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Maths at Trinity

I know thats it probably a weak indicator of eventual success but, how many A*s at GCSE (ignoring all other factors) does one need to have to get a. an interview and b. (if gcses are considered before giving the offers) the actual offer.

Has anyone ever got in with less than 10A*?

I have this idea, partially from my school and partially from people who I have talked to who got into Trinity College. It is that you really do need 10A* or more to be considered seriously. I have also heard once person with a slightly conflicting argument that many people get offers but its usually the ones with lower GCSE grades who can't get the necessary STEP grades.

What to believe?

Reply 1

Prometheus

:-s I'm applying for biochem at Trinity, but I only have 5 A*s and 3 As (and a b :-o, stupid lit). And I got a B at AS level (music). I'm gonna get F-ed in the A.

Reply 2

TomX

14

I'm applying for Maths @ Trinity.

I've been given an interview.

Here's my GCSEs:
BCCCCCCDDD (yes, I got a B in Maths and I'm applying for Maths at Trinity... good luck me)

Reply 3

Prometheus

oops my bad, I'm appying for biochem at Trinity Oxford.
TomX, whata are your ASs and Alevels?

Reply 4

yawn

17

TomX

I'm applying for Maths @ Trinity.

I've been given an interview.

Here's my GCSEs:
BCCCCCCDDD (yes, I got a B in Maths and I'm applying for Maths at Trinity... good luck me)

Most Cambridge Colleges, including Trinity usually interview applicants who have demonstrated an affinity with the subject they wish to study.

Your GCSE grades would imply that you won't be invited to interview, unless there were some serious mitigating circumstances as to why you didn't do so well - and you are now doing much better!

Does your school support your application?

Reply 5

username9303

3

I applied for Maths at Trinity and got an interview, my grades (at the time) being:

GCSEs: 5A*s, 4As and a B
Predicted A2s: AAAA in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Geography

Reply 6

TomX

14

Prometheus

oops my bad, I'm appying for biochem at Trinity Oxford.
TomX, whata are your ASs and Alevels?

A in A-Level Maths
A in AS Computing
D in General Studies

Predicted:
A in A-Level Further Maths
A in A2 Computing
A in Physics (doing it in one-year)

Most Cambridge Colleges, including Trinity usually interview applicants who have demonstrated an affinity with the subject they wish to study.

Your GCSE grades would imply that you won't be invited to interview, unless there were some serious mitigating circumstances as to why you didn't do so well - and you are now doing much better!

Does your school support your application?

My personal statement and reference from my teacher show the affinity I have with maths (and that it will only increase during uni years).

My college supports my application since I've gotten A's this year, all my teachers have given great references and my maths teachers thinks it's worth me applying.

Reply 7

AlphaNumeric

10

Vazzyb

Has anyone ever got in with less than 10A*?

I don't mean to offend but bahahahahaha!!!

I love rumours which have no merit. Let's just say that its BS you need bucket loads of A*s. I got 6, and there's about average. I know someone who got into Kings with no A's, and I know someone who is in Peterhouse doing maths and didn't even get an A* in his maths GCSE (though managed top 15 in Cambridge!).

If you've got any kind of decent ability in maths (ie you did it for AS and got an A) then you'll get an interview.

Wether you get an offer is 99.99% down to the interview and 0.01% down to your GCSEs and other attributes.

Vazzyb

I have this idea, partially from my school and partially from people who I have talked to who got into Trinity College. It is that you really do need 10A* or more to be considered seriously.

I don't know who you've been talking to in Trinity but they lied. I'm in Trinity doing maths, and I can categorically tell you you do not need 10 A* to get in. You need decent grades to get an interview and then it is all down to the interview.

yawn

Your GCSE grades would imply that you won't be invited to interview

He already has the date of his interview.

Trinity has an excellent reputation for maths, but it isn't some amazingly super dooper collection of god like mathematicians (I know I'm not one!). It has been my experience that 95% of the rumours about Trinity and Cambridge in general are crap, and are generally spread by people who want to seem like they know how the system works, but don't. They want to scare applicants like yourself Vazzy, often because they themselves aren't of the callibre required to get in and so they want to dishearten people who are good enough to get in.

Reply 8

sebbie

15

Is trinity harder to get into for Maths than the other Cambridge colleges?

