Ask an Admissions Tutor X: 20 September - 21 October

You're very welcome, very glad to have helped. Thank you for your best wishes, am enjoying the new role greatly!

Hello again,

Please could I ask another couple of questions.

1. I understand that admissions tutors can compare their applicants with applicants to other colleges at the pre-interview stage by means of moderation (?) sheets. I was wondering what criteria are used to rate/rank applicants.

2. For the winter pool, what proportion of those pooled will have been pooled because they met the criteria for compulsory pooling? What I'm interested in really is how likely it is to be pooled if you miss the criteria for compulsory pooling (based on AS UMS). I have UMS from 3 unreformed AS (French, Spanish and Philosophy/ethics) and 91% average. Applying for MML.

theirs a formula for compulsory pooling? That is news to me would love to know what it is.

Basically* >=93 average UMS except for Maths & Medicine courses.

However, this is not so relevant now because most subjects don't have UMS so the averages are "incomplete".

*It's a bit more complicated than this.

dang i want to do maths since my a levels will be maths further maths and additional further maths, and I have selected the old modular A levels because self teaching unlikely to have a reference I need hard results for applying half way through not predictions.

so I will have UMS but their is no compulsory pooling for maths? I guess UMS may not be the way but if I sat step 1 and 2 half way through and pulled of distinction and distinction would I be auto pooled then?

Would it be possible to be entered in for those additional exams after receiving offers, or do UCAS need to know every exam you're going to take?

I'm thinking of taking additional maths exams (FP1 and S2) for economics.

Hi, I was wondering whether you could give some advice about tutor references please? I am worried that whilst the content of my reference will be very positive there is a chance that my tutor may not write at the same standard as those who write many Cambridge references every year. This is her first year as a year 13 tutor and felt she didn't know much about what to include in my reference. I have given her some ideas that I would like included but won't see the reference before submission. Does the quality of the teacher reference matter in the same way as it does with regards to the personal statement?

Ok thanks so much

Also sorry to bother you with another question but how does it work with sending in the essays? I've read around some of the College websites and the impression I've got is that you have to post it to your college, but I'm not sure how this would work with me making an open application?

Hi Dr Spencer thank you for doing this, I'm applying for Physical Natural Sciences and was wondering whether I stand a good chance or not

At GCSE I got 10A*'s and 2A's
I got A in AS Physics (2nd in my college) and AS Chemistry and got A* in my maths A level. My UMS is:
Core 1- 100
Core 2- 99
Core 3- 100
Core 4- 100
Mechanics 1- 100
Decision 1- 100
Further Pure 1 (self taught)- 87
Decision 2- 80

Thank you again for doing this

Hi
I am applying to this Engineering this year but the way i did my a levels is different i have done all of Mathematics and 4/6 units in further mathematics.
this year i am going to be doing the 2 other units in further mathematics and also all of Physics a level. The reason i did it this way is because i am doing it early i am 15 currently These are my scores in units i have done
C1 97
C2 90
C3 93
C4 90
S1-87
S2-100
D1-90
D2-85
FP1-100
FP2-100
M1-THIS YEAR
M2-THIS YEAR
PHYSICS-THIS YEAR PREDICTED A*
maths gcse-A*
all other gcse i am predicted A*s and As
so hopefully i will have minimum of A*A*A but i think i will get A*A*A*
Do you think i will have high chance of getting an interview?

all this maths is all self taught

Hello! Thank you for taking time answering to this thread, it's really appreciated!
I'm applying from France for NatSci (physical) and predicted an 18/20 at the bac (with OIB). I have done 3 GCSE's and one AS level as my school offered us to do so. Unfortunately I got A*BC in gcses for maths English lit and English language respectively but this was my first year of international education and basically completed my gcse's in less than 10 months. My teacher mentioned this is my reference. Also I got an A in maths AS level with average UMS but as I did those AS alongside my French Bac curriculum I was wondering how important these grades will be in considering my application?

Furthermore I am doing my school transcript with my uni tutors and we were wondering if it was ok to put last year's averages from my school report as those are what we consider "internal examinations". I have looked at the overseas model on the Cambridge website.

Thank you for your help

Hi
i have one more questions i have been looking at the ENGAA specimen paper and it looks kind of easy-okish, will the questions be of similar difficulty or will it be much harder? i have looked at other admission tests and for some the specimen and the past papers are completely different (the past papers are harder) would this be the same with ENGAA because there are 54 questions?

I'm applying to Cambridge for Economics. For AS Level I took Economics (A), Chemistry (A) and Chinese (B), as well as Maths A Level (A*). I'm also taking Further Maths this year. I have dropped Chinese now, and I'm predicted A*A*A*A* in Economics, Chemistry and Maths/Further Maths.

Economics and Chemistry are linear, so although I scored really highly with my raw marks (131/140 in Chemistry) and my school estimated me 100% UMS in Economics, am I right in thinking I'm not going to be able to report these scores? Or will they be reflected in my teacher reference?

It's virtually impossible for a non-native speaker to achieve above a B in Chinese, so will this also be reflected when assessing my ability? I have to give my UMS for this subject as it is non-reformed, and I was only one mark off an A, so will I not be too disadvantaged compared to those with 3/4As at AS Level?

Thanks for your time! Really appreciate this thread.

Hello again,

Please could I ask another couple of questions.

1. I understand that admissions tutors can compare their applicants with applicants to other colleges at the pre-interview stage by means of moderation (?) sheets. I was wondering what criteria are used to rate/rank applicants.

2. For the winter pool, what proportion of those pooled will have been pooled because they met the criteria for compulsory pooling? What I'm interested in really is how likely it is to be pooled if you miss the criteria for compulsory pooling (based on AS UMS). I have UMS from 3 unreformed AS (French, Spanish and Philosophy/ethics) and 91% average. Applying for MML.

Hello and thanks for your questions. 1) Candidates used to be ranked in the spreadsheets according to UMS (best 3 for arts and humanities; best 3 Maths/Sciences for Science subjects) but from this year there won't be rankings in the spreadsheet.

2) It's impossible to say really. Lots of candidates meet the criteria for compulsory pooling but were pooled not specifically for that but because they were strong candidates (i.e. they would have been pooled anyway). Plenty of candidates get pooled without meeting the compulsory pooling criteria and, this year, the vast majority will be in that situation as relatively few students will have 3 unreformed AS subjects. With 91% best three you certainly aren't outside the usual range of offers for MML.

For Natural Sciences, how often is the typical offer of A*A*A upped to 3A*?
Thanks!

Many thanks for your reply.

Have a lovely weekend!

It is possible but you'd need to update UCAS and/or your universities.