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Ask an Admissions Tutor VII. 17th August - 4th September

OP

Original post by rkhan57

What do you mainly look for in a postgraduate student?

Good grades, good references and, if relevant, a good research proposal.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1041

username1865079

14

Original post by Christ's Admissions

It's quite common for Chemistry to be lower than people expect/think. It is usually the lowest score among medics applications and the one that drags them down. If there has been a nationwide problem, as with the English situation, it's something we are aware of and can make some informal allowance for.

Thank you for reply.
So for this year's chemistry it's not a national problem but it's likely to just as 'normal' then?

So when you're assessing the applicants with A-level chemistry, would you take those unreliability/unpredictability of grade in the subject into account by, for example, using their GCSE chemistry grade more than you'd do with other subjects as a benchmark?

Reply 1042

Ozark

7

Original post by Christ's Admissions

I've not seen an offer below A*AA for a while. Christ's used to give EE offers to some candidates until about 4 or 5 years ago but this no longer happens.

Thanks for the reply!

Reply 1043

efaa

Hi,
I'm a student from Ireland and I just completed my Leaving Certificate exams.
My results were
English - A1
French - A1
Irish - A1
Biology - A1
Religion - A1
History - B1
Maths - B3 (600 points)

And although I have received an offer to study Law in Trinity College Dublin, my real dream has always been to go to Cambridge. So now I can't decide whether or not to apply to Cambridge with these LC results? I'm not sure if they are strong enough or not in comparison with the A-Level system? Also would I have to take a gap year or could I still take my place in Trinity and then just start again as a first year next year if I got an offer?
Thank you!

OP

Original post by Idomaths

I am thinking about applying to Cambridge for maths but my ums score is 85% over 12 modules but I have 2 A*s in Maths and Further Maths at A2 (achieved in year 11 and in year 12). The score is lower than what it should be because some modules were taken in year 9,10 and 11 and for example the 62% in M1 achieved in year 11 does not reflect my ability in mechanics as I have 188/200 over M2 and M3.

My GCSEs are 2 A* 8A 2B
And I have a low A in physics AS and a high B in history AS

What are my chances of being made an offer?

Hello and thanks for your question. Given the unusual nature of your scores and the way you achieved them it is very hard to make any sort of accurate prediction about your chances of an offer.

When students have clearly taken modules too early then UMS averages obviously don't tell the whole story (they rarely do in any case but particularly not in instances such as this).

What we would need to do is to look closely at your mos recent modules, which seem to be much more encouraging, and to test that at interview. I think in your case a good deal of your chances of an offer would rest upon your performance at interview because the paper record is somewhat unreliable in offering a consistent picture of your abilities. Were we to think you worthy of an offer then obviously STEP would be the final and most important test.

I am sorry not to be more definite but I hope that this is of some use to you.

OP

Original post by miral

Hi. I'll be applying this year for the course Education with history at Homerton College I have a couple of queries.

1. Education with history does not require the TSA but history separately does so would I have to give the TSA or not?

2. I am an over-seas applicant and the cambridge website states that overseas applicant will have to give a admissions test. What exactly does that entail?

3.Firstly, I am currently doing my Alevels. I will appear for my Alevel exams in June 2016. However I have not given any AS-level exams after my Olevels. So do I need to submit an internal exams transcript covering my Alevel years?

1 & 2. If you are applying overseas and interviewed overseas then you will sit a test which is a form of the TSA with an essay section attached. If you are going to be interviewed in Cambridge then you'll have to ask Homerton whether you'd take the TSA, I'm afraid I don't know how they handle that.

3) We ask overseas students to submit internal transcripts if possible.

OP

Original post by vincrows

Thank you for reply.
So for this year's chemistry it's not a national problem but it's likely to just as 'normal' then?

So when you're assessing the applicants with A-level chemistry, would you take those unreliability/unpredictability of grade in the subject into account by, for example, using their GCSE chemistry grade more than you'd do with other subjects as a benchmark?

As far as we know, yes. If it emerges as a bigger problem, we'll be aware of it by the time decisions are being made. Schools will often tell us in the reference that a whole year group did less well than expected in this or that unit of this or that subject and that can be helpful information if a candidate's score is obviously out of line with their expectations and with their performance elsewhere.

We wouldn't usually use GCSE Chemistry as a benchmark as nearly all serious Science applicants would have an A* in this. The jump between GCSE and A Level in the Science is very big so using GCSE isn't terribly helpful.

OP

Original post by efaa

Hi,
I'm a student from Ireland and I just completed my Leaving Certificate exams.
My results were
English - A1
French - A1
Irish - A1
Biology - A1
Religion - A1
History - B1
Maths - B3 (600 points)

And although I have received an offer to study Law in Trinity College Dublin, my real dream has always been to go to Cambridge. So now I can't decide whether or not to apply to Cambridge with these LC results? I'm not sure if they are strong enough or not in comparison with the A-Level system? Also would I have to take a gap year or could I still take my place in Trinity and then just start again as a first year next year if I got an offer?
Thank you!

