Anybody else feeling thick, hopeless and considering dropping out of Sixth Form?

Why do you want to go to Oxbridge only so badly?


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I received similar grades (4 A*, 4 A*, 1B and 1C) and my school have been very supportive of me seeking to apply for Oxford! There were a few people in my year who got 11 A*+ (three, I believe, of whom only one wants to apply for Oxbridge - Cambridge for German & French). I also got rejected from the Oxford Pathways today, so we have that in common too!

Our Oxbridge programme has a benchmark of 5 A*, but the teacher made an exception for me. I'm sorry your school haven't been supportive. What I would recommend is that you look into any of the academic competitions - I'm personally looking to enter two history essay competitions - as well as getting involved in extra-curricular activities that are relevant to your subject (I'm volunteering at my local National Trust property, for example). Perhaps if you talk to the teachers some more they could be a bit more accommodating.

Depending on your subject, you can be almost guaranteed to get an interview at Cambridge if you get your A's, get predicted the right grades, and have a decent personal statement, in my experience. It does really depend on your subject though, which would it be if you don't mind me asking?

(I've also heard Cambridge care a lot less about GCSE grades than Oxford, for what it's worth, I don't know if that's just hearsay though).

GCSEs do not truly reflect your ability to go to university. I got average grades and now I'm on track for a AAAA in my A2. My friend meanwhile who got 13 A/A*s only got BCCD at AS level last year. It's a VERY different ball game, so don't get bogged down by GCSE performance. It's like using your SAT grades to work out if you're good for A Level study.

Likewise, university isn't just Oxbridge, and as great as they both are, there's a lot of other unis that are superior in certain departments. These unis tend to consider your current work ethic rather than your past performance, making it more realistic to get in.

You don't need to drop out, you just need to set yourself a personal target, rather than having it dictated to you. Figure out what subject you want to study, set a realistic target (B's in all subjects is a safe target) and work your way upwards.

PS. You will notice a lot of these high achievers in your year won't get their predicted AS grades. They tend to be over-exaggerated and unrealistic targets.

Thank you so much for this, it has been unbelievably reassuring! I also intend to enter two essay competitions for English, which is what I want to do at Uni, and have work experience at a local newspaper office and will be entering numerous poetry competitions. For the Oxford Pathways study days, do you know if everybody who has been rejected is automatically placed on the waiting list? I wasn't sure. But again, thank you so much for this Good luck with applying!

I was put on a waiting list, so it might be everyone. The Pathways application was literally just grades - no personal statement, no interview. There will be plenty of people applying to Oxbridge with 13 A*'s who will break down in tears or come across as mind-numbingly arrogant in the interview, or who will do no extra reading all year and so won't get in, which obviously cannot be reflected on the smaller application form!

Sounds ridiculous, but I hadn't seen it through that perspective and you're so right. I suppose its just the initial disappointment of it combined with my stress at having done no work this entire half term, but I'm feeling much calmer now thanks. Out of interest, have you applied to any summer schools?

Work to prove them wrong! A few of my friends whom got an offer to Oxbridge didn't even have no A* at GCSE (except for one who managed to get 11 -.-) but they proved themselves worthy through their AS results and the stuff they do outside sixth form.

I applied to the UNIQ summer school for history for Oxford, but I don't have my hopes up - people on here seemed to spend weeks on their personal statements, so I don't think mine was good enough!

Do you know what their results were at AS level? Thanks