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The Official Cambridge Winter Pool 2013 Thread (includes FAQ and Status Reports)
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Original post by bambi897064
Just emailed my original college, Girton, and they want to make me a deferred offer!
OMG congratulations!!! I was pooled by Girton too
. May i ask what subject you applied for and whether you were re-interviewed. Thanks. What are your gap year plans then?
Hey!
I received my offer letter from Caius on the 16th of Jan (through the pool) and they also sent me an email confirming the offer. But my UCAS track hasn't been updated yet!
Would you know when they update it? Also will it take longer because I'm an international applicant?
Thanks
I received my offer letter from Caius on the 16th of Jan (through the pool) and they also sent me an email confirming the offer. But my UCAS track hasn't been updated yet!
Would you know when they update it? Also will it take longer because I'm an international applicant?
Thanks
Original post by EyesBegoniaSkies
I hope there's more medics still waiting! This silence makes me feel like all the places are being filled up and im just the last one being left out ... 
i'm still here mate
Original post by jamil78613
OMG congratulations!!! I was pooled by Girton too . May i ask what subject you applied for and whether you were re-interviewed. Thanks. What are your gap year plans then?
. May i ask what subject you applied for and whether you were re-interviewed. Thanks. What are your gap year plans then?I applied for NatSciBio and was reinterviewed by Murray Edwards. they didn't want to make me an offer so girton (the college I originally applied to) made me a deferred offer :-) I don't know yet, I have a keen interest in animals so some work in conservation hopefully :-)
Posted from TSR Mobile
phone vibrates: "you have a new message from UCAS..." WOW THIS MUST BE IT
*click message* "you have a new message from UCAS Media"
*click message* "you have a new message from UCAS Media"
Literally just been rejected for medicine (through track)
Original post by coriander
Literally just been rejected for medicine (through track)
Wow, the college you applied for are quite insensitive. At the very least they should send a letter or an e-mail.
Original post by coriander
Literally just been rejected for medicine (through track)
That's so painful
Which college? A few of them really do have bad reputations for stuff like this!rejected by churchill. drowned medic here
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Original post by Minerva
Even just setting some ground rules around when people will be contacted and with what information would be a start.
If they must do it in this way (and I don't think they must, but let us suppose there really is no alternative), the CAO could set a timetable and insist that all colleges stick to it. thus:
I'd be inclined to ban phonecalls - more time-consuming than emails anyway, and then people fret about whether they heard aright!
How about that for starters? At least then people would know where they were.
If they must do it in this way (and I don't think they must, but let us suppose there really is no alternative), the CAO could set a timetable and insist that all colleges stick to it. thus:
•
all interview invitations following the Pool to be sent out by email at 5pm on the Saturday (final lists having gone to colleges by 3pm)
•
all direct offers agreed during the Pool also to be sent out by email at a specified time - say 10am on the Monday after the Pool closes
•
all confirmed rejections to be sent out by colleges by email as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours after the files have been returned to the preference college on the date specified in the Pool timetable
•
all applicants on whom a decision is still pending, who are not being re-interviewed, should receive an email update from the college that is considering them at least every 72 hours
•
applicants in special groups (eg the medics and the vet medics) should receive regular email updates on the timescales for decisions
•
all applicants who have been re-interviewed should receive an email from the fishing college within 72 hours, either confirming the outcome or specifying when a decision will be made
How about that for starters? At least then people would know where they were.
TSR no longer allows me to rate you because apparently I've rated you too many times already...
Original post by JimJohnnyJones
That's so painful Which college? A few of them really do have bad reputations for stuff like this!
Which college? A few of them really do have bad reputations for stuff like this!churchill
Original post by Colmans
Unfortunately Cambridge is not the only University in UCAS. All over the country universities are waiting to see who makes offers into firms and insurance having heard from Cambridge. If you delay Cambridge offers for a month then you delay this system everywhere else. (They don't get to see who is made an offer but a majority of people on hearing from Oxbridge are in a position to confirm or reject the rest.) This is one reason why so many UCAS offers are made in February & March.
