Oxford Magdalen rejection letter

[jonesy]

In some ways I find this quite sad. When I was her age I'm sure I'd have thought what she did was very funny, and would have expressed very similar views about Oxford. After my interview I felt very negative about it all, my impressions not helped by a public school nobber who got on the train at Great Malvern as I was on the way there, and loudly exclaimed "Oh look, there's the competition!" with a contemptuous guffaw at those of us already on the train from Hereford. I was actually considering turning down my offer, because I didn't feel right about it, though in the end I accepted it as pretty well everyone I knew would have thought me insane for turning down an opportunity like that. As things turned out I wasn't happy there, and it probably wasn't the best decision for me, at that time, not least because I was terribly shy and lacking in confidence; but I also know a lot of people from ordinary backgrounds who were very happy there, and I would usually encourage people to apply if they are good enough. It is very easy to find things that confirm your own prejudices there. I'm afraid that I, like this girl, had somewhat of a chip on my shoulder and did and said things at the time that actually said rather more about me, and my negativity and immaturity than it did about Oxford. Unfortunately she has now made a bit of a fool of herself, probably egged on by friends and family who weren't about to have that opportunity themselves, and should urged a bit of restraint once she'd had a chance to let off steam about it all.

 

[Canrider]

I've no idea what made her write that letter in the manner that she did, less idea of how the story got to the papers, but I do see the action as maybe self-serving.... and one she may come to regret.

According to her tale, a friend posted it on Facebook and it went slightly viral. I see no reason to doubt her story.

I remember getting university rejection letters***, we used to call them PFO's. Please and Off, you can fill in the middle one. I think it's hilarious someone has in a small way put the lie to the mountain of 'we wish you success in your future endeavours'.


***...and I'm certain Oxbridge don't personalise or put any more effort into theirs than the newest, smallest and least-prestigious university you care to mention.

 

[Maz]

Is it the policy of Oxbridge (Cambridge in particular) to give reasons for why they reject candidates post-interview? My neice got turned down from Cambridge very recently. I'll have to ask her when I get the chance.

 

[srw]

As things turned out I wasn't happy there, and it probably wasn't the best decision for me, at that time, not least because I was terribly shy and lacking in confidence;

The same would probably have been true wherever you ended up. In fact the collegiate setup in Oxford (and, OK then, Cambridge) makes it easier for the shy and unconfident to find themselves.

Is it the policy of Oxbridge (Cambridge in particular) to give reasons for why they reject candidates post-interview? My neice got turned down from Cambridge very recently. I'll have to ask her when I get the chance.

Probably not. "You weren't as good as other candidates" pretty much covers it.

 

[PK99]

The same would probably have been true wherever you ended up. In fact the collegiate setup in Oxford (and, OK then, Cambridge) makes it easier for the shy and unconfident to find themselves.

Agree with that whole heartedly, then college provides a ready made social/sporting/support group - my eldest found it invaluable as she was not the most socially outgoing when she arrived at Oxford

Probably not. "You weren't as good as other candidates" pretty much covers it

"not as good as" is not really the right way of looking at it. the Oxbridge tutorial system is a very distinctive way of teaching that suits some people but not others. The interview is really a mini tutorial to see how the student functions in that situation, the objective is not to see what you know about your subject, but to take you somewhere you don't know and see how you think about the problem at hand.
.

 

[Dayvo]

I spent several long night hours at Oxford bus station a few years back and found that the local chav population was out in force and behaving disgustingly.

It was only when a few of 'them' started to talk to me that I found out that 'they' were a group of second year students out on the razzle.

Wealthy background is one thing, decenct behaviour is something completely different.

 

[srw]

Not all Oxford students have a wealthy background*, but since you brought up the subject of wealth and bad behaviour:
http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/the-bullingdon-club/

*something of an understatement - most are very ordinary. Too many are middle-class, but on average it's middle-middle rather than upper-middle.

 

[jonesy]

The same would probably have been true wherever you ended up. In fact the collegiate setup in Oxford (and, OK then, Cambridge) makes it easier for the shy and unconfident to find themselves.


...

