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Original post by oopswronganswer
...If this is true, does this mean CIE candidates are disadvantaged, when you look at PUM?Thanks :smile:


No, we know all the above and PUMS is treated differently. :smile:
Original post by spico
For engineering, what additional assessments are required by Peterhouse as part of the application process, and are there practice resources for said papers?


All informaion is available on our website, including what to expect at interview for each subject and a list of dates and deadlines.

For Engineering, there is the University-wide pre-interview assessments and a separate at-interview test set by Peterhouse. Information can be found on the Engineering page of our website. Past papers are resources are deliberately not made available as no special preparation is necessary for this test, beyond what you already do at school - you just turn up and do your best. We don't want you to spend hours and hours doing work that really isn't necessary when you could be working on your A levels, reading or doing something fun.
Original post by Nobody213
Thanks for the reply :smile: May I ask if there are any plans to release last years CSAT papers?


I don't know - this is handled centrally and not by the Colleges so it wouldn't be our decision. As I mentioned a moment ago about our test, we at Peterhouse are reluctant to release past papers as it just encourages candidates to go completely overboard on unnecessary prep. If you're on top of your current schoolwork and have checked whatever specifications and examples that may be available then nothing else is needed. You turn up and do your best.
Original post by YOLOforever
hi, I want to ask how do extra-circular activities factor into the admission process. I want to study engineering so would it be worthwhile to mention in my personal statement some activities(Chinese med. research) I joined which improved my research skills significantly but is not related at all to engineering.

Moreover, is there any reliable source where I can find more specific information about the interviews which has proven to be quite difficult.



Hi,

Extracurriculars which aren't relevant to Engineering are not considered in admissions decisions. Other universities might be a little more interested, but they are still mostly interested in your academics so we advise an 80:20 split.

For interview information, have a look at the re-enacted admissions interviews on youtube and information about Engineering admissions, including what to expect at interview, for Peterhouse is on our website.
Original post by UGall
Apologies but I have another query. I am now back in year 13 and am coming under pressure from my sixth form to resit one of my AS modules. I got an A overall in politics with 100 ums in one paper and 67 in the other. (my other subjects are classics ave 90 ums, archaeology average 100 ums and history - only internal exam taken). I have decided to drop archaeology and continue with politics as the former is something I can pursue more readily on a gap year. My teachers are pushing me to resit the module in politics in which I got 67 as that would give me more wriggle room to make certain that I can get an A at A level. I think it would be better to focus on my A2 work and exams. Do you have any advice? Also, do I need to declare that I am going to resit this module on my UCAS form if a decision is not yet made - my teachers say I can decide towards Christmas. Thank you for your help.


I'm afraid this is a decision for you to make with advice from your school and others and isn't something we can get involved in. How do you feel about your performance in that module?

If you are resitting, then you can declare this in the SAQ and maybe also the UCAS form (I'm not sure - it's a long time since I filled out a UCAS form).
Original post by Peterhouse Admissions
If you are resitting, then you can declare this in the SAQ and maybe also the UCAS form (I'm not sure - it's a long time since I filled out a UCAS form).


Yes in UCAS you can say you also have a pending grade in a module. And the reference can mention it too :smile:

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(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Abstract_Prism
Hi there Peterhouse, a question about how raw marks will be assessed.

I'd like to include my English Lit raw marks (reformed subject) in my reference/additional info. I got 91/100 raw marks, and the boundary for an A was 65. So I imagine that if UMS still existed for that subject I would have gotten 100 UMS or very near to it.

Will the admissions team recognise that 90% raw marks is better than 90% UMS? Should I ask my teacher to make that very clear in my reference?

And would it be helpful to include that the grade boundary was 65? Since that makes the 91 marks look a bit better than if it was assumed the boundary was higher.


Hi,

We know that raw marks and UMS are very different and will not be treating them the same way. Don't obsess over UMS and don't stress over raw marks! Certainly don't try to do your own raw-UMS conversion - there are enough unhelpful myths about UMS already without more spreading.

