Oxbridge Rejects 2025

[CrouchingTigerMum]

Any other parents feeling really down about their DC's Oxford rejection?

Just looking for empathy or thoughts on how to bounce back and build up DC's motivation for A-levels now... (especially when my DC's second-choice university doesn't demand high grades – it's not a highly competitive subject).

If they were doing a course with even a tangential vocational element, we'd be happy with them studying elsewhere but for their niche subject (within arts, humanities & languages) the "next best" university feels leagues below Oxbridge – it's not as though there is an equivalent institution on the level of Imperial (or, say, Warwick) for STEM.

NC as it's possibly outing to be handling the rejection so poorly.

Joining you all here. Dd didn’t get a Cambridge offer today - she is ok about it. She has two offers already and hopefully the last two will be positive … and soon!

Sorry to hear it was a no. My DC is just about over his Oxford rejection but is still thinking about reapplying 🙄. I still think he just needs to accept the others and get on with it.
All five from my DCs school were rejected today. Two were extremely strong candidates.
Where are the other offers and subject?

I am much like you. Some of dds friends had a no and want to reapply next year. I am glad she is just moving on. Feels like a good time for a clean break. I guess DS is doing what he needs to do!

Psychology. She has an offer for Exeter and Southampton. but wants UCL…

Two great offers so far. I know Southampton Uni well-it’s amazing.
My DC has Imperial, Bristol, Durham and Warwick offers. He’s off to all the offer days so I hope he comes back loving one of them as much as he loved Oxford.

Oh wow - he has great offers! What is he studying?

I do hope the offer holder days help them all take stock and wnjoy the offer that are open to them!

Maths and Applied Theoretical Physics-whatever that is 😆

Commiserations to those joining the thread today. Some dc and parents seem to bounce back quickly but for others it can take time and that's perfectly natural. My dc felt that their other offers didn't live up to Oxbridge but once time had passed, and they visited for offer days, they began to get excited and decided to get on with life and not reapply. It was the right thing to do for them.

Joining you here too. DS2 had an interview for maths but sadly didn’t get an offer. He was pretty disappointed but more cross with himself. His interview went okayish and he answered all the questions with a little assistance and didn’t feel out of his depth but clearly lacked that something they were looking for. He thinks they recognised that he doesn’t live and breathe the subject, he likes maths, loves solving a challenge and has put so much work in, particularly preparing for STEP since last summer but somehow he just didn’t shine. It didn’t help that he was absolutely full of a cold on the interview day and wasn’t as raring to go as he was on his practice interview. He’s got offers with Durham, Edinburgh and York, awaiting Warwick which I think in his head would be the logical destination but his heart is saying Edinburgh!

Sorry to hear this @maxplanck but those other offers are amazing. He'll need time to process the disappointment. My advice would be to attend the offer holder days for these uni's and hopefully he'll feel excited about them a few months down the line.

There is also another thread active at the moment about an Oxbridge redirection with heartening stories of how others who were redirected managed.

Same here, but for Oxford. I feel for you and your son, I was so disappointed for him as he really wanted it. However, my son has booked himself in all the offer days so they may bump into each other at Durham or Warwick (he also has Bristol and Imperial).

@CrouchingTigerMum - I’m a bit late on this thread but wanted to add a story (not mine because DDs were not Oxbridge candidates): a colleague’s son had dreamed of Oxford for years before applying. He already had an A-star in one subject when applying and was predicted 4 A-stars in the others. He didn’t get an offer and was devastated for a short while. He took up his Durham offer and is having an amazing time - extremely happy there.

It is hard seeing your child go through disappointment but honestly your DC’s alternatives are terrific unis. I don’t think there are many courses where the Oxbridge course is much better than anywhere else. AMES (the example suggested upthread) is not an example: there are amazing AMES courses at Edinburgh, Exeter and Durham to name a few.

But yes, it’s natural for this to feel like a bit of a blow especially if your DC has friends and fellow students who have received offers. The son of one of my friends was in that position - rejected from Oxford after interview (having been pooled to another college) whereas others in his friendship group had offers. Applied to Cambridge with results in hand and got an offer and had a great time.