Depressed about UCAS

Just got my third rejection and with that I've heard back from all my unis. The only offers I hold are from two unis I really don't want to go to - Loughborough and Queen Mary for English Literature.

The problem is I think I'm too clever for those places. I don't mean it in a bad way (and clearly my other unis would disagree) but after being interviewed at UCL and applying to all the top unis I don't know what to do.

Is it worth reapplying next year or should I stfu and just go to Queen Mary? Only the people that go there (from my experience) do very little work and I feel I'll be wasted there.

Advice? Or abuse if you want. Just don't know what to do. The future just got a whole lot murkier.

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Reply 1

username398886

to be honest mate... id take the place a QM..... record people applying, if you got into university.. you had may as well take it... just my opinion

Reply 2

Maturity

That's life and guess what? It is ****.

Reply 3

omgmanthissucks

Reapply. There's no point going somewhere where you won't be happy.

Reply 4

SirRamAlot

Just take the QM offer, it's not bad at all, and with loads of uni places being cut down this year be grateful that you have offers.

Reply 5

andy12691

Why did you apply to Loughborough and QM at the first place when you already knew that you wouldn't want to go there?
I would go to Loughborough if I were you tbh.

Reply 6

fairyqueen374

I don't know, if I only got offers for places I didn't really want to be at, I'd be inclined not to go. It doesn't matter about the increase in demand, if you don't think you will be happy or fit in there then it just isn't worth it! But just my opinion :smile:

Have you thought about Extra? Or if you were to re-apply next year, have you got something to do for this coming year? x x

Reply 7

asdalol

Reapply or find out why you were rejected, take another year out at college and apply next year maybe? if its that important. personally, i would reapply to different unis

Reply 8

explosions hurt

A gap year wouldn't really be a big deal if you actually have a plan and stick to it. You want to study eng lit, so unis wouldn't care about a gap year and would perhaps even see it as a good thing as it affirms your decision and shows that you truly want to study the subject. People will probably say "well you are obviously not good enough for ucl lololol" but i know plenty of really good candidates who should have got places to the likes of UCL and warwick but who have been rejected for eng lit. Don't be put off by a gap year and don't be put off by people telling you to settle for something which you don't want to. However, equally you might just not be good enough for the very top establishments, and a place like Loughborough isn't a poor option by any means. You should also accept that you might find yourself in exactly the same position next year if you do choose to reapply.

Reply 9

timreynolds

Anonymous

Yeah there are a lot of people in this position this year :frown:

30 years a go or so, if you got all As etc, it was assumed/classed as normal if you went to your Oxbridges. Now so many A candiates are getting rejected, the system is not fair in a way. Although I am talking from a biased perspective.

Reply 10

Paske

Reapply if you're not happy... You don't want to spend 3/4 years on a course you are not 100% satisfied with when you know you could get on a better one.

Reply 11

CherryCherryBoomBoom

You could maybe just go to Queen Mary's for the first year, then if you really don't like it then drop out and reapply for a different uni? By the way, seems a bit odd to be posting anonymously about this? :s-smilie:

Reply 12

DaveParlour

I held an offer from Cambridge, on results day I missed it, my insurance was a rank 40ish one in the middle of no where miles from home as it was the only other offer I got. I didn't want to go there, but I had no other option as a gap year would have been wasteful. Since I've been here I've wasted all my opportunities because my mindset led me on a path of self sabotage and really have not enjoyed myself as a result, as such im currently in the process of reapplying. If you do decide to go QMUL do so with the right mindset not because you feel you have to, because the experience is what you make of it.

Reply 13

Billy Bryant

As somebody else said, why did you apply to universities that you did not want to go to? Doesn't matter now though, if you won't be happy then reapply next year, don't expect things to be entirely different though except that your grades are no longer 'predicted' maybe giving you an advantage (or disadvantage if they are worse then predicted)

Reply 14

oxymoronic

This is the third or fourth English lit related rejection post in the UCAS forum alone today so clearly you're not the only person who has had bad news.

Have you actually been to Queen Mary and Loughborough and looked at them with an open mind? Okay, they're not UCL and where ever else you applied but they're damn good universities and you must have at least considered them at some point otherwise you wouldn't have applied there in the first place. Go and visit them with an open mind, look at the courses and see what they have to offer you from their own merits. You might be pleasantly surprised. Obviously if you hate them both unconditionally then fair enough, but look properly at them first - most universities are pretty similar.

English lit is incredibly competitive and believe it or not, you're actually fairing better than most as its a subject where loads of people end up with no offers. Therefore, if you take a gap year you need to consider what will happen if it gets to this time next year and you still don't have an offer from UCL. Is is really worth giving up offers at good universities just for another shot at getting into a couple of others? This is something you need to consider really seriously and carefully, so tonight probably isn't the time as obviously you're upset about the outcomes of your favoured applications.

Before you decide anything, find out exactly why you were rejected - if it is something such as your GCSEs aren't high enough or similar then there is very little you can do about that so a gap year wouldn't help matters. Finding out why will help you in your decisions.

Reply 15

IndiePixie

Firstly, I agree with the poster that said try and get some feedback on why you were rejected. If its something you can fix, you have some idea of what you might do in a gap year, and you know that you won't be happy at either of the places you've applied then consider reapplying.

Reply 16

*MJ*

Nothing wrong with QM or L'boro but if you won't be happy there, don't go.

One extra year is not the end of the world.

"I'm a bit too clever for those places..."

Sorry mate, plain and simple arrogance.

Appreciate what you have in life, tbh. :yes:

Reply 17

areyoucool/symmetrical?

Anonymous

just so you know i go to a really good secondary school and in the last years upper 6th there was this guy i knew who was extremely bright - arguably one of the most promising english lit students and had plenty of other stuff going for him, well he applied for QM as his 1st choice and is really enjoying himself there too

i really dont think youd be wasted in either but for queen marys in particular - this is the 8th best uni for english lit (according to times) and so i would disregarded it that quickly, and this is ahead of st andrews, southampton and bristol

in spite of this if its really bothering you, take a year out, maybe bang out the whole collection of a series of unforunate events cos im sure u wanna feel like uv done all you could

good luck :smile:

Reply 18

I Have No Imagination

I'd take a gap year, if you really don't want to go to those particular unis and you know you won't be happy there, then a year out really will do you no harm.

Reply 19

crazyappleie

idk if you really wont be happy at either of those unis, then get some feedback and take a gap year!- they really aren't wasteful if you plan them right- don't feel hard done by, english has been pretty tough this year, it sucks but you defo aren't the only person in this situation! ... but I would pick QM, its in London, you'll have fun, anyway good luck :smile: