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A-Level Results: Student Alastair Herron Gets Seven A*s And REJECTED From Oxford University

Student Who Got Seven A*s REJECTED From Oxford University
Lucy Sherriff
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A student who got an incredible seven A*s in his A-levels was rejected by Oxford University - and says he isn't "in any way disappointed".

Alastair Herron had offers from several Ivy League universities in the US and will be taking up a place at Stanford this autumn. The Belfast student told BBC's Radio Ulster: "I applied to Oxford but they didn't have a place for me. I am not sorry. The university didn't tell me why, they sent a vague reply to me which could have meant anything."

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Alastair Herron had offers from several Ivy League universities in the US

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Herron shrugged off radio presenter Stephen Nolan's disbelief, saying: "I would never stay at Oxford with offers from America so I am not in any way disappointed."

When asked what he'd like to be in five years time, Herron replied: "I'd like to go into research. Research and chemistry is what I'm looking into at the moment."

"The world's your oyster," an incredulous Nolan told the student. "On what planet do you turn someone down with seven A*s," he added.

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Herron took A-levels in Further Maths, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Latin and Greek and applied to Merton College, Oxford to read Chemistry. He also gained 13 A*-grade GCSES in English Lit, English Lang, Maths, Ad MATHS, all three sciences, Latin, French, Greek, German, RE and Astronomy, making him the highest performing student in Northern Ireland, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Herron's experiences have now attracted the attention of politicians, with Louise Mensch telling Nolan: "he probably wasn't good enough".

A spokesperson for Oxford said: "We have very many more exceptional applicants than we have places for and have to turn down thousands of candidates every year who go on to get the very top grades. We would never claim that Oxford was the be-all and end-all, and we know that these enormously talented young people will go on to excel at other top universities.

"Admission to Oxford is based purely on aptitude and potential for the chosen course, assessed through a range of measures. The university puts enormous effort into assessing individual aptitude and potential, using a wide range of means. We do not know students’ A-level grades when selecting, as they have not yet taken their exams. Aptitude tests, GCSEs and interviews are all used in our selection process. Candidates for any given subject are compared against one another as a ‘gathered field’."

A-Level Results Day 2013
A-level results(01 of35)
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Bridie McGrail speaks on her moblie phone after receiving her A Level results at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(02 of35)
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Umamah Taruala after receiving her A Level results at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(03 of35)
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Rosalind Barnett, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, reads her A-Level exam results for the first time to see she has achieved 2 A* and 1 A to secure her a place at Nottingham University studying Psychology. (credit:PA)
A-level results(04 of35)
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Sandra Forbes reacts after receiving better than expected A Level results, at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(05 of35)
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Rosalind Barnett, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, reads her A-Level exam results for the first time to see she has achieved 2 A* and 1 A to secure her a place at Nottingham University studying Psychology. (credit:PA)
A-level results(06 of35)
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Sandra Forbes reacts after receiving better than expected A Level results, at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(07 of35)
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Sandra Forbes reacts after receiving better than expected A Level results, at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(08 of35)
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Nell Ranken, Rebecca Verlander, Louis Hill, Alice Simpson and Bridie McGrail (left to right) receive their A Level results at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(09 of35)
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Krystyna Smolinski, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, reads her A-Level exam results for the first time to see she has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences. (credit:PA)
A-level results(10 of35)
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Some of the top achieving A* students at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, David Moseley, right, who achieved 1 A* 2 As 1 B and his friend Stephen Fulham, left, who achieved 2 A* 1 A read their results away from the crowds. (credit:PA)
A-level results(11 of35)
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St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School pupil Susanna Harvey, left, smiles after reading her 2 A* and 1 A results as her friend Tiffany Irwin nervously prepares to read her A-Level results. (credit:PA)
A-level results(12 of35)
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Krystyna Smolinski, who has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences and Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(13 of35)
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Top achieving A* students at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School pupils wave their their A-Level results in the air. (credit:PA)
A-level results(14 of35)
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Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(15 of35)
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St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School pupil Susanna Harvey, centre, smiles after reading her 2 A* and 1 A results as her friends prepare to read their A-Level results. (credit:PA)
A-level results(16 of35)
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Krystyna Smolinski, who has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences and Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(17 of35)
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Krystyna Smolinski, who has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences and Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(18 of35)
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Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(19 of35)
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Some of the top achieving A* students at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, Anna Skinner, centre, who achieved 2 A*s 1 A and her friends Tiffany Irwin, left, who acheived 1 A* 2 As and Rosalind Barnett, right, who achieved 2 A*s 1 A, read their results. (credit:PA)
A-level results(20 of35)
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Two girls celebrate their results at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(21 of35)
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A student holds her results at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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(L-R) Katy Lucas, Jessica Lance, India Dhadra, Beth Kelly and Rachel Madden celebrate their exams results at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Tom Woodward celebrates on receiving 1 A* and 2 As after having treatment for cancer during his exams at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(24 of35)
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Megan Larner celebrates grades of A*, A, and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(25 of35)
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Megan Larner celebrates grades of A*, A, and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(26 of35)
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Hannah Short celebrates grades of A*, A and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(27 of35)
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Students Jonathan Cushenan and Hannah Cole, celebrate their A levels results outside Ballymena Academy in County Antrim. (credit:PA)
A-level results(28 of35)
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Hannah Short celebrates grades of A*, A and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(29 of35)
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India Dhadra celebrates grades of A, A, and C at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
A-level results(30 of35)
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Nino Harris, 19, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, a self-confessed "bad boy" who was forced to retake his first year of A-levels and now has won a place at the University of Oxford. (credit:PA)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Hat tip to Northern Irish student Gary Spedding

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