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Original post by jneill
Send decision letters to ALL, by first class post, on the agreed day (11th Jan). Not just offers.
Agreed, I will suggest this. Tbh, I'm not sure why it hasn't.
* Send emails to ALL, the following day. Not just Internationals. And attach a pdf of the letter, so they know the conditions.
it would be good if all colleges sent emails I think (we did!
) but it's more problematic sending a PDF of the offer letter as the letters are mail merged (don't ask me about the details but apparently it would e very time consuming to do this!)Ensure Track updates on the 2nd day. (That was good this cycle - except for those that hadn’t already any received info from their college.)
I think that in general we are updating track faster - in the end this is down to CAO and UCAs rather than colleges.
* (Back from last year's request list
) Provide a central budgeting resource with accurate accommodation (and sundry) costs for each college.I don't think this is possible - colleges calculate things differently and therefore no list would be entirely clear. [Most] colleges try to give an impression on their websites.
* Don’t telephone candidates with “early” decisions - it freaks them out! And all the other candidates who didn't get called..
Not sure if this really happened but, if it did, it shouldn't have.
* Be careful with use of language in decision letters - telling a candidate another college “is interested” is unhelpful… if it really means they have a pool offer.Students should have heard directly from their new college rather than their original college. Will suggest that colleges send letters only *after* the decision day to those whom have been fished by another college.
* All colleges should provide an accurate timeline on their website showing when interviews and decisions will be happening (like King’s). e.g. A vague “early/mid January” for Decisions, when it’s known to be 11th Jan is unhelpful.
That's up to colleges but it is a good idea and a lot of colleges do provide a lot of detail about how things are going to work at various stages.
Thanks for that. And re...
...it definitely did to @katiejardine and perhaps others.
Original post by Christ's Admissions
* Don’t telephone candidates with “early” decisions - it freaks them out! And all the other candidates who didn't get called..
Not sure if this really happened but, if it did, it shouldn't have.
Not sure if this really happened but, if it did, it shouldn't have.
...it definitely did to @katiejardine and perhaps others.
on your website here it says for maths the tuition fee is £17,640 for maths
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/fees
in the letter it says £24117
What's going on?
edit: nevermind
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/fees
in the letter it says £24117
What's going on?
edit: nevermind
(edited 8 years ago)
Unfortunately, I can't help but believe that the choice of college does have a big effect in a small number of cases on whether a student's application is successful or not, and this is far from what the University wants. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes obviously, but at least this is my experience.
This is due to a couple of factors:
1) Each college has different selection processes.
2) The winter pool is effective but not effective enough (This is my impression, I am sure you do a lot of work behind the scenes, and I may well be wrong on this one, but this is my opinion). For example, at my school, there were 2 candidates who applied for the same course at different colleges. One was extremely bright, but did not do well in the pre-interview test after making an open application, and this let him down. He was placed in the pool, but unfortunately was not fished out by any college. The other was also bright, but wasn't doing quite as well academically. However, he was able to get a place, after choosing a college where no such test was required. If the brighter one was assigned to a college without a test though, I'm sure he would have gotten a place.
I myself was placed in the pool, and re-interviewed at a different college. This would mean that I am good enough for Cambridge, but that there wasn't enough space at the college I applied to. Does this mean I would have been accepted if I had applied to a less competitive college and performed in exactly the same manner in my interviews?
Sorry if this comes across as a bit pushy, and I do appreciate your responses and your openness to feedback!
This is due to a couple of factors:
1) Each college has different selection processes.
2) The winter pool is effective but not effective enough (This is my impression, I am sure you do a lot of work behind the scenes, and I may well be wrong on this one, but this is my opinion). For example, at my school, there were 2 candidates who applied for the same course at different colleges. One was extremely bright, but did not do well in the pre-interview test after making an open application, and this let him down. He was placed in the pool, but unfortunately was not fished out by any college. The other was also bright, but wasn't doing quite as well academically. However, he was able to get a place, after choosing a college where no such test was required. If the brighter one was assigned to a college without a test though, I'm sure he would have gotten a place.
I myself was placed in the pool, and re-interviewed at a different college. This would mean that I am good enough for Cambridge, but that there wasn't enough space at the college I applied to. Does this mean I would have been accepted if I had applied to a less competitive college and performed in exactly the same manner in my interviews?
Sorry if this comes across as a bit pushy, and I do appreciate your responses and your openness to feedback!
