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Rejected from Cambridge, needs help.

py0alb

I don't appear to be the one who is starting to get personal, so its not me getting bitter and childish!

In fact, kudos for agreeing with the majority of my sensible points. Again, everything I've said is merely me repeating what I've been told by people who graduated from cambridge and have then studied at other universities. When asked to compare the two, what they said is what I've written. Don't shoot the messenger because you don't like your university being criticised.

Right, arguments aside, I'd just like to explain why it really drives me up the wall to see criticisms being bandied about so wildly (and perhaps why I've got personal, and I apologise for that.) Obviously there's a lot wrong with the Oxford and Cambridge systems in terms of the diversity of applicants. I've spent a hell of a lot of my time here working in the access side of things, and visit schools and conferences all over the country to try and encourage more state school applicants. There are soooo many stupid rumours and impressions of Oxford that people hold, and they're all completely untrue. But it's posts and forums like this that really give people a bad impression of the university. yes the workload is ******* high, and no, it's absolutely not going to suit everyone. But to make comments like yours (however exaggerated and humourous you're being) doesn't help.

Reply 61

Alexandra1234567

15

OP,
I may be wrong here but I get the impression from your initial post that your desire to reapply from this idea of 'Cambridge or bust', for employment/success prospects et cetera.

All the arguments aside, it's down to where you'd be happiest, you hinted that you enjoyed how things 'went' at Manchester?

If the thing that is pushing you to Cambridge is just it's reputation and such, and the hype you may have built yourself up for when applying, you may regret changing everything on the off chance that they'd accept in round two.

If you liked Manchester, go there :smile:

If you have cash to absolutely burn after your UG degree there, apply for a PG at Cambridge or something?

Reply 62

xkarenlouisex

9

Omg this does my head in, people bitching about what Uni they go too and how one uni is better than another. At the end of the day everyone comes out with the same qualification, a degree so whats the deal.

Reply 63

Arrogant Git

indigovioletred

Right, arguments aside, I'd just like to explain why it really drives me up the wall to see criticisms being bandied about so wildly (and perhaps why I've got personal, and I apologise for that.) Obviously there's a lot wrong with the Oxford and Cambridge systems in terms of the diversity of applicants. I've spent a hell of a lot of my time here working in the access side of things, and visit schools and conferences all over the country to try and encourage more state school applicants. There are soooo many stupid rumours and impressions of Oxford that people hold, and they're all completely untrue. But it's posts and forums like this that really give people a bad impression of the university. yes the workload is ******* high, and no, it's absolutely not going to suit everyone. But to make comments like yours (however exaggerated and humourous you're being) doesn't help.

Well said.

Reply 64

Corps321

I guess the question is,

Are you feeling lucky?

Reply 65

necessarily benevolent

14

I don't buy all this stuff about "wasting a year"; going to university at 18 would've seemed quite unusual thirty or forty years ago. Many of the people in my teachers' generation didn't go until they were in their early 20s. Think of it this way - you live for over 75 years if you're lucky. One year out of that - which would in all likelihood be beneficial anyway - regardless of the outcome would not make a huge difference. As for me, I'm either taking a year out if I can't decide between UCL or St As, or if I feel like it after results day. Or I'm applying in my first year of a four year course (so I won't miss out on much anyway :p:

)

But yes, OP it's up to you. Plus, the difference between Manchester and Cambridge - despite what people say - is marked. And people should remember that many people don't really apply to Cambridge with "the end result" (i.e. the degree) at the forefront of their mind. People usually apply because they want to be part of the Oxbridge experience.

Reply 66

turgon

11

In response the the OP's post - forgive me if I was wrong, but wasn't there something on the Cambridge website which said that they sometimes gave applicants a deferred offer? If so, why didn't they give you one?

I don't think you said whether you wanted to do physical or biological sciences. If it was physical, then I know that there is a significant difference between Manchester and Cambridge. Having said this, if you really like Manchester, go there. My advice is don't reapply to Cambridge just because of what they said on their feedback.

Reply 67

EmpMartinIV

I have just finished reading that entire thread. I don't even want to go to ANY university now if this is what people come out of it like.

Can we not have a nice thread that debates the GOOD POINTS of universities?

And can people stop posting stupid and massively exaggerated posts just to try an provoke a reaction?

Try starting them with "according to my friend". It's much friendlier and one come across like your stereotyping people quite so massively.

I am now trying to convince myself that there are nice people at universities. And failing.

Reply 68

dino1

well it always depends on which course you are applying to if you want to reapply again to oxbridge. If it were medicine you were taking, then i'd strongly dissuade you from it. However with natural sciences, i suppose cambridge makes more of a difference and you are probably not going to be rejected from your other choices (it's less of a lottery). I'd say go for it.
But what I'd do before thinking about it is get your final grades at a level. If they don't average over 90%, don't bother reapplying as you will be competing with those with A* predictions (and I think they are untroducing them into their entry requirements next year).
I would also strongly suggest doing some of these Advanced Extension awards, or step. Cambridge really loves these sort of things and that would put you in good sted.
Plus I think that the stuff about no one enjoys oxbridge universities is rubbish. I know a lot of people who have said being at oxbridge was the time of their lives.

Reply 69

Craghyrax

17

Alexandra1234567

OP,
I may be wrong here but I get the impression from your initial post that your desire to reapply from this idea of 'Cambridge or bust', for employment/success prospects et cetera.

All the arguments aside, it's down to where you'd be happiest, you hinted that you enjoyed how things 'went' at Manchester?

If the thing that is pushing you to Cambridge is just it's reputation and such, and the hype you may have built yourself up for when applying, you may regret changing everything on the off chance that they'd accept in round two.

If you liked Manchester, go there :smile:

If you have cash to absolutely burn after your UG degree there, apply for a PG at Cambridge or something?

