Should I reject and reapply?

I personally wouldn't go on a gap year if you don't have any solid plans on what to do, job opportunities this year are looking a bit scarce, as is travelling without the fear of the gov suddenly announcing you need to self-quarantine when coming back.

Out of interest, what course were you originally thinking of doing?

I'm going to start my undergrad for single honours history at Warwick this September and I got pretty similar grades to you. Part of me did think I could have been more ambitious and applied to more top unis in my original 5 choices but I wouldn't have gone for Durham cos too far. Much like you, part of me did wish I should have applied to Cambridge, it wouldn't have hurt. But on second thoughts I'm not sure if Cambridge would be for me 🤔

Obviously because I haven't started yet, I don't know how academically stimulating the course is but I don't think employers wouldn't really distinguish between Warwick and Durham. As you said, Cambridge would probably be a bit different...

Best of luck ☺

I’d rather not do a course that I don’t want to do, especially if I didn’t apply for it in the first place. If you feel okay with settling for it, then go for it! You said that you really like the campus and you can see yourself going there...But if you’re not content, then don’t settle for it just because you really like the uni. Yes the uni plays a big part in decision making, but so does the course!

You clearly have some doubts, I’d say go for the gap year. Not only can you do work experience and internships to make yourself a more appealing candidate, but you can also look at courses in more detail so you’d be able to choose one you like, rather than settling for something else.

You also don’t want to go to uni filled with thoughts of ‘what if I did do the gap year and applied for a course I really wanted to do’

Great to see another person going off to do history at Warwick! I originally applied for Law but I realized during lockdown after I had done more wider reading that it wasn't for me. Concerns about traveling/jobs/internships etc. are a definite worry, alongside the feeling that I could end up wasting a year. Part of me really wants to get straight back into education again and get stuck into research and independent learning, and all my teachers have advised me to take up my place over the uncertainty of COVID, applications and the fact that I've already had five months out of school (although I know people who have taken two gap years and have been fine so I'm taking this point with a pinch of salt).

Hmm tough one... if you were to reapply next year, would you be applying to Durham and Cambridge instead, and for History and French or...?
As long as you do something valuable in your gap year then I guess that's alright. But then the people you knew who did 2 gap years probably didn't do it at the time of a pandemic when there's fewer opportunities available.

I've just finished at Warwick doing French - I actually had Durham down as my top choice, but then visited and realised it wasn't for me (mainly because the French course just didn't seem as strong as Warwick's). I've absolutely loved my time at Warwick - the French department is very strong in terms of teaching, but as well as that they actually care about their students which makes such a difference.

In terms of graduate opportunities, I think people tend to overestimate the power of an Oxbridge degree (particularly as an increasing number of employers are introducing CV blind recruitment or removing the degree requirement altogether). I have a job offer from a top firm in a very competitive industry and will admit that a large number of my peers went to Oxbridge, but I feel that's mainly because they're all smart, hard-working individuals (which is why they got to Oxbridge) rather than because of the uni name. That's not to say that you shouldn't take a year out and reapply if you're really set on it, more that Oxbridge is not in any way the be-all and end-all and that you have no need to doubt the rigour of French at Warwick.

Thank you so much for this! A great insight. I’m going to defer my place for French at Warwick because I think I need a year out regardless for a multitude of reasons. If they won’t let me defer then you bet I’ll be reapplying to Warwick