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anyone appeal successfully after being rejected?

I was rejected by cambridge yesterday, without any interview. And i wonder whether there are any procedural error because i got 4 As in AS level, with the average ums of 98.7. So is it common for people who have a result like me being rejected without any interview? And what should i do?

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No idea but im want to go to Cambridge when I'm older and I've done some research. You have 4As but they want 1A* & 2As at least. Maybe that is why they did not give you the place, even though your UMS is high! It maybe your subject had a lot of competition? Good luck! :smile: x

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It's very unlikely to be successful I'm afraid. Were you pooled first, or just outright rejected? And what subject were you applying for?
Original post by Iamet
I was rejected by cambridge yesterday, without any interview. And i wonder whether there are any procedural error because i got 4 As in AS level, with the average ums of 98.7. So is it common for people who have a result like me being rejected without any interview? And what should i do?


Those grades are the bare minimum. They also want something unique and interesting about you, a strong extra curricular picture etc etc. My 2 pieces of advice would be either a) forget it, move on - there are loads of other incredible universities around eg LSE, Imperial, UCL, Bath, Manchester etc. b) If you really, really think you are good enough and reallly, passionately want to go, take a year out and apply once you have your final A level grades - that way, for them its not a prediction but what you actually get.

Please note tho, loads of people get the grades. You have to offer more than just that.

Good luck.
Reply 4
Original post by Iamet
I was rejected by cambridge yesterday, without any interview. And i wonder whether there are any procedural error because i got 4 As in AS level, with the average ums of 98.7. So is it common for people who have a result like me being rejected without any interview? And what should i do?


You should ask for feedback.

Which course and which college?
Reply 5
Original post by karmacrunch
No idea but im want to go to Cambridge when I'm older and I've done some research. You have 4As but they want 1A* & 2As at least. Maybe that is why they did not give you the place, even though your UMS is high! It maybe your subject had a lot of competition? Good luck! :smile: x

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As i am taking the AS level so the highest grade is only A:redface:
Original post by karmacrunch
No idea but im want to go to Cambridge when I'm older and I've done some research. You have 4As but they want 1A* & 2As at least. Maybe that is why they did not give you the place, even though your UMS is high! It maybe your subject had a lot of competition? Good luck! :smile: x

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His four A grades were at AS level, not A2.

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I would probably just forget about it. Many people are rejected from a university they think they want to go to, and then go somewhere else and have an amazing time! You still have your other four choices so don't dwell on it too much. I'm sorry you were rejected but you should move on.
Reply 7
Original post by icouldntthinkofone
Those grades are the bare minimum. They also want something unique and interesting about you, a strong extra curricular picture etc etc. My 2 pieces of advice would be either a) forget it, move on - there are loads of other incredible universities around eg LSE, Imperial, UCL, Bath, Manchester etc. b) If you really, really think you are good enough and reallly, passionately want to go, take a year out and apply once you have your final A level grades - that way, for them its not a prediction but what you actually get.

Please note tho, loads of people get the grades. You have to offer more than just that.

Good luck.

Thanks for your advice. But i am wondering whether having the ums average like 98.7 is just a bare minimum? As it is stated that the average ums of successful applicant is nearly 95 :frown:
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Iamet
Thanks for your advice. But i am wondering whether having the ums average like 98.7 is just a bare minimum? As it is stated that the average ums of successful applicant is nearly 95 :frown:


What AS levels did you do, and what are you keeping for A2?
Original post by Iamet
Physics chemistry biology Maths
All of them.
But actually my situation is a bit special as i am an international applicant from hong kong, i am doing hkdse which is another education system recognized by cambridge


Okay, well they're all good A levels. Not doing Further Maths is an issue for PhysNatSci, though. I don't know enough / anything about HKDSE, so I agree with everyone else - ask them for feedback. However, it's unlikely to make a difference. Cambridge have more information on you and your grades / passion for the subject than we do. Good luck with your other choices!
Original post by Iamet
Thanks for your advice. But i am wondering whether having the ums average like 98.7 is just a bare minimum? As it is stated that the average ums of successful applicant is nearly 95 :frown:


The fact you are so focussed on your UMS sort of suggests to me that the rest of your picture is weak. I dont think it really matters that much - like I said, Id be far more impressed with someone who had scrapped AAAA but had also captained the rugby team, led a local volunteering effort and done something really impressive. The fact you didnt get an interview suggests you were nowhere near Im afraid, or just that probability was just against you (sometimes that just happens).

