UPDATE on University Situation - Advice?

[Juliette96]

So, I have just been told by my private exam centre that they’ve managed to get the coursework issue resolved so I’ve now got my 3 A-Stars.

This is great and means I’ve achieved my true potential. Also, it means I am eligible to reapply to Oxford (no need for fraud!).

The only issue is that the Cambridge Foundation Year is now creeping up on me.

I have to attend an induction week starting this Monday and I still don’t want to go. They keep phoning me and emailing me about it, but it’s just upsetting me. If I didn’t want to go, how can I tell them no at this late stage without them hating me?

Also, what do you think I should do? I don’t want to do the Foundation Year and can reapply to Oxford and UCL as I have the grades now and I’m quite confident at my admissions test performance as I recently did it. But, I know if I get rejected from Oxford, I’d think I wasted a whole year when I could’ve just gone to UCL. This is as although I could technically also get rejected from UCL, I got in this year.

Also, Cambridge is still good but I just don’t want to do the Foundation Year!! If they could let me just bypass it but they refuse to.

Also, if not for the private exam centre messing things up I could have just gone to UCL to study history for a year and then transferred to their law course or reapplied to Oxford while there as Oxford allows students studying at other universities to apply ONLY if they want a change of course or have other serious reasons for applying. This means that I wouldn’t have to be scrambling for things to do in an unneeded second gap year. It’s now too late for UCL Clearing.

Just thinking about how if I had just applied to Oxford by the deadline, and got an offer, I would’ve had no stress and no issues and would have met the offer.

Yes, but if she doesn't get in to Oxford she no longer has Cambridge either...

Edit: is my understanding.

I’m not sure whether the foundation year circumvents the UCAS system for continuing with a place at Cambridge.

From her other posts - whilst on the foundation year, she does a normal UCAS application, putting down either Cambridge or Oxford, plus 4 other choices.

There’s no direct continuation from foundation year to full degree, but obviously with the foundation year selection process, Cambridge has largely chosen students it expects would be capable to move on to the full degree

This suggests you can do either https://www.foundationyear.cam.ac.uk/course/progression-opportunities

Interesting!

Well in that case surely it is a no brainer.
Do Cambridge Foundation year.
If she must, apply to Oxford, knowing she can continue at Cambridge anyway.
What's not to like!

But @Juliette96needs to decide as if they hope to study Law afterwards they may need to take certain modules to keep options open. If one of the ignored messages is about choice of modules for programme they may find they miss out on first preferences by delaying their response.

She definitely wants to study law - history was some kind of placeholder to leave open the option of switching to Oxford

Completely this. Because if you come across in an Oxford interview how you come across here you won’t be getting an Oxford offer regardless of your grades.

My understanding is that those on a foundation year have an academic reference written by the leaders of the course, so it would possibly be hard to get one by 15/10 deadline

I don't think she had read that as she thought it was Oxford or bust. Hopefully she's packing and buying her train ticket right now

I don't think she had read that as she thought it was Oxford or bust. Hopefully she's packing and buying her train ticket right now

Can someone please link to the original thread as I don't quite understand what the OP is talking about

There have been sooo many!

This summarises them

Was about to link your great summary 😀

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/education/5377286-what-would-you-say-i-should-do-for-university-in-this-situation

Here's one. There are many others.

Like this one:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/education/5407631-how-does-this-work-for-late-university-clearing?page=1

So you see she has been given solid advice all saying the same thing

To be fair, this thread is the most rational I’ve ever read from the OP.

She is acknowledging that she might not get in to UCL or in to Oxford next year. And that two GAP years is a waste of her time.

The safest and most sensible option is to go to Cambridge.

Wow that thread is nuts! The ramblings of a mad person 😳

I cannot believe the OP would reject a firm offer of in essence a 4-year course at Cambridge for the price of a 3-year course. It's complete and utter madness!

It's not just about grades though. The way you write makes me think you could struggle at Oxford, you're very dogmatic.

Completely anecdotal, but I think the OP would actually fit in at Cambridge 😃 My brother went to Cambridge and he's not the "rounded individual" that Oxford seem to want nowadays. He's not some outstanding athlete or humanitarian, but is super academic, completely focused on and interested in his subject-matter. He did computer science and he was the type of geek that would teach himself coding/hacking for fun and could solve a Rubik's cube in around 30 seconds (speed-cubing was his hobby since he was around 9/10 and he would take the cube apart anf oil it up to make it faster 😂 ). I think people with an ultra focus on their subject fit in well at Cambridge. The OP sounds quite determined but less of an Oxford "all-rounder".

You have a sure place at Cambridge. Take it.

You may well be intelligent OP but sorry to say your common sense is sadly lacking.
Take the Cambridge offer - A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush’ !