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<a https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7467335'> Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>
<a https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7467335'> Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>
<a https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7467335'> Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Druggie In Oxbridge

Am I being unreasonable to resent the fact that I was rejected from Oxbridge, but a friend with lower grades, who is less motivated and delinquents and takes hard drugs on a regular basis, was accepted?

It is not nice to think. But it is also really painful when you have dreamed of Oxbridge for a long time, get higher grades, prepare more and lose out to someone who applied nonchalantly.
But if you are performing better than them academically, why did you not get accepted?
maybe theres good reason for u getting rejected. like u have bad breath
As someone who went to Oxford, I can promise you that it's not a meritocracy. The applications often don't tell the full picture about a candidate, and the interview is only a brief window. Sadly that means that the tutors don't necessarily choose the best candidates. They have to try to determine who has the best potential based on relatively little info, which means often they misshoot.

I know it hurts, man. I don't know what to say that will make the rejection better right now, but know that you haven't done anything wrong. Sadly, perfect candidates miss the cutoff and suboptimal candidates can slip through.. That's the nature of the place being so madly competitive and tutors having imperfect information. It sucks.
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Original post by Expert #7451
As someone who went to Oxford, I can promise you that it's not a meritocracy. The applications often don't tell the full picture about a candidate, and the interview is only a brief window. Sadly that means that the tutors don't necessarily choose the best candidates. They have to try to determine who has the best potential based on relatively little info, which means often they misshoot.

I know it hurts, man. I don't know what to say that will make the rejection better right now, but know that you haven't done anything wrong. Sadly, perfect candidates miss the cutoff and suboptimal candidates can slip through.. That's the nature of the place being so madly competitive and tutors having imperfect information. It sucks.

Thank you for your honest and frank advice. I am trying not to get stifled by the rejection. I want to focus on my A-Levels and getting the best grades I can. However, I feel really lost at the moment. I am not sure what route to take and I am getting anxiety which is affecting my studies.
If you were shooting for Oxbridge, I'm guessing you're also aiming at other top Russell Group institutions? If so, just remember that you can succeed academically and professionally in the long run just as well from one of those place. Oxbridge is a good brand, but you can be just as capable and successful even without that brand: Oxbridge may give you an edge, but you really should know that people from there can and do squander that edge (hell, I'm one of them). If you work hard - whether it be just on your academics, or through mixing it with extracurricular things to build yourself up - you can easily go into work and be as competitive as an Oxbridge grad, or even be good enough to go into Oxbridge for a postgrad course (which is arguably easier than undergrad, since you'll have had chances to do stuff to build you your own 'brand').

Work had now, man. Oxbridge was a means to an end, not an end of itself: I went there, thinking I'd finally 'make it', but I had some really unhappy few years there. You're doing your A-levels and going to the best uni you can for your sake, not for the sake of getting that particular stamp on your CV. Don't let getting knocked on derail it. You've got the potential to ace it regardless of where you go: graft hard, and take the best opportunities you can get.
Original post by bigstbadstt45
maybe theres good reason for u getting rejected. like u have bad breath


This made me laugh IRL.

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