Reply 9

ssmoose

13

Is trinity harder to get into for Maths than the other Cambridge colleges?

I thought they tried to get all the Olympiad people to go there...

Reply 10

TomX

14

ssmoose

I thought they tried to get all the Olympiad people to go there...

Not true I don't think.

When I went to the Maths open day @ Trinity on the 7th May (I think) Professor Hugh Osbourne told us Olympiad wasn't needed. He said that the type of maths in the olympiad is different than that in a maths degree and therefore hardly a benefit (though it does show a sort of interest in maths).

Reply 11

Cexy

sebbie

Is trinity harder to get into for Maths than the other Cambridge colleges?

You'll probably be facing some tougher competition, as a lot of the Olympiad team will be applying to read maths at Trinity. However, also remember that Trinity has at least twice as many places as anywhere else! On balance I'd say that it may be slightly harder to get in, but not much harder.

Remember though that if you apply to Trin and get in, you'll be exposed to quite a few people who are likely to be in the top 10 of your year, and it can be a little depressing seeing how much everyone else knows. Keep in mind that those people are the exception, rather than the norm :smile:

Reply 12

yawn

17

AlphaNumeric

I don't mean to offend but bahahahahaha!!!

I love rumours which have no merit. Let's just say that its BS you need bucket loads of A*s. I got 6, and there's about average. I know someone who got into Kings with no A's, and I know someone who is in Peterhouse doing maths and didn't even get an A* in his maths GCSE (though managed top 15 in Cambridge!).

If you've got any kind of decent ability in maths (ie you did it for AS and got an A) then you'll get an interview.

Wether you get an offer is 99.99% down to the interview and 0.01% down to your GCSEs and other attributes.
I don't know who you've been talking to in Trinity but they lied. I'm in Trinity doing maths, and I can categorically tell you you do not need 10 A* to get in. You need decent grades to get an interview and then it is all down to the interview.
He already has the date of his interview.

Trinity has an excellent reputation for maths, but it isn't some amazingly super dooper collection of god like mathematicians (I know I'm not one!). It has been my experience that 95% of the rumours about Trinity and Cambridge in general are crap, and are generally spread by people who want to seem like they know how the system works, but don't. They want to scare applicants like yourself Vazzy, often because they themselves aren't of the callibre required to get in and so they want to dishearten people who are good enough to get in.

The ability to 'think on one's feet' at interview and respond well to the Admissions Tutors prompts when going through the pre-interveiw Maths paper are obviously the most important aspects along with demonstrated ability at external exams for Maths at school.

Trinity is not interested in how well you have done at Piano, foreign languages etc. Their main focus is ability at Maths and a passion for Maths.

However, you do need to be able to prove that you have a grasp on learning at GCSE as well as A levels - and in fact, performance at GCSE is more closely correlated with success at degree outcome than A levels.

BTW - the best mathematicians in the country are not all at Cambridge as observed by Alpha Numeric! :smile:

Reply 13

Wrangler

2

yawn

However, you do need to be able to prove that you have a grasp on learning at GCSE as well as A levels - and in fact, performance at GCSE is more closely correlated with success at degree outcome than A levels.

BTW - the best mathematicians in the country are not all at Cambridge as observed by Alpha Numeric!

Out of curiosity, why do you seem so interested in Mathematics degrees, and giving out advice in relation to them when....

yawn in another thread

I am not studying Maths, nor have I ever studied Maths at any university...

I'm a little confused? :confused:

I also disagree with your "performance at GCSE is more closely correlated with success at degree outcome than A levels".

Reply 14

meef cheese

10

Wrangler

I also disagree with your "performance at GCSE is more closely correlated with success at degree outcome than A levels".

I think there is evidence for this. For medicine at least. Grumballcake is a fan of it. He posted a link somewhere before.

Reply 15

yawn

17

Wrangler

Out of curiosity, why do you seem so interested in Mathematics degrees, and giving out advice in relation to them when....

I'm a little confused? :confused:

I also disagree with your "performance at GCSE is more closely correlated with success at degree outcome than A levels".

I am involved in helping students with information who wish to apply specifically to Cambridge for Mathematics, by way of 6th form mentoring.

