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Rejected by 4 of my 5 universities...

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Original post by saim101


I don't like Oxbridge because my parents went their :/ ; hence i did not apply to them


Your parents went their? Really? Is English Language not one of your 14 GCSE A *s?
Reply 61
nope i only managed to get a C in English -_- which resulted in my parents giving me the "look"
Reply 62
Original post by OnADarklingPlain
Hi everyone -

I'm really struggling to get to grips with having received 4 rejections - I've only been accepted by my safety-net-uni, the one I didn't want to go to.

I applied to Cambridge, Durham, Warwick, UCL and York to study English, and was interviewed by Cambridge, UCL and Warwick. Only York has accepted me. I know that the unis I chose are really hard to get into, and that York is still pretty good, but I'm still really disappointed - I feel like I've failed. :frown:
I was wrecked after Cambridge turned me down, but I got used to it, happy that I still had Warwick, and then BAM, got the rejection letter on Wednesday.

I know that it could be for all kinds of reasons, but I'm wondering if my AS grades have let me down. I got AAABC - the As being for History, English Lit and English Language, the B for Theatre Studies and the C for French.

Anyway, I just feel a bit down, and I wondered if anyone else has had a similar turnout regarding their own university application.


I know you feel rejected and despondant about this. It is horrible to see the list and the 'unsuccesful' next to them. Cambridge, as you know, requires an A* and is always a risky application for anyone given the competition.

As for the rest, the fact they gave you an interview suggests to me that there was nothing wrong with your AS results and projected grades or they wouldn't have wasted their time. You would have been an outright rejection. They are competitive courses. UCL is known for being hard to get through the interview stage and pedantic.

However despite all this I personally would re-assess how I'm feeling about York. It is one of the top English departments in the country. It certainly isn't the usual 'fall back' offer type place but rather a truly excellent course and department in its own right. It too is incredibly competitive to get into and you should congratulate yourself on the offer. They offer excellent modules and an extremly high level of academic rigour in addition to being very well known in the field. It is very sought after for English so CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :smile:

York University isn't as pretty buildings wise as Durham or Cambridge but the city itself is lovely and I personally would prefer it as a location to Warwick. However if you visited and felt that it really wasn't for you then take a year out, visit some other places and re-assess.

Good luck deciding!

:smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 63
Original post by catoswyn
I know you feel rejected and despondant about this. It is horrible to see the list and the 'unsuccesful' next to them. Cambridge, as you know, requires an A* and is always a risky application for anyone given the competition.


Durham ask for the A*, also (http://www.dur.ac.uk/english.studies/undergrad/courses/programmes/) so this was possibly a major factor in the rejection.
My good friend got rejected from Cambridge and has York as his insurance and another Oxbridge candidate has York as her insurance for English so DO NOT let this get you down :smile:
Reply 65
Its hard to get into any university with compitions being so high so getting an offer is still a remarkable achievement so don't be so negative be proud u got an opourtunity to go uni
Reply 66
Original post by saim101
Why would you apply to such high universities???
I got AAAA (maths, physics, chemistry and biology). I'm a level 8 at piano and at the violin and i didn't apply to 4 of the top universities because i knew i wouldn't get in.
You should've really thought about your choices.
On a positive side you can go through something called adjustment if you want to go to a better university.


*Grade

Adjustment? What? Stop talking bull.
Original post by River85
I think her A-level grades were a possible problem (not having that A*) and, of course, her personal statement though, as she was interviewed by Cambridge, it could just be bad luck. English is one of the most competitive subjects and it happens to many.


These were my AS grades, not my A-Level grades - as you know, you can't get A*s at AS.
Reply 68
You applied for the 5 unis that are in the top 6 for english on the complete university guide, york is ranked higher than warwick and you're complaining? I know it must have been hard to be rejected by 4 of your choices but york is 12th overall, and again 5th in the uk for english... I personally would be over the moon...

Be happy :smile:
Reply 69
Original post by saim101
Why would you apply to such high universities???
I got AAAA (maths, physics, chemistry and biology). I'm a level 8 at piano and at the violin and i didn't apply to 4 of the top universities because i knew i wouldn't get in.
You should've really thought about your choices.
On a positive side you can go through something called adjustment if you want to go to a better university.


Wow, you're level 8 in Piano and Violin!? I play the trumpet and violin to grade 8 yet I had more important things to put on my application. Why does it even matter if you play music or not? It has NOTHING to do with anything.


