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an american pondering cambridge
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Hello Laurie!
You and I are in really similar situations. Although I'm not applying to medicine (which is an extremely competitive subject, btw, and you should be commended for even considering an app) I think my experience so far can inform you. I'm also an American applicant-to-be to Cambridge (Clare), although I'm in Classics.
As others in the thread have mentioned, the first thing you have to do is look at each individual college's webpage for international admissions. All of them have one and they will always say whether or not they accept APs, which most of them do. Once you've picked a shortlist of colleges, you should start emailing or calling their admissions tutors. These people will confirm the college's AP policy and give you information about what you need to submit with your application next fall. They can also tell you if they think your combinations of APs are acceptable--for example, a tutor at Trinity told me that I would need to take both Latin Vergil and Latin Literature APs to be considered as qualified as a British student who took Latin at A Level.
Good hunting!
You and I are in really similar situations. Although I'm not applying to medicine (which is an extremely competitive subject, btw, and you should be commended for even considering an app) I think my experience so far can inform you. I'm also an American applicant-to-be to Cambridge (Clare), although I'm in Classics.
As others in the thread have mentioned, the first thing you have to do is look at each individual college's webpage for international admissions. All of them have one and they will always say whether or not they accept APs, which most of them do. Once you've picked a shortlist of colleges, you should start emailing or calling their admissions tutors. These people will confirm the college's AP policy and give you information about what you need to submit with your application next fall. They can also tell you if they think your combinations of APs are acceptable--for example, a tutor at Trinity told me that I would need to take both Latin Vergil and Latin Literature APs to be considered as qualified as a British student who took Latin at A Level.
Good hunting!
Hi Laurie.
I didn't have any trouble corresponding with the admissions tutor at Churchill, and all the people I communicated with were friendly and helpful. Based on conversations I had with English and a few Euro students at interviews a load of ten AP's (I've got eleven, four in my first three years (5's) and 7 this year) should put you as well qualified. Most of the colleges will require 3 AP's with something like 555 or 554, depending on your program. There may be some special requirements for the med program, but that's a question an admissions tutor could answer. Make sure you've got some money saved up for interviews though; they don't conduct any here in the states, so you'll have to fly there.
I didn't have any trouble corresponding with the admissions tutor at Churchill, and all the people I communicated with were friendly and helpful. Based on conversations I had with English and a few Euro students at interviews a load of ten AP's (I've got eleven, four in my first three years (5's) and 7 this year) should put you as well qualified. Most of the colleges will require 3 AP's with something like 555 or 554, depending on your program. There may be some special requirements for the med program, but that's a question an admissions tutor could answer. Make sure you've got some money saved up for interviews though; they don't conduct any here in the states, so you'll have to fly there.
tehllama
Hi Laurie.
I didn't have any trouble corresponding with the admissions tutor at Churchill, and all the people I communicated with were friendly and helpful. Based on conversations I had with English and a few Euro students at interviews a load of ten AP's (I've got eleven, four in my first three years (5's) and 7 this year) should put you as well qualified. Most of the colleges will require 3 AP's with something like 555 or 554, depending on your program. There may be some special requirements for the med program, but that's a question an admissions tutor could answer. Make sure you've got some money saved up for interviews though; they don't conduct any here in the states, so you'll have to fly there.
I didn't have any trouble corresponding with the admissions tutor at Churchill, and all the people I communicated with were friendly and helpful. Based on conversations I had with English and a few Euro students at interviews a load of ten AP's (I've got eleven, four in my first three years (5's) and 7 this year) should put you as well qualified. Most of the colleges will require 3 AP's with something like 555 or 554, depending on your program. There may be some special requirements for the med program, but that's a question an admissions tutor could answer. Make sure you've got some money saved up for interviews though; they don't conduct any here in the states, so you'll have to fly there.
tehllama, is it at all possible to get a phone interview? I don't want to go without, but I definitely won't have the money to fly there.
