#reappying

[askacambridgestudent]

Hello! I went to interviews for HSPS this December and recently got my rejection letter. I think the first interview with sociologists didn't go that well, but I enjoyed very much the second one with an anthropologist and an archaeologist, as I really am much more interested in cultural anthropology. Do you think I might have a better chance for the course that recently split from HSPS? I'm a little bit worried to reapply with a gap year as I'm not from the UK. I'm really grateful for your blog.

It’s a toughie, especially for internationals since most other countries don’t have as developed gap year schemes. Take a look in the reapplying tag for some considerations. 

As for the new degree, go check out the HSPS tag. I’ve talked in there extensively about how to do arch or anth within the new system. You should read around anth a bit to make sure it’s right for you though, I recommend the Oxford Very Short Introduction to Cultural Anthropology and, if you want an accessible ethnography, Lilia Abu Lughod’s Veiled Sentiments. 

[askacambridgestudent]

Is it okay to reapply to a college where you had a pool interview (a college that wasn't your preference college)???

Right okay: REAPPLYING COLLEGE CHOICE CONSIDERATIONS

1. Was it your grades that was the issue? If you feel like you had a pretty good interview, you got good vibes from it, but you still didn’t get in, it might be your grades that held you back. In this case, reapplying to the same college (either your original one or one that reinterviewed you from the pool) is fine. I still personally probably wouldn’t do it because I would prefer a fresh set of eyes but, it’s your own call. 

2. If your grades were pretty good and you still didn’t get it, do not reapply to a place you’ve been interviewed before. It means the interviewer didn’t like you enough, even if you felt it went great. I would really strongly recommend applying to a different college. 

3. Are you a mature student who got pooled/reinterviewed by a mature college and want to apply straight to there? Yeah, that’s fine, a reinterview by a mature college is kind of like a first interview because such a high percentage of mature students get pooled there. Plus, there’s not a massive amount of choice within the mature colleges so if you like the one you were interviewed by, go ahead and reapply. 

[askacambridgestudent]

I'm 100% certain i've been rejected by my College - I was hoping to be pooled but now I know i've just been straight out rejected. I really dont feel that I was given a fair chance at interview (was asked maths questions which i specifically said on my SAQ that i had not covered - interviewer proceeded to accuse me of lying when i told him). I'm over the 'cambridge dream' but now I'm just disappointed that I've let my school down. How would you recommend dealing with rejection?

Well first things first: do you want to reapply? That’s a really tough and personal decision, but one worth at least considering. 

If you decide not to reapply: You haven’t let anyone down. If Cam’s not for you, it’s not for you. You’re not the standard barer for anyone except yourself. You don’t owe anyone else an explanation or your guilt. If you feel the need to say something, say that what you said to us--that you don’t really feel you were given a fair chance. Start deciding to get excited about your uni--I know lots of people who didn’t end up going oxbridge and love where they ended, had an amazing uni experience anyway. Look up things about your new uni and start getting excited. Ultimately, uni is only 3 years, not the rest of your life.