Applying to Oxbridge affecting applications to other Unis?

Okay a myth has sprung up quite recently, which is quite frankly, wholly incorrect and total misinformation.

Certain individuals have applied pre-15th October and been rejected from very good universities, often for very competitive courses (History, Law, English, Economics etc). They have then been informed this is because "other uni's know you have applied to oxbridge and don't want to be made an insurance choice." This is just plain wrong and shows a total lack of knowledge of the ucas system.

1) Ucas sends your application anonymously, no universities know which other ones you have applied to, and there is no rank order in which you apply. All each university knows is that you have applied to them.

2) It is ridiculous to think places like Durham would reject people on the basis they will get into oxbridge, seeing as 75% get rejected from oxbridge, those 75% invariably in the top students of the country, it's madness to reject them because they 'might' get into oxbridge.

3) These courses are very competitive, people with 7A*s, 5A's at AS and "great personal statement + reference" get rejected some places, and let in others. The universities are all looking for slightly different criteria, and you might meet one unversities, but not another. There is only so far you can read into grades as indicative of who will get offer and who won't.

So don't despair, the fact you applied before the 15th October doesn't mean that Durham/Bristol/*insert alternative great university here* will reject you outright, keep your chin up, often decisions won't come in until march or later!