Each year, a huge number of applicants apply to study at Oxbridge and most are unsuccessful.
In 2021, 47,103 students applied to Oxford or Cambridge on their undergraduate UCAS forms. The admissions process is incredibly competitive so not everyone gets offered a place – and what if you didn’t get one this year? This guide provides you with options for the next steps to take and how you can improve your chances of success when reapplying.
Oxbridge Admissions Statistics
A quick glance at the Oxford and Cambridge applicant success rates (figure 1) shows you that overall, you are looking at less than a 1 in 5 chance of gaining a place.
Oxford and Cambridge Applications vs Offers
Figure 1. Oxford and Cambridge 2020 Cycle Admissions Statistics.
Out of the 47,103 students that applied to Oxbridge, 8,642 were given an offer and then 6,958 were actually admitted.
Looking at grades, for those accepted by Cambridge, 96.8% achieved the equivalent of A*AA or better counting only their best three A-levels compared to 98.6% in 2020.
Unsurprisingly, the most successful Oxbridge applicants have some of the best GCSEs across the UK. Using Oxford’s Economics and Management 2021 admissions statistics, only 5.21% of applicants received an offer out of the 1667 students that applied. Looking at previous year’s applicants’ GCSE grades, 433 (28%) achieved eight or more 8/9s and actually 201 (13%) of applicants achieved ten or more 8/9s. There was even a student who achieved fourteen 8/9s!
However, the same bodes true for almost all of the UK’s top universities; not just for Medicine and Law, but every competitive course in the UK. This shows that these universities have near enough the same calibre of students – so why is it then that people feel knocked down after being rejected by Oxbridge?
The truth is, that while it can feel disappointing, it is by no means the end of the road! So what are your options now that you know where you stand?
If you missed your offer this year and are re-applying, UniAdmissions’ specialist support can help you get your dream place.
With our unique curriculum, we help you craft the perfect Personal Statement, achieve a highly competitive Admissions Test score and teach you how to Interview effectively – covering all areas of your Oxford or Cambridge application, from History to Medicine.
Discover our Oxbridge Premium Programmes by booking a free consultation session or clicking the button below to enrol and triple your chances of success.
Choice 1: Consider your other options
If you applied to Oxbridge in the first place, you almost certainly have a strong academic record. Your other options shouldn’t be regarded as second best – they’re still incredibly tough universities to get into, universities that many students wouldn’t even dream of applying for.
Embrace one of these other options and don’t think of it as an “Oxbridge reject” university. We guarantee that once you start you course, meet your course mates and fully delve into university life, you won’t think twice about your “rejection”.
Choice 2: Keep Oxbridge in mind for your academic future
Hundreds of medical students each year go on with further academic studies at different universities. Many of these students are Oxbridge students who want to experience a different city or try a different style of teaching. This works both ways – if you’ve studied A100 at Sheffield which is a PBL university, consider Cambridge or Oxford for your further studies.
By experiencing a wider variety of teaching, you’ll be better for it when you come out of the other end. Also, a change of scenery never goes amiss!
Choice 3: Reapply the following year
If you truly have your heart set on Oxbridge, then there’s nothing stopping you from applying again next year. If you felt you just weren’t feeling yourself on TSA day or your interviewer caught you off guard, then this could be the way to go!
If you achieved the A-level grades needed, then you have a full year to work on strengthening your application without worrying about A-levels. You can gain a lot of relevant work experience, adding to your Personal Statement greatly. If it was the Interview that tripped you up, then work with friends and family to improve your Interview skills.
As we have mentioned, although it can be disappointing, there’s no shame whatsoever in not gaining the offer you wanted. Getting an offer from Oxbridge does not define you or your intelligence. Chances are, if you applied in the first place, you have a very bright future ahead of you regardless!
What can i Do to improve my application if i reapply?
If you do choose to go down the route of reapplying to Oxbridge, you’re going to have to change your methods a bit and try something new to ensure you have a better chance of getting your offer. Here are a few things you can do to give yourself an advantage and improve your application:
Gain more Work Experience
We already mentioned this briefly, but this really is an incredibly effective way of not only improving your application but also providing you with real-world experience that will give you an advantage in your studies and beyond.
Some courses will benefit more than others from a large work experience portfolio, such as medicine and law, but with how selective Oxbridge is, it will go a long way to set you apart from the competition. Bear in mind that when we say work experience, we mean positions that are relevant to your subject, not just a typical part-time job (although you may find one that is also relevant to your field).
The majority of placements you will be able to get are unpaid, so you will need to find a way to work this around any other jobs you hold if you need to work to support yourself.
Re-Think your Personal Statement
This one is fairly obvious, but you will need to look back at your Personal Statement to see what could be improved. This could be as simple as adding in any additional information about grades or work experience or could involve a full rewrite in order to make it more appealing.
Many applicants believe that if they have been shortlisted for an interview that their Personal Statement must be perfect, but this is far from true. When faced with the decision between various deserving applicants, admissions tutors will look back at everything in the application, including the Personal Statement. Therefore, you want your statement to be the most memorable and appealing in order to ensure you come out on top.
Once everything is done, it is vital to double-check everything to ensure there are no grammatical or spelling errors and that everything reads as easily as possible. Again, small mistakes like this could cost you your offer in the final decision-making process.
Prepare for your Admissions Test
If you were rejected before the interview stage of the application, there’s a good chance that you didn’t perform as well as you should have on the Admissions Test. Of course, you will normally be sent your results, so you will be able to see what you scored and compare them to the averages of the cohort.
While some tests are more difficult to prepare for than others, there is always something you can do, whether it is revising the subjects on the specification, answering practice questions or taking full mock exams.
If you find yourself running out of resources to practice with, you can try answering questions from similar Admissions Tests. For example, if you’re due to sit the ENGAA but run out of past papers, you can try out some past papers from the PAT instead, as they cover the same subjects, just in a different format.
Seek Preparation Support
If you feel that you did everything that you should have in order to succeed, you may wonder what you could do differently this time or if it’s even possible to get a place at Oxbridge. It’s disheartening, but perhaps the missing piece is support from someone you trust.
On first thought, this would mean getting support from your family and friends. If you know someone who has previously succeeded in the Oxbridge application process or someone who is an expert in your chosen field, they should be able to provide you with in-depth support, as well as a confidence boost!
However, if that isn’t possible for whatever reason, you can instead enlist the help of application specialists. There are various services available that offer tuition, support resources and much more in order to help you perfect your application and get your offer.
These may take the form of individual courses or resources or fully comprehensive Preparation Programmes. These will be made up of multiple components and are designed to support you through every stage of the application in order to ensure your place.
If you achieved the A-level grades needed, then you have a full year to work on strengthening your application without worrying about A-levels. You can gain a lot of relevant work experience, adding to your Personal Statement greatly. If it was the Interview that tripped you up, then work with friends and family to improve your Interview skills.
As we have mentioned, although it can be disappointing, there’s no shame whatsoever in not gaining the offer you wanted. Getting an offer from Oxbridge does not define you or your intelligence. Chances are, if you applied in the first place, you have a very bright future ahead of you regardless!
Didn’t get a place at the university you wanted? UniAdmissions will help you perfect your application to reapply next year.
We help you craft the perfect Personal Statement, achieve a highly competitive Admissions Test score and teach you how to Interview effectively – covering all areas of your Oxford or Cambridge application, from History to Medicine.
Discover more about our Oxbridge Premium Programmes by booking a free consultation session or clicking the button below.
