloads and stress, lots students take at least one year out of their course due to mental illness.

There has been a TSR member this year with exactly this issue in the Cam forum. There was no issue at all during the application process. In general (from my experience at Cam) the offer is unlikely to be lowered - the courses are tough enough without letting people in without the same foundation as the rest of their course. Also, the mitigation is already supposed to be accounted within the grade awarded, in many circumstances. However, in cases like this, there is often a note on the applicant's file saying 'accept with XXX' ie reduced grades, in the event that happens. I worked at another RG uni where this would also have been the case - standard process applied, and minimum acceptance grades put on file for us on decisions day if required.

In the TSR case, the individual realised their anorexia was not sufficiently under control to cope with the rigors of going off to uni, and about 3 weeks before term started they contacted the Uni and College and I think the mutual decision was to defer for a year.

If you go to the Cam forum you may be able to track down the post in the 2016 thread - sorry, can't remember the person's nick, so it might be a slog. Otherwise, there is often an Admissions Tutor, and they will know the exact details of consideration.

What there won't be, is any underhand inference or suspicion- admissions teams aren't cabals of enclosed secret workers. It's either centralised - A team of highly process driven junior staff who have to record every breath they take - they'd have to have these illegal tactics written down in the policy document to get it to happen - so it won't happen. Or admissions decisions sit with academics in departments, and they are too left-wing, egalitarian, equality driven, pink fluffy bodies to ever dream of anything so devious. Also, if they got found out, they'd never work in academia again!!

I think you need to be clearer about what, exactly, it's mitigating. And there would need to be evidence that the sufferer had sufficient insight into their condition and how it might affect their future academic work - a declaration of 'I'm anorexic, I didn't do as well as others you might be considering but give me a chance anyway' aint going to wash.