Has anyone ever got into Oxford when they reapplied and took a gap year?

Yes, of course this happens, and there are several successful reapplicants on TSR, but you should nevertheless be wary of getting your hopes up too much, because the odds will still be against you. I don't want to sound too discouraging, but sometimes people get a bit too optimistic after hearing the success stories which will inevitably be told on threads like this one, and it's easy to forget that for every successful reapplicant there are several people who had a second rejection, even though they're not as visible, because unsuccessful reapplicants are less likely still to be reading this forum...

my sister did. She applied for PPE. On her gap year she worked and did a month trip round Europe. I guess re-applying payed off for her

Ah okay, are you also an Oxford applicant?

i know of about 5 people who got rejected first time round, then got in the second time. but there are also the unlucky few who apply twice and are unsuccessful. its so arbitrary. people who 100% deserve to be there might get rejected twice just because its all down to chance and luck.

That is fantastic, i'd like to know, did she get an interview the first time she applied? and also was the work and travel on her gap year relevant to her subject?

If you didn't get an interview then you should look at your ucas form to see which aspects of it weren't good, and also ask for feedback.

Do you have very low gcses, or low A2 predictions, or low AS scores (if you applied to Cambridge)? Or did your subject choices at A2 not match the subjects the university wanted for the degree?

(Also if you had to do a test, maybe you did really badly on that...you can usually get your test score if you ring up and ask for feedback.)

hmm my GCSE's were good, and my a2 predictions were too, I applied for oxford, and maybe it was because I applied for english lit and took english lit, lang, maths, physics and biology ? So they may not think i'm committed to the subject, but I have always wanted to pursue english i was just also interested in science, and maybe by working for a newspaper or something in my gap year I can prove my commitment?!hmm yeah I find out about the test in january!!

hmm my GCSE's were good, and my a2 predictions were too, I applied for oxford, and maybe it was because I applied for english lit and took english lit, lang, maths, physics and biology? So they may not think i'm committed to the subject, but I have always wanted to pursue english i was just also interested in science, and maybe by working for a newspaper or something in my gap year I can prove my commitment?!hmm yeah I find out about the test in january!!

Wasn't it rather because of your LNAT? I don't think they would reject anyone on the basis of such subjects (traditional, respected, the combo containing English Literature). Or essays sent in?

I'd love to get my feedback as soon as possible, too, however, Merton said they would not send them earlier than in January. I tend to think, on the basis of my personal deduction, that it was because of my essays. My grades and predictions were stellar, the reference didn't contain any negative aspects...only PS could qualify as an interview-decision factor as well, but since we don't write any essays in Czechia (so i am not that skilled as British students), I think this was the reason.