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Reapplying to Cambridge

I have practically received 4 rejections (well three actually, but I haven't even been interviewed by the fourth yet so). I am in favor of doing a gap year and reapplying next year. My brother is at Oxford and both he and my parents are trying to encourage me to apply to Oxbridge next year.

I thought this was silly but looking about on forums it seems a lot of people who are re-applicants get into Cambridge. What are they looking for?, my GCSE's aren't great I know, but I'm expecting to get really high UMS in my A-Levels (will this make a huge difference?). What sort of things are they looking for you to do in a Gap year? Surely you're only just starting your Gap year when you send off the UCAS form so you wont be able to write about that!

Reply 1

Kelly^2

Cambridge are not particularly bothered about extra curriculars. If you have 90+% UMS, maybe some sign of extra curricular academic activities, a high BMAT you should have a good chance. Interviews are very important. I had three and they were all purely academic. If you aren't up to standard they'll know very quickly. My feedback said that the average successful applicant to my college (Caius) had 9A*s, 96% at AS and high BMATs. Whatever anybody says, if an applicant applied to Cambridge with 13A*s, 99% UMS average, 24 at BMAT and was able to hold a conversation - they would get in. Go for it if you reckon you're going to get the grades but only if you genuinely like the place and not because of prestige or if your family are telling you to go. For me it was always a long shot but I had to apply otherwise I would have regretted it. The interviews were an experience in themselves!

Reply 2

ollyjt

Its not just family pressure. I really would love to go there myself, but i didnt think I had a chance, my family are just telling me what do i have to loose. I was over-ambitious with where I applied this year, and my BMAT hardly shone, though i put this down to a lack of preparation. I dont want to go and waste another option again!

Reply 3

whiplash

Kelly^2

Whatever anybody says, if an applicant applied to Cambridge with 13A*s, 99% UMS average, 24 at BMAT and was able to hold a conversation - they would get in.

Sorry, what is your mandate for spewing out such utter ********?

Reply 4

prudentstudent

whiplash

Sorry, what is your mandate for spewing out such utter ********?

To be honest I agree. Talking to med students from other uni's, who basically say Cambridge medics are damn clever but they're terrible with patients. (Massive generalization aside :p:

)

Reply 5

FFCrusader

ollyjt

And what isn't so great about them...? They're perfectly good :yep:

What sort of things are they looking for you to do in a Gap year? Surely you're only just starting your Gap year when you send off the UCAS form so you wont be able to write about that!

I'd expect like any other uni they would want you to have something productive/worthwhile planned. You can always add something in your PS about what you're going to do (but make sure you do what you say!). Either way a good gap year generally has to be planned! If not you might find yourself with not much to do and actually just wasting your time...which probably won't be looked well upon

Also if you want to apply there go for it! You'll only wonder about it after if you don't. Don't let your parents/family/friends push you into applying somewhere you don't want to as you will be spending a number of years there!

Reply 6

Helenia

prudentstudent

To be honest I agree. Talking to med students from other uni's, who basically say Cambridge medics are damn clever but they're terrible with patients. (Massive generalization aside :p:

)

And how many of them have actually met any Cambridge medical students, much less seen them in action with patients? :rolleyes:

This stereotype is one of the most infuriating and untrue ones around. Maybe it was true 20 years ago, but we've moved on a bit since then.

OP, if you get good A-level grades and like the look of the place, then apply!

Reply 7

prudentstudent

Helenia

And how many of them have actually met any Cambridge medical students, much less seen them in action with patients? :rolleyes:

To be honest, I hope you're right :biggrin:

Reply 8

Kelly^2

whiplash

Sorry, what is your mandate for spewing out such utter ********?

It's true. Cambridge will happily admit that they favour academics above all else - even for admission to medicine. There's no need to be rude.

Reply 9

Helenia

prudentstudent

To be honest, I hope you're right :biggrin:

Well, you've picked a pretty decent college from the social side of things :wink:

so I think you'll be ok.

Kelly, you can't make generalisations like that - the colleges all have their own slightly varying criteria, so what might be true for some is not for others. And no matter how brilliant someone is, they do have to be able to make an attempt at holding a conversation!

Reply 10

Kyalimers

^^ Trinity said they ignored the last section of the BMAT completely and would only look at the academic side of the application. Maybe I should have applied :frown:

Reply 11

Kelly^2

Helenia

Kelly, you can't make generalisations like that - the colleges all have their own slightly varying criteria, so what might be true for some is not for others. And no matter how brilliant someone is, they do have to be able to make an attempt at holding a conversation!

Kelly^2

13A*s, 99% UMS average, 24 at BMAT and was able to hold a conversation

I do agree that each college has different criteria - and it is likely that my view has been polarised from my personal experience at a college which is notoriously vigorous when it comes to academics (especially for medicine). The point I was trying to get across is that Cambridge is very different to other med schools in that in puts far less weighting on extra curriculars, work experience etc and they're more likely to turn a blind eye to somebody's lack of experience if they are able to bring outstanding academic ability to the table.

Reply 12

Eta

I think you should find that with proper preparation your BMAT score will be able to go up a fair amount.
Don't worry too much about your GCSEs, they could be better, but solid A2s with good UMS scores should compensate.
Put in a paragraph in your personal statement about how you plan to use the gap year effectively

Good luck :smile:

Reply 13

whiplash

Kelly^2

It's true. Cambridge will happily admit that they favour academics above all else - even for admission to medicine. There's no need to be rude.

Yes, thats true. I didn't mean to be rude but it infuriates me when people put it as black and white as if you have x A* and above n% at A level then you're definitely getting an offer. I remember the case of the only Scottish student to do 7/8 AH or something (which is pretty insane) with straight band 1s (that's as deep as the grade discrimination goes, unfortunately) who got rejected for medicine.

Reply 14

ben_stretch

If your GCSEs aren't half decent then your chances are tiny, this is what I've seen from the application process and from reading the information from rejected candidates. Also, as rightly posted above what Kelly^2 said is just plain wrong, there is no level of academics which will guarantee an offer, which I've also seen this year. Especially not for medicine

Reply 15

anonymity007

ollyjt

They are looking for a good BMAT section 1 and 2 performance. Take a good look at my UMS/GCSEs/A levels - these were not enough to secure me a place in either the college or the pool; the BMAT is by far THE most important factor in your application. A st. johns admissions tutor told me that if you have 3 things (section 1, section 2, UMS) nailed then your interview does not come into play unless you massively screw up.

With regards to reapplicants, yes I have to admit, I only know 3 people who reapplied and they all got in. All of them chose to do some sort of research placement at a local uni/health related job for the first 6 months, and went travelling for the next 6.

Reply 16

Eta

anonymity007

... A st. johns admissions tutor told me that if you have 3 things (section 1, section 2, UMS) nailed then your interview does not come into play unless you massively screw up....

I would like to think i had that
7.0, 6.1, 92% average

perhaps my S2 BMAT was a bit weak. But yer, this goes to reinforce that there is virtually no level of academics that guarantees you a place.

and i don't support the view that the BMAT is most important, i only managed to get pooled with 26.6

Reply 17

anonymity007

Eta

Your UMS would be average by Cambridge standards, If you had 95%+ you would've definately got an offer, no question.

Though I do partly to agree... the system does seem a bit random.