Imperial College London
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Original post by Anonymous
Do you have another link? i can’t open it
You can't open the link or you can't open the spreadsheet within the link?
Imperial College London
London
Original post by vix.xvi
Hi!!
Just wondering how you got in? What grades did u get and any tips for getting in? the interview? thank you
Just wondering how you got in? What grades did u get and any tips for getting in? the interview? thank you
Hi there,
I'm Ben and I'm a 4th Year Medical Student at Imperial College London and an official rep. With regards to how people get into Imperial, that varies depending on which course you study. All the information about the selection process for each course can be found on the imperial website using the following link: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/.
For medicine, the application process is very competitive. Imperial receives well over 2,400 applications for entry and interviews about 850 candidates. They then make approximately 600 offers. There is a range of criteria that they use to assess candidates. Candidates must meet the minimum entry requirements which for A-level is AAA and also have high marks for the 3 sections of the BMAT.
If you meet these requirements then your application is considered by a selection panel who will assess applications on the following:
- A-level or equivalent predicted (or achieved) grades
- BMAT scores
- Evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS Constitution
- Motivation and understanding of medicine as a career
- Community activities
- Leadership and teamwork
- Extracurricular interests
- Referee’s report
You may then be selected for interview which take place at the South Kensington Campus between December and March and are MMI's that last approx 45 mins.
The two possible outcomes based on the interview are an offer (which is conditional upon obtaining the relevant qualifications) or a rejection.
With regards to any tips, just be yourself! That's the best piece of advice I can give you as interviewers will be able to tell when you are not being genuine.
Best of luck
Original post by Sinnoh
Yeah it's not like medicine or engineering where there is the one seemingly obvious career path that you're training for, whereas there's no such obvious path with any natural science degrees. But you should not mistake the lack of an obvious path for a lack of choice. So whilst I'm confident I can find something I would like... I have no clue what that might be 
.
I think at school you get a bit too used to the idea that what you study now should lead in to what you do next, but after uni it no longer has to work like that. Some people's attitudes are simply "this is what I'm interested in at this point in my life, but after that I'm going to try something else".
. I think at school you get a bit too used to the idea that what you study now should lead in to what you do next, but after uni it no longer has to work like that. Some people's attitudes are simply "this is what I'm interested in at this point in my life, but after that I'm going to try something else".
Hi again, and thanks for this.
When looking more closely at Physics at Imperial I noticed that many of these stats to do with the quality of the course (https://discoveruni.gov.uk/course-details/10003270/F300/FullTime/) seemed quite low compared to the other universities I am looking at. For example only "37% of students that responded agreed with the statement: Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course". The only thing I can think of is that there is some kind of selection bias (Mainly students that were not happy overall would choose to vent their frustration and bother to answer the survey)
Do you know why this, as well as the other stats that seemed low are this way?
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Alexokay
Hi again, and thanks for this.
When looking more closely at Physics at Imperial I noticed that many of these stats to do with the quality of the course (https://discoveruni.gov.uk/course-details/10003270/F300/FullTime/) seemed quite low compared to the other universities I am looking at. For example only "37% of students that responded agreed with the statement: Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course". The only thing I can think of is that there is some kind of selection bias (Mainly students that were not happy overall would choose to vent their frustration and bother to answer the survey)
Do you know why this, as well as the other stats that seemed low are this way?
When looking more closely at Physics at Imperial I noticed that many of these stats to do with the quality of the course (https://discoveruni.gov.uk/course-details/10003270/F300/FullTime/) seemed quite low compared to the other universities I am looking at. For example only "37% of students that responded agreed with the statement: Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course". The only thing I can think of is that there is some kind of selection bias (Mainly students that were not happy overall would choose to vent their frustration and bother to answer the survey)
Do you know why this, as well as the other stats that seemed low are this way?
If you look at the other physics courses at Imperial on that site, only the BSc course is that low for student satisfaction - most of the others are above 60%, the MSci theoretical one was 90%. Questions about feedback have low scores no matter what the course, though, and they have a point. It does take longer than I'd like to get my marks from lab reports and other assessments, and for exams the only feedback I've gotten has been the overall grade for the module.