OP: Don't worry about it. I promise you'll end up loving York, most people do. You still have a really great university. If you're really worried take a gap year but you could face rejection again.
Original post by beansprouts
OP, don't listen to anyone who tells you that your AS results were not up to scratch. This probably isn't what you want to hear right now, but I go an unconditional at UCL to study Psychology (which is just as competitive as English) with poorer AS and GCSE grades than you. So please don't feel like you have failed or that you aren't good enough. I would contact the admissions team at each university and find out why they rejected you. They may say it was purely because of your performance at the interview. In which case it has nothing to do with your grades. I would also avoid taking a gap year and retaking simply because universities like the ones you have mentioned tend not to accept retakes (I know UCL definitely don't). IMO work your butt off at A Levels and try through Adjustment if you're seriously not that happy about going to York. Indeed, York is a very good uni, but if you're heart isn't set on it then chances are you'll find it hard to settle in and make the most out of your experience there :frown:


I think that's some of the best advice I've had so far - thank you :smile:
Original post by hola_im_liv
Despite what you think, I don't think that your grades were the problem. I applied to Oxford for History - one of the most competitive courses, with pretty average grades for an Oxbridge applicant - I was pretty surprised to get an interview, and even more so when I got an offer. I asked the current students there what their AS grades were like, and they were similar to mine, a mix of As and Bs. What they're looking for is the way you think, rather than how well you can memorise verbs and tenses for your French AS. That said, Cambridge is notoriously picky about the subjects you study and your grades - although the fact you had an interview testifies against that.

I know its hard to be rejected - my friend was rejected by all 5 of her choices - but you need to remember you haven't failed, there is a place out there for you, and despite York not being your first choice, it might really surprise you.

You're obviously a very clever person, so I'm sure you'll be able to make the most of wherever you end up - and remember, taking a gap year, retaking modules and re-applying is not the end of the world!


Thank you :smile:
Original post by catoswyn
I know you feel rejected and despondant about this. It is horrible to see the list and the 'unsuccesful' next to them. Cambridge, as you know, requires an A* and is always a risky application for anyone given the competition.

As for the rest, the fact they gave you an interview suggests to me that there was nothing wrong with your AS results and projected grades or they wouldn't have wasted their time. You would have been an outright rejection. They are competitive courses. UCL is known for being hard to get through the interview stage and pedantic.

However despite all this I personally would re-assess how I'm feeling about York. It is one of the top English departments in the country. It certainly isn't the usual 'fall back' offer type place but rather a truly excellent course and department in its own right. It too is incredibly competitive to get into and you should congratulate yourself on the offer. They offer excellent modules and an extremly high level of academic rigour in addition to being very well known in the field. It is very sought after for English so CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :smile:

York University isn't as pretty buildings wise as Durham or Cambridge but the city itself is lovely and I personally would prefer it as a location to Warwick. However if you visited and felt that it really wasn't for you then take a year out, visit some other places and re-assess.

Good luck deciding!

:smile:


Thank you for your help :smile:
Original post by OnADarklingPlain
Hi everyone -

I'm really struggling to get to grips with having received 4 rejections - I've only been accepted by my safety-net-uni, the one I didn't want to go to.

I applied to Cambridge, Durham, Warwick, UCL and York to study English, and was interviewed by Cambridge, UCL and Warwick. Only York has accepted me. I know that the unis I chose are really hard to get into, and that York is still pretty good, but I'm still really disappointed - I feel like I've failed. :frown:
I was wrecked after Cambridge turned me down, but I got used to it, happy that I still had Warwick, and then BAM, got the rejection letter on Wednesday.

I know that it could be for all kinds of reasons, but I'm wondering if my AS grades have let me down. I got AAABC - the As being for History, English Lit and English Language, the B for Theatre Studies and the C for French.

Anyway, I just feel a bit down, and I wondered if anyone else has had a similar turnout regarding their own university application.


Haha this is actually scary .. your situation is so similar to mine last year! I applied to Oxford, Warwick, UCL and York for English too and only got an offer from York. Warwick too was my last hope; I felt my interview went well, but I can only assume that it didn't go well enough haha. The rejections crushed me.

At AS I got AAA(A)CC As in Classics, English Lit, Maths, (Extended Project), and Cs in French (high five!) and Economics (taken 2 years early).

I knew I didn't want to go to York so I rejected the offer and went to Southampton instead purely because of their creative writing programme.
Original post by saim101
People are sugar coating the situation...
if i got a C in a core subject my parents wouldn't talk to me -_-


Original post by saim101
nope i only managed to get a C in English -_- which resulted in my parents giving me the "look"


:confused: I assume, along with this "look", they're also refusing to speak to you.
Reply 75
Original post by yothi5
*Grade

Adjustment? What? Stop talking bull.


Wasn't directed at me, but care to explain?


Original post by OnADarklingPlain
These were my AS grades, not my A-Level grades - as you know, you can't get A*s at AS.


How do you know I know that? :p: Students couldn't even get A*s in their full A-level back in my day!

But I did know it. I just assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that your predicted grades were similar (that you weren't predicted at least one A*) which, if this is the case, might have been a factor.

But, really, there's no good obsessing over it. I maintain that York is comparable to Durham, Warwick and UCL. Every year there are stories of people applying to five very competitive universities (often for English) and receiving five rejections. It was either last year or the year before there was a A*A*A* student who was rejected from all universities he applied for and this gathered considerable media interest (and TSR interest). I think he blamed his PS.

