The Oxbridge Reject
By Elena Georgalla
Monday 28th September 2009
Monday 28th September 2009
Was St Andrews your second choice?
So you heard the big “no”. And yes, Durham had a hill (and a very interesting UNESCO heritage castle as well, yet still a part of the general hill landscape). Nevertheless, you soon decide that life goes on and find student happiness in the arms of another, more welcoming, institution. However, the bitter feeling of the rejection from the country’s most prestigious ones could haunt you ever after. Those who have seen ‘The History Boys’, a movie and play that depicts the struggle of a group of ambitious and too-cool-for-school Oxbridge applicants, will probably remember the scene where the students’ tutor reveals his own failure to make it into Oxbridge and bitterly admits that he instead went to Durham (perhaps he liked hills?). Eventually, for the sake of the story, almost all of the boys get an offer from either Cambridge or Oxford - one bizarrely because his grandfather had been a highly valued stairs cleaner at one of the colleges! So what’s all this fuss about? The world is full of brilliant young people, highly skilled and extremely ambitious, all of who would undoubtedly excel academically at either Oxford or Cambridge. The sad truth is that there are simply not enough places for all of these amazing individuals to attend at the same time. This raises the spectre of a possible rejection, for no matter how self-confident, gifted, and educated you are, you apply to Oxbridge at your own peril. This fact comes from personal experience. It was during an afternoon French class that I heard the big, and at the time devastating, “no”. My teacher called, said she was really sorry but they didn’t want me. I thought the world had fallen apart and I found myself rushing out of the classroom. Well, admittedly, looking back I do feel really embarrassed about my reaction. It was pathetic and ridiculous. Last December I had travelled to, an awkwardly sunny for that time of year, Cambridge and was interviewed twice for PPS (Politics Psychology and Sociology). Interview number one was with the head of PPS at the college: talked about the Balkan wars, the collapse of the Ottomans, Ian McEwan, the credit crunch… The highlight was forgetting my scarf in the interview room. What really surprised me was that I wasn’t as stressed as I thought I would be. I don’t think I really realised what I was doing; I was informed about that interview less than a week before so everything was rather spontaneous. Then, the second interview, which was less formal: Young man doing his PhD on the Balkans (not again!); talked about the roots and causes of terrorism, the US-Russian rivalry, rebels and poetry. I actually enjoyed the conversation. In fact, the whole experience was very rewarding in many ways. Despite my short stay, I met some very interesting people, had some extremely intriguing conversations and somehow experienced the feeling of being a student in one of the world’s oldest and best universities and, trust me, it feels good! I do have to admit though that no matter how nice people seemed, it was hard to conceal the feeling of strong competition and the tension between all of us who desired a place and were eager to do a lot about it. Inevitably, making your way successfully into Oxbridge isn’t just a matter of merit and academic excellence, nor one of an impressive interview. It is also and perhaps above all, a matter of strategy, and sheer luck some argue. Education experts claim that in order to maximize your chances of getting into Oxbridge there are some particular factors to consider, which the typical applicant often ignores in their enthusiasm. Firstly, it’s all about the college you pick. Take Cambridge for instance. It is a fact that there are more and less popular colleges with applicants. That is to say that if you choose to apply to Trinity or Kings you should expect to compete with 700 other prospective students on average in each college, of which less than 200 will eventually be offered a place. However, less than 100 people select Homerton college and thus, (voila!) annually at least 70 are offered a place. Another crucial part of your application is the course you choose. If your goal is to graduate specifically from Oxbridge, you should opt for a less popular course, which automatically increases your chances of getting in. According to recent statistics, just over 100 students competed for places to study Classics last year, and more than 70 of them received offers. Personally, I followed none of the above… Indeed, as far as the annual number of applications is concerned, combined with the fact that Oxbridge attracts stellar students from all over the globe, the chances of making it are limited from the beginning. However feeling devastated, considering suicide, smashing walls, detesting the guy who got in the interview room before you and came outside smiling, swearing, crying your eyes out etc are all pretty pointless. What you ought to do is consider what were the real reasons why you were so desperate to get into Oxbridge. It could have been the superiority of the teaching, the result of ‘encouragement’ from pushy parents or teachers, the determination that studying there would be the first step towards getting the Nobel prize, or just the reward for all your efforts and hard work during your school career. All in all, a rejection from Oxbridge does not signify that one does not posses all the right skills to excel. Thankfully, this country is full of excellent and pioneering institutions that are happy to welcome young men and women who are determined to succeed. As for me, having survived my rejection, I saw things from a new perspective. I choose St Andrews, its golf courses and cathedral, over Durham, its hills and castle. The whole Oxbridge experience might have been really rewarding but I am sure, not as rewarding as the years to come in St Andrews!
