Cambridge Rejects

Me too. All the people I know who've been accepted are studious, serious and hard-working. They're not necessarily the most intelligent of the year. They just work very hard and had a huge amount of good support in their application. I appreciate that hard work is a major factor at Cambridge but I wonder if they're a bit lacking in the innovation/creativity department. Surely a top university should be seeking out people like that if they don't want to stay in the same place forever.

On a completely separate subject, a friend of the family did her PhD at Cambridge after being an undergrad at another good uni. She did supervisions and generally helped out in the department. She claims she was glad she wasn't an undergrad there because they are so "spoon fed". She thought her own uni much better prepared her for working independently. She thought the level of support people got at Cambridge was a bit ridiculous.

I find your second point intriguing, though it's just one perspective; it's rare you see people saying Cambridge people have it easy in any respect! Since she did supervisions, it's really interesting that that's her view.

Not sure I agree with your first point though. They are hyperconcerned on grades, but the people I know who got offers all said their interviews really tested their creativity...

Again with what you said in your previous post - people get rejected and then blame or attack the admissions process, which is incredibly good and constantly improving. 'Oh, they're biased against state schoolers', 'Oh, they don't let in private schoolers because they don't want to look snobbish', 'They don't want creative types', 'everyone that gets in is a mindless drone'.

*Sigh* I guess they're just upset.

Again with what you said in your previous post - people get rejected and then blame or attack the admissions process, which is incredibly good and constantly improving. 'Oh, they're biased against state schoolers', 'Oh, they don't let in private schoolers because they don't want to look snobbish', 'They don't want creative types', 'everyone that gets in is a mindless drone'.

*Sigh* I guess they're just upset.

Very true. I'm sick of hearing people bitch about admissions - they do an excellent job in an extremely stressful situation. (Apart from that this year some pooled people have been rejected on track before receiving notification by their college, which doesn't sit well with me - but that's only one or two of the colleges.) It is a bit of a lottery, admittedly, but they have to decide on pretty small discrepancies. I'm in a private school and we fluctuate; 1 offer last year, 10 this year...the only way your school counts against you is if a) your school has done so badly that you lack the basic knowledge essential for the course or b) you've been obviously coached through the interview and exams and don't seem to have the right mindset beyond that.

Something more understandable is 'it's their loss/i'll show them' but that seems to act like the university wants rid of them, and personally snubbed them, when in most cases they want a lot more pupils than they can have.

The misconception that Oxbridge prefer private school candidates and that they are 'posh' will probably never disappear for a long, long time.

I really like your blog post.

I think people have to strike a balance. I love Cambridge, I really do, but I also love the look of London and York and Exeter and I know that whilst I'll be gutted if Cambridge rejects me this time next year I will get over it and go somewhere else I'll be happy. There are too many people who pin all their hopes on Oxbridge and then get incredibly bitter and jealous when they don't get in, and insult the admissions process. Guess what? It's an unbelievably competitive university, they're going to have to make tough decisions on small things and some amazing people won't get in.

And twerking? Really?!

Me too. All the people I know who've been accepted are studious, serious and hard-working. They're not necessarily the most intelligent of the year. They just work very hard and had a huge amount of good support in their application. I appreciate that hard work is a major factor at Cambridge but I wonder if they're a bit lacking in the innovation/creativity department. Surely a top university should be seeking out people like that if they don't want to stay in the same place forever.

On a completely separate subject, a friend of the family did her PhD at Cambridge after being an undergrad at another good uni. She did supervisions and generally helped out in the department. She claims she was glad she wasn't an undergrad there because they are so "spoon fed". She thought her own uni much better prepared her for working independently. She thought the level of support people got at Cambridge was a bit ridiculous.

My interview really didn't test how hard working I am, in truth I probably did less than 50 hours study outside lessons and homework for the whole two years of A Levels. It was all about problem solving and maths.

This thread has made me feel slightly better for if I miss my offer. Although my insurance is Durham so I still get to wear a gown!

My interview really didn't test how hard working I am, in truth I probably did less than 50 hours study outside lessons and homework for the whole two years of A Levels. It was all about problem solving and maths.

This thread has made me feel slightly better for if I miss my offer. Although my insurance is Durham so I still get to wear a gown!

What gown? Lol

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Me too. All the people I know who've been accepted are studious, serious and hard-working. They're not necessarily the most intelligent of the year. They just work very hard and had a huge amount of good support in their application. I appreciate that hard work is a major factor at Cambridge but I wonder if they're a bit lacking in the innovation/creativity department. Surely a top university should be seeking out people like that if they don't want to stay in the same place forever.

On a completely separate subject, a friend of the family did her PhD at Cambridge after being an undergrad at another good uni. She did supervisions and generally helped out in the department. She claims she was glad she wasn't an undergrad there because they are so "spoon fed". She thought her own uni much better prepared her for working independently. She thought the level of support people got at Cambridge was a bit ridiculous.

"could basically secure me any first job I wanted".

Hahahaha, you keep believing that.

I know, when I went for my interviews, most of the people I came across were from state schools!

Yet I was the only person in the room from a state school.

All you have to do is look at the stats. About 60% of entrants are from state schools.

Most students there are from state schools. Trinity has the highest percentage of private school students at any Oxbridge college (50%)


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All you have to do is look at the stats. About 60% of entrants are from state schools.