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The Official Cambridge Winter Pool 2013 Thread (includes FAQ and Status Reports)

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Ah right, I see what you mean. Guess I'm just reading into the wording of my letter too much (they said my application was still under consideration with them, but they were also making it available to the pool). Also, in last year's pooling thread I've see posts from people pooled AND fished for my subject and college, so I guess there are exceptions. Nonetheless, I get where you're coming from, cheers :smile:

That usually happens early on once they realise the person is "above the pool", and the initial pooling is just a check. But who knows, it might happen with you, I'm not a tutor :dontknow:

Although in general you should not be reading too much into the wording of the letter, after all they aren't trying to be mysterious with you or give you subliminal hints. :tongue:

Reply 1521

Minerva

Original post by campool

I have a question to Minerva: My daughter has just been fished to girl's college, and does not wish to be in a girl's college. Is there anything that can be done at this stage regarding the application?

Also, do students occassionally move to another college once they are in one?

Sorry I am new to the forum so not sure whether I have sent the message to the right place.

I don't have much to add to the answer someone posted earlier, except to say that people are often a bit disconcerted to be pooled to a women only college, but the general experience seems to be that it turns out very well in the end, assuming an offer is made. Transferring between colleges is exceptionally rare; my understanding is that in general terms the university strongly discourages it, so you would be looking at some significant reason for that to be allowed.

Your daughter should go to the interview with an open mind - she is likely to find that the college concerned appeals to her much more than she expects.

I know there have been threads about this issue before - try the Cambridge Colleges forum, here.

Reply 1522

DanTheMan358

Hello All

,

I am currently a GCSEs Student, I find reading these threads truly fascinating and intense as I also aspire to go to Cambridge in the near future.
I was wandering whether the average UMS you guys talk of is of your GCSE grades or AS Level.

Thanks and best of luck to you all :wink:

Reply 1523

theminimg

Original post by T_x

Hey guys

I've just heard from Homerton that I've been fished (originally applied to Clare). Naturally I am over the moon, but at the same time my heart goes out to everyone who is waiting. I know it is an unbelievably clichéd thing to say (and may infuriate some people on here unintentionally), but please try not to give up. Before I got my phone call (at around 5:30ish) I was resigned to going elsewhere and it came as an huge surprise. The best of luck to you all and remember that a university doesn't define who someone is but their work and their work ethic. The best of luck to you all and I really hope it goes well for you. xxx]

ALSO: I'm a re-applicant from last year for the same subject (history), proving that if you don't get in this year you CAN try again and DO have a chance of getting in!

- offer from homerton?

Reply 1524

Silverland

Original post by DanTheMan358

Hello All

AS

The one thing I regret most is not having amazing UMS

Reply 1525

DanTheMan358

Original post by Silverland

AS

The one thing I regret most is not having amazing UMS

Thanks

Reply 1526

Doglamlico

Original post by Silverland

AS

The one thing I regret most is not having amazing UMS

Same here broski.

Original post by DanTheMan358

Hello All

UMS is just a standardised score, and includes GCSEs and AS-levels, but when we talk average UMS we're talking the average across our top 3 AS-level subjects.

I don't know why you find these threads fascinating, they show the insane, stressed side of people in the pool :tongue:

Reply 1527

Econ1234

I got pooled from St Catharines College for economics and just got fished by Murray Edwards. :smile:

Reply 1528

magic012

Original post by Minerva

I'd email them and request it, just to be sure.

should I email my preferred college? Or the general undergraduate admission office?

Reply 1529

docmom

I thought I was the only mum here :smile:

Reply 1530

economist17

Original post by ukdragon37

College A would pool X for one of two reasons:

1) X might be good enough for Cambridge, but unfortunately the competition in A is too intense and all of A's spaces are filled. In this case A would not be fishing at all anyway.

2) A thinks X might be good enough for a straight offer, but want to check X against the quality of the pool first. Here I argue this can be done in the early stages in the pool where colleges can take applicants back, and X would be none the wiser he has been pooled. After all X's preference should be respected if possible, and A only has to be satisfied that X is above the uni-wide threshold for admission since X being considered for a straight offer shows the competition in X may not be very intense.

One should realise that the colleges do not necessarily (and in fact I would think not often) both pool and fish for the same subject, unless large swathes of their direct applicants are sub-par (in which case the college might even just opt for rejection rather than pool).

Does the pooling not take place after decision letters have been sent out? (3-4 Jan)? In which case nobody can be pooled without realising it?

I could be wrong, but those are the dates I seem to remember seeing in the Pooling Handbook.

Reply 1531

•Ball•So•Hard•

Original post by Econ1234

I got pooled from St Catharines College for economics and just got fished by Murray Edwards. :smile:

What right now?!

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 1532

Llewellyn

Original post by economist17

No there is a pool day before offers are sent to check applicants against other colleges'. But no offers/ interviews can be given on this day - colleges can only look at the other files.

Reply 1533

ukdragon37

Original post by economist17

Letters are sent out on the 3rd, so arguably the pool could have opened before the letters are sent. However I think before the pool opens (which I referred to as the "preliminary stage") preference colleges are allowed to check their applicants against the pool and withdraw them.

EDIT: In fact the pool document states the pool opens on the 2nd, so the stage which the college could withdraw candidates could be on this day.

EDIT2: Here we go:

"All Colleges are strongly encouraged to check the strength of pooled applicants from other Colleges before finalising their offers, except in subjects where they really are exceptionally strong. This can be done at pre-Christmas moderation meetings and/or by pooling with Active Interest (strings/tags) the last one or two applicants on an “offer list”. Such files can easily be taken back, up until 5pm on Thursday 3 January as long as they were marked with an ‘A’ at the start of the Pool."