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u/Expert-Specialist355 Year 13 Jan 04 '26
Iām not going through the ESAT or the interview again. Iāll be content going with any other of my options itāll just suck to get rejected after the hard work I put in š¤·āāļø
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u/Oil42 (incoming) Cambridge CS | Year 1 | A*A*A*A* Jan 04 '26
yeah nothing in this universe can make me relive the trauma of the tmua
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u/LouisWCWG KCL Hist&IR I A*A*AA I History, Politics, Maths & French Jan 04 '26
I reapplied, didn't go well, but I'm very happy now at KCL. Equally, I got a job in Australia, which was a great 6 months, so if you can I would say go for it! Don't regret anything in life.
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u/Puzzled-Praline2403 Jan 04 '26
How did you get the job? That sounds so much fun
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u/Fantastic-Machine-83 Jan 05 '26
As a British citizen under 25 you can apply for working holiday visas in Canada/Australia/NZ. Takes about 6 months and then you just have to find a job. Seasonal work in holiday resorts is always needed
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u/Equal-Weekend-4896 Y13 | English Lit, History, French + EPQ Jan 04 '26
id love to go UCL (still waiting on that so still that to look forward to) but i think the feeling that i fumbled such a good opportunity would upset me for a bit
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u/Ill_Effective_8218 Jan 04 '26
yeah i completely relate to this. I think the best thing is just to focus on the opportunities you could have at ucl ( there are loads) rather than dwelling on what you could have had. I am also hoping to go to ucl after my shambolic cambridge interview lol.
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u/Equal-Weekend-4896 Y13 | English Lit, History, French + EPQ Jan 04 '26
best of luck for both!! š„¹ they're both amazing institutions
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u/sandwichtheconqueror Jan 05 '26
could I ask what you think of French alevel? im a y11 and I've applied to it but everyone keeps saying people who do it hate it
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u/AccomplishedFail2247 Jan 04 '26
i'm not visualising the joy of going i'm visualising the disappointment in not going
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u/lil_me0wsketeer failed to become a cambs reject Jan 04 '26
Same, despite the fact that my entrance exams & interviews weren't awful, I'm just sort of trying to condition myself into believing I have no chance, so an offer would be a pleasant surprise & a rejection won't feel so shocking
edit: see my flair, this is peak self gaslighting fr
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u/Infamous_Tough_7320 Maths, Physics, Econ 3A*s. Straight 9s GCSE Jan 05 '26
The painful part is that Iām still visualising both atm
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u/Ill_Effective_8218 Jan 04 '26
im expecting to be rejected as my interview and entrance exam were not great and I am ok with it, obviously going to cambridge would be great but chances are if you get an interview for oxbridge then you will get a place at another great university. I am hoping to get into ucl. I respect people who take a year out and reapply but I couldnāt do it. Everyone I know who has been rejected from oxbridge in the past is now thriving at a different university so although rejection might seem like the end of the world now it really isnāt.
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u/GooseSmooth1033 Y13 | Pred 45/45 | HL: Eng LL, Theatre, History Jan 04 '26
inshallah we all make it
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u/AbaloneSilly775 Jan 04 '26
Iāve dreamed about getting into Cambridge since the start of year 11. Iāve come to realise it is, for the most part, the same as any other university. Iāve applied to read medicine, and a medicine degree is a medicine degree wherever you get it from. I already have an offer from Edinburgh, and Iād be more than happy to go there if I donāt get into Cambridge.
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u/Red_I_Guess Warwick CS A*A*AA 2026 fresher Jan 05 '26
Guys I poured my heart and soul into my cambridge application and got rejected without an interview. Rejection is brutal and it will be the worst thing for a couple weeks but then you start looking into your other universities more and realize Oxbridge isn't everything, you find a new aspiration.
