im a failure. what do i do now?

I was rejected by Imperial yesterday. I was also rejected by Cambridge. I applied for biochemistry and natsci respectively and it feels like my world is crumbling apart.
I am predicted 4A*s in bio, chem, physics and maths and received an A* in the EPQ. I also got 11 9s and 1 8 during my IGCSEs. I grew up my whole life wanting to go to Cambridge and Imperial and so it stings quite a bit.
I'm waiting on UCL and have gotten offers from Warwick and Durham but I don't know. They are great unis but it's not the same.
Options:
1.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply during my first year of uni (as I'm not in the position to take a gap year)? If I did, I would reapply for Oxford biochem (which I should've done from the start) and Imperial (probably biochem or another similar subject). But I would also have to rewrite my PS which I went through 20+ drafts of, so I really don't know what to change (or just redo everything in terms of lectures, MOOCs and further reading).
2.⁠ ⁠Should I apply for the US (now or the next cycle)? A lot of my friends did and honestly just applying to the UK put all my eggs in one basket. But I don't know much about the US (however, I do have quite a few extracurriculars that UK schools don't really pay attention to).
3.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply for unis in my region? (However, only the med courses are something I'd go for and I don't know nearly enough about the 5 pillars of medical ethics...)
4.⁠ ⁠See if I can somehow do a gap year but what would I do in my gap year and what if I don't get in anywhere... + maybe it's only an option if I get good A Levels.
5.⁠ ⁠Cry, suck it up, do my A Levels and go to one of the three (hopefully UCL now I guess).
I feel like I disappointed my teachers who all encouraged me (and somewhat expected me) to go to Cambridge or Imperial. I understand my Cambridge rejection (probably due to my ESAT score), but I am requesting feedback from Imperial and I am holding onto a shred of hope that it's some kind of fluke.
Summary: I love biochem and have wanted to go to Cambridge or Imperial since I was 10. I got rejected from both. What do I do now?

I can only imagine how awful this must be for you ,especially the ghastly timing.I am so sorry you are feeling like a failure as you certainly are not one.
My advice would be allow yourself to be sad right now and be kind to yourself too.Csmbridge is an absolute lottery and Imperial also very,very competitive and if you put those two choices down one really has to prepare for this to be the outcome.
Once you can face it book up the offer days of the great unis who do want you and go with an open mind to see what is on offer.You might be surprised and find one is just the right fit.Pick your firm and insurance and then concentrate on nailing.your grades.After the results is when you might consider if reapplying is a)realistic and b)worthwhile.Re the P S write a new one as your perspectives will have changed by then and really it does not sound as if you are even sure what you want to do atm if I am honest.A year is not a long time in the scheme of things.Re Medicine it is not a choice to be made as a back up it has to be medicine or bust really.
Lots to think about but not today.Get yourself a little treat and know at least you had the guts put yourself in the frame.

I was rejected by Imperial yesterday. I was also rejected by Cambridge. I applied for biochemistry and natsci respectively and it feels like my world is crumbling apart.
I am predicted 4A*s in bio, chem, physics and maths and received an A* in the EPQ. I also got 11 9s and 1 8 during my IGCSEs. I grew up my whole life wanting to go to Cambridge and Imperial and so it stings quite a bit.
I'm waiting on UCL and have gotten offers from Warwick and Durham but I don't know. They are great unis but it's not the same.
Options:
1.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply during my first year of uni (as I'm not in the position to take a gap year)? If I did, I would reapply for Oxford biochem (which I should've done from the start) and Imperial (probably biochem or another similar subject). But I would also have to rewrite my PS which I went through 20+ drafts of, so I really don't know what to change (or just redo everything in terms of lectures, MOOCs and further reading).
2.⁠ ⁠Should I apply for the US (now or the next cycle)? A lot of my friends did and honestly just applying to the UK put all my eggs in one basket. But I don't know much about the US (however, I do have quite a few extracurriculars that UK schools don't really pay attention to).
3.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply for unis in my region? (However, only the med courses are something I'd go for and I don't know nearly enough about the 5 pillars of medical ethics...)
4.⁠ ⁠See if I can somehow do a gap year but what would I do in my gap year and what if I don't get in anywhere... + maybe it's only an option if I get good A Levels.
5.⁠ ⁠Cry, suck it up, do my A Levels and go to one of the three (hopefully UCL now I guess).
I feel like I disappointed my teachers who all encouraged me (and somewhat expected me) to go to Cambridge or Imperial. I understand my Cambridge rejection (probably due to my ESAT score), but I am requesting feedback from Imperial and I am holding onto a shred of hope that it's some kind of fluke.
Summary: I love biochem and have wanted to go to Cambridge or Imperial since I was 10. I got rejected from both. What do I do now?