Unis make their decisions independently. They have statistics from previous years to work from, to tell them what the usual conversion rate from offer to firm or insurance choice is. The unis that are under pressure from high volumes of applicants for competitive courses wait a long time because they must give everyone who applies by 15 January equal consideration, and therefore have to wait until after this date before doing any serious assessment of the applications received.
That Warwick or LSE may take some time to decide on your application for economics has got NOTHING to do with whether you might have applied to Oxford for Cambridge, let alone whether you might have been made an offer you plan to accept.
You cannot make your choices on UCAS Track until all your decisions are in or you have cancelled any remaining choices. Writing to Cambridge or Oxford to say you intend to accept your offer has no formal status until you have confirmed that yourself on Track in due course.
Original post by padfoot316
Hey!
I received my offer letter from Caius on the 16th of Jan (through the pool) and they also sent me an email confirming the offer. But my UCAS track hasn't been updated yet!
Would you know when they update it? Also will it take longer because I'm an international applicant?
Thanks
I received my offer letter from Caius on the 16th of Jan (through the pool) and they also sent me an email confirming the offer. But my UCAS track hasn't been updated yet!
Would you know when they update it? Also will it take longer because I'm an international applicant?
Thanks
Original post by Minerva
No they aren't, and no it isn't.
Unis make their decisions independently. They have statistics from previous years to work from, to tell them what the usual conversion rate from offer to firm or insurance choice is. The unis that are under pressure from high volumes of applicants for competitive courses wait a long time because they must give everyone who applies by 15 January equal consideration, and therefore have to wait until after this date before doing any serious assessment of the applications received.
That Warwick or LSE may take some time to decide on your application for economics has got NOTHING to do with whether you might have applied to Oxford for Cambridge, let alone whether you might have been made an offer you plan to accept.
You cannot make your choices on UCAS Track until all your decisions are in or you have cancelled any remaining choices. Writing to Cambridge or Oxford to say you intend to accept your offer has no formal status until you have confirmed that yourself on Track in due course.
No to both, but don't worry. It'll get done in time - Caius seem to be pretty slow about lots of things.
Unis make their decisions independently. They have statistics from previous years to work from, to tell them what the usual conversion rate from offer to firm or insurance choice is. The unis that are under pressure from high volumes of applicants for competitive courses wait a long time because they must give everyone who applies by 15 January equal consideration, and therefore have to wait until after this date before doing any serious assessment of the applications received.
That Warwick or LSE may take some time to decide on your application for economics has got NOTHING to do with whether you might have applied to Oxford for Cambridge, let alone whether you might have been made an offer you plan to accept.
You cannot make your choices on UCAS Track until all your decisions are in or you have cancelled any remaining choices. Writing to Cambridge or Oxford to say you intend to accept your offer has no formal status until you have confirmed that yourself on Track in due course.
No to both, but don't worry. It'll get done in time - Caius seem to be pretty slow about lots of things.
I had my LSE & Durham offer before the 15th January, my brother had a UCL & Bristol offer before hearing from Oxford. Both of us firmed our decisions on UCAS before hearing from our fifth choices. (It's three years ago for me so I don't remember whether I actually cancelled the fifth choice.) I did not mean to imply that universities won't reply to an individual until they have made choices, as you say universities cannot see this information. However with university application numbers being highly variable because of new fees I think they do compare early offer acceptance and rejection rates with previous years to avoid over or under offering.
I didn't say it was the only reason but I still feel it helps all but the majority who are not pooled to know a month earlier. People often can't engage with thinking about other choices until the Oxbridge question is answered. The pool is unpleasant but so is an outright rejection for many people who had (rightly or wrongly) thought they were a strong candidate.