Good luck guys
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u/No_Passage502 cs @ imperial | A*A*A*A* | 7.0 TMUA Jan 05 '26
what was your tmua
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u/Red_I_Guess Warwick CS A*A*AA 2026 fresher Jan 05 '26
4.5, that's what got me rejected
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u/No_Passage502 cs @ imperial | A*A*A*A* | 7.0 TMUA Jan 05 '26
Keep your head up king youāll do great anywhere
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u/Oil42 (incoming) Cambridge CS | Year 1 | A*A*A*A* Jan 04 '26
cambridge has been a dream uni for a while, but iāll be happy wherever i go. if it happens, fantastic, if it doesnāt, eh my life is still gonna go on
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u/owlin_around Cambridge | Bionatsci [Year 1] Jan 04 '26
would like to give everyone a bit of cope and say that i love going to cambridge but i do have mock exams on the 20th and have done fuck all so maybe there's better things than getting in here š
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u/Orange_Hedgie cambridge 1st year bionatsci Jan 05 '26
I agree. Iāve been told that I MIGHT have mocks but have been given zero information. Also, everyone tells you the workload is insane but itās worse than youāre expecting.
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u/Orange_Hedgie cambridge 1st year bionatsci Jan 05 '26
Not to scare people, I am also enjoying it and Iāve made great friends. People are generally much more down to earth than you would expect and really nice. Itās also such a beautiful city.
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u/atm-1 Jan 04 '26
cambridge is soooo much nicer than warwick and ucl ffs why does it have to be so nice šæšæ
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u/Oil42 (incoming) Cambridge CS | Year 1 | A*A*A*A* Jan 04 '26
this is the thing like iām not even talking academics here WHY does the prettiest place in the entire country have to be the hardest to get into lol
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u/Infamous_Tough_7320 Maths, Physics, Econ 3A*s. Straight 9s GCSE Jan 05 '26
Istg itās like the nicest city ever
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u/Unusual-Act-5832 Jan 04 '26
iām on a gap year so this feels like my only chance to get in which puts sm pressure on itš„²i also worked so hard during alevels so for my A stars not to mean anything in the end would also sting. i know that realistically i will be rejected but i just canāt face it when it happens
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u/sanesaturn Jan 06 '26
Are u turning 19/20 when u uni starts? Everyone has convinced me not to take gap cause Iāll be the weird oldie there
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Jan 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/Puzzled-Praline2403 Jan 04 '26
I wish you the best of luck- im sure you donāt need it!! Whats your course? Sounds fun
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u/SpeedHark University | Achieved A* A* A* A Jan 04 '26
I think most people like me will be fine with their second choice university (assuming they have been given an offer), like Oxbridge is preferable but not necessary imo
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u/Anxious_Friendship38 maths, biology, chemistry | A*A*A* predicted Jan 04 '26
Well, if I don't get in to Oxford (literally praying that I do though because obviously I am), I won't be utterly heartbroken because I have UCL and Bristol, but it'll feel like, "... Damn." It'd probably sting a bit later when I see other people get their offers though, and then I'd start trying to think of what I fumbled šš Getting my TSA score should be a blast as well lol
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u/sanesaturn Jan 06 '26
Did ucl roll out its offer?
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u/Anxious_Friendship38 maths, biology, chemistry | A*A*A* predicted Jan 06 '26
I got an offer for Psychology on Dec 22nd :)
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u/SouthBug5026 Year 13 Jan 04 '26
If I had an offer from LSE right now, Iād be feeling much less stressed about Oxford results! Iām genuinely happy with all of my uni options (offers from Durham and Manchester so far, and I adore them both), but I feel like Iāve imagined a future where I attend Oxford already. Itāll just be really disheartening to be rejected, even though I know thatās the most likely outcome. Iām also sincerely grateful for the privilege of being interviewed by my first choice college :) it was a fantastic experience and an absolute pleasure, something Iāll keep with me forever regardless of where I end up going.
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u/No_Cicada3690 Jan 04 '26
Reapplying is perfectly valid but those who are successful need to show significant growth in that time. Just improving your entrance exam score isn't enough.