Hi there and thanks for your question. You have the requisite 5 As in your ILC so that would allow you to apply to Cambridge if you wanted. The Bs in History and Maths aren't ideal but I would think you would have a decent chance. We prefer not to poach students from other universities (especially UK ones) and although TCD isn;t a British university obviously, you would have a better chance applying if you hadnt taken your place there, which means you have to think seriously about whether to throw over your place at an excellent university to apply for Cambridge. That's obviously not something I can answer, only you can in consultation with your old school and family. Best of luck with whatever you decide. :smile:

Reply 1048

not you

11

How much would you look at Scottish National 5 grades? Do you need to know bands for those?

The Cambridge admin handbook says that you rank GCSEs based on number of A*s and As on relative school performance but does this apply to Scottish N5?

OP

As there have been a lot of questions about quintiles based on UMS, I thought I'd give the boundaries for some subjects which may help people gauge their position relative to last year. I'm not going to give Maths so please don't ask as the SUMS average is much less important for Maths than for other Science subjects. To remind people, there are five quintiles for people with best three or SUMS averages (SUMS is calculated from best three Maths/Science where available or best two if not with all Maths modules counting as one Maths average)

Medicine (SUMS -752 candidates out of 1288 total): A/B boundary: 96.7%. B/C boundary: 94.7%, C/D boundary:92.3% D/E boundary: 88.2%.

Natural Sciences both Phys and Bio and Chem Eng via Nat Sci (SUMS - 1876 out of 3018 total): A/B boundary: 95.5%. B/C boundary: 92.8%. C/D boundary: 89.9%. D/E boundary: 86.1%.

Engineering including Chem Eng via Engineering (SUMS - 1168 out of 2063 total): A/B boundary: 94.7%. B/C boundary: 91.9%. C/D boundary: 89.2%. D/E boundary: 85.7%.

Comp Sci, all routes (SUMS - 301 out of 625 total): A/B boundary: 93.0%. B/C boundary: 90.1%. C/D boundary: 86.7%. D/E boundary: 83.2%.

I will add the big Humanities subjects tomorrow when I have time (Economics, Law, History, English, MML, HSPS). I'm not going to do the smaller subjects as the numbers are small enough to lead to major variation from year to year so please don't ask.

OP

Original post by not you

How much would you look at Scottish National 5 grades? Do you need to know bands for those?

The Cambridge admin handbook says that you rank GCSEs based on number of A*s and As on relative school performance but does this apply to Scottish N5?

Much less than Highers. I don't think we need bands off the top of my head for National 5. No, we don't get data on school performance as the Scottish government doesn't release it.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1051

Doones

21

Original post by Christ's Admissions

As there have been a lot of questions about quintiles based on UMS, I thought I'd give the boundaries for some subjects which may help people gauge their position relative to last year.

Are these for the entire uni for 2015 or just Christ's?

Posted from TSR Mobile

OP

Original post by jneill

Are these for the entire uni for 2015 or just Christ's?

Posted from TSR Mobile

The entire university

Reply 1053

Doones

21

Original post by Christ's Admissions

The entire university

Thanks.

Reply 1054

Cnoel

Hi there,
I was just wondering what conditions a Scottish student has to satisfy for compulsory pooling, or if a Scottish candidates is not eligible for compulsory pooling no matter what their results.
Thanks for your help

OP

Original post by Cnoel

Hi there,
I was just wondering what conditions a Scottish student has to satisfy for compulsory pooling, or if a Scottish candidates is not eligible for compulsory pooling no matter what their results.
Thanks for your help

Four A1s in Highers or 3 A1s in Advanced Highers. In Sciences subjects they need to be in Maths/Sciences.

Reply 1056

C0balt

16

Original post by Christ's Admissions

Four A1s in Highers or 3 A1s in Advanced Highers. In Sciences subjects they need to be in Maths/Sciences.

Hi I wanted to reply to your private message but it says your inbox is full!
But anyway thanks for letting me know about the quintiles in PM :redface:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1057

Cnoel

Original post by Christ's Admissions

Four A1s in Highers or 3 A1s in Advanced Highers. In Sciences subjects they need to be in Maths/Sciences.

Sorry for the follow up question, but if I'm applying for maths would 5 A1s in maths, physics, chemistry, geography and English (including 96% in maths higher exam and 98% in the maths higher prelim) give me a good chance of being eligible for compulsory pooling? Thanks again

OP

Original post by C0balt

Hi I wanted to reply to your private message but it says your inbox is full!
But anyway thanks for letting me know about the quintiles in PM :redface:

Posted from TSR Mobile

I've emptied a bit now but you're welcome, I thought it ight be better at the top of your thread than lost 1,000 posts down in mine. :smile:

OP

Original post by Cnoel

Sorry for the follow up question, but if I'm applying for maths would 5 A1s in maths, physics, chemistry, geography and English (including 96% in maths higher exam and 98% in the maths higher prelim) give me a good chance of being eligible for compulsory pooling? Thanks again

Well done on your results, they are excellent. No, it wouldn't give you a good chance of compulsory pooling - it exceeds the requirements for compulsory pooling, so you are guaranteed to be pooled if your original colleges doesn't make you an offer! :smile:

Ask an Admissions Tutor VII. 17th August - 4th September

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