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Ask an Admissions Tutor IX, 4th August - 2nd September

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Original post by James88898
I obtained a A* in maths, A* in Further maths, 87% in Chemistry and was 1 UMS off the A* in physics (I am retaking one of the Physics modules).


It might help the CAT if you include your course, and also the UMS in Maths and FM.
Should I bother to apply to Cambridge with AAAB at AS? I'm dropping the B as it isn't relevant to Economics. I'm predicted 3 A*'s in A2 and got 92% UMS in Maths
Original post by AnIndianGuy
Should I bother to apply to Cambridge with AAAB at AS? I'm dropping the B as it isn't relevant to すEconomics. I'm predicted 3 A*'s in A2 and got 92% UMS in Maths


What are other 3 subjects?
As long as you're on the course to achieve their minimum requirement, it's always worth applying but only if you apply with enough relevant subjects.
Original post by vincrows
What are other 3 subjects?
As long as you're on the course to achieve their minimum requirement, it's always worth applying but only if you apply with enough relevant subjects.


Maths, Economics, Chemistry - A B in Biology
Original post by AnIndianGuy
Maths, Economics, Chemistry - A B in Biology


No FM, or planning to do it next year?
Not all, but many successful applicants applied with FM. May worth self-study the relevant modules (esp. Statistics) in FM if you want to increase your chance of successful application as much as possible.
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi I have a question regarding how universities use GCSE results. I received a poor grade in ad maths (D) but As and A* in other subjects including an A* in maths. I am taking Maths and Further Maths as well as Computing and German for A level and would like to go to either Imperial or Bath to do Computer Science. Their requirements for A-level are A*AA and AAA respectively. My question is this, do I need to retake my GCSE Ad Maths in order to potentially get an offer or should I just focus on doing well in my first year of A-levels. I am not clear how much weight is given to GCSEs when universities are making offers.

Thank you
Original post by Dave5634
Hi I have a question regarding how universities use GCSE results. I received a poor grade in ad maths (D) but As and A* in other subjects including an A* in maths. I am taking Maths and Further Maths as well as Computing and German for A level and would like to go to either Imperial or Bath to do Computer Science. Their requirements for A-level are A*AA and AAA respectively. My question is this, do I need to retake my GCSE Ad Maths in order to potentially get an offer or should I just focus on doing well in my first year of A-levels. I am not clear how much weight is given to GCSEs when universities are making offers.

Thank you



This thread is specific to Cambridge, but in any case I don't think you need to retake Additional Maths if you are doing Maths and Further Maths at A-level.
Original post by champ_mc99
Sorry if this is annoying now but just to put it into perspective: which is nicer, 10 A*s or 10 A*s and 2 As?


They are both excellent results. Without seeing the whole application and knowing the subject applied for and the subjects involved at GCSE, it's impossible to say which is better.
Original post by surina16
Hi there,

I am planning on taking Biology, Chemistry, Maths and FM (all to A2) and also the EPQ. This is because I am conflicted between Medicine and something along the lines of Computing.

How disadvantaged would I be if I applied to Computer Science with these subjects (ie. without Physics + Computing, although I did do Computing at GCSE)?

Thanks :smile:


Hi there and thanks for your questions. No, you wouldn't be disadvantaged if you chose to do Comp Sci with Maths, FM and Chemistry in your profile. Computing isn't necessary for Comp Sci and Physics is useful but not more so than FM.
Original post by Strimpy
Hi, sorry that you've probably answered this question a million times lol
but what would you say are the main differences between the applications processes at Oxford and Cambridge, in terms of what you look for in an applicant.
eg. do you value GCSE grades more, is it more about the admissions test etc


I don't think we are looking for different things from Oxford, we both want highly motivated students who have achieved highly and have the potential to do really well. We use many of the same things to try to identify these things and I think that we would both say that we look holistically at the whole application.

I suppose a significant difference might be in the way we use admissions tests/assessments and the interviews. Oxford use their tests, in conjunction with other data, as a strong filter in popular subjects to try to reduce the field to between 25 and 3 students per place. In Cambridge we interview a larger proportion of the field (between c.70% and c.90% depending on the subject) and consequently it might be true to say that the interview and test are marginally more important at Oxford than they are at Cambridge. I'm happy to be corrected by an Oxford admissions person but that is my impression.

A big difference used to be our use of AS Levels but that is now less of an issue than in the past due to the reforms of A levels in England.
Original post by jelibean
Thank you for your answer. I am looking at applying to Pembroke; is this one of the colleges reluctant to taking underage students? Again, I'm worried about this because on the website they said that they "encourage those who are very young (i.e. would be coming up to Pembroke under 18) to defer" and do an internship instead....

Thanks again.


If that is the wording on their website then it seems that they would be reluctant to accept for direct entry students under the age of 18, so, if you are determined not to take a gap year, you might like to look at another college. Your best bet, however, especially if you are set on Pembroke is to email them, explain your situation and ask for clarification on what they have said on the website and whether you would be better off applying to a different college.
Original post by vincrows
Thank you for taking time to reply my yet another irrelevant question. :tongue:

Having read your explanation, why some people switched at the end of first year and others at the end of second year makes much more sense to me now. :smile:


You're welcome, as always! :smile:
Original post by thegreen1990
Hello!

I wish to apply to do History, I got 100 UMS at GCSE and have been getting between 85-100% on my practice essays all year. However, in my AS (reformed) I got a B, I feel I was under marked and will be getting it remarked and I am hopeful it will increase, as I was only 2 marks away from the grade boundary. Also my teachers and I are confident that I will achieve at least an A at A2. In my other 3 AS levels, also essay based, my results were 93x2 UMS and 94 UMS with 100% on two papers.