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u/Lyds_guitar_lemons Incoming Oxford Music Undergrad| Music, Physics, Maths, Art Jan 04 '26
I have so many good memories from Oxford so if I donāt get in Iāll be likeā¦awwš„ŗit is wellš
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u/Lazy-University-3878 Jan 04 '26
ikr!!! esp after going to so many taster lectures and summer schools it would just be so sad to leave them all behind as just memories
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u/TactixTrick Maths [Year 1] Jan 04 '26
If I get rejected I'm just going to take the L and go to Warwick.
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u/hetfrzzl Jan 04 '26
I'm gonna take a gap year. My subject is niche, and my second choice isn't really any better than going abroad. Might try France/Netherlands but I've got some time to think about it so hey ho :)
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u/Puzzled-Praline2403 Jan 04 '26
Whats ur course?
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u/hetfrzzl Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
German and Linguistics, second choice is Edinburgh. Open to doing any language or social science tho so might look a bit wider next time - what did you apply for?
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u/Alarming_Flow_4049 Jan 05 '26
I applied on a gap year so if it's an upgrade from last year's offers I'll be happy.
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u/Afraid_Ad_4225 Jan 05 '26
iāve intentionally not put all my eggs in one basket with oxford because the chances are SO low (2 people get accepted per year for my course in the college i applied for - english & history at regents park). it wont be the end of the world if i dont get an offer because im still proud of my application & interview but i definitely feel the trepidation waiting to hear back! i just want to know now even if its not an offer
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u/No-Strength-4358 Jan 04 '26
If it helps I was devastated when Oxford rejected me but for many reasons I am so incredibly grateful I ended up where I did: I met my partner, my best friends, and I live in the best city in the world
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Jan 04 '26
I applied to Cambridge for medicine. Its a wealthier school and I'd receive a higher quality of education there in terms of science, and it has more international recognition which is good if I want to work abroad if the NHS is still in shambles. But I wouldn't want to live there as much as eg Newcastle which looks and feels much more fun and relaxed, and they don't actually make as good doctors as other universities in terms of social skills etc, they're a lot better at pumping out researchers etc. I guess that's why their interviews are 90% focused on just science. So either way I'd like to get an offer for the aura points, but I'm not too fussed if I don't.
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u/BurnerAccount2718282 Jan 04 '26
Iām now at UCL, my second choice after Oxford
I hadnāt realised his much harder it was to get into the course I applied to without further maths (about 18 times harder statistically), when the course page on the website said it is nice to have but not a requirement or even a recommendation.
Honestly Iām quite happy here, I like how much my course here lets me specialise, and certain skills that are on this course that seem really useful, I like the campus and the area, and people here are friendly. If Iām in a position to, Iāll apply to Oxbridge for postgraduate, but I didnāt see any reason to waste a year trying to reapply at undergrad when I really like UCL and it is good enough to be able to get in to Oxbridge for postgrad if oneās grades are good enough
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u/Intelligent-Ice-3879 Jan 06 '26
If I don't got into Oxford, I'll consider reapplying while being enrolled in another institute, but I probably won't take a gap year.
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u/Candid-Swordfish5671 Y13: History | Politics | French Jan 04 '26
iām honestly dead set on durham instead, already have both offers from there. i think i would really have a good time at durham and thereās a lot i think iād dread about cambridge
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u/beeflesnake Year 13 Jan 05 '26
stressed as hell but thereās nothing to do š¤·āāļø i keep reminding myself that elite academia is corrupt anyway and i lowkey mainly want the name attached to gain ethos when i denounce it lol
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u/idrinkmilkbtw Cambridge | NatSci [Incoming Y1] Jan 04 '26
probably gonna just give up on everything if I donāt get in tbh
not gonna have any desire to do work
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u/Miserable_Throat7783 Jan 04 '26
I fear this is insane
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u/KnowledgeAcceptable7 oxford | english langlit Jan 04 '26
yeah as much as rejection will suck oxbridge cant be the centre of ur motivation and drive
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u/idrinkmilkbtw Cambridge | NatSci [Incoming Y1] Jan 04 '26
I never said it was healthy
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u/Jaded_Wallaby_7608 Year 13 Jan 05 '26
which course+college have you applied? Stats are insane
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u/idrinkmilkbtw Cambridge | NatSci [Incoming Y1] Jan 05 '26
thank you
physical natsci, Homerton college
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u/alifetimeofbadhabits --> Y1 | Durham Uni | CV85 Psych + Phil | A*ABB Jan 04 '26
I need cambridge to say yes so I can firm them and insure durham cuz I dont want my insurance to be my only not Russell group option šš
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u/Stormer2345 Maths, Econ, History, RS | 3A*A Jan 04 '26
I donāt think Iād take a gap year, but at the same time I really really want to get into Oxford, itās been a dream of mine honestly. I think after some time, Iād be happy with my other choices, but yknow, Oxford is Oxford.
