Did Emily Nowell chicken out by sending rejection letter to Oxford University?

ELLY Nowell, 19, of Winchester, Hampshire, sent a rejection letter to the University of Oxford. Nowell, a former A-level student at Brockenhurst college, said Magdalen College “did not quite meet the standard” of other universities. She says the interview left her feeling like “the only atheist in a gigantic monastery”. She says the process favours public school pupils and intimidates those from state schools, of which she is one.

Her letter:

“I have now considered your establishment as a place to read Law (Jurisprudence). I very much regret to inform you that I will be withdrawing my application. I realise you may be disappointed by this decision, but you were in competition with many fantastic universities and following your interview I am afraid you do not quite meet the standard of the universities I will be considering….while you may believe your decision to hold interviews in grand formal settings is inspiring, it allows public school applicants to flourish … and intimidates state school applicants, distorting the academic potential of both”. She also criticised Magdalen College’s “traditions and rituals”, and the gap between “minorities and white middle class students”.

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Anorak

Posted: 19th, January 2012 | In: Reviews | Comments (4)