Would over 90% Suffice for Oxbridge?

Scroll to see replies

neebo

HEYYY!
How are your exams going?!

I got in, and so did Jess.
Kim didn't but she didn't want to anyway, and LH got pooled! :biggrin:

So all in all pretty good

They're okay...should be revising moar though.

omgeh, you're awesome! :biggrin:

Which course/college?

OP- Yeah, your PS has to be pretty spectacular, along with interviews etc.

Reply 81

timotiis

im so academic

politics - nice, could be involved in a political society
theatre - shows signs of participation in university wide drama
debate - excellent, can join the cambridge union (debating)
sci-fi - nice, bound to be a soc for him and shows he likes reading

the fact he read a lot about maths, quoted a book he's fond of, done the UKMT - gaining golds and silvers for it shows he's fond of maths, so yeah, you're right. you just have to get the right balance. tbh, this is just part of the ps, if this is the standard of part of it, it must be very good. that's why he got the offer.

the one thing is that he didn't mentioned what type of politics, like conservative politics, because politics is such a broad term, but that's just me. and also "I'm passionate about maths" is very over-used, and could use a better sentence.

but overall, v. good! :smile:

I would most definitely make him an offer.

That was a paraphrase of parts of my personal statement, and posted to demonstrate that one can combine both a passion for your subject with all round ability, which you had called a contradiction.

Oh, and Trinity at Cambridge, to whoever it was who asked. Not for me - I got Maths at Clare.

Reply 82

Deipnosophist123

im so academic

I would most definitely make him an offer.

Who are you?

Reply 83

neebo

<(". )>

They're okay...should be revising moar though.

omgeh, you're awesome! :biggrin:

Which course/college?

OP- Yeah, your PS has to be pretty spectacular, along with interviews etc.

DO MORE REVISION.

ASNC, at Clare.
I considered Classics for a long time, but decided against it.

My PS was a load of ********, I swear. I mean it was true, but I didn't like it v much. :zomg:

Reply 84

neebo

im so academic

but overall, v. good! :smile:

I would most definitely make him an offer.

Who the hell do you think you are?
This counts for **** all.

Reply 85

rnshan

Deipnosophist123

Who are you?

Admission Tutor - posing as a kid in yr 10

Reply 86

<(".")>

neebo

DO MORE REVISION.

ASNC, at Clare.
I considered Classics for a long time, but decided against it.

My PS was a load of ********, I swear. I mean it was true, but I didn't like it v much. :zomg:

I'll try

Awesome, we had a talk from an ASNC tutor at gonville and caius when we went from an open day last year, he seemed pretty cool. Clare had the best rooms as well (from what I saw last time) :smile:

Well donnneeee :grin:

OP - Listen to neebo, she got in :p:

Reply 87

timotiis

Deipnosophist123

Who are you?

He's a kid, probably year 10-11. Is absolutely set on going to Camford, and is unable to comprehend how anyone could possibly turn down an offer from there. He seems to know some stuff about it, but tends to represent himself as far closer to sources than he actually is.

Reply 88

im so academic

timotiis

That's actually really good, no wonder you are at Cambridge! I didn't realise you done that part of the PS.

Reply 89

timotiis

neebo

DO MORE REVISION.

ASNC, at Clare.
I considered Classics for a long time, but decided against it.

My PS was a load of ********, I swear. I mean it was true, but I didn't like it v much. :zomg:

Wooh, Clare. I have a place for Maths there.

Reply 90

neebo

<(". )>

I'll try

Awesome, we had a talk from an ASNC tutor at gonville and caius when we went from an open day last year, he seemed pretty cool. Clare had the best rooms as well (from what I saw last time) :smile:

Well donnneeee :grin:

OP - Listen to neebo, she got in :p:

GO CLARE!
I know some other peeps who got in at Clare so it should be jokez.

I have no exams in January!
hurrah

Well except internal ones...

Reply 91

neebo

timotiis

Wooh, Clare. I have a place for Maths there.

omfgz c u der mayb :awesome:

/ I couldn't comprehend maths at GCSE, I admire you.

Reply 92

timotiis

neebo

omfgz c u der mayb :awesome:

/ I couldn't comprehend maths at GCSE, I admire you.

Come find me, and I'll buy you a drink. It's a standing offer to all the people I know from the net.

I can't deal effectively with studying ancient long-dead cultures, no matter how much I admire Tolkien, so I admire you as well. Good luck with exams when they happen.

Reply 93

Melancholy

im so academic

I made a thread about this a few weeks ago that Oxbridge doesn't care about unrelated, non-academic ECs.

Hmmm. I've been observing your posts for some time now and thought better than to get involved, but I think I'll say something now. You're being exceptionally superficial and blinkered; and that's said honestly without the intention of causing offence but rather with a great deal of frustration. I got an offer despite the fact that I put "unrelated, non-academic" EC information on my personal statement. Yes, by all means, put down the books you read which are related to your chosen subject (I certainly did); but, you know, a personal statement is meant to be about you, and if, for example, music is a large part of your life, don't feel deterred from mentioning it! It certainly came up in my History interview and was evidently a good way to show my [alleged] ability to relate my generic interests to my chosen subject (how musicians are restricted by their social environment, et cetera.) I'd be far more impressed with an honest individual with honest interests who truly conveys one's true character/personality than somebody who pretentiously, unnaturally and systematically fills up their personal statement with things like "I enjoy debating History/Law/Politics/Natural Science/[insert relevant subject]". And, lest we forget, the personal statement is considered by more than one university; universities which do value the ability to demonstrate that you can balance your time between work and play.

So yes, to some extent you're right - they do make a statement about only considering relevant ECs; but in my case it was far better just to be natural, work to achieve the grades which reflect your potential and be honest about the books you enjoyed reading and what really are significant interests of yours - be it rugby, music or otherwise. I think it does more harm than good to generalise the whole application system. If you're honest, work as hard as you can, pursue your interests and speak honestly about them, then they'll choose you if you're good enough for them. Nay, it's not even a matter of whether you're good enough! It's whether you're bright enough (and most people are, judging by their A-Level predictions) and whether you're suitable for their couse, their style of teaching and their particular university, and whether they've got the space (my sister was pooled but didn't get in for Natural Science at Johns; thus she was good enough to get in, like many, but they lacked the capacity).

I may be offering the wrong advice, of course, but then again, I don't pretend to be an expert on the matter, which, judging by the content and tone of most of your posts, is precisely what you pretend to be.

edit: To the OP, I didn't get over 90% in all four of my subjects. I got 100% on one history paper, but the other history papers were something like 86% and 84%. My economics AS averaged at around 88%. In fact, I think only my Maths averaged at over 95%, and my French averaged at something like 92%. So long as you have three As (and okay GCSEs), then you've demonstrated that you're likely to meet an AAA offer, I guess. Perhaps.