Mathematics Applicants 2012

i will be applying for maths at oxford more likely.....cambridge is more reknown for maths due to people like isaac newton who danced on the bridge near trinity college....oxford on the other hand are top in the league table. tbh both are fantastic.....but the idea that cambridge is BEST for maths should be immediately removed....in fact after stayin at cambridge for 3 days and attending lectures.....i reckon there are better unis for maths

And congratulations on your offer Hows STEP coming along?

i will be applying for maths at oxford more likely.....cambridge is more reknown for maths due to people like isaac newton who danced on the bridge near trinity college....oxford on the other hand are top in the league table. tbh both are fantastic.....but the idea that cambridge is BEST for maths should be immediately removed....in fact after stayin at cambridge for 3 days and attending lectures.....i reckon there are better unis for maths

which unis in your opinion are better for maths and why? Just wondering

How did you stay there for 3 days?

What've you got? I've got Physics Unit 2 and F.Maths D2.

Tbh I have partly chosen Cambridge because my GCSEs aren't as amazing as Oxford would like (I think, anyway) and my UMS scores should be excellent (fingers crossed) - providing me with a better chance into Cambridge than Oxford.

I have physics unit 2, salters horners edexcel, FP1 and M1. In terms of maths my C2 went really well, D2 went ok, and D1 (resit) well... OCR thought they would go and put an impossible question in the paper now they've sent a letter to every maths department in the country that sits OCR apologising.. It was 8 marks and i spent so long on it aswell!

GCSE's as in sig aren't the best, and i need to get atleast 90+ in my last two maths exams to put me in with a chance!

Ah I see, we had FP1 on May 20th (AQA) D2 is an A2 exam for AQA so it isn't till June 20th Wow really that's crazy! I never thought that would happen! My GCSEs are similar/worse than yours, as we only did 9 full GCSEs and 2 halfs. I got 6A*s 3As and 2 As in each half GCSE But this year's being going brilliantly so I think should have almost 100% (at least 97 in each) in maths, further and physics which should put me in with a good shot I hope!

Wow i dont like to give false hope, but from the looks of it your a certain for an interview, me on the otherhand, my average for pure will be high 90's, above 96/97, but i got 76 in D1 and the resit they gave us an impossible question
Physics... ew i hate salters horners Its all applied applied applied! As you can see from maths, i dont like applied
Saying that mechanics i like FP1 i find hard though, but with work i can get that 90+
yourself?

EDIT - BUT when it comes to GCSEs, the fact that only 50% of my school left with 5 GCSE's A-C, makes me look pro

Thanks a lot, I hope so but it won't happen effortlessly! To be honest I doubt they'll be put off too much by your decision maths marks - they're not very important really in the grand scheme of things! And the more important ones (pure + mechanics ) you look to do great in so I'd think you stand a really good chance! For pure I think I can get 100%. D1 I got 93. I think I can get 100 or very close to on D2 (will require a lot of effort but it'll be my last lone exam so I should be able to give it that attention - I hate decision maths :'( ) I was worried about FP1 but on the day I just nailed it and I think 100% is possible Stats was basically the same as FP1 so it should work out well! We don't do M1 until next year (with M2 being done in further).

Yeah my school had 70% of people with 5 A*-C, with 55% of people having 5 A*-C inc. english and maths. So a bit better than yours

You seem like a cool guy btw and I do hope we're both at Emmanuel come October next year

My sixth form basically accepts most people in the county who get, at least, mostly As in their GCSEs. So being intelligent is normal and I am lucky in that it's no longer looked down upon to be good at a subject. However it does come with the downside that a lot of people are weird. In my physics and maths classes there is a total of 5 girls (none are fit) and about 40 boys, and only about half of the boys I would consider normal. So I think it will be like that at university, so I guess you just have to look for friends outside your course.

I'm having second thoughts about having a sub-conscious preference towards Oxford. My UMS in my subjects should hopefully be in the high 90s if the Summer exams went well as my Winters yet fat load of good they'll be if I apply to Oxford...

As for STEP, I personally see it as very similar to the MAT except it tests a lot more (totalling 6 hours compared to 2 and a half I think). As I understand it (plus an email I sent), the boundaries for 1/S etc. are based on the ranking of score of students like the MAT. So if (this is an extreme example) one gets 90 in STEP II but most people get pretty high as well, then Cambridge Assessments may set 93 as 1. MAT works by simply a ranking and selecting the top 60%.

(I used to think that STEP had a rigid boundary with 1 between around the 80s and hardly deviating at all)

Therefore, I am indifferent about either test now since the selection process based on each is more or less the same except one is after the offer (I guess STEP may be the least preferred of the two because imagine the feeling after receiving your offer yet falling at the last hurdle).

I'm having second thoughts about having a sub-conscious preference towards Oxford. My UMS in my subjects should hopefully be in the high 90s if the Summer exams went well as my Winters yet fat load of good they'll be if I apply to Oxford...

As for STEP, I personally see it as very similar to the MAT except it tests a lot more (totalling 6 hours compared to 2 and a half I think). As I understand it (plus an email I sent), the boundaries for 1/S etc. are based on the ranking of score of students like the MAT. So if (this is an extreme example) one gets 90 in STEP II but most people get pretty high as well, then Cambridge Assessments may set 93 as 1. MAT works by simply a ranking and selecting the top 60%.

(I used to think that STEP had a rigid boundary with 1 between around the 80s and hardly deviating at all)

Therefore, I am indifferent about either test now since the selection process based on each is more or less the same except one is after the offer (I guess STEP may be the least preferred of the two because imagine the feeling after receiving your offer yet falling at the last hurdle).

I'm having second thoughts about having a sub-conscious preference towards Oxford. My UMS in my subjects should hopefully be in the high 90s if the Summer exams went well as my Winters yet fat load of good they'll be if I apply to Oxford...

As for STEP, I personally see it as very similar to the MAT except it tests a lot more (totalling 6 hours compared to 2 and a half I think). As I understand it (plus an email I sent), the boundaries for 1/S etc. are based on the ranking of score of students like the MAT. So if (this is an extreme example) one gets 90 in STEP II but most people get pretty high as well, then Cambridge Assessments may set 93 as 1. MAT works by simply a ranking and selecting the top 60%.

(I used to think that STEP had a rigid boundary with 1 between around the 80s and hardly deviating at all)

Therefore, I am indifferent about either test now since the selection process based on each is more or less the same except one is after the offer (I guess STEP may be the least preferred of the two because imagine the feeling after receiving your offer yet falling at the last hurdle).

ive pretty much decided that i will apply at oxford for maths......im guessin uve done c1 and c2 already....possibly even s1 and m1 and maybe even d1 by now....thts enough knowledge to do the mat. step is good....and i will do it for imperial and other unis....but things can go wrong in step....its during the exams in june....mistakes can be fatal. at least with the mat.....u will be focused solely to it in nov.....

If your going to apply to Warwick, Imperial or Bath then you might have to do STEP anyway. Just something to think about

True but if all goes to plan (if I apply to Oxford as well) I'll have Oxford as my firm and LSE as my insurance.