Oxford or Cambridge?

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Oxfords far easier 2 get into maths from what i heard. Cambridge is easier to get an offer cos so many people miss their grade requirements. Cambridge would be better choice though cos then you would do the STEP and be able to put Warwick as a back up (who also require it). I have 3 m8s doing Maths at Warwick all of whom got cambridge offers but ****ed up the STEP exam.

Reply 21

mevidek

Original post by secret_geek

Usually people with 'good contacts' don't go to state school

you said Private school, so everyone there does. That is not a state school... :duh:

Reply 22

mevidek

Original post by Ocassus

Universities are well aware [especially the higher ones] of their status, and are not looking at somebodies background whatsoever when they take a look at your UCAS, the only reason they need to know your school is so that they can ascertain what subjects were on offer and if you took them or not, they are not, like many people assume, aiming to preselect poorer over richer students. They will always, always go for the better student, regardless of where they came from. If a State school pupil is broadly on par with a private school pupil on terms of A levels/GCSEs, they will move onto the next stage [either an internal test or straight to an interview] and then ascertain from there.
You are making the assumption that Universities are part of a wider social agenda, they aren't they are strictly educational institutions which take the best, regardless of where they came from. If you end up in the interview, it is literally 'what you see is what you get', and they aren't going to beat about the bush around it.

Source - Cambridge Admissions Tutor

well they are now forced to select more students from poorer backgrounds as it would be seen as unfair if they only picked those with really good results and from rich backgrounds. That means they are more likely to accept a high-achiever from a comprehensive school to an average achiever (as good as the results may be for the school) from a private school.

Reply 23

nuodai

Original post by secret_geek

You're hilarious. I'm at cambridge, I went to private school and 99.999999% of the people I have met also went to private school. :rolleyes:

Have you only met yourself?

There is a significant degree of troll in this thread, perhaps even starting with the OP, so I won't put too much effort into this. Basically, I echo what didgeridoo12uk and Ocassus said.

Original post by mevidek

That's not true, they have targets and a budget which they have to put towards widening access; it has no impact on the offer/pool/rejection decisions made. And I think the admissions statistics show that: colleges' state:private ratios flucuate year on year with an overall slow trend towards a more representative uni-wide ratio, which may be in some part due to the access initiatives. If they were forced to discriminate like that then very different things would be happening.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 24

mevidek

Original post by nuodai

rivate ratios flucuate year on year with an overall slow trend towards a more representative uni-wide ratio, which may be in some part due to the access initiatives. If they were forced to discriminate like that then very different things would be happening.

No they are forced to to show that they accept people from all different backgrounds and do not discriminate. Believe it or not. Your choice.

Reply 25

Ocassus

Original post by nuodai

No they're not, they have targets and a budget which they have to put towards widening access; it has no impact on the offer/pool/rejection decisions made.

mevidek

...

This.
I will also add that a state school pupil will only be accepted if he is superior relative to the Private schooled pupil, not relative to his average background.

Reply 26

Comeheretellme

Oxford because apparently, Cambridge actually look at the marks you got.

Reply 27

Ocassus

Original post by mevidek

No they are forced to to show that they accept people from all different backgrounds and do not discriminate. Believe it or not. Your choice.

I might be tempting an Appeal to Authority here, but you are arguing with A : Somebody who has spent extensive amounts of time with a Tutor from Cambridge and B : Somebody who is currently at one of the Unis in question.

You are also not using any sources and are attempting to base your entire argument on an assumption which has no basis other than in the media which tends to exaggerate things wildly.

EDIT : And of COURSE they discriminate, that is the basis of their entire selection process. :facepalm:

They filter out students based on the Curve, a student with better grades/better interviews/better PS will always trump somebody with an inferior application, REGARDLESS of background.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 28

RichE

Original post by *Hakz*

Cambridge = Maths, in my opinion.

But at the end of the day, going to Oxford will not hinder your chances in the future; so in essence you are pretty sorted.

If you do get an offer for both universities, you simply can't make decision based on reputation as there are of equal calibre in my opinion.

So think of factor such as location, course content, social life e.t.c to make your university life worthwhile afterall.

If you do get an offer for both universities, do share your secret.

Reply 29

Rascacielos

Original post by anil10100

For maths, with my grades, which university do you think im more likely to get a place, if at all?

GCSE: 12 A*s 2As
AS Levels: Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Biology

In my January modules got 100% in maths, 86% in further maths (s1), 98% in chemistry, and about 82% in physics.

