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has anyone got into oxbridge for masters with bad first year grades?

I partied my way through first year and barely scraped a 2:1...
Has anyone managed to overcome bad/mediocre grades in first year with better ones in second year, securing a place at Oxbridge?
If so what were your specific grades and was there anything else that you think contributed to your success e.g. letters of recommendation?

*Idk if it matters but my current uni is also top tier academically
*Also my grades averaged out to a low 2:1 but in some modules I scored as low as 55...

Reply 1

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Anonymous

*Also my grades averaged out to a low 2:1 but in some modules I scored as low as 55...

In your first year or afterwards?

Are you still studying or have you been awarded a 2:1?

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by Admit-One

In your first year or afterwards?

Are you still studying or have you been awarded a 2:1?

The 2:1 was for my first year, and yes I'm still studying (second year) :smile:

Reply 3

hubbabridge

I assume that you are at a UK university probably Russell group. For the purposes of your final degree grading very little of that is dependent on your first year grades. It varies from university to university so that some universities first year grades do not count at all and at others it is a sixth or ninth of your final grade. If you get first for the next two years then Oxbridge are not going to be worried about the first year. Its the finished product they are interested in with a flair for academia, not what you were like when you left school.

Reply 4

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

I agree, unis tend to view your undergrad performance holistically. So if you started off wobbly and improved that’s going to be less of a concern than some weaker grades in year 2 & 3.

Which is not to say that it won’t be competitive anyway, but just that this may not be a dealbreaker.