So be thankful you at least have a conditional university place, it is more than some have, and you can always re-apply this year (not a decision I would take without much thought!)

Original post by beansprouts
OP, don't listen to anyone who tells you that your AS results were not up to scratch. This probably isn't what you want to hear right now, but I go an unconditional at UCL to study Psychology (which is just as competitive as English) with poorer AS and GCSE grades than you. So please don't feel like you have failed or that you aren't good enough. I would contact the admissions team at each university and find out why they rejected you. They may say it was purely because of your performance at the interview. In which case it has nothing to do with your grades. I would also avoid taking a gap year and retaking simply because universities like the ones you have mentioned tend not to accept retakes (I know UCL definitely don't). IMO work your butt off at A Levels and try through Adjustment if you're seriously not that happy about going to York. Indeed, York is a very good uni, but if you're heart isn't set on it then chances are you'll find it hard to settle in and make the most out of your experience there :frown:


Not so much her AS grades, but if she wasn't predicted an A*, and the university she applies to requires at least one A* (which both Cambridge and Durham do) then this may have been a factor (it almost certainly was a factor in Durham's decision to reject her, though I cannot say for certain of course, nor can I say if it was the only factor). Durham, unlike Cambridge, do not interview in most cases, so their application process is more "blind".
I don't think it is your AS grades since you got interviewed... If your grades weren't good enough they wouldn't have bothered at all. Also, I got an offer for English from Warwick despite having BBD A-Levels - your grades are miles better. It was probably nerves or shyness in your interview, where you are too shy to put yourself forward or too nervous to think straight! Anyway don't feel down because you have a myriad of options even though it might feel like you have been given none!!

-*- You can, like me, take a gap year and reapply. I mean, like I said I got BBD last year and I am looking to do English at Warwick. I'm sure (especially if you actually achieve good grades, unlike me) you can do the same and go somewhere like Oxbridge. I wouldn't worry about the whole "universities don't like it when you do this" schtick because you are only disadvantaged if you are RESITTING rather than just reapplying, so if you have the grades by the end of A2 this is really not an issue. Also with this option you get the benefit of growing in many ways. For example, last year I did not interview well at all. I was pretty fatalistic, completely sure I would do badly so I'd stutter, um and ah, be far too nervous, self-deprecating and think too poorly of myself to give a good answer. This year my Warwick interviewer told me at the end of my interview that I was "very eloquent"!

-*- You could try adjustment. I know someone who was in a situation very similar to yours, he got rejected by Oxbridge (cant remember which), UCL, Durham, Bristol, Imperial or LSE or something and only got an offer from Bristol out of the 5. In the end he got 3 A*s and went through adjustment to UCL. This is pretty rare though, I would not rely on adjustment because it is notoriously difficult to actually find places through it, but just know that it is an option.

-*- Or you could stay with York. Maybe go there for the day and get a feel of the place, you never know you might like it a lot. Like other people have said it is an excellent university, its definitely prestigious and the course is one of the best... it would not be any kind of compromise to go there.

I know its not nice being rejected. I got rejected by Leeds this year and UEA last year (where I had had my heart set at the time) and it leaves you feeling like you are not as good as everyone else. Its not true OP, it really isn't. Every university has their own subjective ratings and a lot of the time they get it wrong and have to eat their own words. Just don't feel down about it and don't feel like it's personal! It isn't. Keep in mind all your options and good luck wherever you decide to go :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 77
Original post by Shelly_x
Seriously? People are actually calling AAABC bad?! This forum never ceases to amaze me...
Anyway, you applied for one of the most competitive courses at the most competitive uni, you should have at least had one back up. York is a good uni, suck it up and go there.


I would say the result is good but some countries like e.g Singapore,this kind of result is considered just "OK" to get in local/state university
Bell curve plays an impt part in deciding who will get into university as there are many international students competing with local students as well (unlike UK).

We are considered lucky bunch in UK?? with the exception of the hike in tuition fee??
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 78
York is in the Top 5 universities for English, you should be proud you got an offer from York :/ it's an amazing university with excellent lectures and seminars...
Original post by River85
How do you know I know that? :p: Students couldn't even get A*s in their full A-level back in my day!

But I did know it. I just assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that your predicted grades were similar (that you weren't predicted at least one A*) which, if this is the case, might have been a factor.

But, really, there's no good obsessing over it. I maintain that York is comparable to Durham, Warwick and UCL. Every year there are stories of people applying to five very competitive universities (often for English) and receiving five rejections. It was either last year or the year before there was a A*A*A* student who was rejected from all universities he applied for and this gathered considerable media interest (and TSR interest). I think he blamed his PS.

So be thankful you at least have a conditional university place, it is more than some have, and you can always re-apply this year (not a decision I would take without much thought!)


:smile:

I'm predicted A*A*A in my A Levels

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