Gap Year Before Oxbridge

I've heard it's harder to get into oxford or cambridge if you apply for deferred entry, dunno if there's any truth in that?
Well if that is true, could you apply to oxbridge, get an offer, then phone them up and tell them you've changed your mind, and want to take a gap year... or would you have to reapply the following year?

Reply 1

Elles

17

generally - i think it might be harder to achieve a deferred offer - given effectively they're saying that you're not only one of the "best" applicant that year, but will be "better" than anyone who applies in the next cycle - so you might block someone they'd subsequently rather give an offer to.

saying that - i know people who did receive deferred offers. i think subjects vary as to whether they "like" them or not. & this may be college specific too. I've heard English encourages them, Maths frowns upon them, Medicine very rarely gives them etc etc but best to check official sources.

with regards to trying to defer after achieving the offer - i'm sure in some cases if you have a decent reason/new plans etc. they would be accomodating.
but again.. some college/subject variation & some ATs might feel you'd messed them around somewhat & that they could have made another offer for this year etc. & i know of some students who originally applied for deferred entry & were given a 'take it or leave it' type offer for the upcoming year.

in conclusion :tongue:

if you really want a gap year - you may as well apply deferred! have some faith in your ability.. :wink:

& if you don't get in & there's no where else you'd rather go you could always reapply..

Reply 2

JaF

1

It very much depends on the subject. It is certainly enocuraged for engineering.

Reply 3

visesh

17

I am a gapper with a place at Cambridge next year. I don't think it was a lot harder for me...but I obviously wont know...

Reply 4

Immortal Wombat

I did the same as Visesh, but there's no way of knowing what effect it had.

I think it really does depend on the subject. As well as what Elles said regarding some subjects encouaging or discouraging, if you're applying for a subject where there is a very rigid and very small number of places, then I would think you really do have to be good, because they are betting on you being better that next years applicants. If there is a variable number (or large number) of places for that subject at that college, then they might be more inclined to give you a deferred place.

I would suggest if you do apply for deferred entry, have a good idea of something or some things that you plan to do. And if it all goes wrong, then you do have the chance to reapply.

Reply 5

chloe_sh

I have a deferred offer from Oxford for English, and I'm definitely not any more intelligent than various other people who've got 'normal' offers! Probably just another myth... There can't be all that much variation from year to year - if you want to gap, just apply! :smile:

Reply 6

hellohello

OP

chloe_sh

I have a deferred offer from Oxford for English, and I'm definitely not any more intelligent than various other people who've got 'normal' offers! Probably just another myth... There can't be all that much variation from year to year - if you want to gap, just apply! :smile:

did you have to justify your reasons for taking a gap year, i mean does it have to be a worthy and beneficial year off, that will be useful for your course
or can you just doss around for a year

Reply 7

Alewhey

I'm just dossing. I only just recently bothered even getting a job. But I'm not a deferrer, I'm a reapplicant. So yeah...

*starts whistling, walks off into the sunset*

Reply 8

Comp_Genius

4

just out of interest:
if I applied this year for deferred entry (2006) and rejected, can I apply next year for 2006 entry?

Reply 9

visesh

17

darkenergy

just out of interest:
if I applied this year for deferred entry (2006) and rejected, can I apply next year for 2006 entry?

I don't see why you can't.

Reply 10

Comp_Genius

4

but that means you have 2 chances, for the same year of entry.

Reply 11

groovy_moose

1

I'm holding a deffered offer for Philosophy at Cambridge - it doesn't seem to have put me at a disadvatage.
Although you could argue the you-have-to-be-good-enough-for-both-this-year-and-to-contend-with-the-next-year's-applicants theory, i'm not sure this is my experience.
At the college i applied to there were 12 applicants, 3 of which were applying for deferred. Talking to the students there already, in the last few years they had let in 1 or 2 straight entrants and 0 or 1 deferred, which - leaving the pool system aside - gives me a 1/3 (3/9) chance and a straight applicant a 2/9 chance. Which (ok, really really small sample...) give the deferred applicants an advantage... sort of...

But if you really want to take a gap year, you shouldn't let applying ddeferred put you off. :smile:

did you have to justify your reasons for taking a gap year, i mean does it have to be a worthy and benefecial year off, that will be useful for your course

i did write a line in my PS that said i wanted to teach english in nepal, except that now i'm planning to do conservation in the Jungle in malaysia...
no one has ever asked me about my gap year for uni purposes - although i suggest you don't write that you want to dos about for a year...

Reply 12

Immortal Wombat

hellohello

did you have to justify your reasons for taking a gap year, i mean does it have to be a worthy and beneficial year off, that will be useful for your course
or can you just doss around for a year

As groovy_moose said, you can do whatever you like, so long as you have something good to say when they ask. Whether you intend to follow through your 'plan' or otherwise is up to you. Even just earning some money, getting some work experience is a valid reason. They aren't too fussed really, as long as it really isn't "I want to party for a year".

darkenergy

just out of interest:
if I applied this year for deferred entry (2006) and rejected, can I apply next year for 2006 entry?

Yes. But if you were outright rejected, there probably isn't much point. If you were turned down after interview, I'd suggest having a really good gap year would improve your application, and finding some time to read up on (and around) the subject would probably be useful.

Reply 13

Clodagh

I applied for 2003 entry and received a 2004 offer for English! (Didn't notice for a couple of days...kind of stopped readingf after "we are pleased to offer you AAB etc!!!")

Reply 14

Comp_Genius

4

Immortal Wombat

As groovy_moose said, you can do whatever you like, so long as you have something good to say when they ask. Whether you intend to follow through your 'plan' or otherwise is up to you. Even just earning some money, getting some work experience is a valid reason. They aren't too fussed really, as long as it really isn't "I want to party for a year".

Yes. But if you were outright rejected, there probably isn't much point. If you were turned down after interview, I'd suggest having a really good gap year would improve your application, and finding some time to read up on (and around) the subject would probably be useful.

but my point is: you would have applied for a place for the same year of entry.
1st application: deferred to 2006
2nd application: 2006 entry

Reply 15

Elles

17

so? your application cycles are still different..

ok i see.

hellohello

I've heard it's harder to get into oxford or cambridge if you apply for deferred entry, dunno if there's any truth in that?
Yes. It depends on subject and tutor, but I've heard from more than one admissions tutor something along the lines of "you have to not only be good enough to get in this year, but good enough to warrant offering one fewer place to an as yet unknown standard next year". Then there's also the issue that for some subjects (Maths especially) you have to show you'll keep up the study of that subject, and there's often doubt that you won't have forgotten some. However, for some subjects, such as languages, if you can show a good reason it can be a good thing, such as taking a gap year to live in a country that speaks the language you wish to study.

It all depends on tutor and subject, but on average, since you have to beat an unknown quantity, rather than the others being interviewed, colleges want to make sure you're likely to be better than any that come the next year, and so it's marginally harder.

Reply 18

shyopstv

15

It depends on what college you apply to too. I mean take Queens College at Cambridge:

This College encourages deferred entry for all subjects (yes, even Maths!). We strongly urge students to consider taking a year out and we will ask you about it at interview. No one is pressured to take a gap year but we feel it is beneficial to both the student and to the College.

To me this sounds like deferring entry will actually improve your chances of getting an offer! Obviously, other colleges have different policies.

Reply 19

hellohello

OP

Drogue

"you have to not only be good enough to get in this year, but good enough to warrant offering one fewer place to an as yet unknown standard next year"

yeh that's what i'd heard before.. but i would have thought if it's a popular subject, with loads of people applying, the standard's gona be pretty similar every year

Gap Year Before Oxbridge

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