Staring at the rejection email or letter all day.

Although I'm only 18, and haven't got the wisdom others may have, I will always remember something my grandad once said to me:

Life is the hardest game of football you will ever play. It plays the best formation you will ever see. The strikers attack you at your weakness, find your vulnerabilities but over time you'll learn to brush this off and deal with it. The midfield will work constantly to disrupt your plans, it won't stop until it's successfully taken away the ball and stopped your chances of scoring that goal; the way past is to never stop and never dwell on the things that knock you back because you will get knocked back in your lifetime, more than once. And the final, but the hardest, part of life is beating the defense. The defense is your own weaknesses, your own vices. How you react to what happens in the midfield determines whether or not you'll beat the defense and get that goal you wanted since the moment the ball was given to you. You can win the game, I did.

It was said at a tough time in my life and although this may seem a little OTT to your original post, I pass this on whenever I can because it's the truest thing anyone has ever said to me and I guess now is a decent time to say it on TSR.

On a brighter note you had a lucky escape. The South of England has poor beer and dislikes curry and chips, however that is possible, so I suggest going North. Every cloud and all that.

This thread.. is so bitter... wow...
Oxford is not the be all and end all... consider it a blessing in disguise, I know a lot of people who've said that if they knew how intense it was going to be, they wouldn't have applied there.
If you didn't get in, it's because it wouldn't have suited you. They know who can deal with the kind of pressure of workload and have crazy amounts of determination to prevail through what are arguably the most intensive degrees in the world, and if they think you would struggle with it and don't give you an offer they are doing you a favour.

Oxford isn't for everyone. The sooner we stop worshipping it as the singular definition of intelligence, the better.

I think it's quite a nice letter, sympathetic.
I particularly like the way it mentions that they punted your application round all the colleges but still no one wanted you. That has to sting.

I cried for an hour when i got my Cambridge rejection. Two years down the line, i hardly care about fact anymore......














Its only because i plan to reapply there for postgraduate i guess some scars never heal.......

The fact that she didn't get a interview says one of the following wasn't up to high-standard her PS, academics and/or aptitude tests (if any).

It was..........my grades were higher than the international qualifications for canadian students. No aptitude tests; just an essay, which was the highest in my class. The fact that my essay mark was higher than ..........( insert name), whose school average is near and close to perfect was proof that it was a high standard essay. My average is well in the upper 90s and the lowest average is 85. It really all just comes down to luck.....i spent about 3 months writing my PS. Made sure to fous on one subject at a time...............hope it explains my situation.

Yep - once in a while, you get Steve Keaned.

Love it.

I can't believe the whole situation with his contract change. Way to get us angrier, Venky's.

Only thing is I can't possibly see a way in which Kean is leaving now. Protesting is doing nothing because they are simply ignoring it. The club was doomed the moment John Williams left, he was our last remaining hope.

Shame.

And also, the workload isn't as intense as you're making it out to be. It can be managed by those who have the aptitude for the subject.

Pretentious a**holes.

This is a counter part thread for oxford applications. Now, know that this is not the end of the world. Feel free to vent on the thread, or help others feel better. Post your rejection letter; when you got it, and how you feel ( some might be depressed, so make sure you think about your self then others). Then post acceptance to other universities or interview at others.

Here is mine - feelings after reading my reject letter.

Dear Candidate



Thank you for applying to Oxford. I am writing to let you know that the tutors here have had an opportunity to consider your application and that we have now completed the first stages of our selection procedures.



Unfortunately, in view of the overall competition for places this year, and after consultation with other colleges, I am sorry to tell you that we shall not be able to offer you a place at Oxford and that your application is no longer under consideration by any of the colleges here.



The College will be contacting your UCAS referee.............................................................................................................................................................I do realise how disappointing this will be for you and I am sorry not to have better news regarding your application here. I hope, however, that you will be successful in gaining admission to one of the other universities to which you have applied.



Yours sincerely,



.......................................................
Tutor for Admissions

Oh really? And your source of authority is? My point wasn't that the workload was unmanagable - you just need to work hard. Really hard. In and out of term.

I think it's very presumptuous to assume that every single person who has struggled with Oxford's workload at some point in time lacks aptitude for their subject (that would include at least 80% of all students). The workload isn't consistent across weeks (I had a particularly terrible week involving two tutes and one class this term, for instance), and neither are the extra-curricular commitments. We're humans, not amazingly intelligent automatons who can work 24/7.

Oh really? And your source of authority is? My point wasn't that the workload was unmanagable - you just need to work hard. Really hard. In and out of term.

Agree with this. Of course most of us do end up managing the workload, but that doesn't mean it isn't massively intense, especially if you have any sort of extra curricular/welfare/social commitments. If this person actually is a current or former Oxford student (and therefore has the authority to make claims about the intensity of the workload), then they're either more driven and/or talented than the average Oxford student or had/have little to no life outside work...

But, it doesn't come down to luck. Were you scoring all 90-5%+ in the last two years of high school? The other international applicants must of had a much higher score than yours then.