Should I withdraw my UCAS application and try again next year?

I have recieved my offers for UCAS but I feel unsatisfied. Due to my college's pretty awful scheduling, we were told to apply to unis AFTER the deadline for universities such as Oxford and Cambridge and medicine courses.
It may seem silly, but I feel unsatisfied. I'd really like to attend Oxford or Cambridge, and believe I can do so. It's just that it's too late to apply.
I've visited some unis and am not happy with them.
If I took a gap year, would I be able to reapply on UCAS independently? I'm applying with my college currently, so is that the only way to do it? Can you apply after taking a year off? Ideally, I'd like to apply again in September to Oxford, Cambridge and some other universities and knowing my actual A level results would help a lot with this. But is this possible? Should I just go with what I have now and hope there's some better unis in clearing? Can you get into clearing if you accept your offers or would I need to reject them to get into it?
I wish my college had discussed UCAS with me more, as I was basically left to my own devices and only given references. No guidance at all.
So, do I stick with what I have or do I take a gap year and apply in September for 2025 entry? Is it possible to apply to UCAS without a college and does it affect your chances of getting in?
Thanks!

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Yes you can apply during a gap year - but it’s best to wait and see if you get the sort of grades you’re expecting before you commit to this.

Think about your application this year as your insurance choice in case you get grades lower than you hope for. Think about which university and course might suit you best in that situation and make your decisions accordingly.

Reply 2

Coeoe

Btw I noticed you said "I'd like to apply again in September to Oxford, Cambridge and some other universities..."
You probably didn't mean it in that way, but you can't apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. I'm sure you know that tho!

My school also didn't help us at all in applying to UCAS😭 I didn't even know that I had to sit an admissions exam until a month before the admissions exam opened for application haha. I got a lot of my information off of articles, webpages and YouTube videos 😩 I do wish the school did a bit more to support us but I learnt a lot by researching by myself.
My school only gave us references and predicted grades too haha. However I enjoyed not being spoonfed for once, as stressful as it was.

I'm sure applying without a school is no problem. However, unis may expect a little more from you since you had an extra year compared to future yr13s.

Also for clearing, you'd have to reject your offers. I don't think you can accept an offer and also go into clearing. May I ask why you feel unsatisfied? There are so many amazing unis in the UK. What unis did you apply for, and what are your stats? If that's ok to ask :smile: