Realistically, what grades for Oxbridge?

Before anyone says the obvious, yes I know this thread has probably been created before but times have changed and I feel that getting into any university is much more competitive now than it was 2-3 years ago.

The title says it all, I don't want replies like "Anyone can apply to Cambridge! If you have the passion for your subject blah blah blah", as nice as that sounds, I don't think its true.

Please answer in terms of GCSE grades and A-level UMS scores (since everyone these days are getting AAA).

Reply 1

zedeneye1

18

Realistically, you just cant get into oxford or cambridge.... :tongue:

no one can.... :biggrin:

Reply 2

User990473

AAAA at AS, A*AA at A2

Cambridge look at your UMS, probably around 90%
Oxford put heavier weighting on your GCSEs - all core subjects probably to A*

Medicine: Cambridge use the BMAT more heavily but I am not sure what you would need there :/

Reply 3

Imcomingforyou

OP

1

Original post by zedeneye1

Realistically, you just cant get into oxford or cambridge.... :tongue:

no one can.... :biggrin:

someone got rejected ^ :colone:

Reply 4

CosmicVengeance

13

Original post by Imcomingforyou

someone got rejected ^ :colone:

Twice. xD

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 5

User990473

Original post by Imcomingforyou

someone got rejected ^ :colone:

Original post by CosmicVengeance

Twice. xD

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Three times a lady :cool:

EDIT: Erm, I went for a piss and my brother typed that. I don't even get it :confused:

lmao

Ah well

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 6

CosmicVengeance

13

Original post by Imcomingforyou

Before anyone says the obvious, yes I know this thread has probably been created before but times have changed and I feel that getting into any university is much more competitive now than it was 2-3 years ago.

The title says it all, I don't want replies like "Anyone can apply to Cambridge! If you have the passion for your subject blah blah blah", as nice as that sounds, I don't think its true.

Please answer in terms of GCSE grades and A-level UMS scores (since everyone these days are getting AAA).

5 A*s 5As (GCSE), A*A*A, interview

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 7

lsaul95

15

Original post by Occams Chainsaw

Three times a lady :cool:

EDIT: Erm, I went for a piss and my brother typed that. I don't even get it :confused:

lmao

Ah well

Tis a song :')

Reply 8

User990473

Original post by lsaul95

Tis a song :')

Ah yeah, Lionel Richie :facepalm2:

haha

Reply 9

Theafricanlegend

15

Original post by Imcomingforyou

Before anyone says the obvious, yes I know this thread has probably been created before but times have changed and I feel that getting into any university is much more competitive now than it was 2-3 years ago.

The title says it all, I don't want replies like "Anyone can apply to Cambridge! If you have the passion for your subject blah blah blah", as nice as that sounds, I don't think its true.

Please answer in terms of GCSE grades and A-level UMS scores (since everyone these days are getting AAA).

90% A*s in gcse and you are on track for an interview in oxford. The average applicant for cambridge has 90% ums in AS levels, the average successful applicant has 95%.

Spoiler

GL bro, you're gonna need it.

Reply 10

Ras17

10

Original post by Imcomingforyou

Before anyone says the obvious, yes I know this thread has probably been created before but times have changed and I feel that getting into any university is much more competitive now than it was 2-3 years ago.

The title says it all, I don't want replies like "Anyone can apply to Cambridge! If you have the passion for your subject blah blah blah", as nice as that sounds, I don't think its true.

Please answer in terms of GCSE grades and A-level UMS scores (since everyone these days are getting AAA).

Well if you want it in terms of bare grades, the average Oxbridge student has ~~10/11~~ <unknown for sure but it's at least 5> A*s at GCSE.

They also average around 500-550 UCAS points for the courses, which is the equivalent of something like A*AAA or AAAAa.

Cambridge are the only uni (as far as i know) who look at UMS scores, and they'd usually require atleast 90% UMS in the subjects.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 11

milkytea

16

A guy from my college a few years ago go an offer for Maths & Philosophy at Oxford with AABB at AS. I do think it can be worth applying if your grades are slightly lower but feel you can make up for it in other areas (admissions test, interview, personal statement etc.) Pretty sure you will need to be predicted at least three As but that can easily be the case if you get a mixture of As and Bs at AS. As for GCSEs, more A*s presumably makes it easier but I'm pretty sure they don't rule anybody out on the basis of lacking them.

What's different about the admissions process to Oxbridge compared to other unis is that there are slightly more criteria they use to judge you: the interview and the admissions test or written work. This means that it can be easier to compensate for weaknesses in other areas e.g. grades. For example, a friend of mine applied to Medicine at Oxford with AABBC at AS and got an interview because he achieved in the top 2% or so scores in his BMAT. I think it would be madness, for instance, to apply for LSE if your AS grades were something like ABBB, because grades are one of the only things LSE look at. With Oxbridge you just need to show enough potential to get to interview and once you're there you have a very good chance to prove yourself.

Reply 12

Imcomingforyou

OP

1

Original post by Theafricanlegend

90% A*s in gcse and you are on track for an interview in oxford. The average applicant for cambridge has 90% ums in AS levels, the average successful applicant has 95%.

Spoiler

GL bro, you're gonna need it.

Original post by Ras17

Well if you want it in terms of bare grades, the average Oxbridge student has 10/11 A*s at GCSE.

They also average around 500-550 UCAS points for the courses, which is the equivalent of something like A*AAA or AAAAa.

Cambridge are the only uni (as far as i know) who look at UMS scores, and they'd usually require atleast 90% UMS in the subjects.

thanks for your replies, I see that A's just aren't good enough at GCSE level and A*'s are required, but will Oxbridge make exceptions? For example a student who didn't get 10A*'s due to many factors such as poor school etc but performed very well in AS (95 UMS+ average)?

Reply 13

Theafricanlegend

15

Original post by Imcomingforyou

thanks for your replies, I see that A's just aren't good enough at GCSE level and A*'s are required, but will Oxbridge make exceptions? For example a student who didn't get 10A*'s due to many factors such as poor school etc but performed very well in AS (95 UMS+ average)?

Oxford do not know your ums though. Apply cambridge because they ask for that!

Reply 14

Ras17

10

Original post by Imcomingforyou

thanks for your replies, I see that A's just aren't good enough at GCSE level and A*'s are required, but will Oxbridge make exceptions? For example a student who didn't get 10A*'s due to many factors such as poor school etc but performed very well in AS (95 UMS+ average)?

Yes, some unis do look at contextual factors such as quality of schooling when assessing the grades.

Also, since Cambridge place emphasis on UMS and Oxford don't, it's more likely that it would be Oxford who'd be the most interested in GCSE grades, which means that applying to Cambridge will be your best bet - providing of course that you can achieve high UMS marks in your exams.

Reply 15

Babs12123

6

Original post by Imcomingforyou

thanks for your replies, I see that A's just aren't good enough at GCSE level and A*'s are required, but will Oxbridge make exceptions? For example a student who didn't get 10A*'s due to many factors such as poor school etc but performed very well in AS (95 UMS+ average)?

Just FYI, I got into Oxford with 3 A*s and 9 As and 1 B at GCSE. The B was in food tech (not at all relevant) but the general point stands. In my AS I got 3 high As and a B and then at A2 got 2 A*s and an A.
I went to a state school, so that may have had something to do with it. Although I have been told that whatever school you go to you do obviously have to have to be good enough to get in, they just then expect kids from high performing schools to exceed this to some extent. So, going to a worse school doesn't mean you don't have to do as well, but if you do then you'll be in a good position.

I think that, even if you don't have amazing GCSE results, as long as you do well in AS and have really good predicted grades then you'll probably be fine.

Reply 16

zedeneye1

18

Original post by Imcomingforyou

someone got rejected ^ :colone:

i never applied.
im not in uk.

Reply 17

camaieu

14

I got 7A*3A at GCSE, AAAA at AS, and A*A*A* at A level. But that's not definitive. I know of people with vastly differing grades that have managed to get offers.

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 18

sn13

Okay, so I want to study History at Cambridge and got four A's at AS, but my lowest UMS score was in History, will this affect my chances? My results were:

History: 79, 89 - 168/200 overall

Politics: 100, 100 - 200/200 overall

Geography: 140, 59 - 199/200 overall

Ennglish: 99, 77 - 176/200 overall

Are these results good enough without retaking history or not? I'm going to drop English for next year, and probably retake my first history module.

Also can you apply to Cambridge in 2 consecutive years of you get rejected the first year? Thank you!!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 19

oh_1993

13

From what I gathered after applying to Cambridge, the norm for people who get in is roughly a 95% UMS average over 4 A-Levels taken to A2 i.e. 4 A*s and 8-11 A*s at GCSE. Many people get in with lower than this though, some people get offers of AAA from Oxford.

Oxford does not specifically ask for UMS I don't think.

Realistically, what grades for Oxbridge?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you