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Is it possible to Reapply to Oxford after being rejected?

Hello,
I am an A level student currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Religious Studies. I originally wanted to apply for PPE (Hence the Religious Studies) but changed my mind during Year 12 and decided to apply for Chemistry instead. I did have time to do some preparation, including relevant competitions and work experience. Sadly, I was rejected pre-interview. I Currently Hold offers from Bath and UCL (which are great unis) but I really liked the history and experience of it all and I know I will regret it forever if I don't try again.
However, I'm not sure what to do to reapply: in their website Oxford said we are welcome to reapply, but also said that "If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course." My questions are:
1) Is a gap year a requirement when reapplying? Can I possibly get my grades for A level, Study at one of the other unis for a year and then start the course over again?
from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35/related/1 :"If you apply for a taught course and your application is unsuccessful, you may not make a further application for the same course within the same admissions year." does this imply that a gap year is required? if I do take a gap year, is it possible at all to defer my entry to say, UCL or will I have to completely restart on 5 choices? It would be my dream to go to Oxford, but I don't want to take the chances of working a year behind my friends only to be rejected again, I'm not sure if I could take that.
2) If I do have to take a gap year, will my application be in any disadvantage? I know the website said they will compare all applicants fairly, but I've heard rumours that oxford don't like gap years and of course next year there will be lots of strong competition too.
3) Since I got rejected pre-interview, and Chemistry doesn't have any admission tests or written work required, I think the problem lies in my Grades(A*A*AA, which I am working for 4A*'s in my A level if all goes well), or my Personal statement. should I rewrite my PS with all the things I would do in undergraduate? If I have to take a gap year, will my actual A level grades be effective enough at getting an offer instead of predicted, to make it worth it? or will a gap year mean not much experience would be added to make my application stand out against all the other "fresh" ones from 2026?
Thank you so much!

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Yes you need to take a gap year. You can’t start and then apply from UCL, and you also can’t apply via UCAS while holding a deferred offer you have accepted.

Honestly I would go to UCL and move on with your life. Taking a gap year you don’t really want makes next year’s application incredibly high stakes and stressful, with absolutely no guarantee of success. You could always look at going to Oxford for a Masters later on.
Original post by Anonymous
Hello,
I am an A level student currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Religious Studies. I originally wanted to apply for PPE (Hence the Religious Studies) but changed my mind during Year 12 and decided to apply for Chemistry instead. I did have time to do some preparation, including relevant competitions and work experience. Sadly, I was rejected pre-interview. I Currently Hold offers from Bath and UCL (which are great unis) but I really liked the history and experience of it all and I know I will regret it forever if I don't try again.
However, I'm not sure what to do to reapply: in their website Oxford said we are welcome to reapply, but also said that "If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course." My questions are:
1) Is a gap year a requirement when reapplying? Can I possibly get my grades for A level, Study at one of the other unis for a year and then start the course over again?
from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35/related/1 :"If you apply for a taught course and your application is unsuccessful, you may not make a further application for the same course within the same admissions year." does this imply that a gap year is required? if I do take a gap year, is it possible at all to defer my entry to say, UCL or will I have to completely restart on 5 choices? It would be my dream to go to Oxford, but I don't want to take the chances of working a year behind my friends only to be rejected again, I'm not sure if I could take that.
2) If I do have to take a gap year, will my application be in any disadvantage? I know the website said they will compare all applicants fairly, but I've heard rumours that oxford don't like gap years and of course next year there will be lots of strong competition too.
3) Since I got rejected pre-interview, and Chemistry doesn't have any admission tests or written work required, I think the problem lies in my Grades(A*A*AA, which I am working for 4A*'s in my A level if all goes well), or my Personal statement. should I rewrite my PS with all the things I would do in undergraduate? If I have to take a gap year, will my actual A level grades be effective enough at getting an offer instead of predicted, to make it worth it? or will a gap year mean not much experience would be added to make my application stand out against all the other "fresh" ones from 2026?
Thank you so much!
It is most likely your UCAS Personal Statement was not a 'stellar' one. ☹️

Re-apply with A*A*A*A or more and you might also consider preparing for interviews.

