Four As is still not enough

Edward Romain has been rejected by five of the six universities he applied to - despite being predicted to get four straight As.

Edward already has high A grades in his AS levels and nine GCSEs under his belt - eight of them As or A*s.

He has even taken a couple of his A-level papers early - and got high marks. Yet Cambridge, Durham, Warwick, Nottingham and the LSE turned him down for law and politics.

"I am bitter," said Edward, 18. "My academic records speaks for itself, but I do a lot of extracurricular activities too - acting, writing and editing my school newsletter and I ran for the European Youth Parliament."

He has been offered a place by only one university, Exeter, on condition he gets AAB grades this summer.

"It was my big dream to go to Cambridge. I want to be a barrister, and an Oxbridge degree is a big boost."

The Brighton College pupil believes he is a victim of positive discrimination. "It's a misconception that because I went to a public school I have been spoon-fed, but I have worked bloody hard," he said.