Thank you for your advice. I'll concentrate on revising for my mocks then (doing maths problems comforts me more than crying over something I can't change). I'll try and get those 4A*s and I guess as you said after I get the results I can make more decisions. It's ok!!! Hopefully everything will work out in the end. Thank you again

You have to remember that there will be so many people in the same boat which is not going to make it any better but you are not alone. Going to any of the other options is still incredibly impressive! And you will probably have a more fun too! Uni is not all about work, there are so many other amazing elements to it. I am currently on a second gap year and am finally going to a university I never thought I would get to. I may be slightly biased but perhaps you could take another gap year and work to earn some money so you can have some behind you before you go to uni. What I also did was take some additional courses that make me stand out in my personal statement as other people wouldn't have had the time to do them. I really hope you choose the option that's best for you and remember there are lots of people out there (including us!) that are so proud of you! Just keep on going xx

Thank you so much! Could I ask about what you did for work during your gap year if that's ok? And congrats on your success with uni, I hope you have fun there.

I was rejected by Imperial yesterday. I was also rejected by Cambridge. I applied for biochemistry and natsci respectively and it feels like my world is crumbling apart.
I am predicted 4A*s in bio, chem, physics and maths and received an A* in the EPQ. I also got 11 9s and 1 8 during my IGCSEs. I grew up my whole life wanting to go to Cambridge and Imperial and so it stings quite a bit.
I'm waiting on UCL and have gotten offers from Warwick and Durham but I don't know. They are great unis but it's not the same.
Options:
1.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply during my first year of uni (as I'm not in the position to take a gap year)? If I did, I would reapply for Oxford biochem (which I should've done from the start) and Imperial (probably biochem or another similar subject). But I would also have to rewrite my PS which I went through 20+ drafts of, so I really don't know what to change (or just redo everything in terms of lectures, MOOCs and further reading).
2.⁠ ⁠Should I apply for the US (now or the next cycle)? A lot of my friends did and honestly just applying to the UK put all my eggs in one basket. But I don't know much about the US (however, I do have quite a few extracurriculars that UK schools don't really pay attention to).
3.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply for unis in my region? (However, only the med courses are something I'd go for and I don't know nearly enough about the 5 pillars of medical ethics...)
4.⁠ ⁠See if I can somehow do a gap year but what would I do in my gap year and what if I don't get in anywhere... + maybe it's only an option if I get good A Levels.
5.⁠ ⁠Cry, suck it up, do my A Levels and go to one of the three (hopefully UCL now I guess).
I feel like I disappointed my teachers who all encouraged me (and somewhat expected me) to go to Cambridge or Imperial. I understand my Cambridge rejection (probably due to my ESAT score), but I am requesting feedback from Imperial and I am holding onto a shred of hope that it's some kind of fluke.
Summary: I love biochem and have wanted to go to Cambridge or Imperial since I was 10. I got rejected from both. What do I do now?

