I believe they were told to reapply in 2-3 months, no specific dates. My point is that they do still turn people away, so if its what you really want to do then don't just pay lip-service to the preparation. You may find yourself being delayed in place of someone who has prepared more thoroughly. This is also in no means advocating spending £80,000+ to get the licence, personally I couldn't justify the expense despite once being on the verge of signing such a contract.
Good point with the flying experience, FTE themselves suggested getting at least some experience before taking the leap, just to make sure it was what you really wanted to do.