Been rejected from Durham? I'm SO ANGRY.

I don't know how they decide who gets offers and who doesn't but I know there was a wave of rejections about two weeks ago so you're good to have made it this far.

I think the whole Durham system is a lottery to be honest.

Woo, my Durham app has moved to a college too!

What one did you apply to? Was it Collingwood?

Well, my head of sixth form phoned up the admissions office today to get some feedback on why I was rejected (predicted three As at A-level, applied for history and politics).

She said that, my application had been in one of the first batch of applications which had been sent through to the politics department (as these things are done at Durham, each department looks at it before passing the 'ok'ed ones onto the next)

Well, the politics department rejected the whole bunch (good applications... mostly 'also applied to Oxbridge', I'd assume) and sent them back. Admissions assumed a mistake, returned them, just to have them rejected a second time.

The lady on the end of the phone, I'm told, was actually EMBARRASSED to admit the real reason why these were rejected. It's because Durham accepted too many applicants last year and got a financial slap on the wrist... so this year, in order to keep the numbers down, they have automatically rejected anyone who didn't get an A* in GCSE history. That's GCSE history. Seem a bit unfair to you? I'm INSANELY angry with this... you wouldn't even believe.

So, fair enough, my head of sixth form mentioned that she wouldn't bother letting anyone who didn't get an A* in their chosen subject at GCSE level apply next year, to which she was told "Oh, no, don't do that. It'll probably be different next year".

Fantastic. Anyone else been caught out by this IDIOTIC screening system? Does it just apply to history, or to any other subjects too?

What one did you apply to? Was it Collingwood?

This sad little episode just shows why you should never take acceptance or rejection that seriously: often it's nothing to do with you-it tells you more about the poor sad, overworked clowns who have to resort to statistical stratagems to cope with the overload. And have no illusions, the goverrment's obsession with social eugenics means that your gender, race and class have a lot to do with it-of course it helps if you've got ability, I suppose.

durham is, perhaps, the greatest uni in the world. you should not be ashamed that you got rejected. in a recent poll, durham got voted "greatest institution in the world ever".

To add moan to other complaints about Durham.....Ive just heard today...MAY! that i have an offer for Sociology in October. Been predicted AAA needed BBB and they still took all this time to let me know! Unbelievable!And its undersubscribed as its a UCAS extra course!