Who knows? But I didn't find the collegiate system particularly supportive, in many ways it can also be a bit insular and cliquey. There are pros and cons, and different people have very different experiences. Others greatly appreciated it. The thing I found very challenging about Oxford was the combination of both social and academic pressure at the same time. When I got there I found that I was starting behind most of the other physics students because I had done the combined pure and applied maths A level whereas most of the others had done Further Maths, or at least pure and applied as separate A levels. This panicked me, more than it should have done no doubt, and I felt I was struggling from day 1, which was quite a blow to my confidence, and eventually I gave up trying and went to the pub too much instead. Probably if I'd been a few years older and wiser I'd have dealt with it a more sensible fashion, but I didn't. Socially, I felt a bit of a country bumpkin surrounded by better educated, more confident and socially adept people. Even though I had some good friends and met a lot of very nice people there (and very few of the public school stereotypes that I was expecting before I went there) I think I still felt quite intimidated by it all. Again, with a more mature, self-confident attitude I'd have responded more positively to the opportunity to benefit from that environment, but sadly I didn't. This is becoming terribly self-indulgent, so I'll just re-iterate my earlier point that Oxbridge isn't necessarily the best place for everyone, but it offers great opportunities for those with the right attitude and ability to take, and applicants from ordinary backgrounds shouldn't let their prejudices get in the way, as the subject of the OP has done.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Not all Oxford students have a wealthy background*, but since you brought up the subject of wealth and bad behaviour:
http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/the-bullingdon-club/

*something of an understatement - most are very ordinary. Too many are middle-class, but on average it's middle-middle rather than upper-middle.

I like the comments section...

 

[PK99]

Oxbridge isn't necessarily the best place for everyone, but it offers great opportunities for those with the right attitude and ability to take, and applicants from ordinary backgrounds shouldn't let their prejudices get in the way, as the subject of the OP has done.

Amen to all of that: An interview is a two was assessment! & leave your baggage at home!

Wrt your maths issue, a friend's maths was recognised as below par when she arrived at cambridge - she was given weekly 1to1 tuition by a professor at a different college for a term to bring her up to speed.
Similarly, 30 years later my daughter and a couple of tutorial colleagues were having problems with electo magnetism (Engineering course) at Oxford, extra tutorial sessions in college just happened.

 

[Crankarm]

She's going to look like a right plonker if she fails to get the grades she needs to get into UCL ...... her preferrred choice. Oxford might yet have the last laugh. It should be a talking point on her application for a training contract ......... is she ever gets that far ............

 

[PK99]

Heaven forbid, but the Mail has it spot on:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...y-mother-easy-targets-.html?ito=feeds-newsxml]

read the whole article, but the fianl pargraphs are to the point:

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I should also like to add that Richard Rive, the coloured South African novelist and academic, who was born into dire poverty in the (exceedingly state school) slums of District 6, Cape Town, earned his PhD at Magdalen College, Oxford in 1974.​

It is juvenile and vacuous ejaculations like those of Ms Nowell which dishonour the memory and achievements of intelligent and industrious, working class men and women like Rive who excelled at Oxford. ​

Somehow, rather miraculously, they weren’t intimated by the age of the buildings. Funny that.​

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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2089325/Why-let-Oxford-University-mother-easy-targets-.html#ixzz1k2H3oxPL​

 

[Crankarm]

Just shows, you don't necessarily need to have brains ie an intellecutal genius to become a lawyer ..................

Miss Elly Nowell ............. has got to be a spoof with a name such as Nowell, although she clearly doesn't, know well.

 

[Canrider]

Heaven forbid, but the Mail has it spot on:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...y-mother-easy-targets-.html?ito=feeds-newsxml]

read the whole article, but the fianl pargraphs are to the point:

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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2089325/Why-let-Oxford-University-mother-easy-targets-.html#ixzz1k2H3oxPL​

Sorry, but that's a load of garbage.
'Oooh, look, we found someone who liked it, therefore *everyone* should like it'. Not logical and frankly Oxbridge would (should?) laugh that kind of argument right out of the room. Shame, therefore, it's being put forward by an ostensible graduate! Nowell's point was never that 'no working-class person could ever possibly enjoy/succeed/excel in the Oxbridge environment', merely that she felt it wasn't for her, so she pre-empted their rejection letter by writing one of her own.

Ms Johns could be better served asking WHY Oxbridge is (still) the 'aorta of the intellectual, political, cultural and social lifeblood of the nation'? Answers on two sides of A4, preferably avoiding notions like 'well it just IS, isn't it?'...

As for Ms Johns' hand-wringing about Nowell's 'lampooning' of Oxbridge, I trust she's somehow avoided bumping into everything from Porterhouse Blue through to The Clouds...

 

[Fab Foodie]

Is it me or is this story nothing more than a jolly jape? It must be a slow news week in P&L to get 7 pages.