Philoglossia
tehllama, is it at all possible to get a phone interview? I don't want to go without, but I definitely won't have the money to fly there.
If you're in a fiscal fix, they may be accommodating. There were some internationals from Asia who said they'd done phone interviews, but I'm not sure if all schools do it. Usually, you're interviewed by a total of four people, two per interview. Depending on your course, you may also have to take a test (the TSA, for example), though I don't think that's all that critical. I imagine if it isn't too much trouble for them to set up a conference call for you, then they wouldn't mind doing the interview over the phone.
If you can work during the summer though, or have frequent flyer miles or a parent of a friend who's a pilot and can get you tickets, I'd really encourage you to go. If you plan ahead you can probably get round trip for ~$500. You may have to go a few days ahead or stay a few days after to get the best fairs, but its worth it to have a look at the school and the city, and to meet other interviewees and your interviewers face to face. I missed three days of school the week before finals to attend my interview, but I think it was worth it. I payed for my trip in skymiles, and after fees + train fair + food, etc, I think it cost under $300.
Also, if one part of your application is weak (or completely nontraditional; I didn't know what they wanted for the personal statement, so I used the same one I sent to my American schools, which was essentially a self-characterizing creative writing piece, when I was supposed to be writing about how much I love engineering), a face to face interview can really make up for it. The head of the Engineering department told me he'd "never forget" my personal statement, but I managed to get in.
Your AP's are going to give you strong start, and if you work hard on your personal statement you'll be in a good position before interviews, but its usually nice to see a school before you attend it. Plus, the last report I saw (2005's application statistics, I think) showed that Cambridge, as a whole, took about 50 Americans that year. I know the admissions tutor at Churchill said they'd taken one the preceding year when I asked.
tehllama
If you're in a fiscal fix, they may be accommodating. There were some internationals from Asia who said they'd done phone interviews, but I'm not sure if all schools do it. Usually, you're interviewed by a total of four people, two per interview. Depending on your course, you may also have to take a test (the TSA, for example), though I don't think that's all that critical. I imagine if it isn't too much trouble for them to set up a conference call for you, then they wouldn't mind doing the interview over the phone.
If you can work during the summer though, or have frequent flyer miles or a parent of a friend who's a pilot and can get you tickets, I'd really encourage you to go. If you plan ahead you can probably get round trip for ~$500. You may have to go a few days ahead or stay a few days after to get the best fairs, but its worth it to have a look at the school and the city, and to meet other interviewees and your interviewers face to face. I missed three days of school the week before finals to attend my interview, but I think it was worth it. I payed for my trip in skymiles, and after fees + train fair + food, etc, I think it cost under $300.
Also, if one part of your application is weak (or completely nontraditional; I didn't know what they wanted for the personal statement, so I used the same one I sent to my American schools, which was essentially a self-characterizing creative writing piece, when I was supposed to be writing about how much I love engineering), a face to face interview can really make up for it. The head of the Engineering department told me he'd "never forget" my personal statement, but I managed to get in.
Your AP's are going to give you strong start, and if you work hard on your personal statement you'll be in a good position before interviews, but its usually nice to see a school before you attend it. Plus, the last report I saw (2005's application statistics, I think) showed that Cambridge, as a whole, took about 50 Americans that year. I know the admissions tutor at Churchill said they'd taken one the preceding year when I asked.
If you can work during the summer though, or have frequent flyer miles or a parent of a friend who's a pilot and can get you tickets, I'd really encourage you to go. If you plan ahead you can probably get round trip for ~$500. You may have to go a few days ahead or stay a few days after to get the best fairs, but its worth it to have a look at the school and the city, and to meet other interviewees and your interviewers face to face. I missed three days of school the week before finals to attend my interview, but I think it was worth it. I payed for my trip in skymiles, and after fees + train fair + food, etc, I think it cost under $300.
