I&#x27;m a Cambridge reject and I&#x27;m thinking of reapplying next year

Original post by DashBox

Hey guys, first, some information about me. I'm in year 13 right now doing Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Further Maths A levels. As the title says, I got rejected by Cambridge, Trinity College, for Natural Sciences this week.

Now, disappointments aside, I'm thinking of reapplying next year, perhaps not to the same course/ college though. I already hold offers from UCL, uni of York, Nottingham uni and Lancaster uni. Now before anyone points out that these are great unis, hear me out. This is what I'm thinking:

I put UCL as my firm choice and hopefully if I get the grades, I join it in September this year. However, at the same time I start reapplying to Cambridge (or Oxford for that matter). If I get in, I formally transfer universities and be potentially behind a year, but does that really matter if you're an oxbridge graduate? and if I don't get in, mehh, life goes on and I graduate from UCL (hopefully). This way, I avoid a gap year (unless someone can give me something academically worthwhile to do during the gap year). So, how does it sound?

I do have some conundrums regarding this plan. Firstly, if I do get into UCL, is oxbridge really that much better than UCL? Secondly, how does this affect my finance situation? I will be taking out a student loan.

So, any light to be shed on my situation? I'm happy to provide more details and I'm, well, kinda stuck here.

You can't apply to Cambridge whilst holding a place at another UK university.

Reply 3

NotKidding

11

Seems like a good idea on paper. However, have you thought about how you'd feel if they rejected you once again next year? Getting rejected twice can be quite damaging in terms of motivation.

Reply 4

OP

Original post by jneill

You can't apply to Cambridge whilst holding a place at another UK university.

Oh welp, there goes that idea. If you will, can you post a source as to how you know this? Is it the same with Oxford?

Reply 5

Plagioclase

Original post by DashBox

Is it the same with Oxford?

Pretty sure it's not the case for Oxford, I know someone who did their first year at Imperial and then moved to Oxford.

Reply 6

user 42005

18

Original post by jneill

You can't apply to Cambridge whilst holding a place at another UK university.

He means actually attending UCL for one year, not simply holding the offer on UCAS (as in deferred entry).

You can do the former at Oxford (as I met someone already attending Edinburgh University whilst simultaneously applying to Oxford), but you're the Cambridge expert so perhaps it's different there!

Reply 7

Original post by DashBox

Oh welp, there goes that idea. If you will, can you post a source as to how you know this? Is it the same with Oxford?

Cambridge only in "very exceptional circumstances"
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/find-out-more/faq
"Cambridge Colleges will only, as a matter of principle, consider applications from students enrolled in a degree course at other UK universities in very exceptional circumstances. Any application to study at Cambridge would need strong support from your Course Director or other academic tutor at your current university. A reference or letter of recommendation from that person to the Cambridge College would be required, and only then can a Cambridge College consider an application. All such applications are still subject to the same academic assessment as any other application to the University. We do have a system of admitting graduates from other universities to do a second undergraduate degree as an affiliated student at Cambridge, in which case the course takes a year less than usual."

Oxford is more open it - BUT how do you get a convincing reference from UCL to enable you to apply to Oxford (or Cambridge) despite only being there for a month or so.

https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/547/related/1

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 8

auburnstar

Original post by jneill

You can't apply to Cambridge whilst holding a place at another UK university.

Apply to Oxford instead.

A friend of mine rejected Oxford pre-interview because he made a bad course decision (basically he loves English but didn't want to study it). Then he got his A level results (A*A*A) and went to St Andrews. He got one of our school teachers to write the reference, help with submitted work and submit the UCAS form before 15th October. Got an interview offer and went down and interviewed and now has found out he has a place starting in Oct 2017. I'm thinking of doing the same provided I get A*A*AA or A*A*A*A (most post-results applicants who are successful exceed AAA/A*AA).

If you're dead set on NatSci at Cam your only option is to go on a gap year. There's plenty of advice around about what to do, mostly related to travelling/studying/work experience/wider reading.

Reply 9

I had also heard that Cambridge really doesn't like applications from students already currently studying at another uni.