We won't be using them in the same way as UMS as we won't have any way of knowing how your marks compare to others who got an A as we won't have the marks for everyone.

Raw marks can't tell us about how you compare to others but they can possibly tell us something about your ability but remember that the A level you will sit next year is separate from your AS so going from your AS marks to what we think you'll get next year is a bit more unreliable than in the past.
Original post by Banana00
@Peterhouse Admissions

How much would my GCSE grades affect my chances of being offered a place to study History at Cambridge?



Truthfully? Not much :smile: (we're much more interested in your A levels).
Original post by Fbiemad
@Peterhouse Admissions, appreciate your help for answering questions on the student room.

If someone applied to Cambridge before for lets say Economics and again they are applying this year, will Cambridge use/see their last Personal Statement again to judge the applicant? Or will they just see the new one?
Do you know by any chance if it is the same for most Universities or not?

(If they do see both personal statements together): Is it only if you apply to the same college that they will see both personal statements or does applying to a different college makes a difference?

Basically, I want to see if putting good parts of my last personal statement in my new one is useful or pointless...? Since I really liked my old personal statement.

Thank you once again!


Hi, all unsuccesful applications are shredded at the end of the cycle so your previous personal statement will have been destroyed. I imagine this would be the same for all universities as it would be a bit of a data protection nightmare otherwise.

Don't forget that you're a year older now and have presumable read more, thought more about your subject and have different thoughts and interests so don't keep too much the same. You might also want to talk about your gap year plas too.
Original post by Zacken
Definitely! I feel the interview was a pivotal piece of the admissions process for me because I didn't sit any AS-Levels prior to it because of some weird circumstances meant that I'd be sitting my AS and A2 Levels at the same time after one year of study instead of the normal 2. Not to mention I had a 2 in STEP I taken a year (or technically two) early, which didn't look good at all. So the interview must've really swung things around.

I didn't end up doing much research and prep for my interview because I got my invitation halfway through a family holiday overseas and went from there to Cambridge directly, so there wasn't any time for prep during that period. But I guess having sat STEP I early really did help me improve at the sort of maths thinking they test at interview and got me through, so there's that.

Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy your undergraduate years too! :smile:


I'm glad it worked out for you. Sounds like you had some serious studying to do last year, in awe! Thanks and good tip!, A quick gander at STEP1 might be useful prep for maths/ engineering applicants. Is STEP mentioned on the outreach programs? It may be useful as a quick tip to students? I hadn't heard of it at the time I applied, I suspect some schools don't mention it.
Original post by Rachel58
Is there any resources online for interview questions? There's some for Oxford but only three per subject and I really want to practice as I get really nervous.


No. We don't release interview questions as we don't want you to practice too much. We get a much better idea of your potential by asking you unfamiliar questions. If by chance we ask a question which you have come across before (it is very easy to tell) then we would just move on to another question which is new to you. We are very used to nervous candidates and make sure that we get the best out of you regardless. Approach the interview more like a lesson than an exam (some prep but not tons of revision, expect to work with the interviewer, not on your own or against them etc.).
Original post by jtmass22
Hi. For engineering, if the offer is 2A* and 2A , will it be specifed that the A*'s must be in Maths and Physics or can they be in Maths, further maths, or physics.
Thanks



Sometimes yes, sometimes no (depends on you and your individual cirxcumstances).
Original post by 210555
I'm glad it worked out for you. Sounds like you had some serious studying to do last year, in awe! Thanks and good tip!, A quick gander at STEP1 might be useful prep for maths/ engineering applicants. Is STEP mentioned on the outreach programs? It may be useful as a quick tip to students? I hadn't heard of it at the time I applied, I suspect some schools don't mention it.


It's a bit overboard/overkill, but trying a few questions out would definitely be helpful! I don't think it's mentioned on the outreach program since STEP is something you sit with your A2 exams (so is based largely on that content which most AS students won't have); it's basically Cambridge's (extremely tough) maths entrance exam because A-Levels aren't enough to differentiate students at that level. It'd be more advisable to ask students to have a look at the MAT instead, since that's focused at the proper level (AS content only) and is still very difficult, and perhaps more suited to interviews than STEP, although no definite word from me on that, I don't really know.