@TypicalNerd is studying Chemistry at St. John's College, Oxford and was rejected the first time but succeeded the second time. 🙂 So, send him a message here on TSR.
Original post by Anonymous
Hello,
I am an A level student currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Religious Studies. I originally wanted to apply for PPE (Hence the Religious Studies) but changed my mind during Year 12 and decided to apply for Chemistry instead. I did have time to do some preparation, including relevant competitions and work experience. Sadly, I was rejected pre-interview. I Currently Hold offers from Bath and UCL (which are great unis) but I really liked the history and experience of it all and I know I will regret it forever if I don't try again.
However, I'm not sure what to do to reapply: in their website Oxford said we are welcome to reapply, but also said that "If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course." My questions are:
1) Is a gap year a requirement when reapplying? Can I possibly get my grades for A level, Study at one of the other unis for a year and then start the course over again?
from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35/related/1 :"If you apply for a taught course and your application is unsuccessful, you may not make a further application for the same course within the same admissions year." does this imply that a gap year is required? if I do take a gap year, is it possible at all to defer my entry to say, UCL or will I have to completely restart on 5 choices? It would be my dream to go to Oxford, but I don't want to take the chances of working a year behind my friends only to be rejected again, I'm not sure if I could take that.
2) If I do have to take a gap year, will my application be in any disadvantage? I know the website said they will compare all applicants fairly, but I've heard rumours that oxford don't like gap years and of course next year there will be lots of strong competition too.
3) Since I got rejected pre-interview, and Chemistry doesn't have any admission tests or written work required, I think the problem lies in my Grades(A*A*AA, which I am working for 4A*'s in my A level if all goes well), or my Personal statement. should I rewrite my PS with all the things I would do in undergraduate? If I have to take a gap year, will my actual A level grades be effective enough at getting an offer instead of predicted, to make it worth it? or will a gap year mean not much experience would be added to make my application stand out against all the other "fresh" ones from 2026?
Thank you so much!

Just to clarify, when I was rejected on my first try, it was post-interview and so it’s not like I can give you much specific advice on how to successfully reapply following a pre-interview rejection.

First and foremost, what subjects do you have the two A* predictions in? If one of them is RE, then that is perhaps where the problem lies and a gap year should sort out that minor issue. You also have given zero indication of what your GCSEs are. They expect your GCSEs to be almost entirely 7’s, 8’s and 9’s.

Since chemistry is a purely academic degree, work experience is not actually all that helpful. It is possible that as the geek888 suggested your PS could have been perhaps stronger. If you simply listed your supercurriculars without elaborating how they challenged you, how you overcame the challenge and what you learned, then that likely won’t have helped you.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by thegeek888
It is most likely your UCAS Personal Statement was not a 'stellar' one. ☹️
Re-apply with A*A*A*A or more and you might also consider preparing for interviews.
@TypicalNerd is studying Chemistry at St. John's College, Oxford and was rejected the first time but succeeded the second time. 🙂 So, send him a message here on TSR.

I mean I successfully reapplied with A*A*A (plus a distinction in AEA maths that they probably didn’t care about and pending grades in A level FM + AS biology), so it’s perfectly possible to successfully apply with A*A*AA (provided the A*’s are in either chem, maths or FM, but not RE).

In terms of interview prep I’d recommend for chemistry, I’d say the OP should do some RSC chemistry olympiad round 1 past papers and mentor less confident classmates in chemistry and maths. It’d make the most sense to do the mentoring between now and making the second application and to do the olympiad papers and mock interviews (if possible) in the weeks leading up to the second round of interviews.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Anonymous
Hello,
I am an A level student currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Religious Studies. I originally wanted to apply for PPE (Hence the Religious Studies) but changed my mind during Year 12 and decided to apply for Chemistry instead. I did have time to do some preparation, including relevant competitions and work experience. Sadly, I was rejected pre-interview. I Currently Hold offers from Bath and UCL (which are great unis) but I really liked the history and experience of it all and I know I will regret it forever if I don't try again.
However, I'm not sure what to do to reapply: in their website Oxford said we are welcome to reapply, but also said that "If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course." My questions are:
1) Is a gap year a requirement when reapplying? Can I possibly get my grades for A level, Study at one of the other unis for a year and then start the course over again?
from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35/related/1 :"If you apply for a taught course and your application is unsuccessful, you may not make a further application for the same course within the same admissions year." does this imply that a gap year is required? if I do take a gap year, is it possible at all to defer my entry to say, UCL or will I have to completely restart on 5 choices? It would be my dream to go to Oxford, but I don't want to take the chances of working a year behind my friends only to be rejected again, I'm not sure if I could take that.
2) If I do have to take a gap year, will my application be in any disadvantage? I know the website said they will compare all applicants fairly, but I've heard rumours that oxford don't like gap years and of course next year there will be lots of strong competition too.
3) Since I got rejected pre-interview, and Chemistry doesn't have any admission tests or written work required, I think the problem lies in my Grades(A*A*AA, which I am working for 4A*'s in my A level if all goes well), or my Personal statement. should I rewrite my PS with all the things I would do in undergraduate? If I have to take a gap year, will my actual A level grades be effective enough at getting an offer instead of predicted, to make it worth it? or will a gap year mean not much experience would be added to make my application stand out against all the other "fresh" ones from 2026?
Thank you so much!

