spring week rejections- Cambridge student

Just because you go to Cambridge doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a spring week—plenty of people at top universities like Oxford, LSE, and Imperial get rejected too. The reality is, passing assessments and interviews isn’t enough in this ultra-competitive process; being "strong" is the baseline, not the differentiator. If you keep hearing "we can’t take you," it means you’re doing well on the objective stuff but failing to stand out in a meaningful way. Your answers might be polished, but are they unique? Are they tailored to the firm, or could anyone have said the same thing? Firms aren’t just hiring competent people—they want those who align with their culture and bring authenticity. On top of that, luck and timing matter more than you think when applicant numbers are this high. If you’re not networking, attending events, or building relationships with analysts to show real interest, you’re missing a trick. Stop assuming passing stages means you "should" get in, reflect on what’s not landing, and fix it—because sitting around wondering why others are succeeding won’t help. You’ve got the background, but the rest is on you.

I am a cambridge student who has been rejected from all my spring weeks. I usually pass the first stage and 2nd too (online assessments), but then receive an email saying there have been too many applicants and they just "cant" take me even though I am a "strong applicant" who passed. Everyone around me keeps telling me cambridge students always get into their spring weeks, but I have not got into a single one. I dont know what I am doing wrong because I dont understand what it is I am being rejected for if I have performed pretty strongly in tests.
I just got rejected from deloitte which gave me feedback on my assessments and verbal interview questions that pretty much sounded like they were more than impressed with me, I passed their assessments but was told they just cant take me (just like all the other firms).
It is making me feel like a failure is this happening to any other people at top end universities too? (oxbridge, imperial,lse,ucl...etc)

Just curious, did they invite you to a virtual webinar instead?

I am tailoring things to every firm, I spend time looking through their websites, brushing up on details about the firm, their culture etc, and I have been trying very hard. Not once have I said being at cambridge guarantees me a spring week, or that I "should" get in for passing my assessments, I said I have constantly heard people say being at cambridge should guarantee me one and that makes me feel like a failure, and that I am not sure what im doing wrong even if im passing assessments.
I will take your advice about networking and I think you are right about the luck aspect. thanks

How much work experience do you have?

Not much actual hands on experience, but some virtual experience with companies. I have been finding it difficult to secure any practical experience from firms, I am trying though.

It's a weakness of a Cambridge degree that they don't have a year in industry; that can make the difference.

Just get ya own lmao …..

Yes but it's not integrated in the course nor do you get an additional qualification from it.

U can always write about it

It's a big weakness and lots of students are choosing to go elsewhere now - also some Cambridge degrees are not geared to the job market e.g.Engineering.

Go to Nottingham Trent, they have engineering with a year in industry

There are better than Trent e.g. Bath, Loughborough, Brookes... anyway I'm a teacher.

Why would that mean you have more expertise in the hiring policy of Engineering firms than someone who actually studies or lectures in Engineering?