Thanks again! :smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by 210555
I'm glad it worked out for you. Sounds like you had some serious studying to do last year, in awe! Thanks and good tip!, A quick gander at STEP1 might be useful prep for maths/ engineering applicants. Is STEP mentioned on the outreach programs? It may be useful as a quick tip to students? I hadn't heard of it at the time I applied, I suspect some schools don't mention it.


Using STEP as prep for an engineering (or even maths) interview is overkill and would likely discourage most applicants.

http://i-want-to-study-engineering.org/ on the other hand is useful for engineering

Or MAT for maths applicants

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(edited 7 years ago)
@Zacken is on it today!
Original post by Abstract_Prism
So the fact that I did particularly well in Lit won't put me in a better position than someone who got an A by the skin of their teeth? That's a bit disappointing since I was hoping my good performance in Lit would help to balance against weaker areas of my application.


I wish I had done really well in Politics which still has UMS and less well in Lit, a reformed subject where they won't consider the raw mark... :emo:

91 was my overall raw mark btw, not just a single module.


Don't worry about others, just put in the strongest application you can :smile:
Its hard to answer this, but does a college use similar type of interview question style they asked last year? (Example: for Economics if last year they asked 1 logical question, 1 maths, 1 statistics and 1 Economics article, would this year be the same standard of questions?)

Does Peterhouse College use the same type of interview style as last year?

Just asking since I found the interview really easy last time, but due to the stress I had back then I was making silly but at the same time bad mistakes. Worth a shot to go for them again if the interview style will be easy?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Fbiemad
@Zacken
Where did you get the information on them shredding the applicant's information? It might be in their computer systems though...

LSE admissions told me they will have all my data in their system, so they will read my old personal statement too. But I do not know if they only keep it for the offer holders or if they will keep it for all applicants who applied.


It depends on the Data Protection agreement you signed with the particular College/universtiy (I hope you read and understood it). It would be a Data Protection breach for us to keep any physical information but someone might remember it in their head, we can't erase minds yet.
Original post by fedoratipbot
Another question: If my country only offers AS Latin as the highest qualification for that subject, and I take that in year 13 after doing it for 4 high school years, could I apply and have my application taken seriously by the admissions people at Cambridge/other UK universities? If I work at Latin to the point where I can read/translate at at the level of a very able A2 student but only sit an AS exam (and hopefully do very well) would the admissions folk accept that arrangement (I wouldn't have a Greek a-level either (or at IGCSE/GCSE))?

Unfortunately I haven't any other choice in terms of the qualifications I sit for Latin, but classics is my passion, and Cambridge classics especially so.

Thank yoouuu.


Ooh tricky! Thanks for asking! This is one which needs 'insiders' to answer.
Disclaimer: all our posts are the opinions of Peterhouse Admissions and shouldn't be generalised to the University. Especially here!

I take it you're interested in the 3-year Classics course (where Latin or Classical Greek is essential) and not the 4-year course which doesn't require either.

You should mention in your application that you can't study A level Latin where you are (the SAQ has a box for this). If the rest of your application is strong it is likely we would interview you and give you a chance to demonstrate your Latin abilty. If this is good, we could make you an offer for the 3 year course. If we are impressed by some elements, but feel you lack some key knowledge and ability in Latin we might offer you a place on the 4 year course

Alternatively, you could apply for the 4 year course at any College, or ask other Colleges how they would view your application for the 3 year course.
Original post by bread4lyf
How are candidates who apply:

(1) Post A-level
(2) Reapply after being unsuccessful

perceived? Do these ways hinder your application slightly? I am looking to apply to physical natural sciences.

Thank you


They are perceived on their individual merits, strengths and weaknesses in exaclt the same way (and alongside) all other applicants.

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