Ask an Admissions Tutor III - 3 March -18 April

In terms of UMS, do you look at the highest three? or the highest four? or the most relevant ones? I am doing biology, chemistry, physics, math, further math, critical thinking and chinese. Which ones are you looking at in terms of UMS?

Hello, and thank you in advance.

I'm an A level student and have been at a London state school since Year 7, my GCSEs were 6A*s and 6As, which is quite far above my school's average.

However last year while doing my AS levels I experienced some personal problems which contributed to me ending up with BBBC in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths respectively.

Since then I have changed track a little and am currently studying for AS Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Spanish. If I do manage to get very good grades this year, could I still be considered a competitive applicant or has my 'retake year' put me at a huge disadvantage?

Ok so the better plan may be to do STEP at the same time as A-Levels, and apply to a college more "sympathetic" to gap years. I note that Queens' is unusual in encouraging them "even for maths".

Edited to add: just to clarify, in my original question I meant to say that the candidate would be applying post A-Level having achieved A*A*A.

But thank you for your assistance

Thank you for your swift response, would my subject combination for AS and A2 listed in my previous comment be adequate for a competitive application for medicine?
Thank you


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Hi
Do you have any information on Economics? Strangely it's the most competitive course but I'm struggling to find out any information about it.
For example do you know roughly how many foreign applicants there are and how many of them get places? Do you know what the average UMS of a successful economics applicant is etc.
Thanks

Usually the school sends a record of achievement.

Oh ok, I thought that was the case. Also, would I be able to mention (or would it be appropriate to mention) school grade boundaries? For example in my maths exam I received one mark off full marks but at my school only full marks is considered an A* grade.

Thanks again! This is proving a very helpful thread

I'm currently an AS student, wishing to apply for Natural Sciences (Bio), doing Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics (with Statistics) and Geography. (Predicted straight A's at AS.)

It is customary in my college to drop a subject and pick up an AS level or an Extended Project Qualification. Since I will have done my EPQ by then for an early entry, and I can't think of a relevant subject to pick up at AS level (for the biological units in the Tripos course), what would be your view on carrying on Geography to A2 along with the other 3 subjects, or would it be better to just do Chem, Bio and Maths instead of all 4?

My maths teacher has suggested I pick up Further Maths; is this of any use in Natural Science course? Also, how does Cambridge view the EPQ?

Thanks

Are early A level entries counted in the most three relevant average for Medicine? I'm doing all sciences and Maths, but the entire Maths A level will be completed this year (in year 12). Or would it just be Biology, Chemistry and Physics in the average?

Early A Levels are included in claculating your average.

Further Maths would not be of particular relevance to most of the options within the traditional Biological route within Nat Sci (so, at Part IA Mathematical Biology, Physiology of Organisms, Evolution and Behaviour and Biology of Cells) but is very useful for any of the Physics and harder Maths options. It would depend, therefore, on how you would wish to set up your Part IA and, indeed, what other courses you are intending to apply for elsewhere. You won't need Further Maths for any Biology course.

Within Nat Sci, Geography has very limited relevance, though physical geography has some relevance for Earth Sciences if you wanted to do that.

The EPQ is a good thing if you want to do it and have a good project in mind. We do not make any of our offers conditional on EPQs, however.

Hello everyone. Last year I hosted two threads which allowed students to ask any questions they had about the admissions processes at Cambridge. I have now changed colleges from Corpus to Christ's but intend to do the same this year. This, then, is your opportunity to ask an admissions tutor anything about Cambridge. I will be answering questions until Good Friday and then, like last year, will run another thread in early summer and another after the A Level results come out.

I look forward to answering your questions over the coming weeks.

Question from a friend:

He does maths, f.maths, biology and chemistry.

He'll complete maths this year, but wants to drop biology and pick up Physics AS so next year he'd be doing Chem and FM A2 and Physics AS. Possibly an epq too

Is this acceptable or does he need to stick with bio?

Thanks

I'm planning to apply for physical natural sciences this year. I have a bronze in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge and I'll be getting my marks back for the BPhO AS Challenge tomorrow - I'm expecting a bronze.

Will these awards be relevant at all if included on my personal statement? I sort of feel that they say 'I'm not as good as 2/3 of people' rather than indicating that I'm actually good in those subjects - I feel like they'd hurt my chances rather than setting a positive impression.

Also, do people with A level Further Maths get preference for physical NatSci courses? I regret not taking it. I know that it's compulsory to take maths in your first year if you don't have further maths, but I don't know what effect it will have on my chances of getting an offer.

And finally, if I were to take a gap year to study more A levels/do a placement/anything else, what would your views be towards that? I've heard that gap years don't look good for science-based subjects because you might forget a lot of what you learned.

Thanks!

Would Physics and Chemistry related work experience/ activities be considered relevant in an application for Maths?

Thanks for the quick reply,
Mathematical Biology, Physiology of Organisms, Evolution and Behaviour and Biology of Cells are the units that I'd would like to take.
Does that mean AS psychology would be of any relevance to the "Evolution and Behaviour" unit?
If not, 3 solid a level grades (A*A*A) would suffice? (Providing an offer of course)