Rejected by 4 of my 5 universities...

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You're unlikely to find anything better in Extra or Clearing, although depending on your offer and your final grades then you may be eligible for Adjustment. So unless there's absolutely no chance of you wanting to go to York you might as well accept this offer - if you get amazing grades and want to take a year out and reapply you'd be fine to do this.

Reply 21

Mero8

Original post by saim101

People are sugar coating the situation...
if i got a C in a core subject my parents wouldn't talk to me -_-

but OP got 3 As also in core subjects, and we aren't all doing this for our parents...

Look, to be honest a lot of it depends on luck. It sounds like you got a bit unlucky but to get those interviews shows you have potential! You can either take the York offer and make sure you make something of your degree and get where you want with it, because at the end of the day there are successful people from all walks of education and although having Cambridge on your CV would have undoubtedly helped, it certainly won't be a major factor in the long run. Other option is to take a year out. If you really dislike York, do this so then you can sacrifice a year but spend 3 years somewhere you enjoy, but if you like York then I'd say go for it and keep working, because life is too short to worry over such things!

Reply 22

Forum User

Original post by saim101

Why would you apply to such high universities???
I got AAAA (maths, physics, chemistry and biology). I'm a level 8 at piano and at the violin and i didn't apply to 4 of the top universities because i knew i wouldn't get in.
You should've really thought about your choices.
On a positive side you can go through something called adjustment if you want to go to a better university.

Your attitude is unrealistically negative. Prima facie there is no reason why you should not have been able to get into Oxbridge with those grades - obviously interview performance comes into it as well.

Nor is there any reason why the OP shouldn't have been in with a chance of getting in to Cambridge with AAABC - and since she was interviewed this should be obvious, Cambridge don't interview people just to waste their time so obviously they do not consider those grades to be as poor as you do.

Reply 23

rougelipstick

A friend of mine was in a very similar situation, she only got into two of her 5 for English (York and somewhere else I've forgotten), firmed York but then after results day decided to take a gap year and reapply to Cambridge, she got in and is now really happy there having nearly finished first year. If you have the grades after results and taking a gap year wouldn't be the end of the world for you then you can decide to reapply then, but firm York in the meantime and keep your options open :smile:

that way you have till September to decide anyway! York is an excellent university anyway so congrats on getting in! :smile:

Hope I've helped a little bit with this anecdote lol

Reply 24

Quicktoastings

My story is very similar to yours. Two years ago I applied to study English and got rejected from everywhere but York - including Cambridge and Leeds at both ends of the spectrum. After getting some good grades after results day (A*A*AB), and finding myself seriously questioning my subject choice (5 hours contact time / what I wanted to do when I graduated / how much I actually enjoyed reading :colondollar:

), I decided to take a gap year and I reapplied for Law. I was much more successful and got 4 offers (and a rejection from Oxford grrr). The first half of my gap year was testing as I spent most of my time doing unpaid work in solicitors offices, but I did a stagiaire at the EU for the second half which was very worthwhile. I am now just about to finish my first year at LSE, and I'm very happy both with the place and my course.

This is just my experience. On the surface it looks quite positive, but to throw yourself into the world of work and uncertainty after school is very stressful - especially when you have to deal with job and UCAS applications simultaneously. The job market at the moment is very tough and this really decreases the chances of having a fun and profitable gap year.

EDIT: Don't feel like you're between a rock and a hard place here. If you want to study English at uni, York is fantastic. If you decide you want to take a gap year, you'll have a great time and might find your reapplication pleasantly surprising.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 25

Shelly_x

Seriously? People are actually calling AAABC bad?! This forum never ceases to amaze me...
Anyway, you applied for one of the most competitive courses at the most competitive uni, you should have at least had one back up. York is a good uni, suck it up and go there.

Original post by saim101

People are sugar coating the situation...
if i got a C in a core subject my parents wouldn't talk to me -_-

Asian?

Reply 28

Mr Young

Original post by OnADarklingPlain

Hi everyone -

I'm really struggling to get to grips with having received 4 rejections - I've only been accepted by my safety-net-uni, the one I didn't want to go to.

I applied to Cambridge, Durham, Warwick, UCL and York to study English, and was interviewed by Cambridge, UCL and Warwick. Only York has accepted me. I know that the unis I chose are really hard to get into, and that York is still pretty good, but I'm still really disappointed - I feel like I've failed. :frown:

I was wrecked after Cambridge turned me down, but I got used to it, happy that I still had Warwick, and then BAM, got the rejection letter on Wednesday.

