The centralized application centre in the UK is called UCAS. Through UCAS, an applicant is allowed to select up five universities to which they want to apply. On a centralized, electronic application form, the student can log in their personal information, previous exam scores, and "personal statement," a sort of informative essay that details why a person wants to study a particular subject, what qualifications or experience they have relevant to that subject, and other information that the applicant deems pertinent. What's really important in this whole process is one's exam scores for the current year. I won't delve entirely into the vast, complex, and incredibly dull subject that is "A-levels" but for clarity's sake, A-levels are a series of exams that students take in their last year of schooling. The universities that they apply to give them "offers" based on the grades they receive on these exams. For instance, a uni might give a student conditional offer to study at that establishment, the condition being that they receive "AAB" (two As and one B) on the three A-levels they're taking. Another university might give an offer of "BBC." Once the student narrows her university choices down to two, she marks one as a "firm" (her university of choice, the school she will attend if she meets her offer) and the other her "insurance" (her second choice, a school with lower exam grade requirements, just in case she misses her first offer).
As an American, I did not take the A-level exams. I quite fortunately was taking three AP exams on which I could feasibly get 5s (equivalent to As), and had I decided to take an additional AP exam or opted out of one, there is a significant chance things would not have worked out the way they did. On July 1st, I was able to call the AP hotline and pay eight dollars to get my scores over the phone. I started calling at nine o'clock on June 30th in the hopes that the scores would be released at midnight EST. I'm slightly mortified by the amount of time I devoted to that hotline over the course of the next six hours. Finally fed up with waiting for the results to be posted, I begrudgingly fell asleep, plagued by vaguely threatening, anxiety ridden dreams that I can only half recall. The next morning (nearly afternoon by the time I managed to get out of bed) I went through my usual routine--wash face, brush teeth, listlessly pull a brush through my cowlicked hair--before climbing back into bed and dialling the number. I supposed that if I were to miss my offer, it would be prudent to be clean and fresh before slipping into a comatose state. The whole process took me much longer than it should have. I persistently pressed the wrong keys on my phone, couldn't recall my social security number, accidentally hung up; all undoubtedly subconscious attempts at sparing myself the misery of being rejected. Eventually I made it through the process and a cool, sedate voice began to read me my results: "AP Biology, five. Press one to proceed. Press nine to repeat score." After pressing nine several times, I moved onto the next exam: "AP Literature and Composition, five." I pressed one, eager just to be done with the process. "AP United States Government and Politics, five."
Yes, there was a sudden surge of euphoria that followed, a good measure of disbelief, but what stands out most in my mind is the relief. While I may be able to convey to you how absolutely and perfectly ecstatic I was at the moment (admittedly there were tears in my eyes), how incredulous I was about the outcome (I forced my sister to sit and listen to the scores with me again), I'm not sure that I can truly articulate the relief that followed. Yes, I could tell you that my viscera slowly began to untangle themselves, that my temples, which had been tender and tight for weeks, were finally beginning to cease their throbbing, but I'm not sure it would really allow you to understand how good it felt just to know. Perhaps at a later date, when I can afford to delve into the story behind all of this, the year long application and exam process that left me emotionally drained and physically exhausted. But for now, I'd rather not dwell in the past. And why would I when the future is so much brighter?
