Rejected from Cambridge?! Is it worth going elsewhere?

I applied to johns for sps.. i was discouraged from applying because my AS grades were AAABC (no chance!) i went anyway really hoping to show them all that they were wrong. After my interviews i realised how much rested on them.. they were more interested in how i handled myself and took control of theinterview than necessarily what i said. I must have impressed them in the interview (i organised my own work exp at the house of commons and with my MP, and went ot Thailand to do a service project last xmas, hence bad AS levels) they were really impressed with the fact i had organised everything myself, and how motivated i was..

i was pooled and got an interview at New Hall but didnt end up getting in.. the letter said because of my results i was a real near miss, but there were others with better results.. which i can understand perfectly.

my point is, that so much rests on the interview..they couldve taken exception to your clothes (better for them not to remember what you were wearing than for them to remember your jeans and opinionated sweatshirt) .. they couldve taken exception to you confidence (if they think they cant help you or teach you anything, what are they going to do with you for 3 years?) ..maybe they just didnt like you, it happens... you must know people who you just dont like for some reason, and theyre hardly going to take on someone who they cant really get along with.. remember that their main concern is their own research.. and by tutoring the odd student.. they are allowed free use of cambrdiges resources for their own research. they arent there to teach as such.. but they dont mind sharing knowledge..

Im going to Durham and im really happy about it.. i can see exactly why i didnt get a place, but i gained a lot from the interviews..and id love to do a post grad there.. so rise above it, accept that the admissions process can be petty, or maybe they just didnt quite appreciate you.. whatever.. if you really want to go there do a postgrad.. dont wait on till next year, because the stats say that 60,000 more people will be applying next year to avoid top-up fees..what will the chances be then!

go out and do another course and come back to it..or else just laugh about it..they looked you over.. what fools! they dont know what theyre missing! hope you can find happiness somewhere else.. dont let this be your ruin. you were good enought o apply there in the frist place, thats amazing.. youre in the top 2% of your peers.. think about it.

So now Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle? Any views on that? (All languages + linguistics). Is it even worth me going to university at all? I really had my heart set, it was Cambridge or nothing, I don't really know if I want to study in ugly dingey buildings and do one essay per term or whatever they do at normal unis. Maybe I should: [complete in no more than 600 words.] (12 Marks)

I wouldn't advise contacting them yourself; get your referee to do it. You are not even supposed to see any feedback at all, so they will want to know why your referee even told you about it.

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