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The OFFICIAL Pool Thread

I dont think being made to wait or whatever stops your application from being considered peoperly. Some people don't appreciate the time and expense that is gone into interviews, which doesn't happen at other unis, to ensure that people get a fair chance. I think a lot of people forget that.

Reply 781

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3

blondebean

see you next year then!

Don't you mean this year? :p:

Just got a letter about some open days at Fitz for people with offers, so i might see you there!

Reply 782

Solemn Wanderer

I agree that being kept waiting for your interview is very unlikely to cast doubt on a decision. And some practical sense has to come into it - inevitably delays will creep in, and they can't reconsider everyone's applications just because they ended up running half-an-hour late on a particular day (they would have to re-interview everyone who applied, to avoid giving just people on that day a second bite at the cherry).

Reply 783

dog biscuit

The fact is that if you feel you have been disadvantaged in anyway you can appeal and there is a procedure set up for you to do so. If you think that being kept waiting affected your performance you can, and people have done in the past, use this to appeal.
It doesn't matter what other members of the TSR think is a valid or non valid reason for appeal the decision lies with Cambridge not them! In addition don't let the thought that you maybe dismissed as one of the "jumped up little idiots" who appealed and were subsequently offered a place put you off!
The procedure is there so use it if you have any niggling thoughts.......

Reply 784

janemansfield

kitsunechan

congrats!man, they're still making people wait? :/ sucks. Oh and congrats to 3232 as well, both of us fished out after being pooled by Clare :biggrin:

hey, i see you were also pooled for oriental studies, japanese. I was pooled by king's, made an offer by peterhouse. hope to see you in october! i wonder how many of the 40 for oriental studies are actually doing japanese? i reckon like...8. i'm really looking forward to it!

Reply 785

kitsunechan

I'm looking forward to it too, providing I make the grades :rolleyes:

Yes, apparently they have around 9/10 people who do japanese (per year) making us a small group indeed :smile:

Reply 786

Johnny01638

Is it just me or...would you prefer to have under 7A*'s but really good AS levels just to know you have not been auto pooled. It's possibly the worst category possible to be pooled under as they could have no interest in you whatsoever!

Reply 787

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3

ExamNailer

Is it just me or...would you prefer to have under 7A*'s but really good AS levels just to know you have not been auto pooled. It's possibly the worst category possible to be pooled under as they could have no interest in you whatsoever!

They didn't auto-pool people, if you read the rest of the thread there are instances where people had the 'required' grades but were not pooled, it seemed to be more at the discretion of the admissions tutors.

Reply 788

Johnny01638

I know but the proportion of people are - i'm just saying even if you were pooled for some other reason but had the correct grades for auto-pooling would you not be more in the dark than if you knew it must have been to do with your AS results or your interview or your P.S?

Reply 789

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3

Not really, you are just as in the dark when you are pooled in the other category (as i was) and just as nervous when it comes to waiting for that phonecall.

Reply 790

Johnny01638

I guess, is it true Homerton wasn't a proper college for main stream subjects before 2001?

Reply 791

metaphysical

10

I think so. At least i know they didnt do law there until then! :smile:

Reply 792

Solemn Wanderer

On the auto-pooling point, just because a few people (who therefore have grounds for a complaint) should have been auto-pooled and weren't, doesn't mean that the auto-pooling rule wasn't adhered to in most cases.

Reply 793

Big_McLargeHuge

Well, it's probably about time that I checked in here again. The College that I applied to (Clare) sent me a letter a few weeks ago telling me I'd been rejected.

Anyway, I've been meaning to get some opinions on this. As some people here know, I was only 15 when I was pooled (I'm very young for my grade). So I was thinking that I might have another crack at it in my gap year. I'm 16 now (still young I know, but it's an improvement), I'll have completed the IB and will have my grades 'in hand', I'll have done more work experience (that I'll hopefully get some references from), and I've learned a lot from my interview. Surely these things would work to my advantage?

So what do you think? Is it worth another attempt? I have an offer from LSE that I'm very happy with, but the lure of Cambridge is pretty strong. Would love to hear your opinions!

Reply 794

grumballcake

OP

8

Big_McLargeHuge

I was thinking that I might have another crack at it in my gap year. I'm 16 now (still young I know, but it's an improvement), I'll have completed the IB and will have my grades 'in hand', I'll have done more work experience (that I'll hopefully get some references from), and I've learned a lot from my interview. Surely these things would work to my advantage?

Probably, as long as your grades are very good. Having made it to the pool, Cambridge clearly think you're interesting and maybe your age counted against you. It's really worth asking the college whether they think you should re-apply.

Offers from the LSE are worth a lot and there's no guarantee that you'd get an offer from them next year. You could defer possibly the decision until after your exam results (aren't IB results before the final UCAS cut-off dates?). If you got weaker results than hoped in the IB then you'd simply take the LSE offer.

Getting work experience would be valuable and ought to strengthen an application, as long as it's useful and relevant. You might be able to land an internship at a law firm, for example. However, your age will count against you there, firms prefer 18+ because of legal and confidentiality reasons. It can be done, though

Be aware that on TSR some poolees have re-applied and succeeded (AAJ1 went into the pool a second time, but got fished). However, some people have been pooled twice and rejected twice. That can be a hard pill to swallow. Given your age, I'd lean towards risking going around again, but I'd definitely ask the college first.

Reply 795

Big_McLargeHuge

grumballcake

It's really worth asking the college whether they think you should re-apply.

Should I contact the admissions office about this? Also, could anyone tell me if Clare sends feedback to schools?

grumballcake

(aren't IB results before the final UCAS cut-off dates?). If you got weaker results than hoped in the IB then you'd simply take the LSE offer.

Yep, I'll have my results in early July. Do you know what the standard IB offer is?

grumballcake

You might be able to land an internship at a law firm, for example. However, your age will count against you there, firms prefer 18+ because of legal and confidentiality reasons. It can be done, though

I've already done some work experience with the law firm Baker and Mackenzie when I lived in Sydney, and I've been offered an "internship" of sorts at the Zurich office of Baker and Mackenzie and at Tanfield Chambers in London, so work experience is the least of my problems.

Anyway mate, thanks for the tips. Anyone else?

Reply 796

Solemn Wanderer

An admissions office is unlikely to give you direct advice on whether you should reapply. But so far as I know all colleges are willing to provide feedback (sent to your referee), and this tends to be quite helpful in giving you an idea of what your chances might be.

Reply 797

grumballcake

OP

8

Big_McLargeHuge

Should I contact the admissions office about this? Also, could anyone tell me if Clare sends feedback to schools?

All colleges will give feedback if asked, some give it without asking. Contact the college that you originally applied to.

My son was told that the college would welcome his reapplication, if he did well at A2, (contrary to Soleme Wanderer's assertion). He muffed a module, so he didn't.

Yep, I'll have my results in early July.

Too late, I'm afraid. You have to decide your UCAS firm choice before that. If not, all offers are void. So you'd have to accept LSE and then turn them down afterwards. They're more likely to remember that than a simple rejection of their offer, I think.

Do you know what the standard IB offer is?