Also, if one part of your application is weak (or completely nontraditional; I didn't know what they wanted for the personal statement, so I used the same one I sent to my American schools, which was essentially a self-characterizing creative writing piece, when I was supposed to be writing about how much I love engineering), a face to face interview can really make up for it. The head of the Engineering department told me he'd "never forget" my personal statement, but I managed to get in.
Your AP's are going to give you strong start, and if you work hard on your personal statement you'll be in a good position before interviews, but its usually nice to see a school before you attend it. Plus, the last report I saw (2005's application statistics, I think) showed that Cambridge, as a whole, took about 50 Americans that year. I know the admissions tutor at Churchill said they'd taken one the preceding year when I asked.
tehllama:
Seeing as you have been accepted, what was your offer? Also, do you remember the source you quoted that said that 50 Americans were accepted?
This would be an ENORMOUS help... THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Laurie501
tehllama:
Seeing as you have been accepted, what was your offer? Also, do you remember the source you quoted that said that 50 Americans were accepted?
This would be an ENORMOUS help... THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Seeing as you have been accepted, what was your offer? Also, do you remember the source you quoted that said that 50 Americans were accepted?
This would be an ENORMOUS help... THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
The number of American Undergraduates is on their student numbers sheet, found here, on page 20. According to the 2006 report, there were 72 studying at Cambridge (as a whole) for the 05-06 school year. If you include the students who are English nationals but live in the United States normally, the number is 148 (which I believe is where I got the 50 a year from).
As for the kind of offer, I don't know yet. I emailed the admissions tutor to ask about my decision, and she just sent back her congratulations and said see you in October. My official decision didn't come in today's mail, so I'm assuming it won't be here until Monday.
Laurie501
tehllama:
Seeing as you have been accepted, what was your offer? Also, do you remember the source you quoted that said that 50 Americans were accepted?
This would be an ENORMOUS help... THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Seeing as you have been accepted, what was your offer? Also, do you remember the source you quoted that said that 50 Americans were accepted?
This would be an ENORMOUS help... THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Laurie. I don't think anyone here has brought this up but I think it's kind of important for you to know:
IF YOU OBTAIN UK MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PRACTICE IN THE US WITHOUT TAKING FURTHER EXAMS. If you want to go back to the US when you graduate you will have to spend time revising for and passing the USMLE (the test Americans take at the end of med school). You'd think that 5-6 years of UK medical school would prepare you for it but that's not necessarily the case because they will cover stuff UK schools don't and you will have to revise a lot of the stuff you learned in your first and second year. It's possible of course but you need to calculate about another 6 months post-graduation simply preparing for that test (it's very expensive too).
If you plan to work in the UK/Europe on graduation this is also difficult if you do not have an EU passport. You will be systematically and legally discriminated against for any job you apply to after your first 2 years employment. You will basically only be eligible for jobs that someone with an EU passport has not applied for or is not qualified to do.
I don't know your exact situation of course, but just thought I'd warn you about that.
KwungSun
Hey Laurie. I don't think anyone here has brought this up but I think it's kind of important for you to know:
IF YOU OBTAIN UK MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PRACTICE IN THE US WITHOUT TAKING FURTHER EXAMS. If you want to go back to the US when you graduate you will have to spend time revising for and passing the USMLE (the test Americans take at the end of med school). You'd think that 5-6 years of UK medical school would prepare you for it but that's not necessarily the case because they will cover stuff UK schools don't and you will have to revise a lot of the stuff you learned in your first and second year. It's possible of course but you need to calculate about another 6 months post-graduation simply preparing for that test (it's very expensive too).
If you plan to work in the UK/Europe on graduation this is also difficult if you do not have an EU passport. You will be systematically and legally discriminated against for any job you apply to after your first 2 years employment. You will basically only be eligible for jobs that someone with an EU passport has not applied for or is not qualified to do.
I don't know your exact situation of course, but just thought I'd warn you about that.
