Oxbridge reject
Encyclopedia
An Oxbridge reject is someone who has been rejected from either the University of Oxford
or the University of Cambridge
. The term "Oxbridge
" is a portmanteau of Oxford
and Cambridge
.
The term has received some criticism for its derogatory and elitist nature. Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of Bristol University has criticised it because of the way in which it makes people view British higher education through an Oxbridge prism.
In 2000, Gordon Brown
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer
and subsequently Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, started a major political row about higher education
when he accused Oxford University of elitism
in its admissions procedures.
The Laura Spence Affair
, as it became known, is one of the most publicised cases of an Oxbridge reject. Rejected from Magdalen College, Oxford
to read medicine, Laura Spence went on to study with a scholarship at Harvard in the United States
. The rejection was seen as discrimination because of her state-school background.
She subsequently went on to study graduate-entry medicine (a 4 year course) at Wolfson College, Cambridge
.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
or the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. The term "Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
" is a portmanteau of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
The term has received some criticism for its derogatory and elitist nature. Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of Bristol University has criticised it because of the way in which it makes people view British higher education through an Oxbridge prism.
In 2000, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellorship of Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown served as a British chancellor of the exchequer from 2 May 1997, when the Labour Party returned to power for the first time in 18 years, to 27 June 2007, when he became prime minister. It was the second-longest continuous period of office of any chancellor, surpassed only by Nicholas...
and subsequently Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, started a major political row about higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
when he accused Oxford University of elitism
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
in its admissions procedures.
The Laura Spence Affair
Laura Spence Affair
The Laura Spence Affair was a British political controversy in 2000, ignited after the failure of high-flying state school pupil Laura Spence to secure a place at the University of Oxford.-Background:...
, as it became known, is one of the most publicised cases of an Oxbridge reject. Rejected from Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
to read medicine, Laura Spence went on to study with a scholarship at Harvard in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The rejection was seen as discrimination because of her state-school background.
She subsequently went on to study graduate-entry medicine (a 4 year course) at Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Wolfson is one of a small number of Cambridge colleges which admit only students over the age of 21. The majority of students at the college are postgraduates, with around 15% studying undergraduate...
.