I know that it could be for all kinds of reasons, but I'm wondering if my AS grades have let me down. I got AAABC - the As being for History, English Lit and English Language, the B for Theatre Studies and the C for French.

Anyway, I just feel a bit down, and I wondered if anyone else has had a similar turnout regarding their own university application.

Honestly do not worry about it. English is very competitive and York has one of the best english departments in the country.

Also remember York is now being added to the Russel Group in September 2012 and so employment prospects will hopefully go up for you as employers will now look at York seen as it is in the RG.

Yes, the universities you applied to are VERY competitive but it doesn't mean there was something wrong in your grades. Your grades are good. There may have been other things that affected your application such as PS, interviews?

It could have also depended on the UMS that you got in those As because Cambridge do focus on them much more than GCSEs and so if you just scraped them that maybe why, but hey, YOU STILL GOT As so do not feel let down.

I have HEARD(not certain) UCL and Warwick focus on GCSEs quite a bit, so if your GCSEs were under par, which they probably aren't seen as you got an interview at Cambridge,UCL and Warwick, it could have affected you.

If you want take a gap year and try and get your A2 grades as fantastic as they can be and then re-apply with solid grades and not just predicted.

Reply 29

OnADarklingPlain

Original post by saim101

Well, firstly, thank you for your immense sympathy... :s-smilie:

And secondly, I am usually an A* student - I got 8 A*s and 2 As in my GCSEs. I had a hard time in my first year at college, both at home and mentally - I won't go into great detail, but let's just say that I was lucky to leave with any AS levels at all.

Reply 30

OnADarklingPlain

Original post by PatrickD

You could reapply but may have to set your sights a little lower as many applicants to those universities will have at least three As at AS Level.

Of course, if you pull it out of the bag in the summer and get three As at A Level then you could reapply to the same universities, just be prepared that some universities may be reluctant to consider a second application.

Or you could just come to York (hopefully I'll be there)! :tongue:

I did have 3 As at AS level, plus a B and a C. But thanks all the same - hope you get into the uni that you want.

Reply 31

OnADarklingPlain

Original post by BooAlphie

I don't think your AS grades let you down. You did one extra AS to most people and if you count that as your C you got 3As and a B.. which is not bad at all! A girl at my school got 3As and a B and got into medicine at UCL and medicine's really competitive. Maybe take a gap year and reapply, if you really had your heart set on the others? You got interviews so chances are that your grades are ok and it was something else. Maybe you were really nervous at the interviews and it came across? If I were you I'd forget about the other unis, they don't know what theyre missing :wink:

Thank you

You've cheered me up!

Reply 32

OnADarklingPlain

Original post by saim101

People are sugar coating the situation...
if i got a C in a core subject my parents wouldn't talk to me -_-

Well, my parents love me more than that.

Reply 33

hockeyjoe

Original post by saim101

So if someone with 4As at AS won't get into the top unis, who does? People with 5A's? or is it 6?

Reply 34

OnADarklingPlain

Original post by rougelipstick

that way you have till September to decide anyway! York is an excellent university anyway so congrats on getting in! :smile:

Hope I've helped a little bit with this anecdote lol

Thank you, that does help :wink:

Reply 35

Yash13

Original post by OnADarklingPlain

You did amazing! I don't know that much about English courses but I do know York is a top university for English!! Congratulations! Not going to the number 1 university does not mean you are not good enough it means your application did not make the admissions tutors want to give you an offer. I got 3 rejections for Economics (Cambridge, Warwick and Durham) despite being predicted A*A*A* and only got in a top 10 uni. You got into a top 5 institution and your upset? Crazy :P haha. Be proud and if you really don't want to go there you can take a gappie. :biggrin:

Reply 36

Kalliope

Original post by OnADarklingPlain

York really is a fantastic University for English, both in terms of reputation and the course, which is probably the best of the Unis you applied to. You should be very proud of yourself, especially if you had a tough time in year 12 :smile:

Then again, I don't blame you for feeling upset & I'm sure I'd be exactly the same in your situation (I'll be applying next year) so don't feel like you have to take York if you don't want to. If you reapply we can be UCAS buddies! :grin:

EDIT: to add to the random anecdotes, I know someone who applied for English at Cambridge, UCL, Durham, York and Bristol and was also only accepted by York, though she did also get pooled by Cambridge. She's really enjoying York.