The last few years there have been protest votes to get the department to listen and hopefully it's been effective. The NSS survey is done by students in their final year, so whilst they have made changes to the course to improve that by spreading out the workload better across the years and reducing it in places, it will be a while before the NSS scores hopefully reflect this - 2019 entrants were the first to have the new course. I covered my thoughts on the new course in more detail in one of the first replies on the thread.
Original post by EliteBoy8
Thank you so much for such a detailed explanation. I will definitely look into St John, I have never heard of it before. I thought that preparation courses, show your commitment to medicine but you are probably right. Good luck with you’re studies
Hi! I hope you're well. I'm a second year Biology undergrad at Imperial and I just thought it would be worth mentioning also that Imperial College First Aid Society is strongly tied to St John Ambulance (SJA), and therefore if you do join SJA presently, we would be more than happy to have you join ICFAS should you choose to attend Imperial
It's a brilliant society and SJA provides a tonne of volunteering opportunities (even in COVID times), and will definitely enrich your CV. If you have any questions about St John, do feel free to give a shout Original post by theJoyfulGeek
Can biomedical engineers also join St John's Ambulance or ICFAS as volunteers? Or do you have to be studying medicine/biology? Also, does ICFAS give first aid training and offer opportunities to get qualified, or is that done externally? I know some basic first aid, but I'm not qualified or anything.
Also, how would living at home instead of in halls affect making friends, student life, etc. I live approximately 15 minutes away from Imperial and would rather not spend a lot of money on accommodation, so I'd probably stay at home for my whole degree - would this be a problem for making friends or being involved in societies and stuff?
Also, what's your favourite thing about Imperial?
I'm applying for Biomedical Engineering for 2021 entry, and I love the course structure and all of the modules seem fascinating - I really hope I get an offer!
Finally, does anyone know what's happening with interviews this year? Will they be virtual, or in person?
Thank you so much everyone!
Also, how would living at home instead of in halls affect making friends, student life, etc. I live approximately 15 minutes away from Imperial and would rather not spend a lot of money on accommodation, so I'd probably stay at home for my whole degree - would this be a problem for making friends or being involved in societies and stuff?
Also, what's your favourite thing about Imperial?
I'm applying for Biomedical Engineering for 2021 entry, and I love the course structure and all of the modules seem fascinating - I really hope I get an offer!
Finally, does anyone know what's happening with interviews this year? Will they be virtual, or in person?
Thank you so much everyone!
Hi! To answer your questions:
- ICFAS is a student-run society and therefore absolutely anyone studying on any degree stream can join.
- ICFAS gives training through weekly sessions, irrespective of whether you are a member of SJA or not. Before COVID, this was done using equipment provided by SJA and training was provided by students who were current volunteers with SJA. However, ICFAS training is not formally certified. In order to become a certified First Aider, you need to join the St John Ambulance organisation and they will give you additional training to this effect. I myself did my SJA training alongside other people from ICFAS and had a blast. Please bear in mind though, due to COVID, I am quite uncertain as to how things may proceed in the coming year(s) when it comes to training.
- I happen to live at home too, as I am from London. In terms of student life and making friends, I absolutely think it is possible to have one even while living at home. The key is to just not be shy and try to meet as many people as you can. Approach people in your lecture, try to initiate that first contact, and put yourself out there as much as you can, no matter how awkward it might seem at first. Societies are an especially amazing way to do this because many host subsidised social events where you can have fun and save money while meeting people with shared interests. Beyond societies too, the nightlife here is very exciting and there is an endless list of clubs and places you can go to with others to enjoy yourself with friends. If clubbing is not your thing then that's not a problem at all, there's always something or another going on e.g. cinema nights, game nights, etc etc that you can go to to just chill out at with friends and also meet new people at. Being at home is absolutely not a barrier to having a social life
- My favourite thing about Imperial is probably the clubs and societies. There are some truly amazing societies you can join to really help you enjoy life at Imperial and meet people, and every one of them is incredibly welcoming. From mountaineering to skydiving, from dancing to board-games, from barbell to gardening, there is something for everyone and it makes life at Imperial so much more enjoyable. Alternatively, another thing I love about Imperial is my course. I genuinely find it incredibly fascinating and really enjoy learning (and applying) it
- Unfortunately, I don't know how interviews will be proceeding this year, but I figure this may still be something the uni is arranging according to how the pandemic pans out? I would advise perhaps sending an email or something along those lines to get a clearer answer.
