Cambridge 2013 Summer Pool Thread

I agree totally with what you said there. And 5 missed offers! That's terrible! My brother missed his offer too as the school controlled assessments were moderated down. Instead of celebrating he spent the day franticly phoning up and emailing unis in clearing. It was so unexpected. Gutted doesn't even describe how he and my parents are feeling. I think missing an offer is so, so disappointing as you've worked ever so hard to get it. All the admissions tests and interviews, getting the perfect personal statement... As well that fact that you had your heart set there, and may have already sorted out the accommodation. We even based the living maintenance loan on Cambridge's accommodation. The majority of people also expect to get the grades, so missing the offer has come as a huge shock. Anyone in the same position you should be very proud of how far you got, and come out of this with your head held high. You are going to do extremely well wherever you go. Those of you waiting for remarks (also my brother) my prayers go out to you. xxx

I know its so awful, I genuinely don't know how people are coping. I was lucky enough to get in during a gap year, so from the moment I got my offer I knew the wait was over - but for those that had to wait and go through so much stress at the very point when they thought they'd be celebrating... I just can't imagine how they must feel. Such strong people. I have an infinite amount of respect for them all; like I said, completely Cambridge's loss. To get through that interview process and get an offer is illustrative of their right to a place. I was speaking to a Senior Tutor (responsible for the number of students in colleges etc), and he told me that colleges give out more offers than they can handle with the expectation that people will miss their grades. Almost half of Maths offer holders miss their offers!

If they had the capacity to take them all they would. They've lost some fantastic students this year, and those that are unsuccessful have no reason to feel inadequate because they're absolutely brilliant.

I think the worst thing is that people feel like they've failed and there is a lack of celebration, even though their grades are amazing. My Mum never went to university and my brother comes from the ****tiest state school, so for our whole family this offer was extraordinary. On results day, when a lot of his friends were out celebrating, he was stuck inside constantly phoning and being phoned by other unis. To make it worse, in-between these calls family members and family friends were calling expecting to hear amazing news, and every time he had to tell them that he'd missed it. Over and over again... Oh and he has his Gold Duke of Edinburgh walk tomorrow too! He has barely slept all week, and is probably not in the right mind set. Just seeing him go through the whole process and getting rejected at the Summer Pool stage has really put me off applying to Cambridge , even though I had always thought that I'd have a go. I guess I'll see nearer the time! All we can do now is wait for the priority remark grades to come back, if this changes anything. Afterwards we'll have to have a good celebration, as he has got a place at Birmingham uni , which although was not expected, is still very good and I'm sure he'll love it.

Rejection has come through on UCAS.

Looks like I still have a lot to learn and a lot more to improve upon.

I still can't get over this; I'm so sorry . I doubt you'd find my perspective useful but just in case, if I'd been rejected with grades like that, I would be phoning many random colleges on the off-chance that they're still willing to consider me and my file.

Out of my friends there were five missed offers, only one of them was given an offer (missed off by 1 UMS after getting A*A*A*A when literally everyone else on the course had an A*AA offer). The other four are waiting on remarks, so fingers crossed.

They all deserved their places so much - they were all such hard workers. I'm praying the remarks come back improved so they get their places back. So gutted for them, and for all of you that drowned in the pool. Having gone through the process until January, I can't imagine how it must feel to have it strung out even further - it's literally is a slow form of torture.

Those that still waiting for remarks there is still hope, so just stay calm and make sure you have things to do between now and September. I had a friend last year that missed her offer and was rejected, but her remark came back and it met her offer so she was accepted. The only thing that made me angry was that, because of the incompetence of her exam board, she was allocated another college when her original offer was from the college she picked in October; the college she had carefully selected it because she'd fallen in love with it.

You've done everything you can do, you worked as hard as you could and if Cambridge can't appreciate that then they don't deserve you anyway. Still hoping and praying for all of you.

I agree totally with what you said there. And 5 missed offers! That's terrible! My brother missed his offer too as the school controlled assessments were moderated down. Instead of celebrating he spent the day franticly phoning up and emailing unis in clearing. It was so unexpected. Gutted doesn't even describe how he and my parents are feeling. I think missing an offer is so, so disappointing as you've worked ever so hard to get it. All the admissions tests and interviews, getting the perfect personal statement... As well that fact that you had your heart set there, and may have already sorted out the accommodation. We even based the living maintenance loan on Cambridge's accommodation. The majority of people also expect to get the grades, so missing the offer has come as a huge shock. Anyone in the same position you should be very proud of how far you got, and come out of this with your head held high. You are going to do extremely well wherever you go. Those of you waiting for remarks (also my brother) my prayers go out to you. xxx

This angers me greatly, far more than most other rejections, because the whole point of the summer pool is to recognise circumstances like these. I hope the remarks improve his grades because it is clear that the fault lies not with him... But if not then hopefully he has the strength to move on from this properly.

completely understand how your bro feels. i find myself constantly thinking abt what to do next. im still waiting for the decision from my insurance choice, and if not i hv to go thru clearing even though i got A*s. i cant force myself to think i got good grades because all i can think about is the good memories i had of working towards this for the past years. I've had no celebration this has been the worst summer. I just dont think i deserve it. whatever i do now i question if i really deserve it and i know i dont, and it makes me feel even worse. ive never thought i would be good enough for something, and when i got my offer i felt like someone noticed me n i was so grateful. but now i feel misled, and tht i shouldnt hv even applied in the first place. its all just rly uncalled for, but i'll live.

