A University applicant on the road to gaining a place at one of England’s most prestigious colleges decided that it wasn’t for her and she should let them know.
In a style that mimics the usual format and basic template of a rejection letter from the University, Elly Nowell sent her message and gave advice on how they could improve themselves in the future.
She used familiar terms that rejectees see all too often like, ‘I very much regret to inform you,’ and ‘I wish you every success in your future’.
The university has admitted that the letter was “a witty way to communicate her withdrawal.”
She originally applied to study Law at the Magdalen College before changing her mind after her interview there.
Elly’s reasons for sending the letter stem from her background as a state schoolgirl. She wrote that the impressive surroundings lend themselves more to public school types who are used to such sights, where in her case they were intimidating and unwelcoming. Elly has also said that she is surprised that the establishment has not been mocked before. People often knock the government, the royals and the church, but somehow Oxbridge is untouched.
Elly is on track for straight A grades in her A levels at Brockenhurst College in Winchester, Hampshire. She hopes to get a place studying law at University College in London (UCL).
A lot of people are wondering whether the prank will hurt Elly’s chances of getting into further education but Elly states her passion for law is not motivated by money or status. Her drive is her desire for justice.
Sending this letter, to her, was a way of bringing the University down a peg.
She says:
“To me, withdrawing my application to an institution that is a symbol of unfairness in both our education and the legal system (which is so dominated by Oxbridge graduates) makes perfect sense, and I am reluctant to be part of a system so heavily dominated by such a narrow group of self-selecting elites. It seems tragic that people often seem to believe that individuals should compromise their beliefs in favour of improving their ambiguous “future prospects”.”
The University spokesperson said, however, “The irony is, though, that six out of the seven people offered law places at Magdalen were state-educated.”
By Lewis Roe
