Would I be stupid to turn down Cambridge?

How do they know they both had the opportunity to play the flute? Where is this addressed on the UCAS forms?

I believe you may have missed this link: http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/prosundergrad/applying/selection_criteria.htm

General Selection Criteria
Intellectual curiosity
Conceptual clarity
Flexibility - the capacity to engage with alternative perspectives and/or new information
Accuracy and attention to detail
Critical engagement
Capacity for hard work
Enthusiasm for History
Evidence of historical imagination and understanding, in particular, the ability to speculate and compare, alongside the possession of appropriate historical knowledge and the capacity to deploy it.

Candidates will be assessed against these criteria on the basis of information derived from the following sources:
UCAS forms, including, in particular, personal statements, school reports, qualifications achieved and qualifications predicted
Relevant additional information supplied on, or with, the Oxford application form (for example, concerning candidates’ special circumstances)
Performance in the History Aptitude Test (HAT)
Written work submitted by candidates
Performance in interviews
Comparison, in all these areas, with other candidates

I, in fact, didn't realise you had to submit written work for History... It is such a statistical anomaly for two applicants to have EXACTLY the same "ability" in all areas of the application + achieved all areas of the general selection criteria.

If that were the case, technically they would take them both as they are the same.

Since when is an Oxbridge applicant assessed on "taking opportunities irrelevant to their proposed subject"? WTF?

I have given evidence - where is your evidence to back up your claim?

Facile nonsense - I'd like you to find me these tutors because I know many of them personally and that is the last thing they would say and for a number of very obvious reasons.

"Do them for yourself" means do the activity for its own sake not superficially as CV packing. It doesn't mean they ignore genuine interests,

Written work + interview.

They largely wouldn't, but there are circumstances where they might know both had the opportunity: went to the same school and one of them discussed learning the flute through the school on their PS, for example, or the candidates are siblings.

i would advise cambridge. put manchester as your backup. the reason being that a cambridge degree is really second to none in the UK and even though the work will be hard you will be top of the pile in the jobs market when you leave regardless of the degree you get because the work is soo much more rigorous and the exams so much harder. You are one of a lucky few to get a place and i really think that you would regret it if you gave it up. Plus it's not ALL about work. One of the reasons you were probably given an offer was because you possess the ability to keep on top of things - you're bright enough for the work but have a personality that will mesh well with others there. Plus you will meet all sorts of incredible people (of course you would at any uni) but cambridge really is special. why not do a post-grad at manchester?

it's up to you though... no one on here can change you're mind- only you can do that. Good luck any way

What good is that if you don't have the drive to do all that hard work, therefore fail or get a low classification?

That isn't an answer




Cambridge has a score sheet

Jesus - do you know how RARE that situation that would occur?

So you're saying two applicants, same school, same opportunities, same "interview level", same choice of college, same written work, same HAT - you are joking right?

Candidates are siblings? And they somehow applied for the same course, same abilities and the like.

Very, very rare situation.

Yesterday I received an offer from Cambridge to study Natural Sciences. I wasn't really expecting to get an offer (though obviously I'm happy that I have done) and I was already really looking forward to doing Physics at Manchester.

I loved Manchester when I went there for my interview and knew that it would be one of my final two choices, but now I have to choose between there (A*AA offer) and Cambridge (A*AAA).

I know to some people it would seem like a clear cut choice and a lot of people wouldn't even think about rejecting an offer from Cambridge. However the only reason I can think of going to there is just because "it's Cambridge". I prefer the course at Manchester, the city, the department...
The very high pressure/intensity working environment doesn't really appeal to me and I think I'd have more fun at Manchester. Would it be a stupid move to turn down Cambridge's offer and put Manchester as my firm? Would I be wasting what is potentially the chance to get an education that will hold me in much better stead later in life?


EDIT - I should have made this clearer: I am NOT just thinking about my social life being better at Manchester. I am not trying to imply that i wouldn't have a social life at Cambridge. I was basically asking if it's worth doing a course I don't like as much at a city I don't like as much in order to have potentially better opportunities later in life,

Rare, yes. Impossible? No.

You could easily get a fail/low classification at Manchester. In addition, Cambridge offers the supervision system which helps students gain a better understanding of their subjects (simplifying this) and you could even argue that said person would do better at Cambridge due to its competitive academic atmosphere.

You can't just generalise like that.

Sorry, but I trust the official Oxford/Cambridge websites then some hypothetical "hmm, playing the trumpet will get me into Oxford History".

They've stated this so many times it's unbelievable.

You could, yes. My point was that there is no point choosing to go a university where you think the workload is too high for you, especially when you prefer somewhere else and therefore your motivating is going to be low anyway, because a good degree from there might be better than a good degree somewhere else. Because, realistically, you're not going to get a good degree there; highly motivated people prepared for the workload don't get good Cambridge degrees.

And not everyone responds well to academic competition. It motivates some people, but I've seen others shut down in response to it.

Exactly, and the admissions history reflects that. You can't prove that the sporty/musical undergraduates got in partly because of those hobbies, but you can prove that the undergraduates with no hobbies got in based on merit alone. Oxbridge isn't there to catch people out by misleading them.

I would say go to Manchester if you're really not sure if you want to go anywhere else.

If you don't like a place= unhappy you = poor end result.
That's not to say you'll do brilliantly at Manchester, mind.

I would actually have thought the "social" life was better at Cambridge though. I mean, there's a bar where the people you live with go that's literally less than 2 minutes away, the colligiate system probably unites you with your fellow undergraduates to a stronger degree than most universities, ect.

That being said, my friend goes to Manchester and he loves it, and he always has some interesting stories regarding social activities. Worries me a little that they all seem to be driven by alcohol, but that's students I guess.

Again, it begs the question - why apply in the first place?