And my UMS are probably not going to be excellent (like all above 90% kinda thing). And i think STEP is probably a bit beyond me, but in terms of getting an interview as well :smile:

Neither. Alarm bells rung in my head as soon as you said "where am I most likely to get a place?" You should apply somewhere because you want to study there, because you like the course, the city, the style of teaching, not just because it's Oxbridge, which is the impression I got from your original post.

Reply 30

nuodai

Original post by mevidek

No they are forced to to show that they accept people from all different backgrounds and do not discriminate. Believe it or not. Your choice.

Indeed, they don't discriminate, which is why they show no preference towards applicants from poor backgrounds and rich backgrounds. I'm on my college's admissions committee and I know what the policy is and it's very simple: academic merit, end of. The access budget goes towards sending people to state schools, arranging visits and so on, with the idea that over time the ratio will even out (so we see the targets actually being reached); and I know for a fact that the colleges don't make any concession for applicants based on what type of school they went to, even if they apply through CSAS (which only has an impact on the offer).

I'd like to hear what your evidence for your claims is, because I'm beginning to suspect it's hearsay.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 31

mevidek

Original post by Ocassus

They filter out students based on the Curve, a student with better grades/better interviews/better PS will always trump somebody with an inferior application, REGARDLESS of background.

ok you may go there, but the thing is they have to accept people from all backgrounds. It seems a lot fairer. To be honest I can't be arsed to argue, but yeah, I get good results so I am happy.

Reply 32

kerily

Original post by mevidek

what type of school did you go to? Comprehensive: very likely to go; Grammar: less likely (probability decreased quite a lot); Private School: You have the same chance as any other private school student who did well.

Mate, what? I have a Cambridge maths offer. I also happened to go to a state comprehensive. However, I got my offer on the strength of my application, not to fill some mythical quota.

I'm not sure, to be honest. Oxford's offer will be easier to meet if you do get one, as STEP is a bitch and a-levels pale in comparison. But then if you apply to Cambridge, you're probably more likely to get an offer, as they hand out more (I think) as many people miss their STEP. I picked Cambridge for no real reason, and maybe I should have gone for Oxford, but Cambridge felt friendlier/less intimidatingly posh/like I had a chance of being happy there. Pick the university you want; don't try to play the game of 'where am I more likely to get in?'.

Reply 33

Ocassus

Original post by mevidek

ok you may go there, but the thing is they have to accept people from all backgrounds. It seems a lot fairer. To be honest I can't be arsed to argue, but yeah, I get good results so I am happy.

They HAVE to accept people from all backgrounds who meat the academic requirements, namely, being the best. If they are not the best, no amount of external 'social factors' is going to change that, and therefore they will be passed aside in favour of a candidate who is simply better, regardless of where you came from.

EDIT : That is three people now, when are you going to realize you might be wrong on this one? :rolleyes:

Reply 34

*Hakz*

Original post by RichE

If you do get an offer for both universities, do share your secret.

Im baffled mate...... What secret?????

I was only adding my thought to support the OP

Reply 35

RichE

Original post by *Hakz*

Im baffled mate...... What secret?????

I was only adding my thought to support the OP

Namely that you can't apply to both universities

Reply 36

Ocassus

Original post by RichE

Namely that you can't apply to both universities

Ownt.

Reply 37

RichE

For the OP, here's a post I made some time ago trying to set out the differences between the maths courses at Oxford and Cambridge:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20713768&postcount=62

Reply 38

*Hakz*

Wow, I never realised until this point.

Sorry about that mate. I guess it's down to my lack of understanding regarding how both institution works or maybe it was down to the fact that I never had the slightest of chances to even apply there. At least i learnt a new thing today i guess :biggrin:

Reply 39

anil10100

Right people seem to have the misconception that im just a kid that's heard the hype about Oxbridge and just wants to get a place. This isn't the case, I have had a look at and into both universities and like the locations, teaching styles, extracurricular facilities, and location of both (particularly Emmanuel College). But there is definitely not one that I like much more than the other.

And if only I could apply to both, but I can't, hence this thread.

And however credible the guy aboves post doesn't sound, I went to a meeting where a Cambridge admissions tutor was saying they do take into account your school in respect to national averages.

And the reason I'm asking this question is that it's pointless me wasting a choice on a university I'm much less likely to get into, when I could have got an offer from a uni I have an equal preference for.

And just to mention, I do actually go to a far below average state comprehensive :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)