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Rejected By Uni Today, Exam Tomorrow, Devastated

I applied to a university in Holland, and had my application in on time yet had issues with having to chase them for updates on my application and only found out from them they hadn't received information in their wanted format (I had asked them what format they'd like several times, and had no reply, so sent it through email anyway!) at the last minute, I have been told they have no place for me and will waitlist me if they decide to give me an interview, which I cannot see happening.

I am devastated, I have a politics exam tomorrow and don't see the point of even turning up as I'll just have to resit it next year at tech if I pass or fail. I don't have an option of passing and taking a gap year, family is making me go to tech to redo them if I don't get in anywhere regardless. I haven't been able to take anything in today, I'm completely unable to answer a politics past paper and don't even want to bother reapplying to the Dutch university as I don't expect anything positive at all from them.

I have been applied to tech since March and haven't heard anything from them regarding if they'll offer me a place. My second option is to do a year at tech, do an additional AS and A Level in 1 year and try and apply to one of the universities in Ireland. I know they're hard to get into, and my current grades are CCD with potential to be BBC which is also why I want to do another A Level to be able to have the C as my 4th A Level which is worth less CAO points anyway.

I've realised now this isn't possible as I didn't do a language at GCSE as I redid a year and changed schools, and I also had an undiagnosed learning disability before my school change that made languages hard as I received no extra support. I currently can't even speak basic French, despite 5 years of it, and can't find any full time GCSE courses that don't require a certain level of French.

I feel absolutely devastated and crushed knowing that the two plans I had in place won't happen. I don't want to study in the UK and I have spoken to universities in the UK and didn't find a course I liked, University I felt I fit in with or even one I felt like the spokesperson sold well the same way I did with the Dutch university of choice.

I know it's stupid to put all your eggs in one basket etc, I had applied for 2/3 other Dutch universities but didn't finish my applications as they all want different things and as I've had bad health just put all my energy into completing one - my careers teacher and head of careers refused to get involved as they don't understand the Dutch system. This did also cause problems in my application, but they were very easily sorted when the university eventually got in contact after being chased.

With the spec changing as well I have no idea what that means for resits next year either, I have had really bad health this year and have worked so hard to try and pull my grades up, so far I've actually made my health worse, and it's all for absolutely nothing.

I'm not sure what to do now. I really don't feel great about this politics exam, I have been revising for it but can't recall anything let alone answer a past paper or even think what I would use as bullet points for an answer, all the exams I've done so far seem pointless as my hard work isn't even going to see me given an offer or higher waiting list place as I'll just have to redo them next year.
Try your hardest in your exams now; the better your grades, the better position you are in for next year regardless of what you choose to do. I would speak to your parents about taking a gap year and reapplying next year because there is no point spending next year doing something you don't want to do. Alternatively, you could go through clearing in UK, is there really no course you would be happy with? Whatever you end up doing next year, you will make your life so much easier by trying in your exams, they will be much more likely to take you in Holland next year if you already have your grades.

I applied to Dutch universities and I found the application process unclear and confusing too, I felt like they weren't communicating with me properly. Makes me wonder whether going to uni there would be a similar experience
Don't be disheartened, my plans didn't go right either but now I've worked something else out, and you will too, there's so many options!
Reply 2
Avatar for remarius
remarius
OP
10
Original post by lehcarbat
Try your hardest in your exams now; the better your grades, the better position you are in for next year regardless of what you choose to do. I would speak to your parents about taking a gap year and reapplying next year because there is no point spending next year doing something you don't want to do. Alternatively, you could go through clearing in UK, is there really no course you would be happy with? Whatever you end up doing next year, you will make your life so much easier by trying in your exams, they will be much more likely to take you in Holland next year if you already have your grades.

I applied to Dutch universities and I found the application process unclear and confusing too, I felt like they weren't communicating with me properly. Makes me wonder whether going to uni there would be a similar experience
Don't be disheartened, my plans didn't go right either but now I've worked something else out, and you will too, there's so many options!


