How did you choose your college to apply to at Cambridge?

Original post by an_atheist

I'm just putting in an Open application. I get the feeling that the differences are minor between colleges, but I'm not the most decisive of people anyway.

Good idea. :smile:

I don't know anyone at Cambridge (and I know many) who wish they were at another college. Everyone thinks theirs is the best, even they were pooled there from their first choice college.
I'm sure you'll be happy with the college their computer system picked for you.
Good luck with your application. :smile:

Reply 24

Original post by an_atheist

I'm just putting in an Open application. I get the feeling that the differences are minor between colleges, but I'm not the most decisive of people anyway.

don't do that, if there are colleges you would prefer to avoid (female-only -if you're female, of course- too far away, too "ugly" etc etc)

just look what happened to poor Adolf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4QcrUQNr-k

best

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 25

Original post by mariachi

That video has been going around for ages..... :biggrin:

He was pooled to Girton from another college he applied. That can happen to anyone. Nothing to do with open application.
And the computer does not allocate a boy to a female college. They know it will cause a huge fight between those Amazonesses over the boy and he won't survive even one term....

On more serious note....
many gorgeous looking colleges with beautiful old buildings also,have really ugly accommodations that's built in 60s/70s, and it's a good chance you end up in living there for a year or two.
And gorgeous looks out side is sometimes deceptive too. The inside may not be as good looking as the outside suggest.......

Reply 26

Original post by vincrows

That video has been going around for ages..... :biggrin:

we know, we know. But it's still quite funny

point stays . Either putting in an open application, or choosing a heavily oversubscribed college increases your chances of finally attending a college you would perhaps have preferred not to go to

open applications are of course allocated mostly to the less/desired colleges, and the pooling system (while quite effective) is far from being perfect . In any case, successful pooled candidates are also admitted, to a great extent, to the less desired colleges

I know this goes against the official theory, but this is what happens in reality, as far as I can tell

best

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 27

Original post by mariachi

we know, we know. But it's still quite funny

point stays . Either putting in an open application, or choosing a heavily oversubscribed college, increases your chances of finally attending a college you would perhaps have preferred not to go to

open applications are of course allocated mostly to the less/desired colleges, and the pooling system (while quite effective) is far from being perfect . In any case, pooled candidates are also admitted, to a great extent, to the less desired colleges

I know this goes against the official theory, but this is what happens in reality, as far as I can tell

best

Evidence?
I'm pretty sure Cambridge has a little bit bigger data application base than you have to come to their analysis....... :wink:

Reply 28

Original post by vincrows

Evidence?
I'm pretty sure Cambridge has a little bit bigger data application base than you have to come to their analysis....... :wink:

just check on the usual Cambridge statistics page http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

where are most open applications allocated ? how many candidates are pooled to Trinity or Kings as compared to, say, Homerton, Girton, Murray Edwards etc ?

best

Reply 29

Original post by mariachi

That doesn't mean applying direct to Homerton is a better approach. They can, and do, reject many direct applicants in preference to taking from the pool.

Bottomline, apply to the college you prefer, but just in the knowledge you may be pooled anyway. Your objective is to get into Cambridge, not so much a specific college.

Reply 30

1010marina

I did the CUSU shadowing scheme (if you can do it, I really recommend it) at Queen's. Lived it, so applied there. Got rejected lol

Reply 31

Original post by jneill

there are two issues here

-open applications. These are allocated mainly to the less-desired colleges. King's, Trinity, St Johns are allocated virtually no open applications at all, while Homerton, Girton, Murray Edwards etc receive the bulk of open applications (up to half of their applicant base or more)

-pooling system. Check where most pooled candidates go. The oversubscribed colleges take in very few candidates via the pool / sometimes none at all, but they pool many of their candidates to other colleges (those less sought after). The less sought after colleges absorb the overwhelming majority of successfully pooled candidates

The direct/indirect issue is a different one. Depends what you mean by "direct/indirect". Arguably, during the "normal" procedure, applications (whether computer-allocated or not) are examined more at length and more carefully than pooled ones, during the hectic pooling process, and thus there is less of an element of chance involved (but, as said, this is a different issue, and I obviously never took part in such procedures). Where you are right, is that computer-allocated applications are treated the same as the rest

Bottomline . If you strongly dislike some colleges and want absolutely to avoid them, avoid applying to oversubscribed colleges, or making an open application

if you think you would be happy at any college, and would not mind any of the less desired ones, then this does not obviously matter

best

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 32

Original post by mariachi

The direct/indirect issue is a different one. Arguably, direct applications are examined more at length and more carefully than indirect ones, during the hectic pooling process, and thus there is less of an element of chance involved (but, as said, this is a different issue, and I obviously never took part in such procedures)

No. Colleges do not know if an applicant was direct or Open. Only CAO knows that.

That's why interviewers are told not to ask "why do you want to go to <this> college".

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 33

Original post by jneill

No. Colleges do not know if an applicant was direct or Open. Only CAO knows that.

That's why interviewers are told not to ask "why do you want to go to <this> college".

Posted from TSR Mobile

you didn't read my post carefully. I wrote

mariachi

Where you are right, is that computer-allocated applications are treated the same as the rest

as I said, we have to define what we mean by direct and indirect. In the sentence by me that you quoted, i used "direct" as opposed to "pooled", not as opposed to "computer-allocated"

if you look at my edited post, I think that it clarifies this issue

best

Reply 34

Original post by mariachi

I obviously never took part in such procedures

Probably the key to your whole premise :wink:

Reply 35

Original post by mariachi

you didn't read my post carefully. I wrote

as I said, we have to define what we mean by direct and indirect. In the sentence by me that you quoted, i used "direct" as opposed to "pooled", not as opposed to "computer-allocated"

if you look at my edited post, I think that it clarifies this issue

best

Can I ask you something?
This is not the first time you some to this forum with such argument. You;ve been doing it since 2014.
In fact, almost all your posts in this forum is based around the same 'theory' you seem to have, and every, time some one explained to you your interpretation of data is wrong.
yet, you still come back with same argument.
Why are you doing it???

Any kind of data is only useful and reliably usable by people who know the whole picture behind those numbers in statistic. Without those knowledge, you're bound to misinterpret and come to a wrong conclusion, as what you can see is just numbers, not the complicated pictures behind the numbers.
That's why all the admission tutors/staff and the university website have been telling applicants repeatedly NOT TO PLAY THE STATISTIC GAME, as 1) it doesn't work, 2) the analysis of the data (just numbers) is probably wrong.

So lets stop wasting each other's time now.
If you're still not convinced, we can just agree to disagree and say good bye to each other, forever.

Bye. :smile:

Reply 36

neither jneill nor vincrows have proved my points wrong. They have clearly focused on marginal details, and avoided the substance

bottom line = if you dislike some colleges like Girton, Murray Edwards, Homerton etc (or, if a girl, Newnham or Lucy Cavendiish) and want to reduce the risk of going there

- don't make an open application

- don't apply to extremely popular colleges such as King's, Trinity, St John's

best

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 37