Thank you, and we're just waiting for the remark grade now. If it doesn't work out though, then Birmingham has welcomed him with open arms, and he'll be happy there I'm sure. It's just so frustrating that Cambridge hasn't taken into account that the reason he missed the offer was because of one controlled assessment. It also doesn't help that he comes from a **** school where more than 50% the pupils at GCSE don't achieve 5 Cs. He has even had in A2 Chemistry over 6 teachers (not including supply) which also didn't help, as you can imagine, as they literally changed every month or so, so never cared about the pupils. You can hardly compare this to an Eton education! In the admission test he even achieved in the top 5th percentile, and considering our Mum never went to uni and our Dad grew up on a council estate, that is very impressive. I just really hope in the future that they see kids like him with real potential, but who have been let down by their school/went to a rough school, and give them real credit and recognise their circumstances. Good luck to all of you waiting for remarks. x

Thank you Caius, I had to find out I was rejected via a letter I got 2 weeks after results day.Funny thing is I got my remarks back and I've now made my offer... but now I'm really excited about going to Bristol, Oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all it seems!The admissions tutors really do deserve to be shot, they've treated us so badly.

Thank you Caius, I had to find out I was rejected via a letter I got 2 weeks after results day.Funny thing is I got my remarks back and I've now made my offer... but now I'm really excited about going to Bristol, Oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all it seems!The admissions tutors really do deserve to be shot, they've treated us so badly.

I'm sure they have to give you a place if you've met the offer by 31st August?

Yeah they would have to if I told them, but I don't want to go somewhere where they're being forced to take me, they didn't accept me through the summer pool so they won't miss me!


I haven't told them about the remark... I'd rather just leave it, I don't want to go after being treated like that!
Really?! Summer pool or winter? That's so weird maybe I met you on an interview day! Which subject?
They made such a cockup on my interview day with EVERYTHING.
Yeah I hope it'll be amazing! Thanks so much, you do too- oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all! wow Bath is amazing for nightlife I hear- and you know what the best part is?
WE GET A FRIGGIN FRESHERS WEEK!!!!
A real one.

Yeah they would have to if I told them, but I don't want to go somewhere where they're being forced to take me, they didn't accept me through the summer pool so they won't miss me!


I haven't told them about the remark... I'd rather just leave it, I don't want to go after being treated like that!
Really?! Summer pool or winter? That's so weird maybe I met you on an interview day! Which subject?
They made such a cockup on my interview day with EVERYTHING.
Yeah I hope it'll be amazing! Thanks so much, you do too- oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all! wow Bath is amazing for nightlife I hear- and you know what the best part is?
WE GET A FRIGGIN FRESHERS WEEK!!!!
A real one.

Yeah they would have to if I told them, but I don't want to go somewhere where they're being forced to take me, they didn't accept me through the summer pool so they won't miss me!


I haven't told them about the remark... I'd rather just leave it, I don't want to go after being treated like that!
Really?! Summer pool or winter? That's so weird maybe I met you on an interview day! Which subject?
They made such a cockup on my interview day with EVERYTHING.
Yeah I hope it'll be amazing! Thanks so much, you do too- oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all! wow Bath is amazing for nightlife I hear- and you know what the best part is?
WE GET A FRIGGIN FRESHERS WEEK!!!!
A real one.

Yeah they would have to if I told them, but I don't want to go somewhere where they're being forced to take me, they didn't accept me through the summer pool so they won't miss me!

I haven't told them about the remark... I'd rather just leave it, I don't want to go after being treated like that!
Really?! Summer pool or winter? That's so weird maybe I met you on an interview day! Which subject?
They made such a cockup on my interview day with EVERYTHING.
Yeah I hope it'll be amazing! Thanks so much, you do too- oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all! wow Bath is amazing for nightlife I hear- and you know what the best part is?
WE GET A FRIGGIN FRESHERS WEEK!!!!
A real one.

Yeah they would have to if I told them, but I don't want to go somewhere where they're being forced to take me, they didn't accept me through the summer pool so they won't miss me!


I haven't told them about the remark... I'd rather just leave it, I don't want to go after being treated like that!
Really?! Summer pool or winter? That's so weird maybe I met you on an interview day! Which subject?
They made such a cockup on my interview day with EVERYTHING.
Yeah I hope it'll be amazing! Thanks so much, you do too- oxbridge isn't the be-all and end-all! wow Bath is amazing for nightlife I hear- and you know what the best part is?
WE GET A FRIGGIN FRESHERS WEEK!!!!
A real one.