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Applying through CSAS

I'm in year 12 at the moment. I would like to apply to Cambridge, preferrably Biology or Medicine. BUT I have done pretty awfully in GCSEs and AS-Levels (well not awfully, but not Cambridge standard). I was thinking of applying through the Cambridge Access Scheme, I have had some family and personal problems over the years. But I kind of feel like thats a sneaky way of getting in. I would really like some advice on how people or admissions are like at Cambridge or what either of nthe courses are like in general. Sorry if threads like this have been done to death.

All advice appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

Shakaa

8

vandiola

I'm in year 12 at the moment. I would like to apply to Cambridge, preferrably Biology or Medicine. BUT I have done pretty awfully in GCSEs and AS-Levels (well not awfully, but not Cambridge standard). I was thinking of applying through the Cambridge Access Scheme, I have had some family and personal problems over the years. But I kind of feel like thats a sneaky way of getting in. I would really like some advice on how people or admissions are like at Cambridge or what either of nthe courses are like in general. Sorry if threads like this have been done to death.

All advice appreciated :smile:

It would help if you would post your grades :holmes:

Reply 2

Muffinz

16

First of all, do you really want to go there? Are you just judging the university on prestige? You should really go for an open day and get a feel for the place (the accomodation, facilities, general atmosphere - are you going to feel awkward and out of place in such a high class place, for example? [I'm not being mean, I went to RHUL and hated it for that very reason]) before you think of applying. Cambridge applications are a lot of hassle and stress, and the last thing you want is to go through the whole process and then decide you don't want to go there anymore.

Reply 3

vandiola

OP

1

Shakaa

It would help if you would post your grades :holmes:

GCSEs: 6As 6Bs
AS Levels 2Bs and 2Cs

Reply 4

Muffinz

16

vandiola

GCSEs: 6As 6Bs
AS Levels 2Bs and 2Cs

You'll get filtered out pretty quickly for not having AAAA, sorry. They have a lot of applicants and that's the quickest way to narrow them down.

Reply 5

vandiola

OP

1

Muffinz

First of all, do you really want to go there? Are you just judging the university on prestige? You should really go for an open day and get a feel for the place (the accomodation, facilities, general atmosphere - are you going to feel awkward and out of place in such a high class place, for example? [I'm not being mean, I went to RHUL and hated it for that very reason]) before you think of applying. Cambridge applications are a lot of hassle and stress, and the last thing you want is to go through the whole process and then decide you don't want to go there anymore.

Well, I've applied for the GEEMA open day thing, so Im going to go see it then. I don't really care about prestige, that doesn't really matter to me. The thing is that Cambridge is far enough for me to feel distant from my problems, but also be close enough to home so I can come and check up on my Mum. And I also love the city. I haven't seen that much of the educational resources, but then after going through all that I will decide if Cambridge is really for me.

Reply 6

definado

8

If you retake your AS's and get them up to AAAA (in the high 90s) you have a chance,
otherwise, no, sorry :{

Reply 7

SouthernFreerider

12

with grades like that you need a VERY good reason for them to consider you.

and also on a personal level, if there wasnt a very good reason for you getting those grades, you dont wanna come here, you'll have a misssssserable time.

Reply 8

Shakaa

8

vandiola

GCSEs: 6As 6Bs
AS Levels 2Bs and 2Cs

Do some resits and get your AS grades up your GCSE's wont hold you back if you can show them AAA/AAB in your A level's but aside from taking a year our to resit some GCSE's etc I would focus on university's aside from Oxbridge/ other elites

Reply 9

nuodai

17

vandiola

GCSEs: 6As 6Bs
AS Levels 2Bs and 2Cs

They'd normally expect you to have at least one A at AS unless there were major disturbances to your education. If you're really keen on Cambridge, it's worth trying to get As and A*s at A-level and applying next year instead, when you've got your grades and such; otherwise you're very unlikely to get in (especially not for Medicine). I mean, it's not unheard of that someone with BBCC should get an offer, but it's a very long shot, and bumping the grades up to meet the A*AA offer would be a heck of challenge in itself (let alone coping with the workload when you're here, especially for Medicine or Natural Sciences).

Good luck with whatever you choose to do though!

Reply 10

miranda-ae

13

Muffinz

You'll get filtered out pretty quickly for not having AAAA, sorry. They have a lot of applicants and that's the quickest way to narrow them down.

But I believe that if she applies and qualifies for the Access Scheme then I believe she automatically gets interviewed.

Basically OP, if you have legitimate reasons for your grades, including you family issues, and if you are of the economic status that allows you to do so, apply through the scheme and see where it gets you - its only one place after all!

Reply 11

Narik

13

vandiola

Well, I've applied for the GEEMA open day thing, so Im going to go see it then.

I'm going too! :p:

Reply 12

Narik

13

miranda-ae

But I believe that if she applies and qualifies for the Access Scheme then I believe she automatically gets interviewed.

Basically OP, if you have legitimate reasons for your grades, including you family issues, and if you are of the economic status that allows you to do so, apply through the scheme and see where it gets you - its only one place after all!

Every place is valuable in medicine. :p:

Reply 13

Laurie161

First off, applying through the special access scheme DOES NOT get you an automatic interview. Its not a way of them saying "they had this happen in their life, so lets show them so leniency", its so they can put your learning into context and ultimately asses your academic level and potential. Many of the people who apply through the scheme will still have 3 As or more and good GCSEs, they may only have a slight 'blip' in their academics. Medicine is exceptionally competitive as are economics/law/architecture.

I supose the more important issue would be to ask would your really want to go there? I can understand how amazing it is there and its beauty can be completely blinding, but if you are constantly struggling to work I can't imagine it would be very fun.

No one can tell you what to do though :smile:

There are loads of other amazing universities too so I would say visit those too.