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by imsoanonymous123
on your website here it says for maths the tuition fee is £17,640 for maths
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/fees
in the letter it says £24117
What's going on?
edit: nevermind
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/fees
in the letter it says £24117
What's going on?
edit: nevermind
college fee for internationals?
Original post by imsoanonymous123
i have an s 1 offer and they A*ed my physics and i am grateful as this is better than not being an offer but why cant i get feedback just cuz i got accepted i know i obviously messed something up really badly to get this terrible offer I am fairly sure it is my interview but i want feedback anyway why does cambridge not give feedback to applicants with crappy offers
If you get a 1,1 or maybe even a 1,2 there's still a significant chance you'll be accepted, it's just they don't have to accept you. It's very likely that if they don't then another college will.
Original post by L-Tyrosine
If you get a 1,1 or maybe even a 1,2 there's still a significant chance you'll be accepted, it's just they don't have to accept you. It's very likely that if they don't then another college will.
it doesnt matter im gonna firm imperial anyway lol im so done
Had my pool interview over Skype yesterday with Trinity Hall and it was a nightmare. For the questions both the interviewers and I had to refer to diagrams held up to the camera and it was difficult to communicate and work through some of the longer questions that had multiple steps.
I know Skype interviews are very very rarely used but it didn’t seem fair at all. They could have at least geared the questions to suit an interview that isn’t in person. Any thoughts @Christ's Admissions? I hope that other pooled internationals don't have to go through a similar process in the future.
I know Skype interviews are very very rarely used but it didn’t seem fair at all. They could have at least geared the questions to suit an interview that isn’t in person. Any thoughts @Christ's Admissions? I hope that other pooled internationals don't have to go through a similar process in the future.
Original post by wonderland2
If there had been an option to pay extra for a next day delivery signed for result letter I would have jumped at the chance to minimise the chance of it not arriving next day!
Ha! I don't think there is any such option. Interesting idea but probably not practical I'm afraid given the pressure on ensuring that each letter is correct and in the correct pile.
Lol, I'm very surprised that any college could possibly think that it's acceptable to post offers by 1st class and rejections by 2nd class.
If that's true, that should definitely be changed, although I know other people have already pointed this out.
If that's true, that should definitely be changed, although I know other people have already pointed this out.
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Agreed, I will suggest this. Tbh, I'm not sure why it hasn't.
* Send emails to ALL, the following day. Not just Internationals. And attach a pdf of the letter, so they know the conditions.
it would be good if all colleges sent emails I think (we did!
) but it's more problematic sending a PDF of the offer letter as the letters are mail merged (don't ask me about the details but apparently it would e very time consuming to do this!)Just as a suggestion to make things slightly less complicated.....
If all colleges send offer letters to all applicants, home and international, by post AND emails to all applicants with both decisions on either D-Day or following day, wouldn't it eliminate the need to send a PDF of the offer letter by email because every successful applicant will receive the original letter eventually anyway?
Ensure Track updates on the 2nd day. (That was good this cycle - except for those that hadn’t already any received info from their college.)
I think that in general we are updating track faster - in the end this is down to CAO and UCAs rather than colleges.
I think that in general we are updating track faster - in the end this is down to CAO and UCAs rather than colleges.
* (Back from last year's request list ) Provide a central budgeting resource with accurate accommodation (and sundry) costs for each college.
I don't think this is possible - colleges calculate things differently and therefore no list would be entirely clear. [Most] colleges try to give an impression on their websites.
) Provide a central budgeting resource with accurate accommodation (and sundry) costs for each college.I don't think this is possible - colleges calculate things differently and therefore no list would be entirely clear. [Most] colleges try to give an impression on their websites.
* Don’t telephone candidates with “early” decisions - it freaks them out! And all the other candidates who didn't get called..
Not sure if this really happened but, if it did, it shouldn't have.
Not sure if this really happened but, if it did, it shouldn't have.
We were quite dubious when the first few posters reported it, then more posters came with similar reports about the phone calls/missed calls. It sounded genuine as the caller told who he/she was (Correct names of DoS of the poster's college in their subject). As far as we know (= the calls actually answered by the posters) it came from one college. For the missed calls, it all came from some Cambridge numbers. (Some of them were led to the numbers of 'Cambridge universities)
Will try to find the posts in question, if I have time later.
Also there was one college that started sending out emails on 11th, not on 12th, with sort of 'unofficial' (?) notification.....
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by AG98
Unfortunately, I can't help but believe that the choice of college does have a big effect in a small number of cases on whether a student's application is successful or not, and this is far from what the University wants. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes obviously, but at least this is my experience.
