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Reply 460
Original post by Jamwaq
Hi

When choosing her a-levels my daughter wanted to do 5 - Maths FM Chem Computing and Physics - the college would only allow 4 for various reasons, so my daughter opted for computing over Physics as although she knew she wanted to do Maths at Uni she was undecided whether or not to take the maths/comp sci option.

After a shocking year of upheaval and teaching problems within computing at the college my daughter achieved a D, the rest of her computing class achieved a U, she is not taking it this year through to A2. An ECF has been sent submitted by her college for computing.

My daughter asked her college if she could take replace computing and take either physics AS this year - year 13 or do the whole A level in one year - each of what she was told no to, she was told to concentrate on the 3 left and do the best she could - she is predicted A* Maths A* Further Maths and A Chem - although she thinks she will get an A* in Chem too

Anyway my question is should she mention this on the SAQ as the reason why she is applying without physics, which is probably the norm for a maths applicant?

Many thanks
'an interfering mum' :smile:


I think she should mention that, yes, since it may affect the offer.
Original post by metrize
Hi, my sixth form college has a point score of 733.2 for A level, is this average below average or above average? Thanks


It's almost exactly on the national average which is 736.32. This is the score per student, however, and at Cambridge we tend to look at the score per exam entry, where the national average is 208.11. In terms of that, my own rule of thumb (and I stress it's mine as an experienced AT but not an official university one) is that anything from 230 to 240 is a good school, 240 to 250 a very good school and anything above 250 an excellent school.
Original post by Luke7456
so what happens if you don't go to a school and are completely self taught? do I get classed as privet school and thus penalized? I mean most of the exam centers also provide tutoring and maybe they count as a school or college but i literally get zero tutoring from them just sit the exam so How will this affect me?


You'll count as self taught. No one gets penalised for their educational background, it just helps us to contextualise their achievements.
Original post by Blue.Bird
re extenuating circumstances: is this just things that happened at the time of GCSE/A Levels? My daughter missed 3 months of school at the end of yr 9. Is this relevant or too early?


There is no statute of limitations on extenuating circumstances, they can include anything during a student's education. We don't have a sliding scale of seriousness that we use to evaluate them - its just useful for us to know and we can use the information to contextualise a student's experience. A ECF will only ever help so I would suggest that her school fill one in.
Reply 464
@Murray Edwards Admissions


How long does it take to get a PhD?
Original post by DamnDaniel2
Oh ok! So relieved ahaha thank you :smile:

Yes I heard that Cambridge focusses more on how good you are at maths hence why the STEP exams are used as part of the offer.

That's motivated me a lot and hopefully this time next year I will be applying to or applied to Cambridge for maths :smile:

Btw during GCSEs I had some extenuating circumstances, however I went to the doctors after my exams were done so would they still be counted as EC or would that not be seen as one since I did not have an official doctors note during GCSEs or informed my exams officer about it.


Posted from TSR Mobile


I'm very glad to be of help. No, you don't need a doctor's note (though a doctor can fill in the ECF though most of the time the school does) and it is still an EC even if you didn't raise it at the time - it happens quite a lot.
Original post by Kyx
@Murray Edwards Admissions


How long does it take to get a PhD?


Three or four years full-time study after three years of undergraduate study and one year of master's. Part-time PhD students may take up to seven years.
Reply 467
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
Three or four years full-time study after three years of undergraduate study and one year of master's. Part-time PhD students may take up to seven years.