You have to remember that there will be so many people in the same boat which is not going to make it any better but you are not alone. Going to any of the other options is still incredibly impressive! And you will probably have a more fun too! Uni is not all about work, there are so many other amazing elements to it. I am currently on a second gap year and am finally going to a university I never thought I would get to. I may be slightly biased but perhaps you could take another gap year and work to earn some money so you can have some behind you before you go to uni. What I also did was take some additional courses that make me stand out in my personal statement as other people wouldn't have had the time to do them. I really hope you choose the option that's best for you and remember there are lots of people out there (including us!) that are so proud of you! Just keep on going xx

1.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply during my first year of uni (as I'm not in the position to take a gap year)? If I did, I would reapply for Oxford biochem (which I should've done from the start)

Practical point: Oxford don't accept applicants who are currently studying at other universities. Cambridge also generally don't accept such applicants except with strong support from that university (which you're unlikely to get by the time you apply in October after only being on the course for about 2 weeks).
If you want to reapply to Oxbridge you will need to aim to take a gap year. Moreover, there's no benefit in starting a degree you don't intend to finish so if you would be aiming to reapply during the first year of another course, you should just figure out a gap year plan anyway.

Sorry you feel so deflated at the moment.
Just a couple of things.
You'd need to rewrite your PS anyway as the format is changing.
You can't apply to Oxford if you have started a degree elsewhere.
Be kind to yourself and smash those A levels

Hey, I was also rejected from Cambridge today for Linguistics and I am also gutted so can’t provide much advice but just know you aren’t alone in your feelings. Majority don’t get accepted so I promise there’s so many others feeling the same. I just wanted to say: I’m here if you want to talk or rant etc. I really hope it goes well for you, I’m sure it will. Even applying is a great achievement.
Your teachers won’t think badly of you, I promise, from the bottom of my heart. They will be thinking of you, and just upset for your own sake.
In the meantime, here are some things I am doing myself in spite of the situation, in case it is helpful to you:
1. Thinking about all the people who supported me at sixth form, the teachers who inspired me, my friends who have been cheering me on.
2. Writing a list of things I have learnt through applying because it was still a fab opportunity.
3. Remembering that rejection is inevitable, in life generally.
4. Trying to take a positive approach, what are the benefits of not going to Cambridge, or other unis that have declined?
5. Continuing to work hard, make them regret not accepting you!
6. I did look at US unis but realised I was just trying to seek validation and applying would have cost me £320 (for Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Brown).
7. Letting myself be sad ! Because it is disappointing. I’m sorry you are also feeling crappy. It’s not the end, I promise.
I’m here if you need.

Aw thank you for the support. I'm also sorry you were rejected, you seem like a great person with a lot of resilience. Your point about US schools is honestly very real, I think I just listed it as an option but I don't think it is worth the money or effort. I hope life has better things in store for the both of us!

You are not a failure — you have not got into two excellent and fiercely competitive universities, but the mere fact that two very fine ones have made offers proves your endeavours far from failed.
Setting apart the question of America* which is far beyond both my abilities and my pocket:
It seems to me that you have the choice of waiting for UCL’s offer and throwing yourself into the A Levels with a will and some excellent conditional offers behind you, which (at the risk of being sanctimonious) is damnably disappointing I am sure but nowhere near as bad as it might be, or exploring the unknown.
Last, you are obviously a very, very clever person. Despair saps you more effectively than anything I have met, but it also distorts your understanding of the reality before you.
UCL alone had Francis Crick, Roger Penrose, Maynard Smith, Durham had Bartlett (who discovered that the “inert gases” *weren’t*, the synthetic fluorides of xenon), Warwick had Howard Dalton (biochemistry of methanotrophs, FRS), wherever you elect to go you will be among the memories of giants.
If anything, I beg you to be proud.
* (why not the Continent out of interest? I think some very old and respectable European universities teach at least in part in English for international students and if you are contemplating overseas with no scholarship mentioned I presume you are not tightly constrained with regard to money) — the Technische Universität in Munich does per the Times and it is said to be one of the best in the German-speaking world.

