Mathematics Applicants 2012

Original post by Xero Xenith

I was there! Did you go to the one where he spilt all the water? Then he said with a straight face "Yes, Cambridge require two 1s, but we just ask for an S in any STEP" and everyone gasped :biggrin:

I'm a bit confused about STEP though. Do I put it with my 2012 modules as "pending"?

You don't need to put it down, when you fill out your STEP registration form in January-April you'll have to give Cambridge Assessment your UCAS number, so in August your universities (well, the 6 which are on the form) will receive your results automatically. :smile:

Reply 1502

anshul95

11

Original post by dnumberwang

Fair enough, I've made my choices now anyway :dontknow:

I want to do as little physics and mechanics as possible tbh

UCL has some physics/mechanics modules. But the third year is quite varied so you will probably be able to avoid the physics modules all together. BUT in most unis you WILL have to do some mechanics stuff at least in your first year. Imperial's course is pretty pure based, Oxford's course is some pure and applied but it is a bit more varied. I think in Nottingham first year you get to choose between mechanics and stats (check this out).

Reply 1503

Xero Xenith

10

Original post by Schnecke

I didn't put it on UCAS, I presume those who did mentioned it in their PS. It's not a qualification listed in the education section so wouldn't really fit there. There's no need to put it on as most people (well me) won't decide to take it until they get offers needing it.

Original post by jameswhughes

You don't need to put it down, when you fill out your STEP registration form in January-April you'll have to give Cambridge Assessment your UCAS number, so in August your universities (well, the 6 which are on the form) will receive your results automatically. :smile:

But Bath say they give offers based on what you're doing - STEP, AEA or neither - so they need to know well before your results come in, and probably before you register for STEP. I'm definitely doing STEP, and there is an option for it on UCAS (go on the big list of qualifications and it's there). At the moment I have it down as "pending", but I'm not really sure if this is right :s-smilie:

Reply 1504

jameswhughes

Original post by Xero Xenith

But Bath say they give offers based on what you're doing - STEP, AEA or neither - so they need to know well before your results come in, and probably before you register for STEP. I'm definitely doing STEP, and there is an option for it on UCAS (go on the big list of qualifications and it's there). At the moment I have it down as "pending", but I'm not really sure if this is right :s-smilie:

That seems odd. For other universities they tell you to do STEP or you haven't made the offer, Bath's way of doing it seems silly in that everyone may as well say that they're not doing any extra exams, just to get an easier offer :hmmm:

Reply 1505

Schnecke

Original post by Xero Xenith

But Bath say they give offers based on what you're doing - STEP, AEA or neither - so they need to know well before your results come in, and probably before you register for STEP. I'm definitely doing STEP, and there is an option for it on UCAS (go on the big list of qualifications and it's there). At the moment I have it down as "pending", but I'm not really sure if this is right :s-smilie:

That must be right then, although if I was you I would leave it off, just to get the non-STEP offer.

Reply 1506

Original post by Xero Xenith

I was there! Did you go to the one where he spilt all the water? Then he said with a straight face "Yes, Cambridge require two 1s, but we just ask for an S in any STEP" and everyone gasped :biggrin:

I'm a bit confused about STEP though. Do I put it with my 2012 modules as "pending"?

Yep, that was the one I was in! There was a huge sigh of relief at the end when he was asked to clarify his earlier comment :biggrin:

Reply 1507

Xero Xenith

10

Original post by jameswhughes

That seems odd. For other universities they tell you to do STEP or you haven't made the offer, Bath's way of doing it seems silly in that everyone may as well say that they're not doing any extra exams, just to get an easier offer :hmmm:

Original post by Schnecke

That must be right then, although if I was you I would leave it off, just to get the non-STEP offer.

Yes, I was planning to, but they consider your application more favourably (i.e. more likely to get an offer) if you're taking STEP. Also, part of my PS talks about how I'm working on STEP at the moment and what that's like for me, so I may as well put it in.

They also said they're usually happy to change a 2 in STEP offer to a Merit in AEA offer, which seems odd but I'm not complaining :tongue:

Original post by carlos the third

Yep, that was the one I was in! There was a huge sigh of relief at the end when he was asked to clarify his earlier comment :biggrin:

Loved it

I was the one who asked the question about how they know whether to give an AEA or STEP offer (they said they "know from UCAS"), and the one about how they value non-Maths stuff in the PS. Which I'm still not sure about, should have asked for clarification :s-smilie:

Where are you applying? :smile:

Reply 1508

Original post by Xero Xenith

Loved it

I was the one who asked the question about how they know whether to give an AEA or STEP offer (they said they "know from UCAS"), and the one about how they value non-Maths stuff in the PS. Which I'm still not sure about, should have asked for clarification :s-smilie:

Where are you applying? :smile:

Well at least you asked some questions, I just sat there hoping others asked the questions i wanted answers to! (so thanks for asking about the PS :biggrin:

) I'm definitely applying to Bath, and probably Nottingham, and then three from Bristol, Durham, Oxford, Birmingham and Warwick. What about you?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1509

Aristotle's' Disciple

Original post by carlos the third

Well at least you asked some questions, I just sat there hoping others asked the questions i wanted answers to! (so thanks for asking about the PS :biggrin:

) I'm definitely applying to Bath, and probably Nottingham, and then three from Bristol, Durham, Oxford, Birmingham and Warwick. What about you?

