AEA, STEP, Cambridge?

A.J.B

I have been having this never ending problem that keeps on repeating itself.
Im applying to Cambridge (Peterhouse) Engineering for 2009 entry. Im doing Physics Maths and Chem at A-level. Im rele put off on doing STEP mathematics as my lowest UMS was in maths (254/300), the others are 297,278 and like, so there is a huge difference. Also, i did take a look at some STEP papers, they look impossible.
I tried taking AS further maths so it would make me somehow "immune" towards a STEP, but when i mailed cambridge, they said that "it is unclear whether an AS course in further math would aid your application, the more maths experience you have, the more prepared you will be for your course." WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!
should i take an AEA with the a-level, would this make up for STEP, should i do further maths, or is there absolutely no way of avoiding a STEP?

Cambridge require STEP for Engineering. The simple (but harsh) truth is that, if you are not capable of STEP, you are not capable of studying Engineering at Cambridge. Further Maths will not really help you as you will then be expected to take STEP II and III rather than I and II and this is generally considered to be a more difficult route.

The AEA will not "make up for STEP". It is aimed at the top 10% of A Level Mathematicians and STEP is aimed at the top 2%. It is not equivalent.

Time to start working on those STEP questions.

Check out these links:

http://www.admissionstests.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/adt/step

http://meikleriggs.org.uk/

http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/stcs/STEP.html

http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/step/advpcm.pdf

Reply 3

A.J.B

OP

the last student from our school who got offered a cambridge engineering spot did not do a STEP, he got into pembroke.

Read this link:

http://www.admissionstests.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/adt/step

Reply 5

-Matt-

Unless the application procedure has seriously changed in the last year since I applied, STEP is NOT 'required' to study Engineering, though a some colleges will make it a part of their offers for some of their applicants. Generally however, I think offers will be based on A-level only - my offer was AAAB (and with regards to AEAs I indicated I was sitting two AEAs on my application form and my offer did not include them).

Official explanation of academic requirements:
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/admissions/guide/requirements.html

Table giving more detail on individual college requirements including likelihood of offer including STEP or AEA:
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/admissions/guide/table3.html

Matt

Reply 6

A.J.B

OP

-Matt-

Unless the application procedure has seriously changed in the last year since I applied, STEP is NOT 'required' to study Engineering, though a some colleges will make it a part of their offers for some of their applicants. Generally however, I think offers will be based on A-level only - my offer was AAAB (and with regards to AEAs I indicated I was sitting two AEAs on my application form and my offer did not include them).

Official explanation of academic requirements:
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/admissions/guide/requirements.html

Table giving more detail on individual college requirements including likelihood of offer including STEP or AEA:
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/admissions/guide/table3.html

Matt

What college?

Good second link Matt. My advice still holds though AJB. If you can't be bothered to put in the work to master STEP, you are likely to struggle to cope with the mathematical demands of the Cambridge engineering degree.

Looking through the criteria, they expect you to have some knowledge of complex numbers and matrices as well in order to tackle the preparatory questions so you might like to read up on these topics.

Reply 8

Edenr

14

I don't think the STEP grade demands will be as high for engineering as for maths. I think I remember reading in the summer pool guidelines that those who achieve 3s or higher will be considered again in the pool.

I emphasise what has already been said; if you want to do engineering or maths at Cambridge, then you should be able to do the STEP. It's very much worth working on it, to get you up to the standard you'll need to be at when you get there.

Reply 9

A.J.B

OP

alright then, im still in chapter 5 in C3, i ddnt do C4 yet, i did S1 last year and im doing M1 this year, so i cant rele solve any of the statistics or mechanics questions in STEP I, as they require S2 and M2. Can i answer the pure questions, (i ddnt do c4 but they all seem chinese), the school's doing C4 next term, so how am i supposed to prepare for STEP be4 january?

Reply 10

-Matt-

A.J.B

What college?

Jesus College

Mr M

If you can't be bothered to put in the work to master STEP, you are likely to struggle to cope with the mathematical demands of the Cambridge engineering degree.

Looking through the criteria, they expect you to have some knowledge of complex numbers and matrices as well to tackle the preparatory questions so you might like to read up on these topics.

While I'd agree with the need to stress the importance of mathematical ability, I think you are over-egging it a little. I successfully got and met an offer for engineering (and so hopefully I'm vaguely mathematically equipped for the course) but I'm under no illusions that I would be able to get a good or probably any grade on STEP papers. AEA Mathematics is perhaps a bit more feasible I would say, but still as far as I know not likely to be a requirement. I was sent a book a preparatory mathematical problems to complete before coming down in October and the standard though not easy, is definitely significantly lower than what I remember of STEP (admittedly only looked at one paper) and probably generally easier than the AEA questions I completed (with some exceptions....)

Matt

Ok, Matt, well you know more about it than me. I prepare STEP students for mathematics entry not engineering.

Reply 12

A.J.B

OP

Mr M

Ok, Matt, well you know more about it than me. I prepare STEP students for mathematics entry not engineering.

Have you ever had a student with a 254 in AS math get a 2 in STEP 1?

Reply 13

psanghaLFC

So are you saying that STEP I,II is required for Engineering if you don't do Further Maths and STEP II,III is require if you do Maths and Further Maths?

Reply 14

Mithra

2

Peterhouse does use STEP within engineering offers sometimes when the applicant's mathematical abilities are unclear/they aren't doing further maths, however I think this is only ever STEP I. Perhaps applying to a different college if you are really worried about it would be an idea?

Reply 15

-Matt-

psanghaLFC

So are you saying that STEP I,II is required for Engineering if you don't do Further Maths and STEP II,III is require if you do Maths and Further Maths?

No - only some applicants at some colleges will be given offers including STEP (seems it might be linked with not doing Further Maths - i.e. they'll use STEP to try to ensure you are sufficiently mathematically proficient if you are not able (in terms of availability) to do Further Maths), and as far as I know it will generally only be one paper.

Matt

A.J.B

Have you ever had a student with a 254 in AS math get a 2 in STEP 1?

No, because my students are mainly mathematicians and so tend to have got about 285 at AS.

I don't see any reason why it could not be achieved though.

Reply 17

A.J.B

OP

-Matt-

No - only some applicants at some colleges will be given offers including STEP (seems it might be linked with not doing Further Maths - i.e. they'll use STEP to try to ensure you are sufficiently mathematically proficient if you are not able (in terms of availability) to do Further Maths), and as far as I know it will generally only be one paper.

Matt

So you are saying if i do further math, i don't need to do STEP, and btw i would only do AS further math to "clear up" my "mathematical ability" would that be sufficient? Cuz if i do AS only and they ask for STEP it would still be I and II right? but they wouldn't ask it cuz i would have "proved my mathematical ability"?

I refer you all to Matt's answers as my experience is limited to mathematics offers at Cambridge and Warwick and natural sciences at Cambridge.

A.J.B

So you are saying if i do further math, i don't need to do STEP, and btw i would only do AS further math to "clear up" my "mathematical ability" would that be sufficient? Cuz if i do AS only and they ask for STEP it would still be I and II right?

Well in mathematics applications, further mathematicians take II and III. I get the impression from Matt that that would not be the case for engineering.

AEA, STEP, Cambridge?

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