Thanks, because I'm planning:

4 years undergrad (Physics), then masters and PhD in Astronomy. Can you do a PhD in Astronomy? :h:
Original post by Kyx
Thanks, because I'm planning:

4 years undergrad (Physics), then masters and PhD in Astronomy. Can you do a PhD in Astronomy? :h:


Yes, you can. Good luck
Reply 469
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
Yes, you can. Good luck


Thanks a lot :smile:


It's sorted then.
Original post by metrize
What's a bad success rate? My college has about 30 applicants and like 5 entry


An average success rate is around 1 in 4 for UK schools.
Original post by gabsywabsy
In Year 11 my daughter did 5 GCSEs at a local FE college, which ran a resit course, although she wasn't retaking if you see what I mean. I have not been able to find the results on league tables as they are not a school, however I believe my daughter did very well within this context. Especially as the course was mainly designed for students to get C's. In fact GCSE the taught maths syllabus did not even include anything above a B grade. Will there be space to include this information on SAQ form? It was alluded to in teachers reference I believe. Is it worth trying to get some contextual information from the college as to how her performance compared to her cohort under FOI? Or is this not relevant as she was only person of school age on the course?
I would also like to know if you take student's birth date into account. She is August born, just 17 and the other possible candidate from her school is year 14 and already 19 .
Thanks in Advance


Hello and thank you for your question. Yes, there is room to discuss this in the SAQ (there is a box that allows candidates to tell us anything else they think we should know and I think that's the best place for it). I don't think she needs to do more than that.

We do look at students' ages. It's not normally a big part of our considerations but it is often something that I notice and keep in my mind when I'm evaluating a student.
Original post by Jamwaq
Hi

When choosing her a-levels my daughter wanted to do 5 - Maths FM Chem Computing and Physics - the college would only allow 4 for various reasons, so my daughter opted for computing over Physics as although she knew she wanted to do Maths at Uni she was undecided whether or not to take the maths/comp sci option.

After a shocking year of upheaval and teaching problems within computing at the college my daughter achieved a D, the rest of her computing class achieved a U, she is not taking it this year through to A2. An ECF has been sent submitted by her college for computing.

My daughter asked her college if she could take replace computing and take either physics AS this year - year 13 or do the whole A level in one year - each of what she was told no to, she was told to concentrate on the 3 left and do the best she could - she is predicted A* Maths A* Further Maths and A Chem - although she thinks she will get an A* in Chem too

Anyway my question is should she mention this on the SAQ as the reason why she is applying without physics, which is probably the norm for a maths applicant?

Many thanks
'an interfering mum' :smile:


Hello and thanks for your question - don't worry Mums and Dads often post here! :smile:

I'm sorry to hear about the problems in computing at your daughter's college, it's very frustrating when these things happen. Yes, she should mention it on the SAQ. There are two boxes where it is relevant - one about whether she was able to take all the subjects she wanted and another about teaching difficulties - she should mention her circumstances in these as well as in the ECF. Best of luck to her.
Thank you for answering my question.

Just one more thing, my GCSE grades were 1A*, 5B's, 3C's. Is this likely to disadvantage my application too? I know what you're thinking, my GCSE grades were not up to much at all and neither were my first time around AS grades (DDD). Why would someone with my academic record be applying to Cambridge? The thing is, I simply didn't care enough about my grades when I was younger and now I do and I really do regret not trying harder. BUT I have gone on to achieve high A level grades (A*A*AB). Do I have a chance? Is it worth my while applying? Or should I apply to another university instead?
(edited 7 years ago)
Hello Dr Spencer,Thank you very much for being here! I'm a international student applying to natural sciences (biology) from grade 12 and recently submitted my COPA. I just have some questions for you:
1. I want to take the biology and chemistry sections of NSAA but I can see that there are little past papers for them. Physics have some equivalent past papers, so are there any similar papers in biology and chemistry? And are the results judged separately for different subject choices?
2. I have 3A* and one A in IGCSE. I am now taking the CIE inernational A Levels (UMS) and I have got my A Level maths result as A, 84 (my school skip igcse and take A Level a year earlier) my AS UMS for 92 for physics 89 for chemistry and 88 for biology. I know they are not particularly strong but they are all quite close to A*s. So my school has given me 3A*s for my predicted grades. I was busy preparing ACT when I took the exams so they were below my expectations. Also I have a 8.0 for IELTS. So what are the chances for an interview and of getting in?
Thank you so much again
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi Dr Spencer, just joined up with a quick question about choosing colleges. I'm worried about making a bad decision, and what will happen if I don't realise until I have started the course. In partidular if I do decide on a college and then get pooled to another but haven't had a chance to see it before I make a decision. If I start and really dislike that particular environment, bearing in mind I will probably be living in for the whole course, can I change college but still stay at Cambridge? Or could I leave and reapply? I really like the course I'm looking at but am so concerned about making the wrong decision and having to give up.
Original post by ateitall
Hi Dr Spencer, just joined up with a quick question about choosing colleges. I'm worried about making a bad decision, and what will happen if I don't realise until I have started the course. In partidular if I do decide on a college and then get pooled to another but haven't had a chance to see it before I make a decision. If I start and really dislike that particular environment, bearing in mind I will probably be living in for the whole course, can I change college but still stay at Cambridge? Or could I leave and reapply? I really like the course I'm looking at but am so concerned about making the wrong decision and having to give up.