You may disagree with me about closer correlation between GCSE grades and degree outcome than A levels and degree outcome, but there is research which has proved it to be so.

For those of you who haven't seen this - the section on GCSE results is very helpful as it gives the Admissions Tutors a guideline when interviewing and the research already indicating that GCSE is a more reliable indicator of degree outcome is currently being researched by Cambridge by reference to their Tripos.

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/admissions/handbook/section2/2_5.html

Reply 16

Wrangler

2

yawn

I am involved in helping students with information who wish to apply specifically to Cambridge for Mathematics, by way of 6th form mentoring.

How has that come about (if you don't mind me asking)? I only ask because some of the opinions you put forward in this seemed a little misguided - and I wouldn't like to think you were giving out false info!

yawn

You may disagree with me about closer correlation between GCSE grades and degree outcome than A levels and degree outcome, but there is research which has proved it to be so.

That suprises me! You don't have a link I could look at do you? :smile:

Reply 17

yawn

17

Wrangler

How has that come about (if you don't mind me asking)? I only ask because some of the opinions you put forward in this seemed a little misguided - and I wouldn't like to think you were giving out false info!

Every piece of information I give to the students is extremely well researched - it has to be....and is therefore highly unlikely to be erroneous. Unless you can point out to me where I am wrong, I shall continue giving the information that I am at present. Of course, things change from year to year but all the information I gave to posters on the thread you linked is currently accurate. I appreciate that there is much misinformation abounding, but it doesn't come from me! :wink:

Wrangler

That suprises me! You don't have a link I could look at do you? :smile:

I really thought that this was common knowledge by now, particularly on this website, as it has been referenced quite a few times. I shall try a 'trawl' and find some statistics for you if you are prepared to wait a while - I don't keep all the links to hand once I have disseminated the info. It is kept elsewhere and not at my home.

Reply 18

Wrangler

2

yawn

Every piece of information I give to the students is extremely well researched - it has to be....and is therefore highly unlikely to be erroneous. Unless you can point out to me where I am wrong, I shall continue giving the information that I am at present. Of course, things change from year to year but all the information I gave to posters on the thread you linked is currently accurate. I appreciate that there is much misinformation abounding, but it doesn't come from me! :wink:

Well, if I was a prospective University student, hoping to apply for Mathematics - had I only read your comments, I would be led to believe:

1) A good judge of a mathematics degree is whether or not it has a Number Theory course in its first year.
2) Oxford is lagging behind places such as Birmingham and St Andrews.

A lot of people "in the know" (i.e those studying for a Mathematics degree, or those holding a Mathematics degree) were disagreeing with you. This is not a good sign!

:eek:

yawn

I really thought that this was common knowledge by now, particularly on this website, as it has been referenced quite a few times. I shall try a 'trawl' and find some statistics for you if you are prepared to wait a while - I don't keep all the links to hand once I have disseminated the info. It is kept elsewhere and not at my home.

No rush! I was just curious to see it. :smile:

Reply 19

AlphaNumeric

10

yawn

Every piece of information I give to the students is extremely well researched - it has to be....and is therefore highly unlikely to be erroneous. Unless you can point out to me where I am wrong

The fact Oxford lags behind places like Birmingham. The fact that "traditional courses" somehow correlates to better courses.

Oxford has a very strong maths department, as Wrangler says, this is coming from the mouths of Cambridge lecturers! They don't bring up Birmingham or St Andrews... ever.

Also, as I told you in the thread Wrangler links to, if you're claiming that the teaching of Number theory somehow is "traditional" and good universities teach the "traditionals" first, you're talking rubbish. While Cambridge covers a tiny bit of number theory in their 1st year "Numbers and Sets" course, the course called "Number Theory" isn't until THIRD year. Geometry, perhaps the most ancient and "traditional" mathematical subject isn't taught till the end of 2nd year.

It is perfectly possible to teach an excellent maths course without teaching number theory as soon as possible to undergraduates. Your knowledge can't be "extremely well researched" because it is obviously wrong about Cambridge.

I'll also point you to my first post in this thread replying to your "Your GCSE grades would imply that you won't be invited to interview" statement to TomX. He'd already got an interview date, because his AS Levels were good enough. Your research could perhaps do with some updating?

Maths at Trinity

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