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Cambridge postgraduate applicants 2014/15

Hi guys, applications for postgraduate study at Cambridge will soon be opening in around a month’s time. Seeing that the 2013 thread is slowly coming to an end, I thought it would be a good idea to start one for us 2014 hopefuls :smile:

There is obviously a lot of information available from previous years so I’m reposting some things from threeportdrift and sj27. I think they cover the basics quite nicely.

The following regards the application process and time spans, and was originally posted by threeportdrift.

Because BoGS took your application into a long, process driven system and it got held up in a back-log

and didn't arrive at the department until [the Christmas break, the week the dept secretary was away ill etc]

which meant it missed being put in front of the fixed degree committee meeting.

The Secretary then decided to get approval from [the chair of the degree committee] to forward your application directly to a relevant potential Supervisor,

although it took a fortnight for the Chair to [come back off leave, answer the email, return from an overseas conference etc].

Then the first Supervisor took 3 weeks to read your application and make a conclusion because they [had a tricky bunch of undergrads to teach, had a new lecture series to write, was doing their own research]

they reported back that your application had a lot of potential, but they could not supervise because [they were leaving, they had too many students already, they were writing/publishing a book next autumn etc] and they did/didn't suggest an alternative.

The Secretary/degree committee took a week to think up a new potential Supervisor and send off your application again.

The second potential Supervisor was away [on a conference, having a baby, writing the final chapter to their book, trying to get out of North Africa in one piece, doing fieldwork in Outer Mongolia etc] and takes 4 weeks to make a decision and report back to the degree committee.

Your application then waits a couple of weeks with the degree committee until they meet to compare notes on applicants and comments to check they are making fair and equal decisions.

Then your application is sent back to BoGS for confirmation and the change to CAMSIS, where it joins a queue of several thousand other applications waiting for the same.

Eventually it gets to the top of the pile and CAMSIS is changed to reflect the decision.

You might get an earlier decision if a) the dept does not have a rigid rule against pre-empting BoGS and b) someone in the dept has the time and resources to email you directly and c) your supervisor is in the dept and OKs the message.

Simples


The following regards grade requirements and was originally posted by sj27.

It goes without saying you need good grades. Some masters' courses specify a 2:1 minimum and some a first. For those with a 2:1 it seems you generally need a high one (67%+) and for some competitive courses, effectively you need a first anyway even if they state a 2:1 minimum. GPA conversion for US students doesn't seem to be standard even within Cambridge (some departments that ask for a first ask for a 3.7 GPA, others for a 3.85 for example).


You need good references. It sounds like people with fantastic grades have been let down by references in the past - this is an absolute essential.


Some departments require a research proposal for masters and some don't. Check!!


Cambridge is far more discriminatory about your grades than where you did your undergrad. I'm sure there are grey areas, but in general a first is more likely to get you accepted than a 2:1, irrespective of where you did your undergrad.




Looking forward to hearing from you all.

I myself have a telecommunication/engineering background and will be applying for an MRes in Photonic System Development and any funding I can get my hands on :biggrin:. It’s a little be different from your average course as all applicants have to send a pre application form and be interviewed before being allowed to submit an official application.
(edited 10 years ago)

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If someone got 90 percent above in the second year for uni but went to a really bad uni, what would their chances be for doing maths masters at cambridge?
Studying in halls, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
Reply 2
Anyone heard someone with below the minimum (3.5) being accepted on condition the attain a 3.5 by matriculation? Have tons of research with publication and international conferences in relevant area.

Anyway, will be applying for the 2014/2015 for MPhil in Clinical Science (TMAT).

Any advice on when to get application in? I want to wait until December, so my grades from this semester can bring my GPA up. (USA student) Any advice on making application as strong as possible? I am going to contact a few PI's that you can do research with and say I am interested in their research. (I am)
Reply 3
Original post by phill mike hunt
If someone got 90 percent above in the second year for uni but went to a really bad uni, what would their chances be for doing maths masters at cambridge?


As long as you meet the entry requirements you should be fine. I have friends at Oxbridge who all did there undergrads at unranked universities.

Good grades, strong references and a good research proposal (if applicable) are what matter most at the end of the day, not where you did your undergrad.
Original post by car123
As long as you meet the entry requirements you should be fine. I have friends at Oxbridge who all did there undergrads at unranked universities.

Good grades, strong references and a good research proposal (if applicable) are what matter most at the end of the day, not where you did your undergrad.


thanks mate. good advice, usually when I ask this question i get a pretentious answer so thanks :smile:
Is that the same for other top unis as well such as lse and imperial? Also they dont look at A levels?, because I asked a top uni admissions recruiter (i cant remember which) but they said they dont look at A levels.but one said (i think ucl) they do because competition is fierce. I assumed it was all just based on second year grades.
Reply 5
Original post by phill mike hunt
thanks mate. good advice, usually when I ask this question i get a pretentious answer so thanks :smile:
Is that the same for other top unis as well such as lse and imperial? Also they dont look at A levels?, because I asked a top uni admissions recruiter (i cant remember which) but they said they dont look at A levels.but one said (i think ucl) they do because competition is fierce. I assumed it was all just based on second year grades.


My friends and I all got into UCL/Imperial (engineering courses) and as far as I know no one listed their A level results. We applied in our 3rd year though, having all our grades bar the final semester.

In my case (UCL) there where about 650+ applicants for 90 places, so yes the competition is fierce. However, this is were interviews come in. Getting a first and doing well in the interview (which included quite a number of maths/engineering problems) is what did it for me.

