Cambridge Maths Students and Applicants

Dialetheism

I'd be really happy with a 2.i or a first.
So, say that a person manages to get 12-13 alphas but just a few (2-3) betas. Is this enough to get a first?
I'm slightly confused about the new marking system, and I can't find any information about it at all. Oh well.

Y__ , just out of curiosity, did you get a first last year? How many section II questions did you answer to?
Thanks :biggrin:

Yes.
13/3 would get you a first (or rather, would have got you a first last year), and I reckon 12/2 might just have worked too, don't quote me on that.

13/3 is an unrealistic score though - you shouldn't expect to be able to get an alpha on all the alpha questions you try.

Reply 783

Dialetheism

1

The 13/3 score was just to get an idea of how the marking system works! Thanks :biggrin:

Reply 784

KAISER_MOLE

7

What is the new marking system? Has it changed significantly from previous years? 4th year has alpha +, alpha, alpha - ...and even gammas! Well confusing.

Reply 785

It's the same as before, just that they've changed the weights. Last year, an alpha was worth 30, and a beta was worth 5, on top of the raw score, of course.

Reply 786

DFranklin

18

Y__

Yes.
13/3 would get you a first (or rather, would have got you a first last year), and I reckon 12/2 might just have worked too, don't quote me on that.Really? Regardless of what else you scored?

Back when I took IA, if you took my best two papers I'd have got 14/0 (maximum possible) and indeed dropped only 5 marks from the maximum possible. It still wouldn't have been quite enough for a first - the alphas would have been fine, but the mark total wouldn't. (And 14/0 and no other marks wouldn't be enough for a first in IB or II either).

(I'm pretty sure I would have got a first under those circumstances, but only because someone would specifically bend the rules).

Reply 787

Dadeyemi

Is there anywhere which specifically details the marking method?

I found on the schedule that at the First / upper second boundary the mark taken into account is: 30*alphas + 5*Betas + mark

Does this effectively mean an question in section 2 is worth up to 50 "marks" and section 1 only worth up to 15 ?

Reply 788

Dystopia

10

Dadeyemi

Is there anywhere which specifically details the marking method?

I found on the schedule that at the First / upper second boundary the mark taken into account is: 30*alphas + 5*Betas + mark

Does this effectively mean an question in section 2 is worth up to 50 "marks" and section 1 only worth up to 15 ?

I believe the first 8 alphas are worth an additional 15 marks, and any further alphas are worth an additional 30 marks.

Reply 789

The details were given on the mark breakdown sheet, but I seem to have misplaced it.

Reply 790

Sighted a few first years in GRM today. I think there was a row of TSRers sitting in front of me, actually.

Reply 791

I have a quick question. I read this on a thread somewhere, but can't find it now. It was about Harvard vs. Cambridge.

I wondering which one is more difficult: Math 55 at Harvard or the Maths Tripos at Cambridge?

Also was wondering which institution has a better reputation for maths.

Reply 792

SimonM

18

Math 55 is one course at Harvard, so it's not really a direct comparison. Math 55 is legendarily hard, considering how many people start and finish it, but difficultly isn't something the Tripos lacks, if you want your supervisors will be able to find questions you can't do. (See Gowers' "Problems for Enthusiasts" for example). With regards to reputation, they both have fantastic reputations for maths. Harvard probably has a better reputation generally, and Cambridge may edge it on maths, but it's hard to judge. Just to emphasis the important point Math 55 is ONE course

Reply 793

Thanks.

Also, about maths supervisions, is it normally grad students leading the supervisions or professors? And are the grad students/professors from your own college? Because I noticed that a lot of the maths professors are from Trinity...

Reply 794

It depends on what the college is able to arrange. Most of mine have been Ph.D. students. Some were from outside my college. Also, on a terminological note, not all teaching staff are professors.

Reply 795

Y__

I had more than half of them with academic staff, I have friends who have had mostly PhD students for their supervisions. In generally, it is probably fair to say that the quality of supervisors is evenly distributed throughout the whole population, whether just graduated, experienced or tenured - it is, after all, only an undergrad course and all supervisors will be reasonably familiar with the material and quite a bit more. It really depends more on their motivation and teaching abilities.

Reply 796

But are the academic staff that lead the supervisions from the college you attend?

Reply 797

Y__

Not necessarily, I've had two supervisors from outside my college who were not PhD students.
In general I would suppose that at most colleges, the fellows at that college supervise those subject that they feel qualified for and get external supervisors for the other subjects. These are mostly PhD students (since many fellows from other colleges are supervising 'their' students, i.e. don't have time for others), but there are exceptions to the rule.

Reply 798