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Cambridge Applicants Game 2012

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Original post by Xero Xenith
On OCR it varies from 70% to 81% - FP2 is lowest with 70% for an A. Go FP2 :smile:

(The example I quoted above was Edexcel AS Japanese June 2011 - Japanese has some of the most insane grade boundaries I've seen. It's probably because there's no set textbook, only a list of reasonable ones, and everyone comes into the exam knowing a different set of vocab! :tongue:)


Wow, that's pretty insane! Which board are you on? I'm with AQA for Physics, I'll need ~60/75 this January to max it out :smile:


I'm also on AQA for maths and the only ones that have been below like 79% for an A are Core 2 when I did it last year, and Core 1 when I did it last year (there was lots of fuss about them being hard from peers).

And I'm on AQA for Physics :s-smilie: It says it's out of 100 raw marks? Unit 4 right? (EDIT: I'm doing Physics B, it looks like you're doing Physics A)

Original post by TheMagicMan
Was it hard? I didn't know there was anything hard in physics a level:confused:

:tongue:

It's amazing how difficult seemingly simple physics can get actually...BPhO round 2 was the limits of my abilities last year and it almost killed me (despite teh fact that the questions seem quite innocuous)


The maths certainly isn't difficult, but I think it's because it's not like maths where everything links in. There's just a tonne of stuff to learn, some of which is completely irrelevant to everything else and so can only be rote learned. I haven't actually done this past paper yet, I just looked up the boundaries after this little conversation :tongue: I'll report back what I get in raw marks in a few days time :tongue:
(edited 12 years ago)
This is such a lovely game - makes me feel better for next Friday at any rate. Good luck everyone!
Reply 82
Original post by Xero Xenith
On OCR it varies from 70% to 81% - FP2 is lowest with 70% for an A. Go FP2 :smile:

(The example I quoted above was Edexcel AS Japanese June 2011 - Japanese has some of the most insane grade boundaries I've seen. It's probably because there's no set textbook, only a list of reasonable ones, and everyone comes into the exam knowing a different set of vocab! :tongue:)




Wow, that's pretty insane! Which board are you on? I'm with AQA for Physics, I'll need ~60/75 this January to max it out :smile:

For Edexcel Politics A2 it's something like 60/90 for an A* lol.
Reply 83
Which do we think a greater factor in this game, UMS/grades or subject? (I remember someone saying if they wanted to win they'd just pick arch&anth or classics applicants, which made me a tad defensive :p:)
Original post by Aesc
Which do we think a greater factor in this game, UMS/grades or subject? (I remember someone saying if they wanted to win they'd just pick arch&anth or classics applicants, which made me a tad defensive :p:)


Looking at the list, a load of people just went for top UMS :tongue:

Subject is important - maths people get double the number of offers they should, since about half fail STEP, so count them along with you :wink: And I don't think pooled applicants get counted, so someone who went for Emma, Kings, Trinity etc is more likely to get pooled (i.e. not counted as an offer) than an applicant to Churchill, Robinson etc.
Original post by Xero Xenith
Looking at the list, a load of people just went for top UMS :tongue:

Subject is important - maths people get double the number of offers they should, since about half fail STEP, so count them along with you :wink: And I don't think pooled applicants get counted, so someone who went for Emma, Kings, Trinity etc is more likely to get pooled (i.e. not counted as an offer) than an applicant to Churchill, Robinson etc.


A lot of people really should take this into account :tongue:
Original post by Aesc
Which do we think a greater factor in this game, UMS/grades or subject? (I remember someone saying if they wanted to win they'd just pick arch&anth or classics applicants, which made me a tad defensive :p:)


That's because of an unfair assumption that mostly only private school students apply for classics and arch&anth therefore they have a good chance of getting in as only a few people are applying. Totally not true as well.
Original post by strawberryjellybaby
That's because of an unfair assumption that mostly only private school students apply for classics and arch&anth therefore they have a good chance of getting in as only a few people are applying. Totally not true as well.


I think the assumption comes from the entrance stats. For Maths, 1 in 5 get in; for Architecture, 1 in ~8-9 get in.

For Classics, 1 in 2 get in, and 1 in 3 for Arch+Anth.

Those figures seem very different to the ~1 in 5 average :smile:


Original post by cpdavis
A lot of people really should take this into account :tongue:


Yeah, it's a bit frightening to be honest! Even a "Yes" at this stage is still only a ticket to the next round :s-smilie:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 88
Original post by strawberryjellybaby
That's because of an unfair assumption that mostly only private school students apply for classics and arch&anth therefore they have a good chance of getting in as only a few people are applying. Totally not true as well.



Original post by Xero Xenith
I think the assumption comes from the entrance stats. For Maths, 1 in 5 get in; for Architecture, 1 in ~8-9 get in.

For Classics, 1 in 2 get in, and 1 in 3 for Arch+Anth.

