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AS Grades not too great. Thinking of Engineering in Cambridge or Imperial

Am I going over my head here? I recently recieved an A for Maths, B - Physics, C - Chemistry. I'm taking Further Maths next year and am confident in my maths. I intend to retake Physics and Chemistry to get A but I'm confused.

I want to try to get into a top university for Civil Engineering but now I'm unsure how well it will go with my AS results.

Will the universities brush me off after looking at my AS?

Any help or comments will be of help.

Reply 1

bean87

depends on your predicted grades from tutors. you need AAA predicted for a chance at imperial and cambs

Reply 2

Neutral_Tones

Bear in mind that Cam take a breakdown of all your AS UMS marks, if that helps with your decision!

Reply 3

BFong

I realize that Cambridge would be very hard to enter given my current position but I believe i can achieve AAAA next year if i resit. A main reason why my Physics fell short of an A was because i was sick. Is there anything that can be done?

If not, any recommendations on other Universities to apply to? Please :smile:

Reply 4

Snobpence17

I got 289 in maths, 272 in physics and 280 in physics, and I'm bot gonna bother with Cambs due to them probably wanting 6 A-levels.

But anyway, I strongly reccomend Imperial, Southampton and Bristol. All at the sameish standard for civil really.

Reply 5

Neutral_Tones

BFong

Yep - if sickness has affected your application, get your referee to explain this on your application form. I think you might have to include a doctor's note as well. If you want to apply, definitely go for it! :cool:

Reply 6

Neutral_Tones

Snobpence17

They're all over 90% - that's really very good! :smile:

What was your fourth AS? Believe me, they wouldn't want 6, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here feeling happy right now! :yep:

They prefer you to stretch yourself vertically rather than horizontally (nope not literally :p:

) by taking AEAs rather than loads of irrelevant A levels.

Reply 7

Snobpence17

Neutral_Tones

They're all over 90% - that's really very good! :smile:

What was your fourth AS? Believe me, they wouldn't want 6, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here feeling happy right now! :yep:

They prefer you to stretch yourself vertically rather than horizontally (nope not literally :p:

) by taking AEAs rather than loads of irrelevant A levels.

Biology, I only got 236 though, but that's good for no revision!

Yeah I heard they like depth not breadth (they sure like catchy sayings)
I'm doing further AS next year, would you reccommend doing any AEA's or anything similair? what will butter them up? haha

And did you get in today? If so, bloody nice one man, you must be over the moon!

Reply 8

BFong

Thanks for the comments. You guys have been fast and helpful. So have you any last pieces of advice to get into universities? Hopefully Imperial cause I would prefer one in London.

Reply 9

Neutral_Tones

Snobpence17

Yep - I'd try to take AEAs in the subject you're applying for (ok kind of obvious advice but hey) and maybe one or two others if you can... it certainly won't hurt! Work experience relative to your course is always good, as well as background reading around your subject. I'm sure I had something else to say as well but I seem to have forgotten it :s-smilie:

Oh yeah - bear in mind though that if you apply to Christ's College, they sometimes give you an offer including AEA results.

Yeah - I woke up and checked track at some obsessively early hour and then screamed the house down :smile:

Reply 10

Neutral_Tones

BFong

Thanks for the comments. You guys have been fast and helpful. So have you any last pieces of advice to get into universities? Hopefully Imperial cause I would prefer one in London.

Good grades of course; reading around your subject and mentioning it in your personal statement; work experience relative to your course (especially important if you're applying for engineering - you might want to consider a year out in industry? http://www.yini.org.uk/ ) and most of your PS devoted to talking about your subject and what you've done to further your interest in it. Oh and don't use the word 'passion' too much :p:

Reply 11

Snobpence17

Neutral_Tones

Haha fantastic, well enjoy it and have a great time at Cambridge, you've obviously worked your arse off to get it.

Well I'm going for engineering, would I need to worry about STEP or anything?

Reply 12

Neutral_Tones

Snobpence17

Haha fantastic, well enjoy it and have a great time at Cambridge, you've obviously worked your arse off to get it.

Well I'm going for engineering, would I need to worry about STEP or anything?

http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/admissions/guide/table3.html

Hopefully that'll help with your decisions! :smile:

Reply 13

Snobpence17

Neutral_Tones

http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/admissions/guide/table3.html

Hopefully that'll help with your decisions! :smile:

That does help actually!

What would you reccomend:

Go for a Cambridge?, or Oxford?, seeming as the latter might be easier to get into, but the former has a better engineering reputation

Reply 14

Neutral_Tones

Snobpence17

That does help actually!

What would you reccomend:

Go for a Cambridge?, or Oxford?, seeming as the latter might be easier to get into, but the former has a better engineering reputation

Er... I'm probably not the best person to ask about engineering, but if I were you, I'd visit both of them and see which city I prefer. Although their academic reputations are pretty much the same, Oxford is more of a busy, London-type place with a better nightlife, while Cambridge is a smaller place with (well I think anyway) more of a student dominance over the town and less nightclubs (although saying that, London's only 45 mins away by train.) Also have a look at the courses at both - they differ quite a lot in some subjects and see if that helps. I'm not sure there would be that much difference in being easy to get into - in both places, if they think you're good enough, they'll take you. I wouldn't base too much on statistics, because often other people do exactly the same and consequently cause that year to be even more competitive! So to sum up really (as this length of post probably needs it): I wouldn't rely too much on stats, because they can change and often don't mean much (as they're not legally bound to fill places if they don't want to) but have a look at the places and particularly the courses to see which you'd prefer. Phew.

Reply 15

Jx2

Sorry to sound harsh but you have absolutely no chance of getting into Cambridge with those AS grades. Cambridge don't like resits and you have to declare them on your supplementary info form. Even if you don't declare them, Cambridge check all potential offer applicants and you WILL be caught out. Despite what is published, Cambridge like at the very least A's in Maths, Further Maths, Physics plus one other for Engineering. Sorry can't give you much hope, but no point in you wasting a space on your UCAS form

Reply 16

Master Polhem

Jx2

You are in 6th form, yes?

Reply 17

Lehane

Your results are kinda like mine. I got A in Maths and Geography and a B in Physics (1 UMS short of an A!). I'm resitting Physics and I'll be doing Further Maths but I'm applying to Cambridge. I'm predicted A's but I dunno if that'll be good enough.

Can anyone recommend any colleges?