Best of luck to you for the coming year!
Original post by theJoyfulGeek
Can biomedical engineers also join St John's Ambulance or ICFAS as volunteers? Or do you have to be studying medicine/biology? Also, does ICFAS give first aid training and offer opportunities to get qualified, or is that done externally? I know some basic first aid, but I'm not qualified or anything.
Also, how would living at home instead of in halls affect making friends, student life, etc. I live approximately 15 minutes away from Imperial and would rather not spend a lot of money on accommodation, so I'd probably stay at home for my whole degree - would this be a problem for making friends or being involved in societies and stuff?
Also, what's your favourite thing about Imperial?
I'm applying for Biomedical Engineering for 2021 entry, and I love the course structure and all of the modules seem fascinating - I really hope I get an offer!
Finally, does anyone know what's happening with interviews this year? Will they be virtual, or in person?
Thank you so much everyone!
Also, how would living at home instead of in halls affect making friends, student life, etc. I live approximately 15 minutes away from Imperial and would rather not spend a lot of money on accommodation, so I'd probably stay at home for my whole degree - would this be a problem for making friends or being involved in societies and stuff?
Also, what's your favourite thing about Imperial?
I'm applying for Biomedical Engineering for 2021 entry, and I love the course structure and all of the modules seem fascinating - I really hope I get an offer!
Finally, does anyone know what's happening with interviews this year? Will they be virtual, or in person?
Thank you so much everyone!
re: making friends while living at home, you can absolutely do it, it just takes more effort than if you were at halls. You miss out on hall events and commuting with people in your halls, but that still leaves you with all the societal stuff, and you can still visit friends in halls... assuming they allow that in 2021. Anyway you'll be a lot closer to campus than people in North Acton or Xenia, so you'd have an easier time going to campus for society events.
I don't know what's happening with interviews either, but the way they're conducted depends on the department.
Favourite thing about Imperial, hmmmm... people do care a lot about their subject, the library's great (when you can get a seat) and the dosa stall at the farmer's market on Tuesdays
Original post by Isha8080
Do I really need A level Maths to get into Imperial to study Sciences/medicine?
Depends on the course. I think it's required for all engineering courses, physics and chemistry (and maths ofc). Medicine doesn't require it and the more biological sciences don't require it I think, but do check here:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/
Original post by Isha8080
Do I really need A level Maths to get into Imperial to study Sciences/medicine?
Go here for entry requirements for medicine ....
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/school-of-medicine/medicine/#entry-requirements
AAA min offer, A in Biology, A in Chemistry, A in a third subject, does not specify maths. If its Physics, definite yes, and further maths preferred, you can find detailed requirements for other courses on line.
Original post by USI_15
Hi! I hope you're well. I'm a second year Biology undergrad at Imperial and I just thought it would be worth mentioning also that Imperial College First Aid Society is strongly tied to St John Ambulance (SJA), and therefore if you do join SJA presently, we would be more than happy to have you join ICFAS should you choose to attend Imperial It's a brilliant society and SJA provides a tonne of volunteering opportunities (even in COVID times), and will definitely enrich your CV. If you have any questions about St John, do feel free to give a shout
It's a brilliant society and SJA provides a tonne of volunteering opportunities (even in COVID times), and will definitely enrich your CV. If you have any questions about St John, do feel free to give a shout Hi ! Thank you so much for providing an insight to Imperial’s society club, I have registered my interest for SJA, I am currently awaiting a response, fingers crossed there is a place available for me. I’m sure when I come to apply to for Imperial in 2 years time, my application will be strong. I hope your Biology degree is going well
Will my school reputation and rank matter to the uni when I’m going to apply next year? My current school doesn’t get good grades but the other new school in my area gets SF results like three A/A*’s. So do my grades only matter or does the school’s results, ranks and reputation matter?
Original post by Isha8080
Will my school reputation and rank matter to the uni when I’m going to apply next year? My current school doesn’t get good grades but the other new school in my area gets SF results like three A/A*’s. So do my grades only matter or does the school’s results, ranks and reputation matter?