My advice to you would be to think very strongly about why you wanted to go there - if you have a genuine reason, then think seriously about taking a year out and re-applying. If it is because its ranked no1 and there is little else to it, then goto another uni.

What have you done extra curricular? What did you apply for?
Original post by icouldntthinkofone
The fact you are so focussed on your UMS sort of suggests to me that the rest of your picture is weak. I dont think it really matters that much - like I said, Id be far more impressed with someone who had scrapped AAAA but had also captained the rugby team, led a local volunteering effort and done something really impressive. The fact you didnt get an interview suggests you were nowhere near Im afraid, or just that probability was just against you (sometimes that just happens).

My advice to you would be to think very strongly about why you wanted to go there - if you have a genuine reason, then think seriously about taking a year out and re-applying. If it is because its ranked no1 and there is little else to it, then goto another uni.

What have you done extra curricular? What did you apply for?


Um, just so you know, Cambridge don't really care about extra-curriculars. They care about academic ability and potential, which shows up more in AS level UMS than anything else. If you can get very high UMS with some ECs then that's great, but the ECs are extra. The exception to this is work experience for medics / vets and reading around your subject outside of class / showing EC interest in your subject for other subjects.
Original post by Topaz_eyes
Um, just so you know, Cambridge don't really care about extra-curriculars. They care about academic ability and potential, which shows up more in AS level UMS than anything else. If you can get very high UMS with some ECs then that's great, but the ECs are extra. The exception to this is work experience for medics / vets and reading around your subject outside of class / showing EC interest in your subject for other subjects.


I assure you that they do care about extra-curriculars. Yes, they care about academic ability and potential - the latter being key. They have buckets of students applying with amazing grades, high UMS etc. I have been involved in recruiting for a world leading university (although admittedly not Cambridge) and how do you distinguish between candidates when they all show so much of the a-aforementioned? Exceptional potential can be displayed in a number of other ways - and indeed I was talking with a guy last week who was of Indian heritage about why the top 1/2 students were always Caucasian American/European on his courses, and the rest of the top 8 were almost always Asian. This guy had an MBA from Harvard, Masters from Stanford and undergrad at Uni of Virginia (ie smart cookie). He was saying it’s the ability to think outside the box, not just be academically smart - this is normally demonstrated through other activities, not purely grades.

So for example, the fact you play musical instruments will make you a more interesting, better rounded individual, and Im sure that would have benefitted your application somewhat. You must agree, surely? Or is Cambridge really different from the other Ivy Leagues, Oxford, Imperial/LSE etc (it does have a rep as being more academic than others)...
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by icouldntthinkofone
I assure you that they do care about extra-curriculars. Yes, they care about academic ability and potential - the latter being key. They have buckets of students applying with amazing grades, high UMS etc. I have been involved in recruiting for a world leading university (although admittedly not Cambridge) and how do you distinguish between candidates when they all show so much of the a-aforementioned? Exceptional potential can be displayed in a number of other ways - and indeed I was talking with a guy last week who was of Indian heritage about why the top 1/2 students were always Caucasian American/European on his courses, and the rest of the top 8 were almost always Asian. This guy had an MBA from Harvard, Masters from Stanford and undergrad at Uni of Virginia (ie smart cookie). He was saying it’s the ability to think outside the box, not just be academically smart - this is normally demonstrated through other activities, not purely grades.

So for example, the fact you play musical instruments will make you a more interesting, better rounded individual, and Im sure that would have benefitted your application somewhat. You must agree, surely? Or is Cambridge really different from the other Ivy Leagues, Oxford, Imperial/LSE etc (it does have a rep as being more academic than others)...


On what basis do you make that assumption? I can find you numerous quotes from admissions tutors saying they don't care. I've spoken to my own director of studies and he didn't care. Incidentally the only thing he was interested in for phys natsci was peoples further maths marks as, in his eyes, that was the only difficult A level, and the only one where there was sufficient differentiation between candidates.