This is due to a couple of factors:
1) Each college has different selection processes.
2) The winter pool is effective but not effective enough (This is my impression, I am sure you do a lot of work behind the scenes, and I may well be wrong on this one, but this is my opinion). For example, at my school, there were 2 candidates who applied for the same course at different colleges. One was extremely bright, but did not do well in the pre-interview test after making an open application, and this let him down. He was placed in the pool, but unfortunately was not fished out by any college. The other was also bright, but wasn't doing quite as well academically. However, he was able to get a place, after choosing a college where no such test was required. If the brighter one was assigned to a college without a test though, I'm sure he would have gotten a place.
I myself was placed in the pool, and re-interviewed at a different college. This would mean that I am good enough for Cambridge, but that there wasn't enough space at the college I applied to. Does this mean I would have been accepted if I had applied to a less competitive college and performed in exactly the same manner in my interviews?
Sorry if this comes across as a bit pushy, and I do appreciate your responses and your openness to feedback!
This is due to a couple of factors:
1) Each college has different selection processes.
2) The winter pool is effective but not effective enough (This is my impression, I am sure you do a lot of work behind the scenes, and I may well be wrong on this one, but this is my opinion). For example, at my school, there were 2 candidates who applied for the same course at different colleges. One was extremely bright, but did not do well in the pre-interview test after making an open application, and this let him down. He was placed in the pool, but unfortunately was not fished out by any college. The other was also bright, but wasn't doing quite as well academically. However, he was able to get a place, after choosing a college where no such test was required. If the brighter one was assigned to a college without a test though, I'm sure he would have gotten a place.
I myself was placed in the pool, and re-interviewed at a different college. This would mean that I am good enough for Cambridge, but that there wasn't enough space at the college I applied to. Does this mean I would have been accepted if I had applied to a less competitive college and performed in exactly the same manner in my interviews?
Sorry if this comes across as a bit pushy, and I do appreciate your responses and your openness to feedback!
It is true that each college may have different selections in different subjects, but all that information is available for candidates to discover on the university and college websites and candidates may use this information in choosing a college.
A strength of the Cambridge system is the personal touch - that your application is assessed for much much longer than any other university you apply for and by more people. The disadvantage of this, of course, is a loss of consistency across the university. I am afraid that, to some extent, you can't have one without the other. The pool is designed to moderate those differences and it is not perfect but it is impossible to design a system that is. We are, however, always trying to find way to improve it.
Being pooled (or pooled and re-interviewed) does not, in itself;f mean that your application as worthy of a place. It means that it had sufficient strengths in one or more areas for the college to feel that it may be of interest to other colleges who are seeking to fill places. The differences in acceptances to Cambridge (rather than acceptance to the college) are not significant when compared between colleges.
It's ok to be pushy, you are only being honest with what you found and I am here to try to think about ways in which we might improve.
Original post by WinstonZhao
Had my pool interview over Skype yesterday with Trinity Hall and it was a nightmare. For the questions both the interviewers and I had to refer to diagrams held up to the camera and it was difficult to communicate and work through some of the longer questions that had multiple steps.
I know Skype interviews are very very rarely used but it didn’t seem fair at all. They could have at least geared the questions to suit an interview that isn’t in person. Any thoughts @Christ's Admissions? I hope that other pooled internationals don't have to go through a similar process in the future.
I know Skype interviews are very very rarely used but it didn’t seem fair at all. They could have at least geared the questions to suit an interview that isn’t in person. Any thoughts @Christ's Admissions? I hope that other pooled internationals don't have to go through a similar process in the future.
Skype is a very difficult medium in which to conduct interview, especially in technical subjects, which is why we generally try to avoid it. The only thing in its favour is that for internationals it is all we have rather than inviting you back over a huge expense for you for another interview at very short notice. It's a way of trying to even up your chances in the pool, though a very flawed one and I'm sorry that you found it such a difficult experience.
Original post by Chief Wiggum
Lol, I'm very surprised that any college could possibly think that it's acceptable to post offers by 1st class and rejections by 2nd class.
If that's true, that should definitely be changed, although I know other people have already pointed this out.
If that's true, that should definitely be changed, although I know other people have already pointed this out.
One college only sent Offers by post, rejections went by email....
Posted from TSR Mobile
I felt 20 minutes was a bit too short for an academic interview. I feel one 40 minute interview is a better opportunity to gauge more accurately a candidate's ability than 2 20 minute ones; I think candidates would be able to settle in and calm their nerves better, and if one particular question needs more time then it is possible.