Reply 14

Craghyrax

17

vandiola

I'm in year 12 at the moment. I would like to apply to Cambridge, preferrably Biology or Medicine. BUT I have done pretty awfully in GCSEs and AS-Levels (well not awfully, but not Cambridge standard). I was thinking of applying through the Cambridge Access Scheme, I have had some family and personal problems over the years. But I kind of feel like thats a sneaky way of getting in. I would really like some advice on how people or admissions are like at Cambridge or what either of nthe courses are like in general. Sorry if threads like this have been done to death.

All advice appreciated :smile:

The CSAS is definitely not a sneaky way to get into Cambridge. They take your context into consideration, but they do that for all applicants anyway. By all means try, but don't think that their standards are different. You might get an easier offer (e.g. achieve AAA instead of A*AA) but you still have to demonstrate that you have potential and are excellent. CSAS might help but its not a cure all.

Reply 15

whizz-kid

16

go 4 it only when u get 4a's at AS. sorry

Reply 16

Lyam

14

Okay firstly, I have only just signed up to TSR, I'm no veteran, but i've scanned these forums a million times because they're really useful, so while I know this topic has been created a thousand times, i'm creating it again for my personal reference as none of the topics have truly answered my question.

Okay as the title suggests it's a reference to applying to cambridge this year and what I have (or more importantly don't have!).

Don't judge too quickly but at GCSE I got 3A's 5B's 3C's.

Very low I know but there was a lot of personal reasons, my family is erm, somewhat unconventional and I had to move out a couple weeks before my GCSE's due to my mother having a breakdown, into my stepdads house with no internet/TV etc. My stepdad, while of sound mind, likes to drink and my mother has kind of been a long term drug user (she's stopped now). So cut me a little slack there I could have done way better. This will all go on my Cambridge special access form I imagine, along with a few other incidents which needn't particularly be discussed here, my situation isn't much better now as i'm at my sisters due to certain circumstances.

In the january exams I got the following grades

RS - 81
CT - 86
Phil - 100
Geog - 68 ( resitting, total disaster )

Anywho I realise these grades aren't amazing, but they were among some of the best grades at my college, I never really considered cambridge before but my teachers are pushing for it and at the moment I'm trying to spend a lot of time in the college lirary preparing for the summer exams, in which I want to get around 90% in each, maybe more in philosophy (which is my degree of choice).

I aim over the summer to do a lot of wider reading, particularly regarding analytic philosophy and the books recommended on the CAM site, as well as that I have set up a debating society at college and am applying for volunteer work over the summer :smile:

I know a lot of it will come down to my interview but what I really wanted to ask is, how sympathetic will they be to my circumstances? I've read people who've had worse (ill for 18 months and so on). I go to a college which doesn't send a great deal of people to FE, none of my grandparents/parents went to FE, and the circumstances above!

Sorry for the essay! I'd massively appreciate any responses and thankyou for your time!

Reply 17

BE2506

Lyam

Okay firstly, I have only just signed up to TSR, I'm no veteran, but i've scanned these forums a million times because they're really useful, so while I know this topic has been created a thousand times, i'm creating it again for my personal reference as none of the topics have truly answered my question.

Okay as the title suggests it's a reference to applying to cambridge this year and what I have (or more importantly don't have!).

Don't judge too quickly but at GCSE I got 3A's 5B's 3C's.

Very low I know but there was a lot of personal reasons, my family is erm, somewhat unconventional and I had to move out a couple weeks before my GCSE's due to my mother having a breakdown, into my stepdads house with no internet/TV etc. My stepdad, while of sound mind, likes to drink and my mother has kind of been a long term drug user (she's stopped now). So cut me a little slack there I could have done way better. This will all go on my Cambridge special access form I imagine, along with a few other incidents which needn't particularly be discussed here, my situation isn't much better now as i'm at my sisters due to certain circumstances.

In the january exams I got the following grades

RS - 81
CT - 86
Phil - 100
Geog - 68 ( resitting, total disaster )

Anywho I realise these grades aren't amazing, but they were among some of the best grades at my college, I never really considered cambridge before but my teachers are pushing for it and at the moment I'm trying to spend a lot of time in the college lirary preparing for the summer exams, in which I want to get around 90% in each, maybe more in philosophy (which is my degree of choice).

I aim over the summer to do a lot of wider reading, particularly regarding analytic philosophy and the books recommended on the CAM site, as well as that I have set up a debating society at college and am applying for volunteer work over the summer :smile:

I know a lot of it will come down to my interview but what I really wanted to ask is, how sympathetic will they be to my circumstances? I've read people who've had worse (ill for 18 months and so on). I go to a college which doesn't send a great deal of people to FE, none of my grandparents/parents went to FE, and the circumstances above!

Sorry for the essay! I'd massively appreciate any responses and thankyou for your time!

Yes, those GCSE grades are a massive reason for them to quickly reject you. I'd say just go for it though, providing you can get those grades up throughout. Just don't expect to get an offer from them, then you will not be so upset if they do, which they are likely to do. Most people do get all A's and A*'s at GCSE though, but if you think you can get AAA* + in your A Levels, then you should just apply, rather than not know.

Reply 18

niall c

Critical Thinking is not accepted by them (http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/docs/subjectmatters.pdf), so you are going to have to get geography up. Also, perhaps spend more time analysing and thinking about what you've read than actually reading; they're not looking for knowledge. Aaaanyway, there's literally nothing to lose in trying - go for it.

Reply 19

Lyam

14

Yeah critical thinking DOES count as an AS for cambridge, particularly for philosophy. Just not as a full A level.

And I intend to drop it anyway and continue with geography, subsequently if I don't get AAAA at the end of this year I won't bother applying :smile:

Applying through CSAS

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