Official Cambridge Applicants Thread 2015 Entry - MK II

If you look on Unistats at the ucas points that Cambridge students enter with it is clear that the vast majority must have 4 A levels.
Take economics, 67% had over 600 ucas points, 13% 560-600, 13%520-559, 3% 480-519,3% 440-479.No one entering cambridge last year to do economics did so with less than 440 points.given that 3A*s and an additional A at AS is 480 points.it implies that very few doing just 3 A levels got an offer to do economics!

You're right, freedom of information requests demonstrate that pretty much all successful applicants take 4 A-Levels.

In Nat science 77% had over 600 UMS on entry. In Maths it was 83%.
Cambridge clearly do require 4 A levels for most subjects. I think the reason they deny it is because 1) they don't want to be accused of encouraging people to do more than they are capable of which would compromise their ability to get into even a second line University and 2) because they don't want to exclude those with extenuating circumstances that could only have been able to take 3. But it is clear that those that could have taken more than 3 are in reality expected to do so.
I can see their point in that they only want the people who did not feel that they had wanted to or needed to give up a subject but it is a pity they can't be more clear if that is their policy, which it appears to be.

Yeah I agree.

I would have absolutely no problem with the policy if it was clear, but I've now dropped a (really easy) subject in which I could have done well but just wasn't interested and it seems like this could spoil my chances.

One thing though, some people do take 5 or 6 AS-Levels and then drop two. There could be a few of those bandying about.

I have seen your stats, they are excellent and the reason you dropped one clearly was not because you were struggling. Maybe you could email the college for some reassurance or ask in the interview?
They clearly do make exceptions. After all it is not a stated policy.Yours seems an obvious one. Maybe ask at your school and maybe they could seek clarification for you.

If you look on Unistats at the ucas points that Cambridge students enter with it is clear that the vast majority must have 4 A levels.
Take economics, 67% had over 600 ucas points, 13% 560-600, 13%520-559, 3% 480-519,3% 440-479.No one entering cambridge last year to do economics did so with less than 440 points.given that 3A*s and an additional A at AS is 480 points.it implies that very few doing just 3 A levels got an offer to do economics!

Lmao 99-100 has quickly risen to be the modal score on here, dunno how useful that poll is anymore

In other news, I still haven't received an allocation! Getting a little worried now. Sent an email 2 days ago but still no response

In Nat science 77% had over 600 UMS on entry. In Maths it was 83%.
Cambridge clearly do require 4 A levels for most subjects. I think the reason they deny it is because 1) they don't want to be accused of encouraging people to do more than they are capable of which would compromise their ability to get into even a second line University and 2) because they don't want to exclude those with extenuating circumstances that could only have been able to take 3. But it is clear that those that could have taken more than 3 are in reality expected to do so.
I can see their point in that they only want the people who did not feel that they had wanted to or needed to give up a subject but it is a pity they can't be more clear if that is their policy, which it appears to be.

In Nat science 77% had over 600 UMS on entry. In Maths it was 83%.
Cambridge clearly do require 4 A levels for most subjects. I think the reason they deny it is because 1) they don't want to be accused of encouraging people to do more than they are capable of which would compromise their ability to get into even a second line University and 2) because they don't want to exclude those with extenuating circumstances that could only have been able to take 3. But it is clear that those that could have taken more than 3 are in reality expected to do so.
I can see their point in that they only want the people who did not feel that they had wanted to or needed to give up a subject but it is a pity they can't be more clear if that is their policy, which it appears to be.

^ things like that are ridiculous, unfair how much of an advantage some people ultimately get.

They've been banned.

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That's why

I don't think it's a case of "clearly they require four a levels" at all I just think that the calibre of people applying for Cambridge tends to be comprised of those that can easily take four or five A2, and generally they are the stronger candidates, hence why "most" students at Cambridge have 4 A2s.
I was quoted by the DoS at Churchill that the average student at Cambridge (studying sciences at least) has 3.4 A*s.

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I doubt they would discriminate in my case. For example I am doing 3A2s and 1 extra AS in FM. I could have done 4A2s with the additional A2 in Physics but I have dropped Physics to pick up FM. FM has 1 more exam that Physics so it is hardly less work and some may even say AS FM is harder than A2 Physics. I wouldn't pay too much attention to those stats; if you are doing 4 of anything you will be fine... As long as your UMS is good


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In reality, the number of subjects is more correlation than causation. If you are really serious about science and don't find it hard then fitting in 4 subjects isnt that bad. Also most schools and colleges wont let people only do 3 if two of these are maths and further maths.

But no way do they reject people because they have 3. There are a lot of natscis who "only" did 3 A2s. And a lot of those who did more had this number inflated by critical thinking/ general studies. You can also get ucas points outside of A-Levels, which is why the points system is a weird metric. E.g. I think I got about 1000 points, and a lot of that was through music, which didn't influence me getting in at all

You are right, they will look at all modules you have done and are doing and take a view on whether what you are doing is comparable in workload terms to other candidates. If you drop a subject in order to take up another more relevant one, then that is clearly different than dropping it because you were struggling in it.
But you can see why Cambridge do value 4 A levels as it shows a clear ability to do well in a range of subjects and a willingness to take on significant academic workload. I just think they should make that clearer before people give up subjects that they could continued with.