Don't worry: everyone loves their college. :smile:

And colleges are more similar than different anyway.
Original post by ionie.goodman
Thank you for answering my question.

Just one more thing, my GCSE grades were 1A*, 5B's, 3C's. Is this likely to disadvantage my application too? I know what you're thinking, my GCSE grades were not up to much at all and neither were my first time around AS grades (DDD). Why would someone with my academic record be applying to Cambridge? The thing is, I simply didn't care enough about my grades when I was younger and now I do and I really do regret not trying harder. BUT I have gone on to achieve high A level grades (A*A*AB). Do I have a chance? Is it worth my while applying? Or should I apply to another university instead?


That's ok, you're welcome. Ok, so you're GCSEs, like your first year of AS are not great and, to that extent, then yes they will be a disadvantage when compared against other candidates who will have done better on those measures.

The important thing to remember, however, that admissions is holistic and fluid rather than mechanistic. We don't weigh particular parts of the application but try to draw together a picture that assess both achievement and potential. You have obviously achieved very well at A2 and your upwards trajectory from GCSE through to A Level suggests significant potential so I absolutely do think that it is worth applying. You have five choices after all and, if you like our course, then Cambridge should be one of those choices as you have exceeded our offer. That doesn't mean you'll definitely get in, of course, but you're going to be a competitive candidate and we should be on each other's radar.

I hope that helps and best of luck! :smile:
Original post by Cheryl____C
Hello Dr Spencer,Thank you very much for being here! I'm a international student applying to natural sciences (biology) from grade 12 and recently submitted my COPA. I just have some questions for you:
1. I want to take the biology and chemistry sections of NSAA but I can see that there are little past papers for them. Physics have some equivalent past papers, so are there any similar papers in biology and chemistry? And are the results judged separately for different subject choices?
2. I have 3A* and one A in IGCSE. I am now taking the CIE inernational A Levels (UMS) and I have got my A Level maths result as A, 84 (my school skip igcse and take A Level a year earlier) my AS UMS for 92 for physics 89 for chemistry and 88 for biology. I know they are not particularly strong but they are all quite close to A*s. So my school has given me 3A*s for my predicted grades. I was busy preparing ACT when I took the exams so they were below my expectations. Also I have a 8.0 for IELTS. So what are the chances for an interview and of getting in?
Thank you so much again


Hello and thanks for your questions. 1) The only specimen papers are those on the website, no others have been or will be released. Contrary to my earlier understanding, students will be awarded individual marks for the different parts of Section 1 (on a scale of 1.0 to 9.0) and similarly in Section 2 (though on a different scale). None of these marks will be released to the candidates automatically.

2) Your CIE PUMS are not hugely strong by traditional standards in Nat Sci so you will need to perform well in other aspects of the application to be a competitive candidate.

Best of luck with the application.
Original post by jneill
Don't worry: everyone loves their college. :smile:

And colleges are more similar than different anyway.


Thanks - unfortunately worried is my default setting.

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