I didn't apply though UCAS at all. I really really don't want to stay in the UK for uni which is why I'm considering going down south, UCD had a similar politics course which is more Ireland-focused than the one I'd wanted to do in Holland, but has a lot of the same things that attracted me to it.
This is why I'm going to do an a level in 1 year as well, but my other worry is that as I didn't do a GCSE in a language I won't get in on that alone, no matter my other grades. I'm currently on 300 CAO points, and UCD's range for that course is 335 - 605. 605 is actually nearly impossible for anyone doing A Levels, but to get around 500 I'd need AAAA. Realistically, the best I will probably be able to do is AABC which is 465 as I don't think I could pull a D to anything higher than a C, a mid-C to anything higher than a B and I could possibly pull a high C (2 marks off B at AS) to a low A and then depending on other subject I pick up if I worked it would be possibly an A. I don't know if I can resit any AS levels next year, and where I would learn a GCSE language either so it makes my plans seem completely impossible.

I'm in a position where if I didn't get in, I am forced to resit A2 next year at tech rather than take a gap year, which is why I may as well do at least 1 A level in a year. I'm really considering dropping English Lit and doing 2 A levels in a year instead if I'm allowed.

I can't answer a past paper for my exam tomorrow, and nothing seems to be going in. I still feel completely lost because I have worked so hard despite illness and poor attendance and I will get absolutely nothing out of it.
I understand it's difficult and you think your plans have been ruined but you will get nothing out of not trying either. If you do not want to resit the year and you would like to take a gap year, you should do that, don't let anyone take control of your future.
Go and revise for your exam tomorrow and be positive, you'll be thankful for it on results day
Reply 4
Avatar for remarius
remarius
OP
10
Original post by lehcarbat
I understand it's difficult and you think your plans have been ruined but you will get nothing out of not trying either. If you do not want to resit the year and you would like to take a gap year, you should do that, don't let anyone take control of your future.
Go and revise for your exam tomorrow and be positive, you'll be thankful for it on results day


I have to resit all my A2s at tech, I'm aware it means I'll be 21 before I've even started uni, as well as do the 1 year A Level and possibly resit all my AS as well which hopefully won't take 2 years :frown:

I'd love to go on a gap year, but it's now not possible at all. I am so disheartened and angry at how the Dutch uni has treated me, and that my application failed solely due to their lack of communication and how they were given the requested information, yet not in the format they wanted but wouldn't reply to emails where it was asked what format they wanted the information in. I definitely will not be wasting my time, effort or money reapplying to this particular university. For one that claims they have a lot of international students and warmly welcome students from other parts of Europe, they certainly make it nearly impossible to apply if you don't have guidance from someone who knows the Dutch system and exactly what they are after rather than vague descriptions on the website and when asked questions.
Original post by remarius
I have to resit all my A2s at tech, I'm aware it means I'll be 21 before I've even started uni, as well as do the 1 year A Level and possibly resit all my AS as well which hopefully won't take 2 years :frown:

I'd love to go on a gap year, but it's now not possible at all. I am so disheartened and angry at how the Dutch uni has treated me, and that my application failed solely due to their lack of communication and how they were given the requested information, yet not in the format they wanted but wouldn't reply to emails where it was asked what format they wanted the information in. I definitely will not be wasting my time, effort or money reapplying to this particular university. For one that claims they have a lot of international students and warmly welcome students from other parts of Europe, they certainly make it nearly impossible to apply if you don't have guidance from someone who knows the Dutch system and exactly what they are after rather than vague descriptions on the website and when asked questions.


Yeah I completely agree with you, my experience was exactly the same, the Dutch university system is very unhelpful and they did not warmly welcome me. I've been through about three middle men, about 5 emails of me asking for clarification on their vague explanations and they even made me send my application fee to the wrong bank, which I'm still waiting for a refund for. I felt like I was speaking to a brick wall. I wonder if going to university there would be the same in terms of them failing to contact you or communicate about important things you need to know about. So you aren't alone, I think they just have a very different process to over here.
I honestly don't know how they take so many international students either when they make the process so difficult.
Why do you have to resit your a2, could you not just pass this year? Also, which university were you trying to go to in Holland?

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