IF YOU OBTAIN UK MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PRACTICE IN THE US WITHOUT TAKING FURTHER EXAMS. If you want to go back to the US when you graduate you will have to spend time revising for and passing the USMLE (the test Americans take at the end of med school). You'd think that 5-6 years of UK medical school would prepare you for it but that's not necessarily the case because they will cover stuff UK schools don't and you will have to revise a lot of the stuff you learned in your first and second year. It's possible of course but you need to calculate about another 6 months post-graduation simply preparing for that test (it's very expensive too).
If you plan to work in the UK/Europe on graduation this is also difficult if you do not have an EU passport. You will be systematically and legally discriminated against for any job you apply to after your first 2 years employment. You will basically only be eligible for jobs that someone with an EU passport has not applied for or is not qualified to do.
I don't know your exact situation of course, but just thought I'd warn you about that.
Wouldn't a Cambridge diploma free me from being systematically and legally discrominated against? Also, why would I be discriminated against (I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that I'm not European) and why after my first 2 years of employment?
I'm a British trained doctor now practising in the US. Although the licensing exams are a bit of a nuisance, they're not too bad. Sit the basic sciences at the end of the second year, though. It's a royal pain having to revise biochemistry three years after you thought you'd said goodbye to it.
A bigger headache is the licensing paperwork. At least for California, foreign trained medical students have to give the Board a notarized form signed by the consultant on each clinical rotation done away from your main medical school. Notaries are few and far between in the UK, and finding one to drag along to away rotation consultants can be a pain.
Mr Bobo's mum
A bigger headache is the licensing paperwork. At least for California, foreign trained medical students have to give the Board a notarized form signed by the consultant on each clinical rotation done away from your main medical school. Notaries are few and far between in the UK, and finding one to drag along to away rotation consultants can be a pain.
Mr Bobo's mum
Laurie501
Wouldn't a Cambridge diploma free me from being systematically and legally discrominated against? Also, why would I be discriminated against (I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that I'm not European) and why after my first 2 years of employment?
Unfortunately the quality of the university has nothing to do with it, it's all to do with nationality. The first two years after graduation in the UK are when you do what are called "foundation years". These are kind of like being an intern in the US. You get paid and it's a full-time job but it's still considered part of your basic training. Every graduate from a UK medical school gets equal treatment for applying to foundation years (and pretty much everyone gets taken on somewhere I think). After that, when you start applying for specialist posts is when it gets difficult as a non-EU national. It's not that people will not want to hire you, it's that they will be required by European law to give preference to people from the EU. I am not fully aware of the details but there was a law passed in the UK only a year or two ago that has made it very difficult for non-EU nationals to obtain employment as doctors in the UK. It used to be that UK medical degrees entitled you to UK medical jobs.
Of course it's not impossible and there are a significant number of non-EU doctors working in England, but just be aware that even with a Cambridge degree you're going to face some obstacles. Is there a particular reason why you want to do medicine in the UK or do you just like Cambridge?
Laurie501
Wouldn't a Cambridge diploma free me from being systematically and legally discrominated against? Also, why would I be discriminated against (I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that I'm not European) and why after my first 2 years of employment?
EU employment laws, I believe, give preferential treatment to EU applicants. Your nationality, not your degree, is the problem there.
Zhen Lin
That may be so, but there are other very good universities (for medicine) that you can try your luck at as well - UCL and Imperial College London both have well-respected medicine courses.
Thanks for the input, I'm looking into other English and Irish universities as well as Cambridge.
Zhen Lin
That may be so, but there are other very good universities (for medicine) that you can try your luck at as well - UCL and Imperial College London both have well-respected medicine courses.
To be honest it's not really that important where you do your medical degree. All medical schools have high entry requirements, all interview promising applicants and all will produce competent doctors. University prestige is a lot less important in medicine than other subjects (but of course being at ICL or Cambridge is nice anyway).
tehllama- I could definitely afford my own fare and rooms, but my parents aren't interested in having me go anywhere alone until I've already been accepted there. I have a strong application anyway due to extensive "related study", but I would hate to go without an interview, even a phone interview.
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