It does seem to me that a single results day for the pool, or possibly two depending only on subject (with say medicine being later), would reduce a huge amount of the stress. At the end of the day being pooled is an achievement and those who eventually get rejected can be proud of making it this far. Being pooled may suggest for some that a reapplication is worthwhile.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Colmans
I had my LSE & Durham offer before the 15th January, my brother had a UCL & Bristol offer before hearing from Oxford. Both of us firmed our decisions on UCAS before hearing from our fifth choices. (It's three years ago for me so I don't remember whether I actually cancelled the fifth choice.)
I didn't say it was the only reason but I still feel it helps all but the majority who are not pooled to know a month earlier. People often can't engage with thinking about other choices until the Oxbridge question is answered. The pool is unpleasant but so is an outright rejection for many people who had (rightly or wrongly) thought they were a strong candidate.
It does seem to me that a single results day for the pool, or possibly two depending only on subject (with say medicine being later), would reduce a huge amount of the stress.
At the end of the day being pooled is an achievement and those who eventually get rejected can be proud of making it this far. Being pooled may suggest for some that a reapplication is worthwhile.
Original post by JimJohnnyJones
phone vibrates: "you have a new message from UCAS..." WOW THIS MUST BE IT
*click message* "you have a new message from UCAS Media"
*click message* "you have a new message from UCAS Media"
Message from UCAS: "You have been accepted..."
*click message*: "You have been accepted for HP laptop offers!"
Original post by ukdragon37
Message from UCAS: "You have been accepted..."
*click message*: "You have been accepted for HP laptop offers!"
*click message*: "You have been accepted for HP laptop offers!"
Now that is brilliant
Original post by Minerva
Even just setting some ground rules around when people will be contacted and with what information would be a start.
If they must do it in this way (and I don't think they must, but let us suppose there really is no alternative), the CAO could set a timetable and insist that all colleges stick to it. thus:
I'd be inclined to ban phonecalls - more time-consuming than emails anyway, and then people fret about whether they heard aright!
How about that for starters? At least then people would know where they were.
If they must do it in this way (and I don't think they must, but let us suppose there really is no alternative), the CAO could set a timetable and insist that all colleges stick to it. thus:
•
all interview invitations following the Pool to be sent out by email at 5pm on the Saturday (final lists having gone to colleges by 3pm)
•
all direct offers agreed during the Pool also to be sent out by email at a specified time - say 10am on the Monday after the Pool closes
•
all confirmed rejections to be sent out by colleges by email as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours after the files have been returned to the preference college on the date specified in the Pool timetable
•
all applicants on whom a decision is still pending, who are not being re-interviewed, should receive an email update from the college that is considering them at least every 72 hours
•
applicants in special groups (eg the medics and the vet medics) should receive regular email updates on the timescales for decisions
•
all applicants who have been re-interviewed should receive an email from the fishing college within 72 hours, either confirming the outcome or specifying when a decision will be made
I'd be inclined to ban phonecalls - more time-consuming than emails anyway, and then people fret about whether they heard aright!
How about that for starters? At least then people would know where they were.
33 odd colleges and 33 +subject combinations + trying to make admission consistent with regards to applicants' caliber is a task by itself. The winter pool schedule clearly spells out the timings like
Pool timetable 2013
5 – 7 January selected applicants invited, by telephone or email, to return to Cambridge for
second interviews
5 –14 January some offers are made to pooled applicants without further interview
10 – 12* January Pool interviews held in Cambridge (*there may be additional dates if required)
7 – 31 January pooled applicants who are not called for further interview will hear about the
final outcome of their Cambridge application from their original College
13 – 31 January decisions on pool interviews are communicated to applicants
And these schedule are strictly followed by all the colleges.
I think, the student stress level is generated more by information overload created by social network sites due to information sharing among applicants. Admission council can always says pool results will declared on say 31st of Jan. This may reduce applicant stress I guess.