That said you should check the departments website for more information. The pre application form I have to fill, for example, states that you should list all your grades from age 17 onwards. Just be careful and do your research :smile:
Original post by car123
My friends and I all got into UCL/Imperial (engineering courses) and as far as I know no one listed their A level results. We applied in our 3rd year though, having all our grades bar the final semester.

In my case (UCL) there where about 650+ applicants for 90 places, so yes the competition is fierce. However, this is were interviews come in. Getting a first and doing well in the interview (which included quite a number of maths/engineering problems) is what did it for me.

That said you should check the departments website for more information. The pre application form I have to fill, for example, states that you should list all your grades from age 17 onwards. Just be careful and do your research :smile:


that is quite fierce, I wanna do pure maths which I dont think is that competitive. I understand financial maths would be though obviously. Last question, is someone got 90 percent in the second year would it be safe to assume they would be in a great posiiton? The problem is my grades are crap for a level. Thats great you got into ucl
Reply 7
Does Cambridge have rolling admissions?
Reply 8
Original post by AcquaLife
Does Cambridge have rolling admissions?


There is no university-wide answer. Some departments give out offers/rejections as applications come in, some (especially the business school) don't give out anything until after the closing date for applications, some other departments will give out early offers or rejections to outstanding or no-hoper applications but wait for the application deadline before acting on most applications.
Reply 9
Original post by phill mike hunt
that is quite fierce, I wanna do pure maths which I dont think is that competitive. I understand financial maths would be though obviously. Last question, is someone got 90 percent in the second year would it be safe to assume they would be in a great posiiton? The problem is my grades are crap for a level. Thats great you got into ucl


Well, I got the same percentage overall, so I hope so :smile:

It also depends on your references, individual module mark breakdown, and interview performance (if you have one). As sj27 had pointed out, there have been good applicants who have been let down by bad (or not so good) references.

That said, 90% is very good and one would think that you have a good shot of getting a place.I don't know if a levels matter, as I said I didn't list them as I thought they're not important. Maybe someone who applied for the same course can help.
Reply 10
There are some successful Part III applicants in the 2013/14 thread, so Phill may wish to do a search of that thread (using the search function not browsing the gazillion posts...!!!) The standard Cam grad application form does not require A-level results, so it would only be in the instances where some kind of supplementary form is required that this becomes a possibility.

Also, I'm not sure (as in - I really don't know) that pure maths is "not that competitive" at Cam. Because it's not an MPhil Cam doesn't publish (that I've seen) applicants and offers, but Part III is supposed to be one of the best maths masters in the world, so I'd be surprised if it's not competitive. That said with 90% it's definitely worth applying!
Original post by sj27
There are some successful Part III applicants in the 2013/14 thread, so Phill may wish to do a search of that thread (using the search function not browsing the gazillion posts...!!!) The standard Cam grad application form does not require A-level results, so it would only be in the instances where some kind of supplementary form is required that this becomes a possibility.

Also, I'm not sure (as in - I really don't know) that pure maths is "not that competitive" at Cam. Because it's not an MPhil Cam doesn't publish (that I've seen) applicants and offers, but Part III is supposed to be one of the best maths masters in the world, so I'd be surprised if it's not competitive. That said with 90% it's definitely worth applying!


thanks for you answer. It is quite expensive as well. £19000 i think !!!
Original post by car123
Well, I got the same percentage overall, so I hope so :smile:

It also depends on your references, individual module mark breakdown, and interview performance (if you have one). As sj27 had pointed out, there have been good applicants who have been let down by bad (or not so good) references.

That said, 90% is very good and one would think that you have a good shot of getting a place.I don't know if a levels matter, as I said I didn't list them as I thought they're not important. Maybe someone who applied for the same course can help.


thanks for your help buddy!!
Reply 13
Original post by phill mike hunt
thanks for you answer. It is quite expensive as well. £19000 i think !!!


? Are you talking about the all-in guideline for fees, college fees and maintenance? That's the only column I can see that is close to the number you mention. It's not very different to most other postgrad courses at Cam if so...

https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/studentregistry/fees/costs/coursecost/costs2013v16b.pdf
Original post by sj27
? Are you talking about the all-in guideline for fees, college fees and maintenance? That's the only column I can see that is close to the number you mention. It's not very different to most other postgrad courses at Cam if so...

https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/studentregistry/fees/costs/coursecost/costs2013v16b.pdf


yeah im talking about figure in the first pink column. i think that is correct.
Reply 15
Original post by phill mike hunt
yeah im talking about figure in the first pink column. i think that is correct.


Well, only you can decide if it's worth it for the reputation of the degree, of course. I don't know how the all-in cost compares to other unis once you've factored in accommodation, food and transport (the latter will probably be maximum of the cost of a bicycle in Cam)?
Reply 16
I'm under the impression that the Part III Maths PG course is actually in very high demand...
Reply 17
Does anyone know how competitive the Clinical Science (TMAT) program is? Or anyone that is applying in the 2014/15 cycle?
Reply 18
I'm applying with an average of 76.40% in 2nd year and 76.60% in my 1st year. I also completed two two-months long summer internships. Could you guys evaluate my chances of gaining admission at cambridge? Thanks :smile:
Reply 19
Original post by David125
I'm applying with an average of 76.40% in 2nd year and 76.60% in my 1st year. I also completed two two-months long summer internships. Could you guys evaluate my chances of gaining admission at cambridge? Thanks :smile:


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