Ask an Admissions Tutor - applying at 21+

Dear Lucy Cavendish Admissions Tutor,

Hi, I am a 22-year old postgraduate applicant and have two questions that I hope you can help me with:

1. I have applied for the MPhil in Innovation, Strategy and Organisations in mid-February and I am still 'under consideration by department'. I recently received an offer from another university in the US that requires me to respond before April 30, as the programme starts earlier there (in late August). Should I email the postgraduate admissions team at Cambridge to enquire whether I can hear back by April 30? Or is there any other way that I can expect roughly when I'll hear back?

2. I have chosen "standard" (non-mature) colleges such as St. Johns and King's on my application that I submitted in February. However, I just read from this forum that mature students are only considered at these colleges in the October round and not the March round. Does that mean I have a lower chance of being accepted?

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

The time lag on offers can vary depending on the course, and when you applied, so I would suggest you e-mail the Graduate Admissions Office and explain your situation, yes.

The October Round and March Round restrictions are relevant only to students applying for undergraduate courses, not postgraduate courses -you don't need to worry about them.

I hope this helps!

Hi again,

I received a decision after interview from Lucy Cavendish yesterday, however it was via UCAS, and not an email from the college itself. I know Cambridge usually like to give out offers themselves before updating UCAS, so I'm just wondering if I can count on the decision being final... or if I should wait for an email/letter from the college itself before getting too excited?

Thanks!

Hi again,

I received a decision after interview from Lucy Cavendish yesterday, however it was via UCAS, and not an email from the college itself. I know Cambridge usually like to give out offers themselves before updating UCAS, so I'm just wondering if I can count on the decision being final... or if I should wait for an email/letter from the college itself before getting too excited?

Thanks!

Was thinking the exact same thing!

Some applicants have received offers via track this week. Have those who haven't heard been unsuccessful? Thanks

Would rejections also be put through on UCAS? Thanks.

(and sorry for the questions!)

Hello Emily,

I have got a couple more final, I hope, questions for you. Sorry for bothering you so much.

I got the feedback today. I will not go into detail but it says that the college would be happy to see my application next year however it does not warrant that since I was interviewed this time, I will be next time... I suppose it depends on the competition next year? (as it appears it has been very competitive this year...)

Since you have informed me that if I am to take STEP this summer I am in a competitive advantage as compared to college students when I apply this October, I decided that I shall give a go at doing STEP I and STEP II this June 15 and June 17; I have already found an exam center that can invigilate the test. The question to this part is following, If I am to take STEP I and STEP II this summer, am I allowed to retake this the next? I am just trying to think out all the possible outcomes and what would I do in each of those.

The next question is about application to ordinary college. Say I have applied to Trinity for argument's sake, and I have a conditional offer from them, saying that I have to achieve 1 in STEP III to be accepted. Am I just left with this option and I have to wait until August to figure out whether I am in? Because this goes against my initial plan that if I am not successful with ordinary college I can still apply to mature college in March. But since I have an open application in ordinary college and I have conditional offer, I would assume I cannot apply to a mature college as a back-up?

This one is about references. Next time I apply, if I am to apply to this same college, my references are exactly the same... So I cannot impress anyone with what they already now.. Plus one of the referees will be "outdated", namely my bachelors referee, and I don't think my current employer would be happy about me leaving and thus it would be awkward to ask them to write a reference. Which means I am left with just a single reference. So the question is, can I still use my both initial referees again?

And the final question is, since it says in the feedback that the college would be happy to see my application next year, do you think it is still worth applying to them, or shall I rather go with Hughes Hall as initially planned?

Thank you, and sorry for this massive post...

Hi again,

I'm still yet to receive anything in the post, I know that you previously addressed an issue with postal service but I'm starting to think that it might never make it here/has been lost, as some other candidates received mail Friday.
Would it be possible to receive more information via email, or is it worth waiting till 25th for further correspondence? I appreciate that you are all very busy at the moment, so no problem either way.

Thanks

You can retake STEP next year, yes.


If you apply to Trinity in October, and get a conditional offer from them of 1 in STEP III, then yes, that is your only option and you have to wait until August 2016 to find out whether you have been accepted. You cannot apply to a mature college next March if you have already submitted an application to an ordinary college in October: candidates can only apply to Cambridge once in each academic year. If you don't apply to Trinity in October, but apply to a mature college next March, you may still receive a conditional offer based on STEP results, and would still have to wait until August 2016 to find out whether you had been accepted.


Most colleges only require a single reference, the UCAS reference. It is worth checking with whichever college you select that they actually need a second reference, before worrying too much about acquiring one. If your two current referees can still provide up-to-date commentary, I'm sure it is fine to use them, rather than an employer; as a general rule, academic references are more helpful than employer references, anyway.


I generally recommend that second-time applicants select a different college, to be honest, unless they are specifically and explicitly told to re-apply to the same one (for example, in the event of serious extenuating circumstances). It doesn't sound as though that is the case here.

1) Would Trinity know that I have applied to St Edmund's if I do not specify it in PS or elsewhere? And would this in any way change their assessment of my application?

2) Would I be able to get pooled into a mature college if I apply to an ordinary one?

Hi there

I really hope at some point to apply to medicine as a degree holder in psychology, and hopefully in the near future a masters in cognitive neuroscience.

Is psychology deemed an appropriate science degree (BSc) for entry?

What is your view of graduate students that apply to do medicine on both undergraduate courses and graduate entry?

As admission is based on scoring (/10) - is everyone evaluated based on all of their merits, or is there a 'roof' so to speak on what is considered in categories such as experience and education?

Sorry for so many questions, and thanks in advance!

We accept graduates of all disciplines for the Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine, provided they meet the course requirements: GCSEs in English, Mathematics and either Double Science or Biology and Physics, at Grade C or above; A-level Chemistry (passed within the previous seven years), at grade A or above; AS or A-levels in two of Biology, Mathematics and Physics. For the standard course in Medicine (to which you can apply as an affiliate), some colleges do prefer a Science degree; Psychology should be fine, however.

It is common for graduate students to apply to both courses, and I would regard it as sensible, if you really wish to study at Cambridge.

The scoring system for the Graduate Course in Medicine is rather more complex than /10. Broadly speaking, education and academic achievement carries 2/3 of the pre-interview marks, and experience/reflection on that experience 1/3. However, the first 'cut' for both the Graduate Course ad the standard course is effected on the basis of academic achievement alone.