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Ask an Admissions Tutor VII. 17th August - 4th September

Hello everyone and many congratulations to those who obtained their offers at Cambridge last week.

I am back with another thread where you can ask any question related to Cambridge or Cambridge admissions and am here until 4 September, after which my colleague from Peterhouse will take over for a while. There will also soon by a thread hosted by the new official University account specifically for overseas applicants. Most colleges have open days between now and the application deadline on 15 October. Our own ones at Christ's are 1st Sept for Sciences (& Economics), and 2nd for Arts and Humanities.

In the meantime, however, fire away with your questions and I'll get through them as quickly as I can.

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Original post by Christ's Admissions
Hello everyone and many congratulations to those who obtained their offers at Cambridge last week.I am back with another thread where you can ask any question related to Cambridge or Cambridge admissions and am here until 4 September, after which my colleague from Peterhouse will take over for a while. There will also soon by a thread hosted by the new official University account specifically for overseas applicants. Most colleges have open days between now and the application deadline on 15 October. Our own ones at Christ's are 1st Sept for Sciences (& Economics), and 2nd for Arts and Humanities.In the meantime, however, fire away with your questions and I'll get through them as quickly as I can.




Welcome back! :smile:

so it seems there's more behind-the-scene coordination between colleges/university this time, then?

ETA:
btw any decision on how to/whether change any part of selection process in case of a possible change in AS/A2 system?
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 2
Avatar for ziu
ziu
4
Do you have figures for how many people intermit at Christs or at the University of Cambridge as a whole? Even a rough percentage for certain courses like Mathematics/Natural Sciences would be good.
I was considering applying to Cambridge for psychological behavioural studies but is there any point if I've got AAAB at AS level?

I did Maths, History, Psychology and Spanish and will drop history (even though the B was in Spanish) also i am doing an EPQ ('why is there any increasing number of young people suffering from mental health problems, eg anxiety, depression, eating disorders)
the breakdown of my results is:
maths(ocr):A C1; 88 a C2; 98 a S1; 98 a
history(aqa):A unit 1k (tsarist russia); 94 a unit 2h (mussolini); 78 b(1 mark off an a :/)
spanish(aqa):B written paper; 114 a oral; 37 c :frown: - getting both remarked because apparently all the oral marks were at least a grade less than expected but i only just got a c so i'm not sure...
psychology(aqa): psya1; 94 a psya2; 92 a

my average ums for the best 3 is 91, but for the 3 im carrying on its 88, - but would my B in spanish mean that i would almost automatically be refused? i think my spanish teacher said they would still predict me an a though so my predicted grades will hopefully be A*AA or A*A*A

also is PBS considered a science or an art because for the entry requirements it's an art but i wasn't sure if that meant for UMS they would look at your best three or the most relevant three?

thank you!!
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 4
Avatar for TirnanF
TirnanF
3
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Hello everyone and many congratulations to those who obtained their offers at Cambridge last week.

I am back with another thread where you can ask any question related to Cambridge or Cambridge admissions and am here until 4 September, after which my colleague from Peterhouse will take over for a while. There will also soon by a thread hosted by the new official University account specifically for overseas applicants. Most colleges have open days between now and the application deadline on 15 October. Our own ones at Christ's are 1st Sept for Sciences (& Economics), and 2nd for Arts and Humanities.

In the meantime, however, fire away with your questions and I'll get through them as quickly as I can.


When looking at UMS scores do you weigh the practicals in chemistry and physics equal to the written papers? I'm applying for maths and my physics UMS is about 93% due to getting a B in the practical. Didn't drop any marks in the written papers.

Also, MUMS is 96.3% and chemistry UMS is 97.3%, will I receive an interview at Christ's?


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by vincrows
Welcome back! :smile:

so it seems there's more behind-the-scene coordination between colleges/university this time, then?

ETA:
btw any decision on how to/whether change any part of selection process in case of a possible change in AS/A2 system?


Thanks, yes, given that a number of colleges have been active on TSR we thought it would be a good idea to develop some co-ordination. The central Cambridge Admissions Office (CAO) has purchased a TSR Official Account and will be making that available to colleges to use at different points in the year, while those of us with established reputations will continue to post under our existing accounts.

There has been movement on how we will handle a world with linear A Levels and no UMS and I am getting guidance on what can be discussed publicly at this stage. When I have that, I'll tell you! :smile:
How do you view engineering Reapplicants ?
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Thanks, yes, given that a number of colleges have been active on TSR we thought it would be a good idea to develop some co-ordination. The central Cambridge Admissions Office (CAO) has purchased a TSR Official Account and will be making that available to colleges to use at different points in the year, while those of us with established reputations will continue to post under our existing accounts.
Oh, that's really great! Much less confusing and will avoid double posting on multiple threads. :smile:

Another proof Cambridge is far ahead of the game than the other place! :biggrin:
Who cares which reaches the goal quicker on the Thames. :tongue:

There has been movement on how we will handle a world with linear A Levels and no UMS and I am getting guidance on what can be discussed publicly at this stage. When I have that, I'll tell you! :smile:
Will look forward to that. Must've been a lot of work you had to do to figure it out. Hope the new system will work out as well as you hope.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by ziu
Do you have figures for how many people intermit at Christs or at the University of Cambridge as a whole? Even a rough percentage for certain courses like Mathematics/Natural Sciences would be good.


