missed oxford offer - what to do next?

shakedown1979

I missed my offer by 5UMS, not even 5 marks (papers out of 70). It was Biology and I had an offer for English. applied for priority remark but the admissions tutor implied don't get your hopes up and we may not accept you if it gets marked up anyway.

Absolutely gutted. Ucas has updated to automatic clearing (the only other offer I had was also 3 A's). I don't want to be melodramatic but i feel shell-shocked. I didn't plead or anything on the phone, i was in a complete daze. sounded like they'd made up their mind pretty firmly :frown:

Do I wait for remarks or do I investigate clearing? In all honesty I can't imagine enjoying being somewhere I don't want to be. Should I investigate gap years and reapply? I'll be 19 this october, so quite a bit older than others if i take a gap year.

Any particular advantages to starting uni in 2010 rather than 2009? (it's a 3 year course).

Thanks for your help, still feel completely awful

Reply 1

lostphotobooth

11

You'll still be young even if you take a gap year! Be on the safe side and have a look at clearing. if there really isn't anything you want to do, phone up Oxford, and your insurance and plead for a place. Starting a course a bit later also means you'll be a bit more mature. And also, being on a gap year, you could get a job and be a bit 'richer' than other students starting in fall 2010 :] Good luck.

Also, your username...Smashing Pumpkins by any chance? :wink:

Reply 2

London South Bank Clearing

I think the decision is ultimately down to you. You seem to not have a focused mind regarding what you want to do so you should spend some time deciding what you want. Regarding advantages for taking a gap year, it will give you time to think about where to study. There is no harm in looking at clearing, but at the end of the day you should not make a spur of the moment choice as you may regret it.

Reply 3

F1 fanatic

16

shakedown1979

I missed my offer by 5UMS, not even 5 marks (papers out of 70). It was Biology and I had an offer for English. applied for priority remark but the admissions tutor implied don't get your hopes up and we may not accept you if it gets marked up anyway.

Absolutely gutted. Ucas has updated to automatic clearing (the only other offer I had was also 3 A's). I don't want to be melodramatic but i feel shell-shocked. I didn't plead or anything on the phone, i was in a complete daze. sounded like they'd made up their mind pretty firmly :frown:

Do I wait for remarks or do I investigate clearing? In all honesty I can't imagine enjoying being somewhere I don't want to be. Should I investigate gap years and reapply? I'll be 19 this october, so quite a bit older than others if i take a gap year.

Any particular advantages to starting uni in 2010 rather than 2009? (it's a 3 year course).

Thanks for your help, still feel completely awful

The advantage of taking a gap year is that you can apply to a university that you really want to go to. I believe the number of places available in clearing for AAB candidates on competitive courses is extremely limited so by applying again you get a full choice. For English it's not a bad move and can be looked upon favourably if you do something productive with your year off. I know it must be disappointing but there are options out there and you will have a really good time, but no point rushing into a decision and a place you're not happy with. You will be applying along with people who can get A* grades, and some unis may make requirements in this, but don't be put off by it as they will take the fact you couldn't get an A* into account.

Reply 4

member169510

17

I am pretty sure if you get a priority remark and you get those extra UMs, that if it means you make your offer and it comes back before 2nd of september, they have to take you. I dont think they can say "we make not take you", as you got your grades there was just a mistake in the marking, if you see what I mean, other people are far more knowledgeable than me on this, but dont give up hope just yet :wink:

Reply 5

LH123

17

They have to take you if you get the marks, as far as I know.

That's what I was told, anyway.

Reply 6

Paulwhy

13

shakedown1979

I missed my offer by 5UMS, not even 5 marks (papers out of 70). It was Biology and I had an offer for English. applied for priority remark but the admissions tutor implied don't get your hopes up and we may not accept you if it gets marked up anyway.

Absolutely gutted. Ucas has updated to automatic clearing (the only other offer I had was also 3 A's). I don't want to be melodramatic but i feel shell-shocked. I didn't plead or anything on the phone, i was in a complete daze. sounded like they'd made up their mind pretty firmly :frown:

Do I wait for remarks or do I investigate clearing? In all honesty I can't imagine enjoying being somewhere I don't want to be. Should I investigate gap years and reapply? I'll be 19 this october, so quite a bit older than others if i take a gap year.

Any particular advantages to starting uni in 2010 rather than 2009? (it's a 3 year course).

Thanks for your help, still feel completely awful

As others have said with a priority remark if you get the A they have to take you.

I am sorry that you have missed out on Oxford and now have nowhere. There is an argument for investigating what spaces there are so you can make an informed choice between 2009 clearing and a GAP year. But:
i) you need to be in a good mental state to make that decision.
ii) you have already 'lost' a day and a half so best places with spaces may have gone.
If you do decide to ring up, don't just ring up places listed in clearing as some unis with spaces don't appear in clearing.

Reply 7

Grotbag

12

LH123

They have to take you if you get the marks, as far as I know.

Yep, but if there is no space they can offer deferred entry instead unfortunately.

Reply 8

711719617594

I'm not a religious person, but I'm genuinely praying that your priority remark is successful and puts you up to an A. To echo what somebody else has said, I'm pretty sure that they HAVE to accept you if you get the marks; you technically DID achieve your offer in that case, so, why wouldn't they accept you? You clearly did well enough at interview to justify that offer.

Reply 9

DJkG.1

17

London South Bank Clearing

I think the decision is ultimately down to you. You seem to not have a focused mind regarding what you want to do so you should spend some time deciding what you want. Regarding advantages for taking a gap year, it will give you time to think about where to study. There is no harm in looking at clearing, but at the end of the day you should not make a spur of the moment choice as you may regret it.

And who the hell are you? :hmmm:

As others have said OP, if you get that 5 UMS with a priority remark then you should be in - I don't see how they can reject you if you have met your conditional offer in the same session. Maybe what she meant was 'don't get your hopes up if you miss your offer, even by a few UMS, as we have no spare spaces' but if you make the offer, then surely you cannot be declined a space then.

After all, somebody in my year just got an E in a maths exam when he's a frikin' maths genius lol, I'm sure a clerical recheck of the marks will see that he has actually gotten full marks. :yep:

Just because the exam board makes a mistake, the universities cannot mess with your offer - or if they can, it's very unfair.

missed oxford offer - what to do next?

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