Also, the NatSci course at Cambridge is actually only three years, extendable to a fourth (MSci) if you wish and take an appropriate third year specialisation. So for Cambridge, your initial student finance application is only for three years of funding, with the fourth year taking up that "spare" grace year student finance give you. However, if you have already used up that year by studying first at another uni (who may also have the same policy) then you would have to self-finace/ not do the masters year...

Reply 10

OP

Original post by jneill

Oxford is more open it - BUT how do you get a convincing reference from UCL to enable you to apply to Oxford (or Cambridge) despite only being there for a month or so.
https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/562/~/can-i-apply-to-transfer-onto-a-course-at-oxford-if-i-am-studying-a-related

Now, THAT, is the question of the day. How indeed? Perhaps our friend @auburnstar can shed some light on this.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 11

OP

Original post by dragonkeeper999

I had also heard that Cambridge really doesn't like applications from students already currently studying at another uni.

Also, the NatSci course at Cambridge is actually only three years, extendable to a fourth (MSci) if you wish and take an appropriate third year specialisation. So for Cambridge, your initial student finance application is only for three years of funding, with the fourth year taking up that "spare" grace year student finance give you. However, if you have already used up that year by studying first at another uni (who may also have the same policy) then you would have to self-finace/ not do the masters year...

So you can't just take a loan for another year? (A total of 5 years in my case)

Reply 12

If I were you, I'd accept the offer at UCL for now then on results day judge whether or not your UMS scores would be good enough for a competitive Oxbridge application. If not, go to UCL. If you reckon you've got a good shot, turn down UCL and take a gap year.
There's loads of things you could do in a gap year, e.g.:
- Work experience (contact local science related companies and ask for a week or two of work shadowing)
- YinI (Year in Industry program - google it)/ other internship
- Get a job (earn some cash, very useful, as well as get some experience of working a full time job)
- Volunteer (e.g. in a local school, library, community centre, sports club, etc.)
- Travel
- Extra reading (in preparation for uni/ to help your application)
- Online courses (MOOCs - these are often based on first/ second year uni courses, so would be very helpful)

Reply 13

Original post by JRKinder

He means actually attending UCL for one year, not simply holding the offer on UCAS (as in deferred entry).

You can do the former at Oxford (as I met someone already attending Edinburgh University whilst simultaneously applying to Oxford), but you're the Cambridge expert so perhaps it's different there!

No - either holding a place or actually attending will be a problem for Cambridge.

Reply 14

Original post by DashBox

So you can't just take a loan for another year? (A total of 5 years in my case)

Yes you get a "gift" year = 1 year in case you change your mind or do badly and retake a year.

So maximum loan duration = length of undergrad course - years already studied + 1 (the gift year).

Reply 15

Original post by DashBox

So you can't just take a loan for another year? (A total of 5 years in my case)

Not as far as I know - most of my friends are currently NatSci fourth years at Cambridge and all of them were moaning about the effort of having to inform student finance they were extending their studies for a year. Student finance gives you max. the length of your course (three years) +1 extra year incase you have to restart/ resit a year/ extend for a year.

Reply 16

OP

Original post by jneill

Yes you get a "gift" year = 1 year in case you change your mind or do badly and retake a year.

So maximum loan duration = length of undergrad course - years already studied + 1 (the gift year).

Ah I see, so the only thing, financially, that is affected is the fact that I'll just end up with more debt when graduating and nothing else.

Reply 17

So from your point of view, length of course = three years (BA degree), then you have an extra year at UCL AND potentially and extra year at Cambridge - so student finance wouldn't cover that last year.

Reply 18

Original post by DashBox

Ah I see, so the only thing, financially, that is affected is the fact that I'll just end up with more debt when graduating and nothing else.

Yes. And that's a debt you only start repaying when you earn >£21k...

Original post by dragonkeeper999

So from your point of view, length of course = three years (BA degree), then you have an extra year at UCL AND potentially and extra year at Cambridge - so student finance wouldn't cover that last year.

No they allow the longer course without problems if it's an undergrad course. So moving from a BSc at UCL to an MSci (or MEng, or whatever) at Cambridge (or anywhere) is not a problem.

Reply 19