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Academic ability of Oxbridge vs Imperial Students

Am I right in assuming that Imperial students are of similar academic ability to Oxbridge students (in STEM subjects of course)?

I ask because I've observed that several Imperial students applied to Oxbridge but failed to get in - is this an indicator that a number of Imperial students are below Oxbridge standards?
Original post by Godel_Mark
Am I right in assuming that Imperial students are of similar academic ability to Oxbridge students (in STEM subjects of course)?

I ask because I've observed that several Imperial students applied to Oxbridge but failed to get in - is this an indicator that a number of Imperial students are below Oxbridge standards?


Do you know any students who got into Obridge but failed to get an offer from Imperial?

If so, what can you deduce from that?
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Original post by Godel_Mark
Am I right in assuming that Imperial students are of similar academic ability to Oxbridge students (in STEM subjects of course)?

I ask because I've observed that several Imperial students applied to Oxbridge but failed to get in - is this an indicator that a number of Imperial students are below Oxbridge standards?


I've actually met quite a few students that got offers from Cambridge but turned them down to study at Imperial. Mostly Engineering students. I don't know anyone over here that's applied to Oxford, though.
I think in general Imperial students are perceived to be seen as "Oxbridge rejects" and to an extent that may stand true, quite lot of people I know who are currently studying at Imperial did apply to Oxbridge and unfortunately didn't make it. I do think also as another generalisation students who got an offer from Oxbridge also probably got an offer from Imperial but you cannot say that the other way round. However like someone said I know a few people who rejected Oxbridge for Imperial (all engineers) so obviously they were Oxbridge material to have gotten in and simply chose based on the course/uni they prefer. With regards to many Imperial applicants having tried for Oxbridge and being unsuccessful I think that suggests perhaps their academic credentials are of a similar standard to Oxbridge pupils however something let them down maybe they didn't shine as much at interview or something.
Original post by arcanum96
I think in general Imperial students are perceived to be seen as "Oxbridge rejects" and to an extent that may stand true, quite lot of people I know who are currently studying at Imperial did apply to Oxbridge and unfortunately didn't make it. I do think also as another generalisation students who got an offer from Oxbridge also probably got an offer from Imperial but you cannot say that the other way round. However like someone said I know a few people who rejected Oxbridge for Imperial (all engineers) so obviously they were Oxbridge material to have gotten in and simply chose based on the course/uni they prefer. With regards to many Imperial applicants having tried for Oxbridge and being unsuccessful I think that suggests perhaps their academic credentials are of a similar standard to Oxbridge pupils however something let them down maybe they didn't shine as much at interview or something.


I would tend to completely disagree.
Imperial is a great uni and whether an Imperial student has been rejected or not from Oxbridge, he made it to Imperial.
In short, Imperial students are seen as Imperial students.
Original post by Theophile
I would tend to completely disagree.
Imperial is a great uni and whether an Imperial student has been rejected or not from Oxbridge, he made it to Imperial.
In short, Imperial students are seen as Imperial students.
I agree with you getting into Imperial is a feat in itself, no doubt that everyone knows that it's a fantastic institution. I didn't mean to imply that I think that it's just what I hear, in fact Imperial is my top choice uni I've applied to.
Original post by Godel_Mark
Am I right in assuming that Imperial students are of similar academic ability to Oxbridge students (in STEM subjects of course)?

I ask because I've observed that several Imperial students applied to Oxbridge but failed to get in - is this an indicator that a number of Imperial students are below Oxbridge standards?


The "top" US unis, along with Oxbridge, invariably pop up at the top of world league tables. What nobody has ever questioned is the calibre of the candidates entering these universities.

Are they really the best, given we know for a fact, British 15 year olds are already 2.5 years behind their Far Eastern counterparts?

Looking at these exam papers probably illustrates the difference in standards betwen the east and west:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/6526228/the-gaokao-challenge/

http://issuu.com/ericlau820/docs/pure_maths

According to the first article, Oxford undergrads had difficulty tacking the questions.

Assuming those who study abroad can only do so if they have adequate funding, that means a lot of top students will attend domestic universities which unfortunately we never hear about.

Also, the Chinese win the IMO year after year. Putting aside the fact they train hard, possibly harder than anyone else, their mentors must have some greta teaching methods.

Why has that never been factored into world league tables?

The bottom line is, you cannot rely on a single set of statistics to draw meaningful conclusions.
I know a few extremely intelligent people (all got 4 A*s) that got into Imperial but rejected from Cambridge. One guy did up to M4 and S5 modules! For some it just isn't their day, so they perform bad at the interview. As most Oxbridge candidates have straight A*s, the interview is where they differentiate (excluding UMS). However, I've never seen anyone reject Oxbridge for Imperial.
Original post by ItsWhiteHat
I know a few extremely intelligent people (all got 4 A*s) that got into Imperial but rejected from Cambridge. One guy did up to M4 and S5 modules! For some it just isn't their day, so they perform bad at the interview. As most Oxbridge candidates have straight A*s, the interview is where they differentiate (excluding UMS). However, I've never seen anyone reject Oxbridge for Imperial.

It may not be very common however I have heard of cases in which Oxbridge was rejected for Imperial (typically engineering disciplines)
In a word yes they're of pretty much the same ability.
Well, people do say that we should call it 'Impbridge' . . .

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Original post by Edminzodo
Well, people do say that we should call it 'Impbridge' . . .

Posted from TSR Mobile


I disagree, Oxford still has its place. Their courses are very intensive and challenging. You cannot just disregard Oxford.

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