Oxford Magdalen rejection letter

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Canrider

Guru
Disrespect? Rudeness? When she's repeating (nigh-verbatim) the exact wording of a typical university rejection letter?

You all do realise what that implies about the university, then, right?
 

brokenflipflop

Veteran
Location
Worsley
I don't understand. She hadn't been rejected. It's their establishment and they reserve the right to interview applicants and send them a rejection letter the same way if you apply for a job you may get a rejection letter.
She behaved no better than an X-factor audition where they have a tantrum when they get rejected. In fact she's worse, she ruled herself out before the decision - what a very silly and immature young lady she is. A cocky teenager being rude and immature and passing up a great opportunity is no great surprise - grown-ups applauding this behaviour is a bit more of a surprise.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
I'm fascinated by this. Any particular reason? I am looking for logical reasons as to why someone would think this. The most likely explanation I came to was more general to this thread, that is was like other things on here and just being indignant. Saying something like to an employer she looks unemployable rings alarm bells to me that it is out of a kind of petty personal retribution for hurting one's feelings about something one believes in. Well yes, we're all guilty of that sometimes, but to deny someone a job? Surely that doesn't actually make you any better than the things you are accusing her of?
Agreed.
Blimey, youngster takes a punt at the establishment? Whatever next ....
For my money such behaviour would be a positive attribute, a bit of bloody spunk for a change.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Disrespect? Rudeness? When she's repeating (nigh-verbatim) the exact wording of a typical university rejection letter?

You all do realise what that implies about the university, then, right?

Blimey, I find myself agreeing with Canrider :cheers:
I'm still surprised that this whole episode raises more than a mere titter, a wry smile.
 
It would have been a whole different paradigm if she rejected after she was offered a place. Eventually she will come to realise that its on her head and not on Cambridge. A classic case of jumping before being pushed.

Brings to mind all the silly things I did in the name of vanity and ignorance during my formative years.
 

yello

back and brave
Location
France
Blimey, youngster takes a punt at the establishment? Whatever next ....

Oh indeed. That's pretty much the point no? Just another surly teenager having a moan.

The letter IS amusing, not headline comedy funny, but worthy of a smile none-the-less. Hardly a devastatingly original indictment of Oxford, or society, or class, or whatever she intended, but not without humour. However, I do personally find it a bit, well, obvious.

Her actions strike a chord within all of us, I'm sure. As I said before, we've all probably wanted to do something similar at some point in our lives. We don't though. It's not lacking spunk to not do so, it's just maturity. We learn, file it and move on.

She's perhaps lucky. She has age on her side. Her actions could well be excused as those of an immature and surly teenager rather than those of the intelligent person she's reported to be. I do hope for her sake it's not her finest hour though; she'd not have used her 15 minutes very well imho.
 

srw

It's a bit more complicated than that...
I'm fascinated by this. Any particular reason? I am looking for logical reasons as to why someone would think this. The most likely explanation I came to was more general to this thread, that is was like other things on here and just being indignant. Saying something like to an employer she looks unemployable rings alarm bells to me that it is out of a kind of petty personal retribution for hurting one's feelings about something one believes in. Well yes, we're all guilty of that sometimes, but to deny someone a job? Surely that doesn't actually make you any better than the things you are accusing her of?
Lawyers are supposed to be discreet, unflappable, rational. They should demonstrate maturity of thought and action and form opinions based on careful consideration of all the facts. They should not allow personal prejudices to get in the way of the client's best interests.

She's not exactly unemployable, but if I were a recruiter faced with someone who got in the papers at 18 for mocking up a rejection letter to a university she'd have to have to demonstrate more maturity and quality of thought in her university career than she showed in her Guardian column.
 

jonesy

Guru
She's probably mortified... it's the 'friend' who posted it on the internet who is the prat.

Doesn't come across that way in the media coverage. But I'm sure she has been egged on by friends and relatives who ought to have gently pointed out when the joke had gone far enough.

...

She's not exactly unemployable, but if I were a recruiter faced with someone who got in the papers at 18 for mocking up a rejection letter to a university she'd have to have to demonstrate more maturity and quality of thought in her university career than she showed in her Guardian column.

Quite. It isn't as if graduate recruiters have a shortage of good candidates to chose from, so not only do the successful ones have to stand out, they also have to avoid giving the employer a reason to choose someone else. I'm sure plenty of recruiters would have some sympathy, having done daft things themselves in the past, and would recognise a bit of silliness that went too far, but that doesn't mean they'll want to give her the job when they can easily choose someone else who is a lower risk. Of course, she ought to be able to put this behind her in a few years with some work experience, but will need to demonstrate a bit more humility first.
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
I don't put the (Oxon) after my degree. I don't think it's relevant, however when I got the job I am now doing, the interviewers seemed more excited by the Oxford degree than by my subsequent MSc, PhD and 10 years of teaching and research experience. Sad, but true.
 
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