The Official 2017 Cambridge Applicants Thread [part 3]

No idea. I think it depends on how well I do on results day! If I get AAAA-A*AAA I'll go to Durham, if I get A*A*AA-A*A*A*A* I'll reapply to Cam.

I'm counting my EPQ grade in that by the way.

Aww I'm really sorry

Not being fished out is honestly heartbreaking because I was /so/ close and I missed it

It's amazing that they considered you good enough for the university, even if the original college didn't have space for you, and you should still be super proud of that achievement but I can also totally understand how heartbreaking it must be to be so close

This time last year, I wasn't even sure I wanted to go to university and I definitely didn't care about Oxbridge and had all sorts of misconceptions about it. But then I visited Cambridge and had a complete change of heart and for once in my life, I felt like exciting things were finally happening and I was so driven to get in. Hurts like hell.

I'm going down in my Sherlock T-Shirt so I hope there's a Sherlock loving DOS that will give me a few brownie points thanks guys!!

I'll keep you all updated on here if you want I'll turn it into a mini diary (since nobody else is really doing much on here) and keep you all updated with my travels only if you guys want/if I'd be allowed

if not ill do it on my GYG thread

Hey @SteamboatMickey! If, in this very hypothetical situation, you don't get into Medwards, would you consider going to Durham or would you re-apply to Cam?

I'm in this really tricky situation where I know it'll probably be for the best if I just resign myself to Durham, but this optimistic part of me thinks I was so close this year and if I apply again to Cambridge next year, I'll get in. I'm so conflicted

I should have known I was gonna get a rejection, my life was going too well, it seemed fake. I know it hurts a lot, but life happens and its sh*t

Where are you hoping to go now?

I'm at the point where I would recommend to anyone to take a gap year if they want to have another shot at Cambridge. It's far from a waste of a year and you'll be able to apply again to Durham next year anyway. I think the thing you'd want to consider the most is if you're willing to put yourself through the process again.

All colleges websites I've been on say they don't give offers based on STEP for Natsci and I think it would be quite a shock to see that

I'm at the point where I would recommend to anyone to take a gap year if they want to have another shot at Cambridge. It's far from a waste of a year and you'll be able to apply again to Durham next year anyway. I think the thing you'd want to consider the most is if you're willing to put yourself through the process again.

Hey @SteamboatMickey! If, in this very hypothetical situation, you don't get into Medwards, would you consider going to Durham or would you re-apply to Cam?

I'm in this really tricky situation where I know it'll probably be for the best if I just resign myself to Durham, but this optimistic part of me thinks I was so close this year and if I apply again to Cambridge next year, I'll get in. I'm so conflicted

Only thing I don't want to redo is the HAA

I would also really really advise looking at your application again and the feedback if you got/get any. For example, for me, I know my grades are weak (no GCSE, AABB at AS w circumstances/major change of school system, A*A*AA predictions - which probably looked unrealistic at the time) and that I would be in a stronger position with an actually secure A*A*AA/A*A*A*A. I also know my submitted work was really good because one interviewer praised it highly, so that is not a thing I will worry about if/when I reapply. As for the interview, I can't comment but I messed up the Medieval music portion of things (which to be fair no one applying had even looked at before) and said some stupid things like the wrong key etc which I would have gotten if not nervous/talking so fast. So I can sort of extrapolate things like that over the application, which you will probably be able to as well.

To be fair, it's not guaranteed that Durham will accept you again next year (but it is pretty likely provided you make the offer).

Funny story, I had a confirmed offer from ICL on results day which I rejected for another chance at Cambridge. This time around, ICL rejected me but now I've got a Cambridge offer

I've heard of ICL being like that. xD Oh the irony.

Ah, ok. I think I was just looking for a way to make myself feel a little better about the situation but looks like I was rejected straight away. Oh well. Sorry you didn't get fished out!

Not complaining like, all's well that ends well

I'm at the point where I would recommend to anyone to take a gap year if they want to have another shot at Cambridge. It's far from a waste of a year and you'll be able to apply again to Durham next year anyway. I think the thing you'd want to consider the most is if you're willing to put yourself through the process again.

Yeah, my interviews seemed way too easy and I was quietly confident but I should've known it wouldn't work out so perfectly. My brain keeps telling me there's still a way in, some sort of exception to the rule or something, and I have to keep snapping myself out of it and accept it's over.

I've got offers from King's College London, Bristol and Royal Holloway. Waiting to hear back from UCL. My top choice at the moment is definitely UCL but it's essentially impossible to get in for English so I'm not counting on it. The other universities don't really excite me and the Cambridge rejection has just made me completely unmotivated for anything. Part of me just doesn't want to deal with the whole uni thing anymore. I dunno, I'm just hoping this feeling passes.

What are your plans?

I'm feeling so unmotivated as well - what's the point now that my dream university rejected me?

I'm not sure why you're so fixated on doing STEP in your gap year and think it'd help your natural sciences application. It's not relevant to natsci (which is why offers aren't based on STEP) and you'd be better off focusing on things that would be more relevant to your degree/application.