Just to explain to those who don't know Cambridge jargon, intermitting is when a student leaves Cambridge (usually for medical reasons though sometimes for different reasons) for a period of time with the intention of returning at a later date to complete their studies. The rate at the University is around 1.5 per cent a year.

At Christ's we usually have 5 or 6 students who intermit each year out of an undergraduate body of around 400, so similar to the University average. It is unusual for there to be more than one person who intermits in a particular subject. I hope that helps. Intermission is rare despite the heavy work load and colleges have a lot of systems in place to support students through. These are not perfect by any means and student welfare is an issue which we all take very seriously but drop out rates at Cambridge are among the very lowest in the country.
Reply 9
Avatar for angellec
angellec
2
Hi I'm looking to apply for English 2016 entry

My AS grades are
A in Sociology - 99%
A in Religious Studies - 88%
B in English Literature - 75.5%
D in Spanish - 58% (4UMS off a C so I'm getting my speaking remarked and I'm dropping it next year)

I know my Spanish is a bit of a disaster but I still have an 87.5% average across my top three subjects, is it still worth applying?


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by KateIsobel15
I was considering applying to Cambridge for psychological behavioural studies but is there any point if I've got AAAB at AS level?

I did Maths, History, Psychology and Spanish and will drop history (even though the B was in Spanish) also i am doing an EPQ ('why is there any increasing number of young people suffering from mental health problems, eg anxiety, depression, eating disorders)
the breakdown of my results is:
maths(ocr):A C1; 88 a C2; 98 a S1; 98 a
history(aqa):A unit 1k (tsarist russia); 94 a unit 2h (mussolini); 78 b(1 mark off an a :/)
spanish(aqa):B written paper; 114 a oral; 37 c :frown: - getting both remarked because apparently all the oral marks were at least a grade less than expected but i only just got a c so i'm not sure...
psychology(aqa): psya1; 94 a psya2; 92 a

my average ums for the best 3 is 91, but for the 3 im carrying on its 88, - but would my B in spanish mean that i would almost automatically be refused? i think my spanish teacher said they would still predict me an a though so my predicted grades will hopefully be A*AA or A*A*A

also is PBS considered a science or an art because for the entry requirements it's an art but i wasn't sure if that meant for UMS they would look at your best three or the most relevant three?

thank you!!


Hi there and thank you for your questions. Your AS Level results certainly do not rule you out. Plenty of people receive offers having got AAAB at AS Level so do not worry about that.

You have Maths and have done well in that, which will be a positive sign and your UMS average, while not at the very top, is perfectly respectable and last year would have put you in the B quintile of applicants with A Levels (i.e. the top 20%-40%).

You will obviously need to ensure that you obtain an A grade in Spanish at A2 so that is something you will need to work on.

PBS is something of a crossover subject. It is a science but has lots of social science elements to it and for the purposes of admissions it is treated like a Humanities subjects, i.e. A*AA for the offer and best 3 subjects for UMS ranking.
Original post by TirnanF
When looking at UMS scores do you weigh the practicals in chemistry and physics equal to the written papers? I'm applying for maths and my physics UMS is about 93% due to getting a B in the practical. Didn't drop any marks in the written papers.

Also, MUMS is 96.3% and chemistry UMS is 97.3%, will I receive an interview at Christ's?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Congratulations on your results. I can't see any reason from what you have told me as to why you wouldn't receive an interview for Maths at Christ's (or, indeed, any college).
Original post by Duke Glacia
How do you view engineering Reapplicants ?


Reapplicants in general are welcomed. We usually advise it is better for you to apply to a different college from the first time but you don't have to if you have set your heart on that college. Post A Level applicants need to have met the standard offer (A*A*A in Sciences) and, if they are to be really competitive, to have exceeded it (92% of our successful Science entrants coming in October have got 3 or more A*s).

If potential reapplicants have good results they should not be put off from applying. We do make mistakes and it is nice sometimes to be in a position to rectify them. That said, reapplicants should be prepared for it not to work out so you must be happy to take a Gap Year and feel that it will have been of benefit to you regardless of what happens with your Cambridge application.
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Hi there and thank you for your questions. Your AS Level results certainly do not rule you out. Plenty of people receive offers having got AAAB at AS Level so do not worry about that.