As History is my chosen subject, what impact will that lower grade have on my application? As I worry that my application is significantly weaker than if the lower result was in one of the other three subjects.

Thanks!


Hello and thanks for your question. I am afraid that you won't be surprised to know that a B in AS History is going to impact your application negatively, as the majority of applicants who have taken AS Levels will have achieved an A in History. On this important measure, therefore, a public exam in your chosen subject, you will be at a disadvantage.

That doesn't mean, however, that you can't make it, you will simply have to be stronger elsewhere in the application and be able to persuade us through these elements that the History result was a blip and that you are likely to get an A or A* in History at A Level and will flourish in our system.
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Hi there and thanks for your questions. No, you wouldn't be disadvantaged if you chose to do Comp Sci with Maths, FM and Chemistry in your profile. Computing isn't necessary for Comp Sci and Physics is useful but not more so than FM.


Great :biggrin: Thank you so much for the reply :h:
Hello hello,
First of all, thank you very much for making this thread, brilliant advice all round!
Last year for AS I didn't get the grades needed to apply to Cambridge (all B's, all a couple of marks off an A, grr), so instead of applying during my A2's I decided to have a year out and apply with my existing A2 grades. I managed to up my game to an A* in Edexcel Maths (96% in A2, with 98% in C4), along with an A in AQA physics and a B in AQA Chemistry (dropped Psychology after achieving a B at AS). Whilst completing my A2's I also began AS Edexcel Further Mathematics, achieving an A, and I am currently teaching myself the A2 and will take the exams next year (Aiming for another A*). If I manage to achieve an A* next year I will be over the requirements to study Mathematics (A*A*AB). However, as I'm completing my overall A-levels over 3 years (whilst only doing each subject for 2), I'm extremely unsure as to whether I qualify. During my year out I am also tutoring y13's in Maths, along with completing different work experiences which all include different elements of Mathematics (I.e computer animation, audio mechanics, and web design), whilst also learning how to program javascript to make some of my own websites. I also achieved 7 A*'s , 2 A's and 3 B's at GCSE if that helps! I'm writing to ask whether there would be anything else I could do to improve my application (besides STEP, which I will definitely be doing), as I've always dreamed of studying Maths at Cambridge! Thanks!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by vincrows
No FM, or planning to do it next year?
Not all, but many successful applicants applied with FM. May worth self-study the relevant modules (esp. Statistics) in FM if you want to increase your chance of successful application as much as possible.


Well I did S1 at AS and I am doing S2 this year. I won't take up FM
Original post by strawburied
Hi there,

I am going to do ASs in maths, FM, chemistry and physics, and achieved all A*s at GCSE. With applicants for maths/natsci/engineering, how much emphasis is placed on grades outside of those subjects above? I am thinking about doing an extra AS since it really interests me and I enjoy studying it. I feel as though I'd improve my skills better being taught in school than learning online, and I could always drop it if the workload got too much or affected my main subjects.
Would lower grades in extra subjects be of detriment to the overall application? Would say, AAAA in the above combination of subjects be valued higher than AAAA plus a B in a subject irrelevant to the course I want to apply for? How about AAAABB, or AAAABC as opposed to AAAA? Thanks.


Hello and congratulations on your GCSE results. At A Level for Natural Sciences we are uninterested in results beyond Maths, FM, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. How you do in subjects outside these will play no part in your application. if you want to do them it's fine just make sure that it's not going to affect your sciences negatively.
Original post by Strimpy
Hi sorry to ask another question in such quick succession but just been reading through the thread and thought I'd best ask this as well

I'm looking to study history.

My AS grades were :
History- A (Unit 1: 100% UMS Unit 2: 90% UMS)
German - A (Unit 1 speaking: 100% UMS Unit 2 writing: 92% UMS)
Maths - A ( C1: 80% UMS C2: 80% UMS S1: 90% UMS)
Economics - D (Unit 1: 83% UMS Unit 2: 42% UMS)

My GCSE's were: 7A*'s, 4A's and 1 B

Obviously I'm dropping economics lol and I'm getting it remarked as that Unit 2 mark seems odd compared to what I got in the mocks.

However I'm aware that the D in economics probably ruins my chances of getting in but I'm just asking for your opinion on my chances, would I have to do ridiculously well on the new history admissions test to have any chances of an interview?


thanks @jneill for your reply btw, in your opinion do you think Cambridge will start weighting their new admissions tests they're implementing this year in the same way as Oxford always has?


With three As at AS Level (are you in Wales or Northern Ireland given that you still have UMS?) you will be a good candidate and there's no reason why you would have to perform at a significantly higher level than normal to get an interview. The D in Economics will obviously be a concern but not an insurmountable one by any means.

We won't be using the assessments to de-select large portions of the field in the same way Oxford does for popular subjects there. They will be a useful data point and will be a factor in de-selection and offer making but not an overriding one.
Original post by AnIndianGuy
Well I did S1 at AS and I am doing S2 this year. I won't take up FM


Is that because your school doesn't offer further maths? Many colleges prefer even then that you self teach AS further maths when applying for economics. I'm applying for economics this year too btw, so this is just what I've found out from websites and open days etc.
Original post by matt.thorne10
Is that because your school doesn't offer further maths? Many colleges prefer even then that you self teach AS further maths when applying for economics. I'm applying for economics this year too btw, so this is just what I've found out from websites and open days etc.

No I am offered Further Maths I just didn't take it

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