Yes you'll neeed a gap year and to reject offers.

I'd go to Bath and take advantage of their fantastic placement scheme.
Original post by xyz1234567
Yes you need to take a gap year. You can’t start and then apply from UCL, and you also can’t apply via UCAS while holding a deferred offer you have accepted.
Honestly I would go to UCL and move on with your life. Taking a gap year you don’t really want makes next year’s application incredibly high stakes and stressful, with absolutely no guarantee of success. You could always look at going to Oxford for a Masters later on.

Thank you so much!
Do you know if Oxford accepts Masters students for Chemistry? If so, what is the best way to apply?
From what I see on their website, they won’t allow transfer students. Since my course for UCL is Bsc, does this mean I must restart the course from scratch at Oxford (since their course is up to Msci)?
Original post by TypicalNerd
Just to clarify, when I was rejected on my first try, it was post-interview and so it’s not like I can give you much specific advice on how to successfully reapply following a pre-interview rejection.
First and foremost, what subjects do you have the two A* predictions in? If one of them is RE, then that is perhaps where the problem lies and a gap year should sort out that minor issue. You also have given zero indication of what your GCSEs are. They expect your GCSEs to be almost entirely 7’s, 8’s and 9’s.
Since chemistry is a purely academic degree, work experience is not actually all that helpful. It is possible that as the geek888 suggested your PS could have been perhaps stronger. If you simply listed your supercurriculars without elaborating how they challenged you, how you overcame the challenge and what you learned, then that likely won’t have helped you.

Thank you. For my Prediction, I obtained A*in Chemistry and Mathematics, with A in Further and RE. (Sadly my school don’t do A* predictions for Further)
For my GCSE’s I got a 7 in History and English Lit, 8 in RE and the rest are 9’s.
I wouldn’t say it is bad, though I agree it’s probably not “stellar” enough for them to consider me for interview.
perhaps this means the problem lies in my PS. I do not remember doing any listing although I do know others applied for same course in my school too so it may simply be a lack of academic success ☹️
Thank you for the advice!
Original post by TypicalNerd
I mean I successfully reapplied with A*A*A (plus a distinction in AEA maths that they probably didn’t care about and pending grades in A level FM + AS biology), so it’s perfectly possible to successfully apply with A*A*AA (provided the A*’s are in either chem, maths or FM, but not RE).
In terms of interview prep I’d recommend for chemistry, I’d say the OP should do some RSC chemistry olympiad round 1 past papers and mentor less confident classmates in chemistry and maths. It’d make the most sense to do the mentoring between now and making the second application and to do the olympiad papers and mock interviews (if possible) in the weeks leading up to the second round of interviews.

Yes, I have a predicted A* in Chemistry and Mathematics, and AA in RE and Further (but I think I might be able to get A* as my school doesn’t do further.)
I also did the C3L6 chemistry challenge and got the gold certificate, and did mentoring for some younger students in my school before my application went.
RSC Olympiad is a good idea though- I will try that this year. Thanks so much!
Original post by moonlight_11235
Thank you. For my Prediction, I obtained A*in Chemistry and Mathematics, with A in Further and RE. (Sadly my school don’t do A* predictions for Further)
For my GCSE’s I got a 7 in History and English Lit, 8 in RE and the rest are 9’s.
I wouldn’t say it is bad, though I agree it’s probably not “stellar” enough for them to consider me for interview.
perhaps this means the problem lies in my PS. I do not remember doing any listing although I do know others applied for same course in my school too so it may simply be a lack of academic success ☹️
Thank you for the advice!

I think now you have clarified that you probably weren’t rejected for the usual reasons. It may be that the competition this year has increased compared to the last and so it almost certainly came down to how your application was viewed in context.

By all means take a gap year and reapply to Oxford, but do be prepared for them to say no again. Since the information given generally isn’t too helpful in elucidating how good your chances of reapplying successfully are, I would second Muttley79’s suggestion to strongly consider accepting the offer for a place on Bath university’s course as the placement year (if you applied for a course with one such year, that is) would give you excellent job prospects and by all accounts Bath university seems to be a solid choice. That said, if you do reapply to Oxford, you can submit another application to Bath university and make it your insurance.