You have Maths and have done well in that, which will be a positive sign and your UMS average, while not at the very top, is perfectly respectable and last year would have put you in the B quintile of applicants with A Levels (i.e. the top 20%-40%).

You will obviously need to ensure that you obtain an A grade in Spanish at A2 so that is something you will need to work on.

PBS is something of a crossover subject. It is a science but has lots of social science elements to it and for the purposes of admissions it is treated like a Humanities subjects, i.e. A*AA for the offer and best 3 subjects for UMS ranking.


There has been a similar question earlier regarding application for PBS and a weak language A-level. (though the other one was planning to discontinue the language after AS)

How would you regard a language as a part of 3 subjects in the application like this? Obviously it's much less relevant than other 2 subjects to the course, so would you put less weight on it than other two when assessing the overall academic profile (through the exam grades) or would you still look at it with equal importance to other, more relevant subjects?

In general I understand there's no set rule/weighting for any part of application, but in a case like this I'm not sure if it's the way it's treated, too.
.........though as a (almost) bilingual myself I can see a possible argument that knowing a foreign language can help you to understand how human psychology works and how it effects the behaviour, if you really need to stretch........
Reply 14
Avatar for TirnanF
TirnanF
3
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Congratulations on your results. I can't see any reason from what you have told me as to why you wouldn't receive an interview for Maths at Christ's (or, indeed, any college).


Thank you, that's reassuring.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Hi, thanks for doing this.

Sorry to ask yet another UMS questions but I'm going to be applying for physical natural sciences and I was wondering what you would make of my maths scores.

C1 97
C2 100
C3 100
M1 100
S1 96
FP1 80 :frown:

Would you see that FP1 score as a rogue module or would it put doubts in your mind over my ability to do further maths? I don't really have any valid excuses I just happened to have a bad day.
Original post by angellec
Hi I'm looking to apply for English 2016 entry

My AS grades are
A in Sociology - 99%
A in Religious Studies - 88%
B in English Literature - 75.5%
D in Spanish - 58% (4UMS off a C so I'm getting my speaking remarked and I'm dropping it next year)

I know my Spanish is a bit of a disaster but I still have an 87.5% average across my top three subjects, is it still worth applying?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Hello there and thank you for your message. Your results are rather variable so it is difficult to comment on how they might be interpreted by Admissions Tutors and interviewers without the whole application in front of one. The B in English is probably of more concern than the D in Spanish for someone who wants to study English Literature. If you do apply you will have to recognise that you are not going to be among the strongest candidates on paper. That said, it is only one of five choices, it is good to be ambitious and students are successful each year with similar AS results to yours.

Happy to answer more if you wish but good luck anyway.
Original post by vincrows
There has been a similar question earlier regarding application for PBS and a weak language A-level. (though the other one was planning to discontinue the language after AS)

How would you regard a language as a part of 3 subjects in the application like this? Obviously it's much less relevant than other 2 subjects to the course, so would you put less weight on it than other two when assessing the overall academic profile (through the exam grades) or would you still look at it with equal importance to other, more relevant subjects?

In general I understand there's no set rule/weighting for any part of application, but in a case like this I'm not sure if it's the way it's treated, too.
.........though as a (almost) bilingual myself I can see a possible argument that knowing a foreign language can help you to understand how human psychology works and how it effects the behaviour, if you really need to stretch........


We regard languages as 'keystone' A Levels subjects (i.e. good to have in a profile) and wouldn't necessarily regard it more or less than the other subjects being presented. It partly depends on what those other subjects are. The two most important subjects for PBS are Maths and Biology and where students have either or both of these the results of them will naturally be important for their application.

More broadly, though, it is important to stress that one really can't say how one would view one part of an application without setting it in the context of the application as a whole.
Original post by TirnanF
Thank you, that's reassuring.


Posted from TSR Mobile


No problem, you are welcome, and good luck! :smile:
Original post by Messier31
Hi, thanks for doing this.

Sorry to ask yet another UMS questions but I'm going to be applying for physical natural sciences and I was wondering what you would make of my maths scores.

C1 97
C2 100
C3 100
M1 100
S1 96
FP1 80 :frown:

Would you see that FP1 score as a rogue module or would it put doubts in your mind over my ability to do further maths? I don't really have any valid excuses I just happened to have a bad day.


Hello there and thank you for your question. You obviously have very strong results in 5 of your 6 modules, so many congratulations on that. It is difficult to say for certain how we would view your FP1 result at this stage. One of the purposes of the interview would be to divine whether we felt it was an anomaly or whether it did reflect concerns about your ability to do harder pure Maths. The result would also need to be set in the context of your other Science results. Given your excellent M1 result, my initial thought would be that this is an outlier but it would be something that I wanted reassurance about. i hope that helps a little and best of luck.

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