The Official 2017 Cambridge Applicants Thread

They have to mention it on the Oxford stats because people who apply there aren't clever enough to know that for themselves, not so for Cambridge.

Hey, I personally don't think that our success rate has anything to do with being 'African.' If you look, it is a fact that Africans do on average get lower results than british, indian, and chinese people (definitely not all!) and so this will inevitably have an effect on the success rate; Cambridge do want the best students in the country. Why do we tend to get lower results? There are a number of reasons, such as a lot of us being in deprived areas and schools, lack of ambition due to less success rates etc. I don't at all think that Cambridge success rates have anything to do with us being African, there are other factors which affect grades which ultimately affect the success rate.

Just keep at it you'll be fine! You've got a great set of GCSEs behind you, you're doing well this year, and you go to a pretty good school. All you've got to do is get yourself the grades, and do well in all the other components of the application; your ethnicity will never stop you. After all, Cambridge just want the best students, regardless of their background. If you can prove to them that you're one of the best in the country at your subject, then you will get in.

And you can help your ethnicity by getting that offer

Cambridge (and RG unis generally) know there is a problem getting good black candidates. The issue isn't with the universities per se, it starts much earlier in the education system.

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Yeah. I do know all this, but's it's not just whether i think it'll affect my chances personally, the statistics just make me feel sad in general. Plus, even though on average Africans get lower results than White/Indian/Chinese, it's only going to be high achieving students applying to Oxbridge in the first place. Africans are already underrepresented in oxbridge applications (something like 1% of applicants, but 5% of a-level students are african), so it is really only the top who will apply. I don't think results are necessarily the main reason, as everyone is applying with practically the same results. I think it must be more to do with more socioeconomic factors like you said, schools and deprivation. For example, the proportion of white applicants who were privately educated are going to be a lot higher than the proportion for black students. It would be interesting if there was data on success rates controlling for educational background and qualifications/results/test scores.

I just wish everyone was equal.

I do agree with this. By the time it comes to applying to university the problems are already there, I do believe that (most) Oxbridge admissions tutors do genuinely choose the best based on what they have (on paper and in interview).. Something must happen earlier in the education system. I just wonder if it can ever be fixed. I just wish everyone was equal.

We Nigerians are pretty smart though
According to Data

this just made me depressed seeing my ethnic group has the lowest success rates.... whats even the point.

We Nigerians are pretty smart though
According to Data

A fellow Nigerian potential Oxbridge applicant?

Oh Yes! I have seen that. Nigerians are most likely to have a degree than any other ethnic group in the US.

Me 2

Yeah there are also other reasons. For example, there is a history of white students attending top universities, mainly because we're in Britain, which means that if you look at families, a lot will have highly educated parents, whereas a lot of black families have migrant parents who have not previously been to uni, never mind at the highest level (again, definitely not all, my father for example has a degree in economics).This can have a key influence; parents can help a huge amount when it comes to interview experiences, personal statement, etc. so it helps if they've actually been to a top university before.

How are you meant to write a PS that is subitable for Cambridge and other universites ie UCL? Would you recommend focusing more on books that you've read which have helped increase your understanding and only stuff that is specific to the subject you want to take (I want to study Geography btw), with little or no reference to extra-curricular activities?

How are you meant to write a PS that is subitable for Cambridge and other universites ie UCL? Would you recommend focusing more on books that you've read which have helped increase your understanding and only stuff that is specific to the subject you want to take (I want to study Geography btw), with little or no reference to extra-curricular activities?