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Original post by Xphoenix
Got my offer!!! Same day as my interview! Higher than the default offer but it seems like the case with everyone


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OMG congrats!!!! What's your subject/college/offer?
If my Medwards offer/rejection comes next Monday (same as my interviews) I'll be so happy
Original post by _thomasholmes
Queens! Hopefully I see you in October :smile:


Yes hopefully :smile:
I swear if all the pool interview offers have seriously inflated conditions, I might cry as though I was rejected even if I actually get one... :redface:
Original post by daniilS
Do you realize how cool getting an open offer is?? It's basically a college saying that even if they won't have any place after the summer pool they'll still take you! And you might get accepted by a college that's normally ridiculously oversubscribed if a few people miss their offers! :biggrin:


I guess you're right, it's exciting not knowing!
Original post by k.russell
:'(


Dw its only banter
Just curious, I know certain subjects like Natural Sciences employ(ed?) autopooling based on your attained AS results or IB predictions, but that auto-pooling is not used for Maths and Medicine. Does that mean it is harder to be pooled for those subjects, and are there any specific reasons why auto-pooling isn't employed for medicine?
Original post by Xphoenix
Got my offer!!! Same day as my interview! Higher than the default offer but it seems like the case with everyone


Posted from TSR Mobile


ooh awesome! where from and what for/?? congrats
Original post by Forecast
How did you find the NSAA? If you aren't sure why you were rejected it's worth asking for feedback from the college. Mention to them that you are considering a reapplication too.


It could've been better but didn't think it went abysmally. Will do - thank you for your advice!
Original post by NeverLucky
That was basically my situation last year. I sat my exams, got 4A*s (barely) and reapplied with an unconditional for NatSci at King's. Even if I was rejected, I'm happy that I've taken a gap year. It's been fantastic so far and it's gonna get even better (going to Las Vegas, San Francisco and Australia in the next couple of months). Couldn't recommend it heavily enough but it's definitely something worth thinking about. It's not an easy decision.


Congrats on your results! Woah that sounds amazing!!!! Will definitely consider it, thanks for the advice!
Original post by auburnstar
Get the 4 A*, strengthen your interview practice (with those grades it's unlikely to be down to anything else unless your admissions test was bad) and reapply if you feel like doing it. You (presumably) know what the questions were and have a vague idea of what they want - ask for feedback where possible (but don't expect much detail).

Remember that there is a fair bit of luck involved in the process (eg what the rest of the competition was like, how interviewers assessed something that is ultimately pretty subjective etc) and that even amazing grades don't guarantee entry. If you do decide to reapply, do something that will strengthen your application eg work experience, further study, wider reading (and don't wait too long to plan this or you will spend the gap year doing nothing). Most reapplicants who are successful exceed the typical offer (as 88% of offer holders do) and most also do something of value to strengthen their application.

Even though it might seem like it now, Oxbridge isn't everything and it isn't a magical key to success. If you have a great offer from somewhere else, you might want to go there and try for Oxbridge postgrad where the requirements are substantially different from undergrad.

Up to you. Regardless of Oxbridge, get 4A* at A2 for yourself so that you can have the best possible opportunities regardless of where you go.

Best of luck. :yep:


Thank you so much for the advice, will definitely have to see what happens over the next couple of months!
Original post by Percypig17
...are there any specific reasons why auto-pooling isn't employed for medicine?


Because in the past, over half of all the applicants met the 93% average UMS pooling criteria. It would cause the pool to become too big to use effectively.
Original post by Xphoenix
Got my offer!!! Same day as my interview! Higher than the default offer but it seems like the case with everyone


Posted from TSR Mobile


congrats!! I thought they weren't meant to make decisions until 14th! does this mean I could hear tomorrow??
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
There's no such scorIng system at Cambridge for GCSEs, at least not at any college I've worked at (three as AT) and I've never heard anyone mention it from any other college.


lol ok I think I have totally misunderstood something you said about how you make the points score statistic for schools and thought you applied it to applicants.. Is that any closer to the truth?
I'm surprising myself by how poorly I'm handling rejection. Honestly so disillusioned with education now - worked my ass off to get 6As at AS level and prepare for the admissions test and interview, to be pooled and rejected following 2 interviews which were not even bad... Even better though, a class mate of mine (one of three applicants to Oxbridge) got into study law with 2As and 2Bs - fantastic stuff, I'm sure he displayed sufficient 'passion' and 'potential', two incredibly ambiguous terms which are, apparently, measurable in two 30 minute interviews. I know I'm a bitter git but I can't help it. I would have been so incredibly proud to have gone to the university, I feel like a complete failure and an embarrassment. It's just made worse by the fact that no part of my application was, according to the feedback (which is probably automated BS), poor.

