Whats more important? Interview or AS Results?

Could anyone tell me if theyve applied to Oxbridge and whilst their AS results werent too good (by Oxbridge standards) they still got accepted?
Cheers very much.

Reply 1

Carelesswhispers

SilverSlave123

Could anyone tell me if theyve applied to Oxbridge and whilst their AS results werent too good (by Oxbridge standards) they still got accepted?
Cheers very much.

Well i applied to Oxford for 2005 entry. My as results arent bad, but AAAB means it wasnt the straight As that i thought they may want. Oh and btw i got an offer for AAB (finigers crossed i'll those grades)!

(oh and btw i just saw that you live in sutton, i presume you mean sutton as in near cheam, belmont etc because if you do, i live near sutton - random comment)

Reply 2

SilverSlave123

Cheers for that but dont you think that maybe with say with predicted grades of AAABB but with grades i predict to be AABBB should i apply? Is it worth it? I just cant this idea of colleges out of my head it just seems so cool...
Also what college did you apply to?

Reply 3

quintessence

I know two people who applied to Cambridge (one last year alongside me, the other the year before) with less than brilliant grades. One got AABC for AS and was given an offer, the other got AABB and ALSO got an offer. I got all As at AS (admittedly not that high though!) and was rejected.

Grades aren't the all-important thing - interviews are (I'd argue) probably more important - it's there that the admissions people decide if they really like you! If you really want to apply then go for it - you might always have that 'what-if...?' question niggling at the back of your head otherwise! :smile:

Reply 4

Madelyn

Grades really aren't that important - we all know people with straight As who didn't get in and worse grades who did - it's the interview (and possibly the HAT) which ultimately matters.
Which college asked for AAB? I know Peterhouse (Cam) gives out slightly lower offers.
You might as well apply. Like Pippa says, if you don't you'll always wonder about it, and even if you don't get in, it's only one choice out of your six. You might not get in, but you certainly won't if you don't apply! Plus interview week tends to be kind of fun.

Reply 5

SilverSlave123

Yeh thanks for the advice. But dont you think that with those grades it wouldnt be advisable to apply anyway becuase of coping with the workload...

Reply 6

Carelesswhispers

I applied to Keble at Oxford. All i can say is give it a go. on results day last year i told everyone i wasnt going to apply to oxford because i didnt think my grades were good enough, but i decided to give it a go and it was worth it.

also you dont really know that your grades are going to be what you now think they will be. at as i had a crap paper and thought i was doomed but actually got a high a on it. plus you say you wouldn't be able to cope with workload but your doing five as levels. i only did four which is less workload so i could concentrate on getting good grades.

just wait till results day and find out for def what you got, then make up your mind

Reply 7

Font

interviews i think...but got to have gd grades to be called for the interview in the first place, lol, so a bit of both really.

Reply 8

Goldenratio

As everyone here says, it's more of a combination of factors rather than just the As grades.
Your reference mostly and personal statement secondly.
With me for example i had 3 bs at AS, but still got an interview. Admittedly i hadn't taken AS in the subjects that counted and i was predicted straight As for A-level.
I applied for MML at trinity Hally. Lol when i got there, i found that i spoke better spanish and german than eveny my interviewers! looll That was funny. Maybe it was just as special case because of the combination of factors :s-smilie:

Reply 9

SilverSlave123

Cheers. What grades did all you lot get? Just a survey...

Reply 10

Madelyn

My AS grades were AABC, plus A and B in the two Latin modules I sat that year (don't ask...). I applied for Classics at Corpus Christi, Oxford, in 2004 (deferred entry to 2006). I had interviews there and a further one at LMH, then was rejected.
My best friend applied for History and French at St. John's, Oxford, with AAAA at AS (and her GCSEs were all A*-B), and also got rejected after interviews.
The vast majority of people is interviewed. It's about 97% or something. The only ones who are rejected without interviews are the ones without a hope of getting in, who really shouldn't have applied in the first place. I doubt you'll be one of those, unless your predicted grades are a sheer fluke and you have appalling references, PS, etc.. I really can't see anything to stop you applying.

Reply 11

whauden

I got AAABB at AS, but was only 2 UMS off AAABC - and only 9 marks off a B in History!

Tutors know that A Level grading isnt up to scratch, and value their own tried and tested judgement to a greater extent - they've definately got more experience.

Reply 12

hahaandy1

I am at Balliol studying history and my AS-Levels were terrible, so I didn't certificate them. I interviewed well, got offered a place and got in.

So if you get an interview that is what counts, not your AS results

Reply 13

Jenny...

SilverSlave123

Yeh thanks for the advice. But dont you think that with those grades it wouldnt be advisable to apply anyway becuase of coping with the workload...

First I would say grades are very important (every part of the application process is), but because they are considered along with everything else, they may not turn out in your individual case to be the deciding factor. If you dont have straight A's at AS (I didnt) but you give a great interview, have a great personal statement and really stand out in other respects then your grades may matter less, than for someone who doesnt give such a great interview for example. The cambridge application process is so hard to predict (for obvious reasons) that when you apply (and anyone who is enthusiastic about it should) you just have to give everything your best shot and let your strenghts in some areas outweigh any weaknesses and all candidates have them!

As for the workload, it may help to know that when I was helping at the recent open days for Clare college, in the introductory talk some students were concerned if they were predicted a B in a subject instead of an A, and she said that because degree work is very different to A levels (and it really is) she has come across people who were straight A students at A level, who found the nature of degree work hard to adapt to, while students coming up with AAB for example ended up doing better. My point is if you want to apply definately apply, you will have 5 other choices and meeting the october deadline means that your application will be in early (which is never a disadvantage) and worry about the workload much much later :biggrin:

Reply 14

Jenny...

<<As for the workload, it may help to know that when I was helping at the recent open days for Clare college, in the introductory talk some students were concerned if they were predicted a B in a subject instead of an A, and she said that because degree work is very different to A levels>>

Whoops by 'she' I meant the senior tutor, who is also a history fellow!