I don't think this would've been an issue with the arts. But from speaking with a lot of my friends, a few people seemed to get rather generic questions which they already knew the answer to. Maybe the interviewers could see that they already knew the answer and would've taken this into account, but I just thought this is something you should be aware of. Obviously I understand its difficult to come up with lots of nice intuitive interview type questions, but some people people got questions that were even on Cambridge's model interviews on Youtube.
Thanks for putting up this thread and it's great to see that you listen to applicants' suggestions to improve the system.
I don't think this would've been an issue with the arts. But from speaking with a lot of my friends, a few people seemed to get rather generic questions which they already knew the answer to. Maybe the interviewers could see that they already knew the answer and would've taken this into account, but I just thought this is something you should be aware of. Obviously I understand its difficult to come up with lots of nice intuitive interview type questions, but some people people got questions that were even on Cambridge's model interviews on Youtube.
Thanks for putting up this thread and it's great to see that you listen to applicants' suggestions to improve the system.
(edited 8 years ago)
I'm simply amazed by the effort that has been made by Cambridge to make the application process enjoyable, accessible and fair. No other university (except the other place) that I know of would lodge and feed applicants coming for interview.
Generally, I think the information provided by King's was extensive, clear and up to date. I was also very grateful for the early email I received.
From my experience, Cambridge put in a lot of effort to ensure candidates are the right fit and suited to their college and subject. I initally applied to King's for law for 2016 entry. However, I was thinking of completing my Bsc and asking Cambridge to defer (should I get an offer). To my surprise, I got offered a deferred place to study at Lucy Cavendish, which is for mature and graduate female students. After going over their online material I can see why I would really fit in there. Thinking over my interview and law test (in which I mentioned women's rights in Saudi Arabia) I am very glad to have been fished by Lucy. I also think encouraging me to finish my first Bsc is in my best interest. All of these things might be coincidental, but personally I am inclined to believe someone thought about this and interfered
Either way, I am very excited and very grateful for the opportunity. I cannot really think of any negatives.
Generally, I think the information provided by King's was extensive, clear and up to date. I was also very grateful for the early email I received.
From my experience, Cambridge put in a lot of effort to ensure candidates are the right fit and suited to their college and subject. I initally applied to King's for law for 2016 entry. However, I was thinking of completing my Bsc and asking Cambridge to defer (should I get an offer). To my surprise, I got offered a deferred place to study at Lucy Cavendish, which is for mature and graduate female students. After going over their online material I can see why I would really fit in there. Thinking over my interview and law test (in which I mentioned women's rights in Saudi Arabia) I am very glad to have been fished by Lucy. I also think encouraging me to finish my first Bsc is in my best interest. All of these things might be coincidental, but personally I am inclined to believe someone thought about this and interfered
Either way, I am very excited and very grateful for the opportunity. I cannot really think of any negatives.
why would i be given such a weird offer instead of just pooled so girton or homerton or something could have me and give me an actual normal offer? I'm not a gap year applicant or something ffs.
Original post by jneill
If the emails were sent out on the same day as the letters, then I think that's sort of OK, since people can check their emails in the first instance anyway.
I just think a situation where people have been told they have offers, and others (who have been rejected) have not heard anything would be completely unfair. That is causing unfair stress and uncertainty.
Although I'm speaking from a position of complete ignorance here, as I don't know how things actually worked. If everyone got an email at the same time, regardless of a 1st class acceptance/2nd class rejection letter, then I think that is sort of OK. Since offers and rejections are then being heard by email at the same time.
I think the best thing would be for everyone, regardless of outcome, to receive notification in the same format and at the same time.
(edited 8 years ago)
I thought the PhysNatSci test at King's was a bit unfair, there were Maths and Chemistry sections but no Physics section, hence I only had one 'chance' to prove myself in the maths section, whereas candidates who studied chemistry would have more opportunity to show their ability. I also didn't like how limited the information about interviews for NatSci was from King's. Other colleges seem to provide a much better idea of what to expect, even including sample tests, whereas going in to the process with absolutely no idea of what to expect made me a lot more nervous.
Original post by imsoanonymous123
why would i be given such a weird offer instead of just pooled so girton or homerton or something could have me and give me an actual normal offer? I'm not a gap year applicant or something ffs.
Dude chill out, how often do you hear someone getting a 1,1 and not being let into Cambridge?
I bet loads of people here who didn't get a place for maths would beg for your offer.
Just take it as an incentive to work really hard. It'll get you more prepared for uni anyway.
(edited 8 years ago)
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