Totally agree with this. I'd say that if its your heart's dream to be at Cambridge for whatever reason, then perhaps reapplying and taking a year out is worth it for you. But if you're only doing it because you're worried about being successful, then that's a rubbish reason, and you risk having regrets even if you do get in.

If you want to come to Cambridge, make sure that you really love your subject, and won't be sick of eating, breathing and sleeping it for 6months of each year.

EmpMartinIV

I am now trying to convince myself that there are nice people at universities. And failing.

Reply 70

xinolisss

10

A.J.B

there is a guy on TSR who got rejected, reapplied and got accepted for engineering, he got into sidney sussex the second time round (not the initial college he applied to)....i thought of doing the same thing, but then again, i'm going to study for the course of my choice at an excellent uni, y waste a whole year?

Yep, that's me you're talking about... :biggrin:

And btw to that poor bitter guy who keeps talking rubbish... wtf is port? Never heard of it, so can't say we are all like that...
I'm also Chinese btw, not middle class white...

Reply 71

johnbrown

13

If I recieved feedback that told me to reapply, I would..

Reply 72

ebam_uk

20

Nyet

You are exaggerating, bitter, and jealous, but yes, I broadly agree with the sentiment that you will have a better time at most other unis vis-a-vis Oxbridge. However, binge-drinking three times a week and watching TV all day at most other universities (ie non-top 10) would probably be great fun only for the first year or so, and you would have to really motivate yourself to get stuck into the academic side of things to an extent that isn't really necessary at Oxbridge since you are being constantly whipped. It all comes down to whether you want or need this whipping, to be honest.

Well I kinda agree with this statement of cambridge its kinda true in a twisted way!

Reply 73

fizzicsfiend

So, I haven't read every post, but isn't reapplying just arrogance? If the admissions office doesn't want you first time.... Fair play if they've actually suggested to reapply in a year, but otherwise why bother? If everyone who was rejected reapplies, then it would hardly be fair to the next batch of applicants who might have made it.

Reply 74

Craghyrax

17

fizzicsfiend

So, I haven't read every post, but isn't reapplying just arrogance? If the admissions office doesn't want you first time.... Fair play if they've actually suggested to reapply in a year, but otherwise why bother? If everyone who was rejected reapplies, then it would hardly be fair to the next batch of applicants who might have made it.

No. That's absolute rubbish. And there are over 30 completely separate Admissions offices in the University of Cambridge.

Reply 75

fizzicsfiend

Craghyrax

No. That's absolute rubbish. And there are over 30 completely separate Admissions offices in the University of Cambridge.

Why's it rubbish? I know there are separate admissions offices, but assuming same course and same college it'll be the same people looking at your application right? If so, isn't it just pride taking over?

Reply 76

FadedJade

15

Why would it make any difference to the next batch of applicants? If you aren't good enough then you won't get in the second time either.

Reply 77

Craghyrax

17

fizzicsfiend

Why's it rubbish? I know there are separate admissions offices, but assuming same course and same college it'll be the same people looking at your application right? If so, isn't it just pride taking over?

First of all there are enough people feeling shy/timid/unworthy etc being put off applying who don't need to be made to feel guilty for doing what any rational person would i.e. acting to secure their own interests in life. Your average person isn't going to rank the following years' worth of applicants' chances above their own hopes of happiness, and nor should they! And who are you to judge whether its arrogant or unfair? You know zilch about the circumstances surrounding a given individual's rejection. The person could have had a bad day at the interview, the questions chosen might have been arbitrarily less favourable than they would have been the year before or after, and they might have been up against some unusually good candidates one year where they would have been good enough the year before or after (which seems likely in this instance given the recommendation in the interview feedback)
And assuming the same college is nonsensical as most people won't apply to the same college.
In fact the whole suggestion is built upon a large list of assumptions, and seeing as the opinion is quite discouraging and possibly harmful to the thread starter who is already feeling uncertain and doubtful, its not at all constructive or useful.

Reply 78

fizzicsfiend

FadedJade

Why would it make any difference to the next batch of applicants? If you aren't good enough then you won't get in the second time either.

Well presumably you'll be more familiar with the whole process so should be more confident and have a slight advantage over everyone else that's applying for their first time round. Plus you've had an extra year to prepare for interviews and any admissions tests. So what I'm saying really is if there was loads of people reapplying wouldn't they just be snapping up places that the next batch of applicants would have got otherwise?
Who's looking at the application shouldn't really come into it to be honest. Any thoughts?

Reply 79

FadedJade

15

If what you said was true, then the acceptance percentage of reapplicants should be dramatically higher than that of first time applicants. That simply isn't the case. It is very slightly higher, but not enough to suggest a reapplicant has any major advantage over those who are applying the first time. So in answer to your question, no, they most certainly will not be 'snapping up places'.

In many instances, reapplicants were pooled on the first application, which suggests they were good enough to be somewhere at Cambridge in the first place (I am not including those who are autopooled for the sake of this argument) and received good, constructive feedback. As I said before, if they weren't at all good enough the first time, an extra year isn't going to make any difference, over 70% of reapplicants are rejected, which suggests if you are rejected the first time, you are more than likely to be rejected again.

If the problem was lack of confidence and shyness, then you may have an advantage by being familiar with the system, and presumably the feedback would reflect that. But everyone is at least a little nervous, and if you are that shy then you will be no good in supervisions. There is also a big assumption there that you can prepare for your admissions tests and interviews. If you are studying science then yes probably, but for anything else that simply isn't the case. There was certainly no way I could have prepared for mine. All you can is read around your subject, which you would be doing anyway if you were interested in it, and that shows interest, but depending on the quiestions doesn't necessarily give you any advantage at all.

Rejected from Cambridge, needs help.

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