What makes it worse is I'm now made out to be some sort of mentally deficient reject by attending a university such as Durham for law. My friends are ripping me to crap, I can't handle the banter - the oven is too hot it would seem! It's not my fault that I can't afford to attend the likes of LSE and UCL! Wow I love my life, I'm going to get absolutely hammered this weekend and throw some chairs about or something.
Congratulations to everyone who got in, obviously I'm not the type they're looking for, which is unsurprising as I'm a humongous ********.
Original post by Oddwatermelon

Congratulations to everyone who got in, obviously I'm not the type they're looking for , which is unsurprising as I'm a humongous ********.


If they said your application wasn't weak in any area, it's more likely that there simply weren't enough places for you, just like how Cambridge receives tons of excellent applicants from overseas for Medicine but can only accept ~20+ due to government restrictions for non-EU Medicine places.

Cheer up and work as hard for your A levels as you did for GCSEs and AS. If you find that Cambridge still means that much to you by the end of it all, there's always next year and you'll be having a great track record from GCSE to A level to back you. As the Medwards AT said:

"Post qualification applicants with very high grades achieved have a generally very god rate of admission as they are a known quantity in terms of their results where predictions aren't."

If you do decide to reapply, starting university one year later doesn't mean you're a "late" student who's slower/inferior by one year, but rather that you're progressing with your life in a different order :smile:

If you don't, know that you were good enough for a place at Cambridge, just that you were unfortunate in the limited spaces they had. These are not just things said to comfort people who didn't get offers, but rather a fact that can be hard to register. Durham has a reputation for a reason; people may knock your choice, saying it isn't Oxbridge, but the fact that people feel the need to give comments like these shows that it's a great university that's damn well near the standard of the top universities! It's clearly significant enough to threaten their ultra-inclusive circle.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Oddwatermelon
I'm surprising myself by how poorly I'm handling rejection. Honestly so disillusioned with education now - worked my ass off to get 6As at AS level and prepare for the admissions test and interview, to be pooled and rejected following 2 interviews which were not even bad... Even better though, a class mate of mine (one of three applicants to Oxbridge) got into study law with 2As and 2Bs - fantastic stuff, I'm sure he displayed sufficient 'passion' and 'potential', two incredibly ambiguous terms which are, apparently, measurable in two 30 minute interviews. I know I'm a bitter git but I can't help it. I would have been so incredibly proud to have gone to the university, I feel like a complete failure and an embarrassment. It's just made worse by the fact that no part of my application was, according to the feedback (which is probably automated BS), poor.

What makes it worse is I'm now made out to be some sort of mentally deficient reject by attending a university such as Durham for law. My friends are ripping me to crap, I can't handle the banter - the oven is too hot it would seem! It's not my fault that I can't afford to attend the likes of LSE and UCL! Wow I love my life, I'm going to get absolutely hammered this weekend and throw some chairs about or something.
Congratulations to everyone who got in, obviously I'm not the type they're looking for, which is unsurprising as I'm a humongous ********.


Madting sadting
Original post by Oddwatermelon
I'm surprising myself by how poorly I'm handling rejection. Honestly so disillusioned with education now - worked my ass off to get 6As at AS level and prepare for the admissions test and interview, to be pooled and rejected following 2 interviews which were not even bad... Even better though, a class mate of mine (one of three applicants to Oxbridge) got into study law with 2As and 2Bs - fantastic stuff, I'm sure he displayed sufficient 'passion' and 'potential', two incredibly ambiguous terms which are, apparently, measurable in two 30 minute interviews. I know I'm a bitter git but I can't help it. I would have been so incredibly proud to have gone to the university, I feel like a complete failure and an embarrassment. It's just made worse by the fact that no part of my application was, according to the feedback (which is probably automated BS), poor.

What makes it worse is I'm now made out to be some sort of mentally deficient reject by attending a university such as Durham for law. My friends are ripping me to crap, I can't handle the banter - the oven is too hot it would seem! It's not my fault that I can't afford to attend the likes of LSE and UCL! Wow I love my life, I'm going to get absolutely hammered this weekend and throw some chairs about or something.
Congratulations to everyone who got in, obviously I'm not the type they're looking for, which is unsurprising as I'm a humongous ********.



Were you by any chance applying to King's or Trinity college?
Original post by ajamess
Was rejected for NatSci a couple of days ago :frown: 11A*s at GCSE, average 98 UMS at AS and 590/600UMS Maths A level so was a bit gutted! Didn't think the interview was outstanding but certainly didn't think it was bad enough to off-set my entire application. I've been predicted 4A*s and I'm not sure whether to apply again next year hopefully with those grades under my belt. Any suggestions anyone?


Were you applying to King's or trinity college by any chance?
I am waiting for my UCAS to update to know the outcome of my application. Is it okay to find out about it in 2 weeks time (Worst case senario if UCAS doesn't update)? Is there any follow up things that needs to be done soon? (Such as emailing to confirm the offer or requesting rejection feedback etc.)

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