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Mathematics Applicants 2012

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I got a new scientific calculator for christmas.....how much of a maths geek does that make me look?!!? haha
Reply 4101
Avatar for dbou
dbou
9
Original post by safmaster
Well done on your STEP grades! What's the best way to prepare for STEP in your opinion? Do you just keep on doing past paper questions?


Thank you :smile: I did both of the Siklos booklets to kickstart my revision in February, then I just worked through all the past papers in chronological order 2000-2010. Make sure you don't give up on a question; work for about an hour on it then just keep coming back to it. If the next day you still haven't got it then look at the answers. When you see the trick it will be lodged in your brain because you will have spent so long getting frustrated!
Original post by desy.kris
thats not what i said. i said that rejectees are not good enough to get in, and those who get in are better than those who get rejected. (that's common sense) but now i see that it's not merely based on whether one is good or not.

and, if you just wanna tell me that it's karma, no it is not because i knew that the CS dep rejected me already when i said that. and i admit to not being a good CS applicant in the first place (lack of bg knowledge)


No, the admissions process is not perfect. the fact that oxford do not look at UMS tells me that some people could of simply had a good bad/interview and been accepted/rejected infront of people that are better/worse than them. Basically, im 99% sure that someone who is better than you at maths, was rejected.

anyhow congratulations on the offer!
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Jampolo
No, the admissions process is not perfect. the fact that oxford do not look at UMS tells me that some people could of simply had a good bad/interview and been accepted/rejected infront of people that are better/worse than them. Basically, im 99% sure that someone who is better than you at maths, was rejected.

anyhow congratulations on the offer!


In my first interview, they asked me for my UMS. I'm fairly certain the different colleges that interview you share that between each other. Not sure if this goes for all colleges at Oxford, but mine definitely knew my UMS.
Original post by officeface
In my first interview, they asked me for my UMS. I'm fairly certain the different colleges that interview you share that between each other. Not sure if this goes for all colleges at Oxford, but mine definitely knew my UMS.


this is a surprise, although i know some ask you to bring evidence of qualifacations incase of 'cheaters'.

you heard any news back from oxford yet?
Original post by Jampolo
this is a surprise, although i know some ask you to bring evidence of qualifacations incase of 'cheaters'.

you heard any news back from oxford yet?


Yep, offer from Lincoln college :smile:
Reply 4106
Avatar for twig
twig
Original post by Jampolo
this is a surprise, although i know some ask you to bring evidence of qualifacations incase of 'cheaters'.


Yep. And I am guessing UMS formed an important part of that admissions for that college. However, I do not see how high UMS correlates in any way to mathematical ability.

Regarding the Ox/Cam admissions process, it is fair to say that a very good candidate has a higher chance of being rejected from Ox. STEP helps with the self-seletion for Cam (which i guess is better than just one 25 min interview, but even then there is an element of luck in STEP, and some schools offer rigourous preparation, you may have an advantage by taking all the extra applied modules, etc.).
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by officeface
Yep, offer from Lincoln college :smile:


Congratulations :biggrin:
Original post by twig
Yep. And I am guessing UMS formed an important part of that admissions for that college. However, I do not see how high UMS correlates in any way to mathematical ability.

Regarding the Ox/Cam admissions process, it is fair to say that a very good candidate has a higher chance of being rejected from Ox. STEP helps with the self-seletion for Cam (which i guess is better than just one 25 min interview, but even then there is an element of luck in STEP, and some schools offer rigourous preparation, you may have an advantage by taking all the extra applied modules, etc.).


I feel theres a very big difference between taking and not taking STEP though, but for maths UMS dosen't correlate very well with the tripos results.
Hello all. I'm here wanting to ask for some advice.
I'm having my AL(maths, further maths, phy) in 2012 May-June. Since I've got no grades in AS, I think I'll apply for uni next year...
But do you think this still bring disadvantage if I wanna apply for those top uni? (because this seems not the usual way to go... you all got grades in GCSE and AS... but I dun have these qualifications... )

I expect I'll have at least 2 A*.
and I've participated in some quite qualified extra-curricular activities (provided by some uni) and have gained some credits in maths,
ermm... and a 5 in AP calculus BC (an exam in US)
dunno if this help enriching my profile...

Many thanks!!!
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by dbou
Thank you :smile: I did both of the Siklos booklets to kickstart my revision in February, then I just worked through all the past papers in chronological order 2000-2010. Make sure you don't give up on a question; work for about an hour on it then just keep coming back to it. If the next day you still haven't got it then look at the answers. When you see the trick it will be lodged in your brain because you will have spent so long getting frustrated!


did you do all of the stepI papers first and then all of the stepII papers or did you do them at the same time (one stepI paper and then one stepII papers and so on)?
Reply 4111
Avatar for dbou
dbou
9
Original post by like_a_star
did you do all of the stepI papers first and then all of the stepII papers or did you do them at the same time (one stepI paper and then one stepII papers and so on)?


I did all the STEP I papers (except 2010) then all the STEP II papers (except 2010), then I did the 2010 papers in the days before each exam. :smile:
Original post by aliveyuen
Hello all. I'm here wanting to ask for some advice.
I'm having my AL(maths, further maths, phy) in 2012 May-June. Since I've got no grades in AS, I think I'll apply for uni next year...
But do you think this still bring disadvantage if I wanna apply for those top uni? (because this seems not the usual way to go... you all got grades in GCSE and AS... but I dun have these qualifications... )

I expect I'll have at least 2 A*.
and I've participated in some quite qualified extra-curricular activities (provided by some uni) and have gained some credits in maths,
ermm... and a 5 in AP calculus BC (an exam in US)
dunno if this help enriching my profile...

