Ask an Admissions Tutor III - 3 March -18 April

As a student applying from the USA for engineering, do I fulfill the entrance requirements?
1. "Top one or two percent"- how is this determined? Despite earning straight As in all my classes, all of which are honors classes, my class rank is actually around 4 percent because I refused to "play the game" and replace choir and tennis (worth 4/4 points) with many unnecessary PreAP courses (worth 5/4 points) to ensure a higher weighted GPA. If the ranking was done according to unweighted GPA, I'd easily be in the top percentiles, but my school does not calculate or report that rank.
2. SAT II scores: 800 in Math II, >700 for both Chemistry and Physics
3. AP scores: what counts as "appropriate subjects"? Due to scheduling conflicts, I have been unable to take any AP science courses so far, but am taking the equivalent of Physics 1 (Mechanics) but without the opportunity to take the test (due to College Board's revision of the AP Physics B curriculum), and will take Physics 2 (Electricity and Magnetism), Chemistry, and Statistics next year. In addition, I am attempting to take Physics C and, if it isn't offered next year (as seems likely), will likely self-study. This year I am taking BC Calculus, and I have many 5s on humanities tests and am taking several more.
4. SAT: what counts as a "high pass"? Due to excellent PSAT scores, I expect to do very well.
5. Related Extracurriculars: As well as founding a robotics team, I will complete an engineering internship over the next year. I have also been taking several university introductory classes online, including Computer Science, Biology, Solid-State Chemistry, and Mechanics (without a method of obtaining proof of completion, unfortunately) and doing a lot of reading. I also tutor science and math of all levels.

If I do receive an offer, what conditions would typically apply to someone in my position?
Thank you so much for your help!

Hi there, I am not sure what you are asking? People apply every year with grades already in hand. We would see these and take them and the rest of your application (including the interview) into account when making our decision.

Hi

I saw the other day that you were able to tell someone how many applicants for a certain subject had over the UMS pooling criteria of 93%.

If possible do you know how many economics applicants have over 93% and are thus automatically pooled?

Thank you, this thread has been great!

Hi, sorry, I thought that was written a bit confusing . I meant that I would receive my grades and OP after I apply but before interviews. Do you mean that when my finals grades come through they would go automatically onto UCAS and application despite having already applied? Sorry this is all probably very unclear.

Last year 229 Economics applicants taking A Levels had a best three average of 93 per cent or above. This was around 40 per cent of the total taking A Levels but nearly half of Economics applicants do not take A Levels (the highest proportion for any subject).

It certainly seems as if your GCSE and A Level profile is moving you in a science direction. Your GCSEs would be somewhat lower than that achieved by the average applicant for Cambridge and we would be looking for significant improvement at AS if you were thinking about applying to us.

Law is a subject that doesn't require specific subjects. it is reasonably unusual, however, for candidates not to have one essay-based subject in their A Level profile. The lack of one might concern universities somewhat simply because of the amount of essay writing that one needs to do in a Law course. That said, it is not impossible and, at Cambridge, your writing ability could be demonstrated by your performance in the Cambridge Law Test.

Thank you very much!

Do you know how many economics applicants taking A Levels were successful? Assuming the rest are foreign qualifications do you reckon that the international pool of applicants is as diverse in ability than the domestic one?

Thanks

Hi, ill be applying to Imperial College as well as Cambridge next year for engineering. The Cambridge course is general for the first two years, but the Imperial one will not be (so I will apply for Mechanical or Aeronautical). In my personal statement, if I make it specific will I be hindering my chances of a cambridge place?

Hi, not sure if this has been asked before but would it be possible to attend a college open day and the uni open day on the same day? Or would I have to attend the college open day on the 3rd and the uni open day on the 4th?

Thanks

What about medicine?
Thank you

A reminder of my grade profile:

GCSE's:
Biology-A*
Physics-A*
ICT Higher- D*(distinction*)
Chemistry-A
Core science-A
Maths-A
English Lit-A
English lang-A
History-A
Electronics-A
Philosophy and Ethics-A

ICT BTEC QCF(self taught): Distinction*

AS-levelsall predicted A)
Physics(AS)
Chemistry(AS)
Maths(AS/A2 taken in yr12)
Further maths(AS/A2 taken in yr13)

Nb: i also plan to take AS biology in year 13...would this hinder my application?

@admissionstutor
Basically i did horribly in GCSE's getting only two A's and the rest b's due to severe family problems which i can tell you in private message. But in AS i have taken maths further maths physics and chemistry. In my mocks i got 100 in maths and further maths and 95-100% in physics and chemistry. I also achieved a gold in the maths challenge and completed round 1 of the british mathematical olympiad. I want to apply for mathematics. Will tutors understand that my low gcse's were nothing to do with my ability. Also my low gcse'/s have led to no summer schools taking an application and no taster courses etc being available to me.


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Hi there,

I'm just about to complete an undergraduate degree in economics and I am interested in applying to Cambridge's masters course. However I'm intended of taking up a job offer and working in industry for 2/3 years. Will I still be able to apply on equal ground, down the line, if I am not coming straight from university studies?

Thanks in advance.

Hello.

I realise this probably isn't the purpose of the thread but I'm slightly stuck with regards to my application last year (the ongoing cycle). I applied to Jesus College, was pooled and eventually rejected. We were told feedback would be arriving by late Feb the latest, and we're now well into April and I've heard nothing whereas my friend who also applied to Jesus heard months ago. As the feedback goes through the school one is studying at, should I contact them and ask or should I get school to?

Thanks. I used this thread last year and it was immensely helpful, so I hope hopeful applicants make the most of it!

Hello, I've noticed that on the website, further maths is useful for a economics undergraduate course. Will I be heavily disadvantaged in the application process if I do not take the subject? Many thanks in advance

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