Just so you know, Birmingham maths department looks really, really boring. (Open Day Experience). Lectures were really good though.

Reply 1510

Original post by Aristotle's' Disciple

Just so you know, Birmingham maths department looks really, really boring. (Open Day Experience). Lectures were really good though.

Thanks, although I don't think that looks of a department will be a huge part of my decision (I will factor them in slightly though). I agree about the lectures though from the open day, they did seem very good.

Reply 1511

Aristotle's' Disciple

Original post by carlos the third

Thanks, although I don't think that looks of a department will be a huge part of my decision (I will factor them in slightly though). I agree about the lectures though from the open day, they did seem very good.

Yeah same, it doesn't really bother me, the rest of the campus does make up it. Whilst I'm in there I doubt I'd be doing anything except hardcore maths (as hardcore as Birmingham offers). They also said they teach computing and programming skills as part of their course, how many other unis offer this? I didn't realize maths courses would offer these kind of modules.

Btw, which do you think would be the most competitive out of St. Andrews, Bristol and Bath for Maths?

Reply 1512

Xero Xenith

10

Original post by carlos the third

Well at least you asked some questions, I just sat there hoping others asked the questions i wanted answers to! (so thanks for asking about the PS :biggrin:

) I'm definitely applying to Bath, and probably Nottingham, and then three from Bristol, Durham, Oxford, Birmingham and Warwick. What about you?

Hmm, similar to me :smile:

I'm going for Bath, Durham, Warwick (do those three :tongue:

) plus Cambridge and a fifth I haven't decided on yet. It's gonna be a blind choice, near enough, since I didn't like the look of Bristol and I can't apply to Oxford as well as Cambridge...

Might look into Nottingham actually. Sounds good from what I've heard :smile:

Reply 1513

Original post by Xero Xenith

Hmm, similar to me :smile:

I'm going for Bath, Durham, Warwick (do those three :tongue:

) plus Cambridge and a fifth I haven't decided on yet. It's gonna be a blind choice, near enough, since I didn't like the look of Bristol and I can't apply to Oxford as well as Cambridge...

Might look into Nottingham actually. Sounds good from what I've heard :smile:

Yeah, it seemed quite good to me when I went there, plus they have a new maths building opened this year. Also, looking at your other 4 choices it might be a good idea to put a 'back up', as they are all relatively competitive/ hard to get into :smile:

Original post by Aristotle's' Disciple

Yeah same, it doesn't really bother me, the rest of the campus does make up it. Whilst I'm in there I doubt I'd be doing anything except hardcore maths (as hardcore as Birmingham offers). They also said they teach computing and programming skills as part of their course, how many other unis offer this? I didn't realize maths courses would offer these kind of modules.

Btw, which do you think would be the most competitive out of St. Andrews, Bristol and Bath for Maths?

I'm no authority on anything like this, but I'm pretty sure I read that Bristol had an applicant to place ratio of something like 16:1 (although I could be completely wrong), so I guess if that stat is true then it would probably be the most competitve for places.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1514

I know it is hard for anyone to judge this, and it may be a stupid question, but is the Oxford maths course significantly harder/ more time consuming than, for instance, Bath's or Bristol's or another one generally considered in the level just below COWI?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1515

twig

Original post by carlos the third

I know it is hard for anyone to judge this, and it may be a stupid question, but is the Oxford maths course significantly harder/ more time consuming than, for instance, Bath's or Bristol's or another one generally considered in the level just below COWI?

Yes? Don't fully get your question, as Oxford is part of COWI (which are meant to be the top maths departments, and so have the hardest maths course).

Reply 1516

Original post by twig

Yes? Don't fully get your question, as Oxford is part of COWI (which are meant to be the top maths departments, and so have the hardest maths course).

Sorry, I guess what the question basically boiled down to is 'Are the reputations of the COWI maths courses based upon difficulty/ time consumption or just reputation? And is this difficulty significantly greater than that of the level below (e.g. Bristol, Bath etc)'

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1517

M1K3

11

****, http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry/2012/#maths , does this mean they are not including a Distinction in the AEA as part of their A*A*A offer :frown:

If I knew this when I entered for it, I would have gone for STEP instead

Reply 1518

ishfish25

in order of preference....
1. Cambridge A*AA + STEP grade 1 or higher
2. LSE A*AA
3. UCL A*AA
4. Bristol AAA
and....
5. Kings College AAA... OR... Bath A*AA or A*AB + STEP grade 2 or higher

so Kings college or Bath? Considering i want to get offers and have potential backups

GCSE 10A* 2A
AS level 4A's Maths, Fmaths, Economics, ICT (dropped)
predicted 3A*s at the end of A2

warwick want A*AA and grade 1 in Step or A*A*A and grade 2 in Step which is too risky to take on as a first choice. Imperial want A*A*A. i feel that i can get A*AA for LSE and UCL but im unsure about warwick and my 5th choice..... should warwick be the 5th choice? it would put pressure on getting offers which i really hope i get.

Reply 1519

ishfish25