Oxford didn’t shortlist me

Oxford isn't always the best environment for everyone, regardless of how talented they are, though. It could be a pretty boring place for some people, once the novelty rubs off

Anyone can be bored anywhere, but it is true that Oxford suits some people and not others.
I regret that the media have persuaded too many parents and students that there are only two universities in the UK. Threads here indicate that some people invest too much emotion in an Oxbridge offer.
On other points mentioned above, I don't think that the college system is inherently unfair, because good applicants are distributed across the colleges.
As for the element of subjective judgement in admission decisions, that is present in every selection process operated by humans. The process is not readily susceptible to automation.
Resource inequality is a factor in most competitive processes. Oxbridge undergraduates come mainly from moderately affluent families, and from private schools or high quality state schools. The societal inequalities which lead to this are too big for any two universities to resolve.

I would add that Oxford and Cambridge try to mitigate resource inequality a lot more than many other universities. For my subject, my school provided very little help with uni applications but Oxford and Cambridge ran so many free online programmes for mentoring and subject exploration.
The highlight of my Y12 was going to 'taster tutorials' in Balliol to discuss constitutional law in a group of 3 with an academic, and another summer seminar at Trinity (Cambridge) to learn about interpreting and applying statutes to scenarios. Travel and lunch (in the beautiful dining hall) were both completely paid for by the outreach teams. These are just 2 examples, and none of the other universities provided anywhere near as much support.
If you are reading this OP, I would so so recommend you watch Dr Matt Williams' video on application outcomes. I think everyone should watch it, regardless of whether they got an interview or not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC4iLqCDY4A

I agree, but Oxford and Cambridge still get castigated for being elitist, posh, and what not. Those doing the castigating appear not to have checked the facts, and/or have axes to grind.

Correct. If anything, children from well-to-do households who go to private school are discriminated against.

Correct. If anything, children from well-to-do households who go to private school are discriminated against.

I agree, but Oxford and Cambridge still get castigated for being elitist, posh, and what not. Those doing the castigating appear not to have checked the facts, and/or have axes to grind.

Correct. If anything, children from well-to-do households who go to private school are discriminated against.

Not true, either!

I believe there is hence the increasing number of parents who take their kids out of private school at 6th form to put them into state school, in order to game this. I saw some corroborating stats once - if I can dig them up will post.

I believe there is hence the increasing number of parents who take their kids out of private school at 6th form to put them into state school, in order to game this. I saw some corroborating stats once - if I can dig them up will post.

AFAIK Oxford and Cambridge don't fall for such gaming. For their stats, they treat a student who went to a private school but moved to a state sixth form as privately educated.
The key stat is that the approx 8% of UK school pupils and approx 15% of UK sixth formers are at private schools, and they gather up approx 30% of the places at Oxford and Cambridge. The Telegraph bleats because the figure used to be more than 50%. The playing field is less tilted than in used to be, but it still isn't level, and the tilt is NOT against the private schools.

I know it sounds so dramatic but I feel empty like okay so I have depression and i have this emptiness, a sense of hopelessness 24/7, however it has been my to study at Oxford since year 5 when I discovered the university. I have always been academically tuned and I try my hardest, in the holiday I locked myself in my room and only did maths and managed to bring my grades up from a D to an A, I applied with A*A*A and A in epq , I read 6 books in 15 days during the holiday for my personal statement (I didn’t include them al) and I tried so so hard, I then applied to oxford and it gave me something to look forward to, even though it was like impending, I tried for the first time to harbour a positive mindset, the castles are so beautiful and it’s like the embodiment of academic success , I knew my gcses (999777765) may be a bit low but I really really put effort, I prayed, I’d have a flutter in my chest just thinking about it, it was so perfect, like the little reminant of my childhood as it was my dream and they rejected me, didn’t even call me to the interview, I really did try to believe they’d call me, now I have nothing to look forward to, to motivate me to try because it’s already hard enough with depression and ik it’s silly but the idea of studying at Oxford in a year allowed me to assign some purpose to carrying on and trying. I have 0 friends in school and I just sit in the library break and lunch either catching up on work or revising and I thought just maybe they’d call me so it would make these past 2 years worth it, but now it’s the end of a dream, purposelessness and the feeling of rejection. And they always say rejection is redirection, however, post Oxford, I saw rejection after rejection, I failed my driving test, slaughter and may didn’t accept my application to their law scheme, I don’t understand why I am never enough even though I pour blood sweat and tears into these things, I go above and beyond academically and then I am stuck in the position below those who don’t try as hard , and are happy with friends, while I’m alone always just out of reach of my aspirations. I am fully aware I could just study at Oxford for masters and I understand this is overly dramatic but it’s a bad feeling and I have revision to do today but I feel so demotivated , I have had my Oxford sticker from open evening stuck on my desk as a motivator but idk it just sucks like I don’t get it but it is what it is

Why don't applicants to Oxford and Cambridge also sit the SATs and apply for the 10 "Needs Blind" universities in the United States of America?! 🙂
· Amherst College
· Bowdoin College
· Brown University
· Dartmouth College
· Harvard University
· Massachusetts Institute of Technology
· Princeton University
· University of Notre Dame
· Washington and Lee University
· Yale University

Why don't applicants to Oxford and Cambridge also sit the SATs and apply for the 10 "Needs Blind" universities in the United States of America?! 🙂
· Amherst College
· Bowdoin College
· Brown University
· Dartmouth College
· Harvard University
· Massachusetts Institute of Technology
· Princeton University
· University of Notre Dame
· Washington and Lee University
· Yale University