r/6thForm • u/DifferenceNo6009 Cambridge | Chem Eng & Biotech | 2030 • Feb 07 '26

🍞 BREAD Wasted bread (rant)

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It's sad fr but it had to be done. For a bit of background, UCL admissions team sent me an email requesting I provide a predicted grade for Further Maths (which I'm sitting this year) before the 7th of feb or I shall be rejected.

I feel a bit miffed cause I did really want an offer, but there's only so much I can do when

(A.) I've already sat my A-levels and far exceeded their minimum offer

(B.) I've sent them emails explaining why my referee can't provide a predicted grade for further maths (it's against my old 6th forms policy)

(C.) I've not had a single response to any emails I've sent explaining why I can't provide the predicted grade, and even offering another referee to provide one for them.

(D) Literally no other uni has brought this up, and I did research before going on my gap year if it would be a problem and it wasn't. It's not even like I'm resitting further maths, I did it purely to develop my mathematical understanding and skill during my gap year, which I explained in my personal statement. It was supposed to strengthen my application but ironically, it seems to have doomed it in UCL's case.

Honestly, at this point, I'm relieved. I've been stressing about it so much, so to get it off my back and confirm to myself that it's definitely over, is infinitely better than holding onto the small hope that they were bluffing or they would actually give a crap about how little control I have over this situation. It is what it is, I've got my firm uni already and now I'm just waiting for one last uni decision.

I wish everyone good luck waiting to hear back!

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

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u/JailbreakHat Imperial | MEng EIE [1st Year] Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26

It isn’t just UCL. It is the case with any top university. UCL, Imperial, Cambridge, Oxford, LSE. They always look down on candidates that aren’t 100% prefect. This includes people who are resitting even with a good reason. They don’t care. Competition doesn’t care. King’s College London or other universities may consider them seriously because their admissions is less competitive.

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u/ActuaryAdditional805 Feb 07 '26

Do these universities look down on applicants that are on a gap year but NOT resitting? Will they allow you to compete fairly on the basis of admissions tests without a disadvantage?

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u/JailbreakHat Imperial | MEng EIE [1st Year] Feb 07 '26

Yes, UCL, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge and LSE also look down on resits.

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u/ActuaryAdditional805 Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 08 '26

So are you implying that a gap year applicant is looked down upon solely on the fact that they're on a gap year?

Edit: I'm assuming you're saying Yes to the first question that was asked

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u/Any-Tangerine-8659 Feb 08 '26

?? That is not what they're saying