So you heard the big “no”. And yes, Durham had a hill (and a very interesting UNESCO heritage castle as well, yet still a part of the general hill landscape). Nevertheless, you soon decide that life goes on and find student happiness in the arms of another, more welcoming, institution. However, the bitter feeling of the rejection from the country’s most prestigious ones could haunt you ever after. Those who have seen ‘The History Boys’, a movie and play that depicts the struggle of a group of ambitious and too-cool-for-school Oxbridge applicants, will probably remember the scene where the students’ tutor reveals his own failure to make it into Oxbridge and bitterly admits that he instead went to Durham (perhaps he liked hills?). Eventually, for the sake of the story, almost all of the boys get an offer from either Cambridge or Oxford - one bizarrely because his grandfather had been a highly valued stairs cleaner at one of the colleges! So what’s all this fuss about? The world is full of brilliant young people, highly skilled and extremely ambitious, all of who would undoubtedly excel academically at either Oxford or Cambridge. The sad truth is that there are simply not enough places for all of these amazing individuals to attend at the same time. This raises the spectre of a possible rejection, for no matter how self-confident, gifted, and educated you are, you apply to Oxbridge at your own peril. This fact comes from personal experience. It was during an afternoon French class that I heard the big, and at the time devastating, “no”. My teacher called, said she was really sorry but they didn’t want me. I thought the world had fallen apart and I found myself rushing out of the classroom. Well, admittedly, looking back I do feel really embarrassed about my reaction. It was pathetic and ridiculous. Last December I had travelled to, an awkwardly sunny for that time of year, Cambridge and was interviewed twice for PPS (Politics Psychology and Sociology). Interview number one was with the head of PPS at the college: talked about the Balkan wars, the collapse of the Ottomans, Ian McEwan, the credit crunch… The highlight was forgetting my scarf in the interview room. What really surprised me was that I wasn’t as stressed as I thought I would be. I don’t think I really realised what I was doing; I was informed about that interview less than a week before so everything was rather spontaneous. Then, the second interview, which was less formal: Young man doing his PhD on the Balkans (not again!); talked about the roots and causes of terrorism, the US-Russian rivalry, rebels and poetry. I actually enjoyed the conversation. In fact, the whole experience was very rewarding in many ways. Despite my short stay, I met some very interesting people, had some extremely intriguing conversations and somehow experienced the feeling of being a student in one of the world’s oldest and best universities and, trust me, it feels good! I do have to admit though that no matter how nice people seemed, it was hard to conceal the feeling of strong competition and the tension between all of us who desired a place and were eager to do a lot about it. Inevitably, making your way successfully into Oxbridge isn’t just a matter of merit and academic excellence, nor one of an impressive interview. It is also and perhaps above all, a matter of strategy, and sheer luck some argue. Education experts claim that in order to maximize your chances of getting into Oxbridge there are some particular factors to consider, which the typical applicant often ignores in their enthusiasm. Firstly, it’s all about the college you pick. Take Cambridge for instance. It is a fact that there are more and less popular colleges with applicants. That is to say that if you choose to apply to Trinity or Kings you should expect to compete with 700 other prospective students on average in each college, of which less than 200 will eventually be offered a place. However, less than 100 people select Homerton college and thus, (voila!) annually at least 70 are offered a place. Another crucial part of your application is the course you choose. If your goal is to graduate specifically from Oxbridge, you should opt for a less popular course, which automatically increases your chances of getting in. According to recent statistics, just over 100 students competed for places to study Classics last year, and more than 70 of them received offers. Personally, I followed none of the above… Indeed, as far as the annual number of applications is concerned, combined with the fact that Oxbridge attracts stellar students from all over the globe, the chances of making it are limited from the beginning. However feeling devastated, considering suicide, smashing walls, detesting the guy who got in the interview room before you and came outside smiling, swearing, crying your eyes out etc are all pretty pointless. What you ought to do is consider what were the real reasons why you were so desperate to get into Oxbridge. It could have been the superiority of the teaching, the result of ‘encouragement’ from pushy parents or teachers, the determination that studying there would be the first step towards getting the Nobel prize, or just the reward for all your efforts and hard work during your school career. All in all, a rejection from Oxbridge does not signify that one does not posses all the right skills to excel. Thankfully, this country is full of excellent and pioneering institutions that are happy to welcome young men and women who are determined to succeed. As for me, having survived my rejection, I saw things from a new perspective. I choose St Andrews, its golf courses and cathedral, over Durham, its hills and castle. The whole Oxbridge experience might have been really rewarding but I am sure, not as rewarding as the years to come in St Andrews!
