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Work Experience for Natural Sciences Cambridge

I have my heart set on doing natural sciences at Cambridge but I'm struggling to find any work experience, what have people been successful applying with in the past? Also, how much will this affect my application if I still have good grades?
Reply 1
Avatar for TVIO
TVIO
12
You don't need any, grades are everything. Enjoy your summer.
Work experience is definitely not essential, they seem to focus a lot more on grades and how enthusiastic you come across at interview rather than whatever you mention in your personal statement - I'm pretty sure they hadn't even read my personal statement, it had so many spelling mistakes and terrible cliches in it...

However, work experience may help to demonstrate your passion for the course, and some admissions tutors will look at it. I managed to get a few days work experience shadowing a clinical scientist (through a family friend) and a week at the Science Museum in London. I also went on a Headstart Natural Sciences summer school and a few university subject taster days which probably helped too - you don't just have to do "work experience".

What year are you in? If you've just finished ASs it's probably too late now for organising things like summer schools, but if you've just finished GCSEs I'd recommend for next year considering:
- Headstart summer schools
- UNIQ summer schools
- Sutton Trust summer schools
- Sutton Trust US programme
- Smallpiece Trust summer schools (some of these actually still have places left for this summer, and they are for a whole range of different year groups from yr 9 upwards)
- University of London Taster Days
- Cambridge Subject Masterclasses
- Oxford year 12 study days
- Oxford year 13 applicant information days
- QMUL Advanced Masterclasses
- QMUL Physics Practical School
- Nuffield Bursary Scheme (spend a few months over the summer doing research)
- CREST Awards (usually for an EPQ/ Nuffield Bursary Project/ science project)
- European Space Camp (I went on this after A2s, was absolutely AWESOME - also they don't seem to get all that many UK applicants, so you've got a reasonable chance of getting a place)
- National Physics Lab Academy
- International Astronomical Youth Camp
- Leicester Uni UK Space School
- Weizmann UK Science Summer School
- Year in Industry Scheme (EDT)
- UKCA - NASA Astrobiology Summer School


There are also various competitions:
- Corpus Christi Oxford Essay Competition
- Peterhouse Cambridge Essay Competition
- Murray Edwards College Cambridge Franklin Society Essay Competition

I have a website/ blog thingy where I try to list all of these - it's rather out of date at the moment (sorry, exams...) but will be updated in the next few weeks: www.stemboost.co.uk :smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by dragonkeeper999
Work experience is definitely not essential, they seem to focus a lot more on grades and how enthusiastic you come across at interview rather than whatever you mention in your personal statement - I'm pretty sure they hadn't even read my personal statement, it had so many spelling mistakes and terrible cliches in it...

However, work experience may help to demonstrate your passion for the course, and some admissions tutors will look at it. I managed to get a few days work experience shadowing a clinical scientist (through a family friend) and a week at the Science Museum in London. I also went on a Headstart Natural Sciences summer school and a few university subject taster days which probably helped too - you don't just have to do "work experience".

What year are you in? If you've just finished ASs it's probably too late now for organising things like summer schools, but if you've just finished GCSEs I'd recommend for next year considering:
- Headstart summer schools
- UNIQ summer schools
- Sutton Trust summer schools
- Sutton Trust US programme
- Smallpiece Trust summer schools (some of these actually still have places left for this summer, and they are for a whole range of different year groups from yr 9 upwards)
- University of London Taster Days
- Cambridge Subject Masterclasses
- Oxford year 12 study days
- Oxford year 13 applicant information days
- QMUL Advanced Masterclasses
- QMUL Physics Practical School
- Nuffield Bursary Scheme (spend a few months over the summer doing research)
- CREST Awards (usually for an EPQ/ Nuffield Bursary Project/ science project)
- European Space Camp (I went on this after A2s, was absolutely AWESOME - also they don't seem to get all that many UK applicants, so you've got a reasonable chance of getting a place)
- National Physics Lab Academy
- International Astronomical Youth Camp
- Leicester Uni UK Space School
- Weizmann UK Science Summer School
- Year in Industry Scheme (EDT)
- UKCA - NASA Astrobiology Summer School


There are also various competitions:
- Corpus Christi Oxford Essay Competition
- Peterhouse Cambridge Essay Competition
- Murray Edwards College Cambridge Franklin Society Essay Competition

I have a website/ blog thingy where I try to list all of these - it's rather out of date at the moment (sorry, exams...) but will be updated in the next few weeks: www.passionateaboutscience.co.uk :smile:


Really? I thought they would really care about work experience for subjects like economics, law and natural sciences, because you learn a lot about these subjects while doing work experience. Are these schools and days selective, because the Masterclasses don't seem selective since they don't have limited spaces for each subject and just say that each individual can only choose 2 subjects.
Original post by asmuse123
Really? I thought they would really care about work experience for subjects like economics, law and natural sciences, because you learn a lot about these subjects while doing work experience. Are these schools and days selective, because the Masterclasses don't seem selective since they don't have limited spaces for each subject and just say that each individual can only choose 2 subjects.


They care about it for medicine, but for other subjects I'd say it's definitely not essential - they recognise that it can be really hard to get relevant work experience unless you are lucky enough to have family contacts in the industry, and you can get similar experiences from summer schools etc.

Also, Cambridge in particular is more focused on grades and your academic abilities than anything else - there is a lot of competition between the colleges and so they will go for candidates who are most likely to get top grades. Yes, being motivated to study having enjoyed some work experience will help a little with this, but demonstrating an ACADEMIC interest in your subject through entering essay competitions and doing extra reading is also important.

The masterclasses do have REALLY limited spaces btw - this year some filled up in just a few days. I think they're on a first-come-first served kind of basis, although may be selective I can't remember...

Most of the courses I mentioned will be competitive to get in - they generally either select on your academic ability or also consider your financial background. Do some research into them this summer so you know the deadlines and when applications open :smile:
Reply 5
Avatar for bafid
bafid
1
I have an offer for this year fro Natsci and the work experience I had to do for school was in finance and completely unrelated to science. So I didn't put it in my personal statement as I had more important things and very little space, so as far as Cambridge were concerned I hadn't done any - trust me the most important things are UMS and coming across as bright and interested at interview, everything else is less important

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