If you can get the grades then it doesn't matter. They don't have a bias towards certain schools, they have a bias towards applicants with high grades (duh) and a well-performing school will have more people with those necessary grades.
Original post by theJoyfulGeek
Thank you so much Sinnoh! 
What was your physics interview like (in general, not specific questions)? Is it like Oxbridge interviews? Or is it more a chat? (Biomedical Engineering does them on an applicant day, but Physics might be similar?)
What was your physics interview like (in general, not specific questions)? Is it like Oxbridge interviews? Or is it more a chat? (Biomedical Engineering does them on an applicant day, but Physics might be similar?)
Oh sorry didn't see this. My interview was a discussion about my personal statement (presumably to verify that I knew what I was on about) followed by a few somewhat more academic questions. Really the interviews varies a lot just within physics depending on who was your interviewer (I didn't have to answer "so why Imperial?" thank god), so I really can't say what it might be like for Biomedical Engineering.
Original post by Sinnoh
If you can get the grades then it doesn't matter. They don't have a bias towards certain schools, they have a bias towards applicants with high grades (duh) and a well-performing school will have more people with those necessary grades.
Oh okay. So I just need to get those grades in two years. Thank you
Hi guys,
I submitted my application on 14th October, but am thinking of adding Imperial now for Mathematics.
Imperial requires pre-15th October applicants to take MAT and post 15 Oct applicants get a STEP condition , so if I add Imperial now would they know I applied to other universities before 15th October and reject me because I didn't; take MAT, or will they only know when I add them and thus give me a STEP condition, if given a offer.
I submitted my application on 14th October, but am thinking of adding Imperial now for Mathematics.
Imperial requires pre-15th October applicants to take MAT and post 15 Oct applicants get a STEP condition , so if I add Imperial now would they know I applied to other universities before 15th October and reject me because I didn't; take MAT, or will they only know when I add them and thus give me a STEP condition, if given a offer.
Original post by qwerty1201
Hi guys,
I submitted my application on 14th October, but am thinking of adding Imperial now for Mathematics.
Imperial requires pre-15th October applicants to take MAT and post 15 Oct applicants get a STEP condition , so if I add Imperial now would they know I applied to other universities before 15th October and reject me because I didn't; take MAT, or will they only know when I add them and thus give me a STEP condition, if given a offer.
I submitted my application on 14th October, but am thinking of adding Imperial now for Mathematics.
Imperial requires pre-15th October applicants to take MAT and post 15 Oct applicants get a STEP condition , so if I add Imperial now would they know I applied to other universities before 15th October and reject me because I didn't; take MAT, or will they only know when I add them and thus give me a STEP condition, if given a offer.
Universities don't know where else you applied, they just receive your application as it is when you send it. Most likely they'll ask you to take STEP if you get an offer. No they won't reject you for not taking MAT.
I am considering applying for Math later this month and I don't have Physics, but I have Math and Computer Science (International student so don't follow A-level so no further math subject in curriculum). Their page says "Chemistry and Physics are useful but not essential", so is there any point in applying?
Original post by Anonymous
I am considering applying for Math later this month and I don't have Physics, but I have Math and Computer Science (International student so don't follow A-level so no further math subject in curriculum). Their page says "Chemistry and Physics are useful but not essential", so is there any point in applying?
Well they say "useful but not essential", so clearly you don't need either to get in. They mean that it could come in handy when you're actually learning the course.
But having done A-level physics I can't imagine how it could be helpful.
Thanks for your reply. Ahh okay, so , according to you, should I apply for Math or Math and Computer Science?
I am interest in both programmes. My SOP is more inclined towards Math, but in Math and CS, both CS and Physics are listed as "recommended" subjects and I have one of them.
If not having Physics wouldn't probably disadvantage me much and if I'd still have a fair chance without Physics , then I'd surely apply for Math.
Please let me know what you think.
I am interest in both programmes. My SOP is more inclined towards Math, but in Math and CS, both CS and Physics are listed as "recommended" subjects and I have one of them.
If not having Physics wouldn't probably disadvantage me much and if I'd still have a fair chance without Physics , then I'd surely apply for Math.
Please let me know what you think.
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