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What to Do After Receiving Your Oxbridge Interview Results

Whatever the outcome, check out our top tips for reacting to Oxbridge interview results

The moment you've been waiting for has arrived – you've heard back from Oxford or Cambridge about the results of your interview. Whether you've received a conditional offer, an unconditional offer, or, unfortunately, did not secure an offer this time, we're here to guide you through the next steps in your academic journey.

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If you've Received a Conditional Offer:

1. Review Your Offer:

Take the time to carefully review the details of your conditional offer, in particular the grades you will need to achieve and the subjects in which you will need to do it. Understanding these conditions fully is essential in your planning going forward. 

2. Develop an Action Plan:

Craft a detailed action plan outlining how you will meet the conditions of your offer. In most cases, this will involve making the grades that you promised with your predicted grades, and generally ensuring that your academic studies and end-of-school exams stay on course for success. Seek guidance from teachers or mentors if needed and set realistic goals to achieve the required grades or fulfil other stipulated conditions. Check out our blog on setting academic goals for the new year for our team’s top tips for a fruitful start to your exam year!

3. Stay Informed:

Keep a close eye on communications from the university. They may provide additional information, updates, or resources to support you in meeting the conditions of your offer. In some cases, the college from which your offer comes will host an offer-holder day or similar event; these can be a great opportunity for meeting your fellow students for the coming year and getting to know the tutors and college a little better.

 

If you've Received an Unconditional Offer:

1. Celebrate Your Achievement:

Congratulations on securing an unconditional offer! Take a moment to celebrate your success and the acknowledgment of your hard work; whether this is your first or second time-round applying, getting an unconditional offer from Oxford or Cambridge is an enormous achievement so you should be very proud of yourself!

2. Prepare for Enrollment:

With an unconditional offer, the likelihood is that you have already completed your A-Level (or equivalent) exams and are no longer formally studying; focus instead on preparing for your upcoming enrollment. Keep an eye out for communications from the university regarding the next steps, which may include details about enrollment, accommodation, and introductory events. Offer-holder days can be a great way to meet other students at your college or on your course, as well as others who might be applying a little later than the main student body; take this opportunity to connect with like-minded applicants and get more insight into the college before the year begins in September.

3. Explore Opportunities:

With the certainty of your place, consider exploring additional opportunities or experiences that can enrich your time ahead of beginning your course.To what extent you can do this will depend on what you’re doing in the meantime, but between working, travelling, or other pre-existing activities, it can be worth reading more about your subject or watching public lectures to keep yourself up-to-date with the field and remain enthused about your chosen discipline! Some course will also set recommended work or preliminary reading ahead of the course, so be sure to get on with this if and when you receive it. 

 

If you Haven't Received an Offer:

1. Take a Moment:

Receiving a rejection is undoubtedly disheartening. Take a moment to process your feelings and remember that this outcome does not define your future success. The volume of applications to Oxford and Cambridge is enormous, and it is unfortunately inevitable that many promising applicants have to be turned away every year. 

2. Review your Application:

Whilst it unfortunately cannot change the outcome, taking a look back over your application process, in particular the interview, to evaluate your areas of success and potential areas of weakness can be very constructive in helping you move forward with purpose. Some colleges might leave you feedback on your interviews, but many will not; perhaps seek feedback or guidance from teachers or mentors on how they think you could improve for next time. Whilst reviewing is helpful, we do remind applicants that it is only useful to a certain point: once you’ve considered your performance, don’t dwell on it too much (although this is easier said than done!) since the results sadly cannot be changed this time. 

3. Consider Alternatives 

Explore alternative academic options, whether that involves considering other university offers or pursuing different paths aligned with your interests and goals. Alternatively, if you feel like your application was strong and you are determined to attend Oxbridge, you may consider taking a gap year and reapplying in the next cycle. If you’re considering reapplying, we recommend reading through our reapplication blog for what to think about when making this big decision!

 

Remember, regardless of the outcome, this is just one step in your academic journey. Your potential and opportunities are not limited by a single application. Embrace the resilience you've demonstrated throughout this process and remain committed to achieving your academic aspirations.

If you have specific questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to our senior consultancy team for bespoke and confidential expert advice. We're here to support you on this journey.

Best wishes for the exciting chapters that lie ahead!

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