Whatever you choose to do, Oxford always remains an option for postgraduate level qualifications.
Original post by moonlight_11235
Thank you so much!
Do you know if Oxford accepts Masters students for Chemistry? If so, what is the best way to apply?
From what I see on their website, they won’t allow transfer students. Since my course for UCL is Bsc, does this mean I must restart the course from scratch at Oxford (since their course is up to Msci)?

I think they mean that after you complete your undergraduate degree, you can always do a postgraduate degree at Oxford (these include things like DPhils, MRes etc).
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by thegeek888
It is most likely your UCAS Personal Statement was not a 'stellar' one. ☹️
Re-apply with A*A*A*A or more and you might also consider preparing for interviews.
@TypicalNerd is studying Chemistry at St. John's College, Oxford and was rejected the first time but succeeded the second time. 🙂 So, send him a message here on TSR.

The OP's PS was eleventy gazillion percent more stellar than yours, because the OP's statement exists. The OP actually applied to Oxford and to other universities, something you appear somewhat unlikely ever to do.

OP, thegeek888 is a soon to be middled aged bloke who lives vicariously through the ups and downs of others from his dad's house. He knows something between zip and diddly about Oxford admission decisions. In reality, many Oxford Dons place relatively little emphasis on personal statements.

Your predicted grades are great, and you have offers from two very good universities. Not obtaining a place for a super tough course at Oxford reflects no discredit upon you. Every Oxford degree is super hard. Oxford Chemistry is hyper-hard.

I would be inclined to go to UCL or Bath unless you have some compelling reason to try again for Oxford. Putting yourself through Oxbridge entrance anxiety again may be fruitless.

I would, however, not let being a year "behind" others in your school year impact your decision. One year in a typical human life is not much at all. You can obtain significant benefits from a gap year, and starting university a year older than usual can be a good thing, especially at a high pressure university such as Oxford.

My daughter loved her gap year, and arriving at Oxford just before turning twenty helped her take to Oxford like a duck to water. She chose not to apply to any university until she had her IB grades.

To some extent, the decision you now face is an emotional one and not a rational one. Reason indicates that you should go to UCL or Bath. Emotion may draw you to try again for Oxford.

Only you can decide whether to go by head or go by heart. The risk of applying and being rejected again is significant. Might you not be happier accepting how the cards have played out, and preparing to thrive at UCL or Bath?
Original post by moonlight_11235
Thank you so much!
Do you know if Oxford accepts Masters students for Chemistry? If so, what is the best way to apply?
From what I see on their website, they won’t allow transfer students. Since my course for UCL is Bsc, does this mean I must restart the course from scratch at Oxford (since their course is up to Msci)?

I meant if being at Oxford is really important to you, apply for postgraduate study later on (after completing your undergraduate degree)
Original post by xyz1234567
I meant if being at Oxford is really important to you, apply for postgraduate study later on (after completing your undergraduate degree)

Thank you for the advice! I will do some research on how to apply :smile:
Original post by TypicalNerd
I think they mean that after you complete your undergraduate degree, you can always do a postgraduate degree at Oxford (these include things like DPhils, MRes etc).

I have considered this, and the courses do look very good.
Anyhow my priority right now would probably to secure those A*'s first and only then would I be able to decide.
Thank you very much for your advice!
Yes you can reapply.

The question as to if it’s sensible?
- what where the key factors that led to the rejection, do they still apply in the future and are you more likely to be successful in a future attempt.
- id be more cautious re-applying (especially with a pre-interview rejection ) without establishing what has changed and if it’s significant in Oxford’s admissions process