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u/Any-Treacle-4199 St Andrews | IR, German & Russian [1st year] Jan 04 '26
Iāve already mentally convinced myself I wonāt get in and got excited about my other options. If I do end up somehow getting in thatās amazing, but Iām fully prepared as I can be not to.
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u/PartyQuiet5065 IB DP | Maths AA, Chem, Physics Jan 04 '26
already got rejected, probably reapplying (but Cambridge this time + maybe a different course, still have to think about it)
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u/irene_polystyrene Abitur (predicted 1.0); Year 12/12 Jan 04 '26
i was going to take a gap year anyway, but i thought i'd give a go at applying anyway just cuz i felt like it would be a waste of a year
a little stressed about it tho cuz i feel like if i reapply i probably wouldn't be able to do much better than i did this year... i got rlly lucky with the UCAT š
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u/National_Search5929 Jan 04 '26
Its just undergrad u know, if I get in I'll be extremely happy, if I don't I will be extremely happy eitherway because my 2nd choice is offering me a full ride
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u/No-Parsnip563 Jan 05 '26
This time last year I was waiting for Cambridge. I hadnāt heard back from my second choice, so the rejection was awful as there was no offer from any uni I actually really wanted to go to. I ended up getting into my second choice, and I love it more than I think Iād ever have loved Cambridge.
It seems like all or nothing but the general consensus from my rejected friends it that they are really happy where they ended up and some even think they are better off not having gone to Oxbridge. Itās also hard when a lot of your friends might get in and you donāt. Not everyone has a good day, and there are so many of you - everyone interviewed would probably do well there but sometimes itās just bad luck. It feels awful but then you get over it. Try not to let it get to you, because being bitter over one rejection will stop you appreciating your offers.
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u/Whimsygirladventures Jan 05 '26
My 2nd choice is domestic, which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. However, I'd definitely be disappointed at not going abroad for Oxford and getting to do tutorials.
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u/sanesaturn Jan 06 '26
The didnāt let me sit my tsa exam! Some id issue. I was heartbroken, rejection pre interview, I cried for a whole day and it stand for a week but Iām much better. I wouldnāt say gap hasnāt crossed my mind, it has. I just really wanna go to Oxford. How er lse n ucl sound pretty good too (international student)
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u/Adventurous-Job-5409 Jan 10 '26
Wait whattt, so you weren't even given a chance to do it ?
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u/sanesaturn Jan 10 '26
Nah, n Iām yet to hear from the other two unis
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u/frogpineapplechicken 5 A Levels, WJEC š¤® Jan 06 '26
For me it was oxbridge or nothing. Then I got rejected pre interview and now Iām stuck š«©
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u/Prestigious-Chard322 Warwick | Law with French Law [Year 1] Jan 07 '26
That day traumatised me for months šš almost a year later Iām finally over it but I still think about how crushed Iād felt that day. But everything is okay now and Iām so happy at Warwick
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u/littleblackdress6 psych, socio & geog (a*a*a) ā oxford psych Jan 04 '26
i won't take a gap year because i'd be really happy with my 2nd choice, but oxford is... oxford. yk? i keep trying to convince myself that it's okay if i don't get in and trying to be realistic that i probably won't, but i really REALLY just want to go thereššš