I was rejected by Imperial yesterday. I was also rejected by Cambridge. I applied for biochemistry and natsci respectively and it feels like my world is crumbling apart.
I am predicted 4A*s in bio, chem, physics and maths and received an A* in the EPQ. I also got 11 9s and 1 8 during my IGCSEs. I grew up my whole life wanting to go to Cambridge and Imperial and so it stings quite a bit.
I'm waiting on UCL and have gotten offers from Warwick and Durham but I don't know. They are great unis but it's not the same.
Options:
1.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply during my first year of uni (as I'm not in the position to take a gap year)? If I did, I would reapply for Oxford biochem (which I should've done from the start) and Imperial (probably biochem or another similar subject). But I would also have to rewrite my PS which I went through 20+ drafts of, so I really don't know what to change (or just redo everything in terms of lectures, MOOCs and further reading).
2.⁠ ⁠Should I apply for the US (now or the next cycle)? A lot of my friends did and honestly just applying to the UK put all my eggs in one basket. But I don't know much about the US (however, I do have quite a few extracurriculars that UK schools don't really pay attention to).
3.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply for unis in my region? (However, only the med courses are something I'd go for and I don't know nearly enough about the 5 pillars of medical ethics...)
4.⁠ ⁠See if I can somehow do a gap year but what would I do in my gap year and what if I don't get in anywhere... + maybe it's only an option if I get good A Levels.
5.⁠ ⁠Cry, suck it up, do my A Levels and go to one of the three (hopefully UCL now I guess).
I feel like I disappointed my teachers who all encouraged me (and somewhat expected me) to go to Cambridge or Imperial. I understand my Cambridge rejection (probably due to my ESAT score), but I am requesting feedback from Imperial and I am holding onto a shred of hope that it's some kind of fluke.
Summary: I love biochem and have wanted to go to Cambridge or Imperial since I was 10. I got rejected from both. What do I do now?

I was rejected by Imperial yesterday. I was also rejected by Cambridge. I applied for biochemistry and natsci respectively and it feels like my world is crumbling apart.
I am predicted 4A*s in bio, chem, physics and maths and received an A* in the EPQ. I also got 11 9s and 1 8 during my IGCSEs. I grew up my whole life wanting to go to Cambridge and Imperial and so it stings quite a bit.
I'm waiting on UCL and have gotten offers from Warwick and Durham but I don't know. They are great unis but it's not the same.
Options:
1.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply during my first year of uni (as I'm not in the position to take a gap year)? If I did, I would reapply for Oxford biochem (which I should've done from the start) and Imperial (probably biochem or another similar subject). But I would also have to rewrite my PS which I went through 20+ drafts of, so I really don't know what to change (or just redo everything in terms of lectures, MOOCs and further reading).
2.⁠ ⁠Should I apply for the US (now or the next cycle)? A lot of my friends did and honestly just applying to the UK put all my eggs in one basket. But I don't know much about the US (however, I do have quite a few extracurriculars that UK schools don't really pay attention to).
3.⁠ ⁠Should I reapply for unis in my region? (However, only the med courses are something I'd go for and I don't know nearly enough about the 5 pillars of medical ethics...)
4.⁠ ⁠See if I can somehow do a gap year but what would I do in my gap year and what if I don't get in anywhere... + maybe it's only an option if I get good A Levels.
5.⁠ ⁠Cry, suck it up, do my A Levels and go to one of the three (hopefully UCL now I guess).
I feel like I disappointed my teachers who all encouraged me (and somewhat expected me) to go to Cambridge or Imperial. I understand my Cambridge rejection (probably due to my ESAT score), but I am requesting feedback from Imperial and I am holding onto a shred of hope that it's some kind of fluke.
Summary: I love biochem and have wanted to go to Cambridge or Imperial since I was 10. I got rejected from both. What do I do now?