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Applying to Oxbridge after a gap year

Is it worth applying to Oxford or Cambridge after a gap year?

Are the chances of the getting in lower?

Thank you!
Reply 1
Avatar for Grofu
Grofu
4
My brother took a gap year after getting rejected and got in after the gap year!! If you do something related to the course during the year it can help!! I’m not sure if it’s easier or harder though!!
In general a gap year won't affect your chances. There is one exception I know of which is that some colleges at Cambridge for maths prefer applicants do something mathematical in their gap year as they are worried you may "go rusty". However I think now most do not have any preference and I don't think any actively discourage it anymore. @Peterhouse Admissions might be able to comment more generally for Cambridge and also perhaps know if the maths gap year concerns are still current or if that is a relic of the past entirely?
It’s up to the college. I checked one randomly for someone last week and their website said 25% of applicants applied after a gap year and it would not disadvantage them.

Edit: Here’s the recent thread with guidance in the replies from Peterhouse Admissions.

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=96264671
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by ItsAlicia
Is it worth applying to Oxford or Cambridge after a gap year?

Are the chances of the getting in lower?

Thank you!


I did - I spent the year supporting myself, not doing a particularly course-relevant job, but still got into Oxford (for maths - worth mentioning that Cambridge probably wouldn't have accepted that). I did explain briefly on my PS that I had to work, but didn't say anything about what I'd been doing as tbh not a lot of studying went on, for understandable reasons. I really don't think my college cared in any way and in fact when I said I might not be able to come this year, gave me the option to defer. You don't even have to have done anything special on your gap year.

The main disadvantage I think might be that without the structure of school, you might not keep up your skills and hence do worse on admissions tests. On the other hand you might have more time to focus on your application! Another would be that if you don't get in you may regret not just going to another very good uni and having fun. (Oxford's pros vastly outweigh its cons in my opinion, but those cons do exist and one of them is that I'm always jealous of my friends at other unis who seem to have the time to just hang out and do nothing with their friends). However, those things don't come from the tutors themselves. Remember they have lots of students to look at and it's unlikely they'll really discuss or notice your gap year.
Reply 5
Avatar for QHF
QHF
11
Original post by ItsAlicia
Is it worth applying to Oxford or Cambridge after a gap year?

Are the chances of the getting in lower?

I don't think a year out significantly affects your chances one way or another (with the caveat about some maths places at Cambridge mentioned upthread).

It's worth noting, though, that a year out does make you a bit more of a known quantity (and, potentially, a safer bet) for universities (including Oxford and Cambridge, but not limited to just them). Since you apply with your A levels in hand, they don't have to worry about whether or not you're going to make your offer. That's definitely not a bad thing for you.

For Oxford (or, yes, Cambridge) you will want to think about what you can do during your year out that's going to make you better in the subject you want to study, and that's going to take you beyond the curriculum of your A level studies. This doesn't have to have anything to do with the work you do in your year out. You can stack shelves but also read all of Shakespeare in a year out, if you plan effectively and genuinely enjoy Shakespeare. Say that you're going to do whatever it is you settle on in your application--and make sure you do set about doing it, because interviewers might be interested to hear how it's going.

My own experience of going to university after a year just doing normal 9–5 work was pretty positive. I started my BA with a stronger work ethic than a lot of my peers, more academic preparation, and some better organisational skills. And with some money saved up, which is a fair and real consideration. It can be a good choice, provided you take the initiative and make the most of it.
Original post by Grofu
My brother took a gap year after getting rejected and got in after the gap year!! If you do something related to the course during the year it can help!! I’m not sure if it’s easier or harder though!!

for what course?
I’m a second year at Oxford and got in during my gap year after being rejected pre interview in year 13. It doesn’t advantage/disadvantage you in the eyes of admissions tutors but it gives you more time to prep
Original post by artful_lounger
In general a gap year won't affect your chances. There is one exception I know of which is that some colleges at Cambridge for maths prefer applicants do something mathematical in their gap year as they are worried you may "go rusty". However I think now most do not have any preference and I don't think any actively discourage it anymore. @Peterhouse Admissions might be able to comment more generally for Cambridge and also perhaps know if the maths gap year concerns are still current or if that is a relic of the past entirely?

Just as a note, some colleges specify that they discourage deferred applications as opposed to post-qual applications. One reason for this is that if you're a deferred applicant, then you do STEP in the year of your A-Levels and hence have the capacity to go rusty, whereas post-qual applicants have to do STEP at the end of their gap year and so must keep up with their Maths by default.

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