Additionally id ask yourself what are you looking to get from university, where do you need to go to “get that”
Original post by Anonymous
Hello,
I am an A level student currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Religious Studies. I originally wanted to apply for PPE (Hence the Religious Studies) but changed my mind during Year 12 and decided to apply for Chemistry instead. I did have time to do some preparation, including relevant competitions and work experience. Sadly, I was rejected pre-interview. I Currently Hold offers from Bath and UCL (which are great unis) but I really liked the history and experience of it all and I know I will regret it forever if I don't try again.
However, I'm not sure what to do to reapply: in their website Oxford said we are welcome to reapply, but also said that "If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course." My questions are:
1) Is a gap year a requirement when reapplying? Can I possibly get my grades for A level, Study at one of the other unis for a year and then start the course over again?
from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35/related/1 :"If you apply for a taught course and your application is unsuccessful, you may not make a further application for the same course within the same admissions year." does this imply that a gap year is required? if I do take a gap year, is it possible at all to defer my entry to say, UCL or will I have to completely restart on 5 choices? It would be my dream to go to Oxford, but I don't want to take the chances of working a year behind my friends only to be rejected again, I'm not sure if I could take that.
2) If I do have to take a gap year, will my application be in any disadvantage? I know the website said they will compare all applicants fairly, but I've heard rumours that oxford don't like gap years and of course next year there will be lots of strong competition too.
3) Since I got rejected pre-interview, and Chemistry doesn't have any admission tests or written work required, I think the problem lies in my Grades(A*A*AA, which I am working for 4A*'s in my A level if all goes well), or my Personal statement. should I rewrite my PS with all the things I would do in undergraduate? If I have to take a gap year, will my actual A level grades be effective enough at getting an offer instead of predicted, to make it worth it? or will a gap year mean not much experience would be added to make my application stand out against all the other "fresh" ones from 2026?
Thank you so much!

Please go to UCL. The options are not worth it.

First, Oxbridge is losing its dominance as employers are moving away from their acclaimed prestige.

Second, you could apply again next year and get rejected. Usually when you get rejected pre-interview, there might have some significant gaps in your application.

Third, UCL is a peer uni and you would close to employers in London

Finally, you wont waste a year of your life on a possibility.
Original post by TypicalNerd
Just to clarify, when I was rejected on my first try, it was post-interview and so it’s not like I can give you much specific advice on how to successfully reapply following a pre-interview rejection.
First and foremost, what subjects do you have the two A* predictions in? If one of them is RE, then that is perhaps where the problem lies and a gap year should sort out that minor issue. You also have given zero indication of what your GCSEs are. They expect your GCSEs to be almost entirely 7’s, 8’s and 9’s.
Since chemistry is a purely academic degree, work experience is not actually all that helpful. It is possible that as the geek888 suggested your PS could have been perhaps stronger. If you simply listed your supercurriculars without elaborating how they challenged you, how you overcame the challenge and what you learned, then that likely won’t have helped you.

Could you help me see where i went wrong with my application?
Original post by arthur122
Could you help me see where i went wrong with my application?

I can try. Have you asked for admissions feedback and did you need to take an admissions test for your subject?
Original post by Anonymous
Hello,
I am an A level student currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Religious Studies. I originally wanted to apply for PPE (Hence the Religious Studies) but changed my mind during Year 12 and decided to apply for Chemistry instead. I did have time to do some preparation, including relevant competitions and work experience. Sadly, I was rejected pre-interview. I Currently Hold offers from Bath and UCL (which are great unis) but I really liked the history and experience of it all and I know I will regret it forever if I don't try again.
However, I'm not sure what to do to reapply: in their website Oxford said we are welcome to reapply, but also said that "If you are currently studying at a UK university and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course." My questions are:
1) Is a gap year a requirement when reapplying? Can I possibly get my grades for A level, Study at one of the other unis for a year and then start the course over again?
from https://uni-of-oxford.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/35/related/1 :"If you apply for a taught course and your application is unsuccessful, you may not make a further application for the same course within the same admissions year." does this imply that a gap year is required? if I do take a gap year, is it possible at all to defer my entry to say, UCL or will I have to completely restart on 5 choices? It would be my dream to go to Oxford, but I don't want to take the chances of working a year behind my friends only to be rejected again, I'm not sure if I could take that.
2) If I do have to take a gap year, will my application be in any disadvantage? I know the website said they will compare all applicants fairly, but I've heard rumours that oxford don't like gap years and of course next year there will be lots of strong competition too.
3) Since I got rejected pre-interview, and Chemistry doesn't have any admission tests or written work required, I think the problem lies in my Grades(A*A*AA, which I am working for 4A*'s in my A level if all goes well), or my Personal statement. should I rewrite my PS with all the things I would do in undergraduate? If I have to take a gap year, will my actual A level grades be effective enough at getting an offer instead of predicted, to make it worth it? or will a gap year mean not much experience would be added to make my application stand out against all the other "fresh" ones from 2026?
Thank you so much!

Does your school send many to Oxbridge?How many 8/9 s did you get?How did you compare to the rest of your school cohort.What sort of school is it ,public or private?I know. Biology wants 8 or more 8/9 gcse's as they too have no entrance test.
(edited 1 month ago)

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