Heck, you even admit that you know nothing about Cambridge, so I think it's fairly arrogant that you think you know more than a Cambridge student about their own university.

@OP Either your personal statement made you out to be a prick, or your lack of further maths is the issue, or perhaps just unlucky.
(edited 10 years ago)
Jeez, the misinformation here is awful.

No, Cambridge care little for extracurriculars - it's good to have, but just hurling it into your PS without any reflection of what you gained from it will get you nowhere. Strong academics come first and foremost.

OP, with a UMS average that high, I am surprised that you weren't even offered an interview, given Cambridge's convention of interviewing the vast majority of applicants. Sadly, mistakes can occur, so requesting feedback may be a good idea.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by illusionz
On what basis do you make that assumption? I can find you numerous quotes from admissions tutors saying they don't care. I've spoken to my own director of studies and he didn't care. Incidentally the only thing he was interested in for phys natsci was peoples further maths marks as, in his eyes, that was the only difficult A level, and the only one where there was sufficient differentiation between candidates.

Heck, you even admit that you know nothing about Cambridge, so I think it's fairly arrogant that you think you know more than a Cambridge student about their own university.

@OP Either your personal statement made you out to be a prick, or your lack of further maths is the issue, or perhaps just unlucky.


I find that a little worrying. He doesn't sound like a particularly balanced individual or indeed, that smart.

Sure - I don’t know Cambridge’s admissions systems, but I did look briefly at doing a Masters there and was accepted. My point was that I have been involved in recruitment for world leading universities and am highly familiar with the admissions criteria that Harvard, Stanford and other Ivy Leagues look for, and also am familiar with Oxford, Imperial and LSE also. I also hear things from friends who do study at Cambridge (admittedly at Masters/PhD) level and they have told me that while there is a greater emphasis on pure academia at Cambridge, compared with the other universities they have studied at. Id infer from the quality of candidates however (they all do more than simply study) that there must be other factors when they look at admissions.
I find it somewhat difficult to believe that Cambridge, uniquely among the great universities of the world, doesn't care or look at anything else. It would certainly put me off hiring an Cambs Alumni if that were the case.

Although, thinking on it, MIT is a little like that.

Perhaps it helps explain why Oxford PPE and History grads tend to do so much better than SPS etc? They are more balanced and better able to usefully apply that knowledge?
Original post by Iamet
Actually i am a grade 8 pianist, a choir member. I dance for many years and have won a lot of awards. As well as the debate team captain in the school, and have gained the title of the best debator in several occasions.


Yes - which was my point when I said "So for example, the fact you play musical instruments will make you a more interesting, better rounded individual, and Im sure that would have benefitted your application somewhat."...
Sports is another big thing, Id suggest you re-apply next year, once you have got the required grades it is a lot better for them as its not a gamble, you have actually achieved those results.
Can you take a year out?
Original post by icouldntthinkofone
Sure - I don’t know Cambridge’s admissions systems, but I did look briefly at doing a Masters there and was accepted. My point was that I have been involved in recruitment for world leading universities and am highly familiar with the admissions criteria that Harvard, Stanford and other Ivy Leagues look for, and also am familiar with Oxford, Imperial and LSE also. I also hear things from friends who do study at Cambridge (admittedly at Masters/PhD) level and they have told me that while there is a greater emphasis on pure academia at Cambridge, compared with the other universities they have studied at. Id infer from the quality of candidates however (they all do more than simply study) that there must be other factors when they look at admissions.
I find it somewhat difficult to believe that Cambridge, uniquely among the great universities of the world, doesn't care or look at anything else. It would certainly put me off hiring an Cambs Alumni if that were the case.


You clearly don't know about the Cambridge (and Oxford) undergraduate admissions procedure. You are making incorrect inferences (the system is completely different from the US). Listen to the people here who know a lot about the Cambridge (and Oxford) undergraduate admissions process.
Reply 19
People get rejected from Oxbridge with straight As all of the time. It was probably something in your PS and/or reference that made them think you weren't the right kind of person for them. An appeal is useless. It may b devastating, but it looks like you'll have to give up on Oxbridge, unless you want to take a gap year to get your experience/ps/reference up. But even then, your chances are almost as slim and you've potentially wasted a year of your life.

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