Those figures seem very different to the ~1 in 5 average :smile:


Also, something like 70% of Classics students are in fact privately educated according to statistics. This is much more than in all the other subjects offered by Oxford or Cambridge. Personally, I've no issue with this, I'm just pointing out that when it comes to Classics it wouldn't be wrong or unfair to say the majority come from public schools.
Original post by Xero Xenith

Yeah, it's a bit frightening to be honest! Even a "Yes" at this stage is still only a ticket to the next round :s-smilie:


I think people get that but it'll make us feel temporarily badass so who cares!
Reply 90
Original post by lk2011
Also, something like 70% of Classics students are in fact privately educated according to statistics. This is much more than in all the other subjects offered by Oxford or Cambridge. Personally, I've no issue with this, I'm just pointing out that when it comes to Classics it wouldn't be wrong or unfair to say the majority come from public schools.


Although, the four year course (for people without Latin at A-level, which I'm applying for, basically a foundation year and then you take the normal course) is >70% state school, if memory serves. It's odd.
Reply 91

Original post by Aesc
Although, the four year course (for people without Latin at A-level, which I'm applying for, basically a foundation year and then you take the normal course) is >70% state school, if memory serves. It's odd.


Ahh that is pretty interesting! I doubt Latin and Greek and such are offered as subjects at most state schools though while at public schools those intending to do Classics would have taken them for A- Level and so don't need the foundation year! I'm only guessing here though.
Reply 92
Original post by Xero Xenith
Looking at the list, a load of people just went for top UMS :tongue:

Subject is important - maths people get double the number of offers they should, since about half fail STEP, so count them along with you :wink: And I don't think pooled applicants get counted, so someone who went for Emma, Kings, Trinity etc is more likely to get pooled (i.e. not counted as an offer) than an applicant to Churchill, Robinson etc.


I've got a friend who ended up applying for Oxford maths, on the advice of the school, who I'm sure feels very jammy now that his offer doesn't involve STEP. Which won't stop him taking it, of course...

Ah, I was wondering if pooling would be taken into consideration. I can't help feeling a pool offer should count...
Original post by Aesc
I've got a friend who ended up applying for Oxford maths, on the advice of the school, who I'm sure feels very jammy now that his offer doesn't involve STEP. Which won't stop him taking it, of course...

Ah, I was wondering if pooling would be taken into consideration. I can't help feeling a pool offer should count...


Ah yes, a pool offer should count, but quite a few people are pooled and then not contacted for a few weeks / left with no offer. I think (cpdavis could fill us in I think?) last year anyone who was pooled was used as a tie-breaker only to avoid this wait :smile:
Reply 94
Original post by lk2011
Ahh that is pretty interesting! I doubt Latin and Greek and such are offered as subjects at most state schools though while at public schools those intending to do Classics would have taken them for A- Level and so don't need the foundation year! I'm only guessing here though.


Pretty sure that would be it, although I (almost certainly unfairly) would have thought all private schools give Latin as an option and therefore 4-year would be 100% state school. I can't remember the figures, but the size of the foundation year cohort is much smaller than that of the 3-year course, so it doesn't balance it out much. Although I think Oxford is the university of choice for classics if you have Greek (usually as well as Latin), and that may indicate something about private schools on different levels?

My brain is too tired, and my Pratchett too tempting, for me to make sense now :biggrin:
Reply 95
Original post by lk2011
Ahh that is pretty interesting! I doubt Latin and Greek and such are offered as subjects at most state schools though while at public schools those intending to do Classics would have taken them for A- Level and so don't need the foundation year! I'm only guessing here though.


I'm very proud to be at one of the only state schools in the country offering both Latin and Greek (even if I am *the* only A2 Greek student :tongue: )!! I think your assumption holds pretty well actually. The three year course is also open to those who have taken A Level Latin, but not Greek, which may include a few more state schools (mine until a couple of years ago, actually).

And I am honoured to have 2 votes! (^_^) Although not too sure how much that will help me over the next few days...:tongue: Roll on Thursday.
Original post by Cupid93
I'm very proud to be at one of the only state schools in the country offering both Latin and Greek (even if I am *the* only A2 Greek student :tongue: )!! I think your assumption holds pretty well actually. The three year course is also open to those who have taken A Level Latin, but not Greek, which may include a few more state schools (mine until a couple of years ago, actually).

And I am honoured to have 2 votes! (^_^) Although not too sure how much that will help me over the next few days...:tongue: Roll on Thursday.


You'd have to do pretty badly at interview not to get an offer with your grades, I suspect! I'd be surprised if you didn't get in, at least...

I take solace, however, in a really childish sort of way in the fact that in the only subject we both do i beat you by 4 ums!!!
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Xero Xenith
Ah yes, a pool offer should count, but quite a few people are pooled and then not contacted for a few weeks / left with no offer. I think (cpdavis could fill us in I think?) last year anyone who was pooled was used as a tie-breaker only to avoid this wait :smile:


Pools will only be used as tiebreakers (though that's secondary tiebreaker if people are still tied after kicker).
Reply 98
Original post by hassi94
Pools will only be used as tiebreakers (though that's secondary tiebreaker if people are still tied after kicker).


How many people have got votes?
Original post by Cupid93
.


Looked at your sig, jaw dropped at 7As and then I realised you did the same trick I did; including General Studies :wink:

Still mighty impressive, wish everyone the best of luck - not that you'll pay attention to that :tongue:

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