Many thanks!!!


So you've got no AS grades, but you will have complete A-levels this June?

That's fine. You'll be able to apply, and it won't disadvantage you :smile: People don't put in AS grades unless they have them, and a lot of independent (posh) schools in the UK don't certificate AS-levels, so they wouldn't have them either :tongue:

The most important thing is to have your Personal Statement, reference and grade predictions done a few days before the deadline. (You do the PS, your teachers do the rest.) Then you'll have time to sort out any issues you might have.

Mention the extra stuff in your Personal Statement and you'll be fine :smile: good luck!
Original post by BeccaCath94
Well done :biggrin: :biggrin: What course? I got an offer from them on wednesday :smile: Its going to be one of my top two i think :smile:
Haha whats the 5th one?


for G100 BSc Mathematics :smile:
What one did you get an offer for?
The 5th one is Bristol and they're likely to reject me anyway so hey-ho :smile:
Original post by dbou
I did all the STEP I papers (except 2010) then all the STEP II papers (except 2010), then I did the 2010 papers in the days before each exam. :smile:


ahh ok thanks :biggrin:
Original post by rachaelizabeth
for G100 BSc Mathematics :smile:
What one did you get an offer for?
The 5th one is Bristol and they're likely to reject me anyway so hey-ho :smile:


Ooh well done :smile: Mines for G1R2 - Maths and German....although im regretting the german part now!!!
Aww i'm sure they wont.... :smile:
I've got offers from heriot-watt, liverpool and lancaster and have an open day at sheffield then will get an offer...just leeds left :smile:
Regarding the Ox/Cam admissions process, it is fair to say that a very good candidate has a higher chance of being rejected from Ox. STEP helps with the self-seletion for Cam (which i guess is better than just one 25 min interview, but even then there is an element of luck in STEP, and some schools offer rigourous preparation, you may have an advantage by taking all the extra applied modules, etc.).


I completely disagree. I have just received an offer from oxford, and to do so I had 6 interviews!! My friend, also applying for maths, at cambridge had only one. Over the course of 6 interviews, a lot I know and is not the case for all applicants but the point still stands, the best candidates are more likely to shine through. STEP will not truly show the best candidates because Cambridge will already have made their selection by this point in time, and if you do perform well in STEP but not in your interview your scuppered.
Original post by johnny1994
STEP will not truly show the best candidates because Cambridge will already have made their selection by this point in time, and if you do perform well in STEP but not in your interview your scuppered.


Bear in mind, though, that they will take into account that not everyone will be at their best on the interview day, and they have personal statement, reference, grades and predictions, and info on the supplementary questionnaire to go by as well - and they give out about twice as many offers as there are places, so STEP does do quite a lot of the selection by itself. And in all honesty, STEP is a far better method of selection than any interview. I felt the questions asked in my interview for Cambridge were very brief, but they had to be, otherwise we'd only have discussed one question in each interview! STEP allows more detail in a question.

EDIT: and your numbers of interviews are a bit extreme, I had two at Cambridge for maths, and I'm sure very few people get 6 interviews for anything anywhere ever. :P
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by derangedyoshi

Original post by derangedyoshi
…


Oh hi there fellow Emma applicant.
Are you excited about or dreading January? I mean, when I came out of my interviews I thought, "it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world not to get into Cambridge." So I was able to rest my mind for a while. But then, on reflection, I realised that there was nowhere else I'd rather go; Cambridge is the place for me.

Because of that my interviews have really been playing on my mind and… I really can't predict what will arrive in the post.

Edit: I've heard that Oxford go a little overboard with the interviewing process especially with passing interviewees from college to college (I guess that eliminates the need for re-interviewing of pooled candidates). So, 6 sounds plausible and either fun or torturous depending on your outlook.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Edwin Okli
Oh hi there fellow Emma applicant.
Are you excited about or dreading January? I mean, when I came out of my interviews I thought, "it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world not to get into Cambridge." So I was able to rest my mind for a while. But then, on reflection, I realised that there was nowhere else I'd rather go; Cambridge is the place for me.

Because of that my interviews have really been playing on my mind and… I really can't predict what will arrive in the post.

Edit: I've heard that Oxford go a little overboard with the interviewing process especially with passing interviewees from college to college (I guess that eliminates the need for re-interviewing of pooled candidates). So, 6 sounds plausible and either fun or torturous depending on your outlook.


Hey :smile: I'm just trying not to think too much about January... :P

I don't think I'd be terribly upset if I didn't get in - I think I'd be happy at any of the unis I've applied to. I would really like an offer from Cambridge though. It's so difficult to judge how well the interviews went! So I'm just going to wait and see I think. No idea what my chances are.

And yeah - one of my friends was basically detained in Oxford for 3 days so she could have 4 interviews, only 2 of which were actually at the college she applied to. I think I'd prefer Cambridge's system tbh. I was really nervous before my first interview and I was just thinking stuff like "In 3 hours it will all be over" and so on - I don't think it would have helped if that had been 3 days :P

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