Original post by Dumb Economist
33 odd colleges and 33 +subject combinations + trying to make admission consistent with regards to applicants' caliber is a task by itself. The winter pool schedule clearly spells out the timings like
Pool timetable 2013
5 – 7 January selected applicants invited, by telephone or email, to return to Cambridge for
second interviews
5 –14 January some offers are made to pooled applicants without further interview
10 – 12* January Pool interviews held in Cambridge (*there may be additional dates if required)
7 – 31 January pooled applicants who are not called for further interview will hear about the
final outcome of their Cambridge application from their original College
13 – 31 January decisions on pool interviews are communicated to applicants
Pool timetable 2013
5 – 7 January selected applicants invited, by telephone or email, to return to Cambridge for
second interviews
5 –14 January some offers are made to pooled applicants without further interview
10 – 12* January Pool interviews held in Cambridge (*there may be additional dates if required)
7 – 31 January pooled applicants who are not called for further interview will hear about the
final outcome of their Cambridge application from their original College
13 – 31 January decisions on pool interviews are communicated to applicants
And these schedule are strictly followed by all the colleges.
I think, the student stress level is generated more by information overload created by social network sites due to information sharing among applicants. Admission council can always says pool results will declared on say 31st of Jan. This may reduce applicant stress I guess.
I'm one seriously lucky fish: unconditional offer for English from Lucy Cavendish 
It's been a while since I actually received the offer, but I've been without internet access for some time. I've continued stalking this thread on my phone (which will let me read threads, but not post in them
), so I just want to say how sorry I am for everyone who didn't get fished - remember that getting pooled is an achievement in itself, however rotten the process feels, and that people with such humour, intelligence and good grace will be successful, whatever university they happen to attend!
Finally: thank you so so so much for all your help and support Minerva - you've made this whole thing infinitely more bearable!
It's been a while since I actually received the offer, but I've been without internet access for some time. I've continued stalking this thread on my phone (which will let me read threads, but not post in them
), so I just want to say how sorry I am for everyone who didn't get fished - remember that getting pooled is an achievement in itself, however rotten the process feels, and that people with such humour, intelligence and good grace will be successful, whatever university they happen to attend!Finally: thank you so so so much for all your help and support Minerva - you've made this whole thing infinitely more bearable!
Original post by und
Cambridge have made some decisions this year that have really surprised me.
Is Imperial going to be your firm now? I'll probably be joining you when I fail STEP in the summer.
Is Imperial going to be your firm now? I'll probably be joining you when I fail STEP in the summer.
Haha I'm pretty confident you will conquer STEP without much trouble at all, seriously. You heard anything from your classmate?
And I'm not sure, it's between UCL and Imperial...
Original post by _Georgie
I'm so sorry to hear that, I was so sure you'd get good news
My backup is UCL, so there's still a 50% chance that I'll be joining you in London!
The only thing I can say is to continue with STEP (if it's something you enjoy ofc) - I think to keep yourself going and prove that you are capable is so important. I think without STEP preparation I'd personally get stuck in a bit of a rut motivation wise - with only maths, f maths & physics I've found this year so far rather too relaxing, and that'd make it pretty easy to reflect back on what could've been instead of looking ahead.
And the more you do the better the chance you have of getting the best of both worlds - there's the always masters/phd to go for at Cam/Ox
My backup is UCL, so there's still a 50% chance that I'll be joining you in London!
The only thing I can say is to continue with STEP (if it's something you enjoy ofc) - I think to keep yourself going and prove that you are capable is so important. I think without STEP preparation I'd personally get stuck in a bit of a rut motivation wise - with only maths, f maths & physics I've found this year so far rather too relaxing, and that'd make it pretty easy to reflect back on what could've been instead of looking ahead.
And the more you do the better the chance you have of getting the best of both worlds - there's the always masters/phd to go for at Cam/Ox
Hey, no worries, sometimes these things just happen (even if they are upsetting!).
Don't be thinking that!! You should be confident about it, and I'm sure someone as enthusiastic as you will do all they can to make the offer.
Yes, I'm definitely taking it. Though I wont be putting AS much time into preparation, I'll still definitely be doing it, so be sure to see me on the STEP thread from time to time!
Thanks for the kind words _Georgie
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