The Student Room Group

Is going to school in Cambridge advantageous in obtaining a place?

Catchment area and all that.

Candidate A [ME] and there is candidate B identical in every way does me going to Cambridge - and ftr going to a school which yielded 12 Oxbridge students last year help in getting a place?
Reply 1
No. Universities do not have catchment areas. Some may operate access projects in their local areas, but Cambridge is not one of them.
Reply 2
Unofficially, it is probably worse to go to an amazing school in an amazing area, as it will mean you are likely to get far higher offers than someone else due to expectation.
Reply 3
Original post by Arkasia
Unofficially, it is probably worse to go to an amazing school in an amazing area, as it will mean you are likely to get far higher offers than someone else due to expectation.


Not true at Cambridge. Almost everybody gets the same offer for the same subject. It is true that you may have to perform slightly better from a good school (to get an offer), and slip ups may be treated more harshly but the intention of this is to put everybody on a level playing field as it is the brightest and best they want regardless of background.
Reply 4
Original post by Colmans
Not true at Cambridge. Almost everybody gets the same offer for the same subject. It is true that you may have to perform slightly better from a good school (to get an offer), and slip ups may be treated more harshly but the intention of this is to put everybody on a level playing field as it is the brightest and best they want regardless of background.


True at every university. Generally they have 'contextual offers', which means an Etonian might get an offer of A*AA, and a comprehensive students might get an offer of AAA/AAB. There are many criteria surrounding who is seen as privileged and thus who is seen as having a higher benchmark (as you said, to put everyone on a level playing field), and OP seems to tick all of the 'privileged' boxes.
Reply 5
Original post by Arkasia
True at every university. Generally they have 'contextual offers', which means an Etonian might get an offer of A*AA, and a comprehensive students might get an offer of AAA/AAB. There are many criteria surrounding who is seen as privileged and thus who is seen as having a higher benchmark (as you said, to put everyone on a level playing field), and OP seems to tick all of the 'privileged' boxes.


Not true at Cambridge.



Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 6
Original post by Colmans
Not true at Cambridge.



Posted from TSR Mobile


Care to enlighten me?
Original post by Arkasia
Care to enlighten me?

The minimum offer at Cambridge is now A*A*A, basically everyone I've met this year got A*AA/A*A*A offers and it seems to be independent of schools, different departments/colleges tend to give different offers. For example my offer was A*AA but someone else from my school got an A*A*A offer. The offers are based on you personally, not your school.
Woah 12, let me guess The Perse School or Hills Road?

Regardless A* A* A would be a minimum...
Reply 9
Original post by Sparticus515
The minimum offer at Cambridge is now A*A*A, basically everyone I've met this year got A*AA/A*A*A offers and it seems to be independent of schools, different departments/colleges tend to give different offers. For example my offer was A*AA but someone else from my school got an A*A*A offer. The offers are based on you personally, not your school.


Standard offer, no matter what school you are at is:
A*A*A for Sciences
A*AA for Arts


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by jneill
Standard offer, no matter what school you are at is:
A*A*A for Sciences
A*AA for Arts


Posted from TSR Mobile


That's what I was saying. Although they can give you higher offers if they want to, it's down to the individual admissions staff at whatever college.
Original post by Sparticus515
That's what I was saying. Although they can give you higher offers if they want to, it's down to the individual admissions staff at whatever college.


Yes but the standard Arts offer is A*AA regardless of college.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by MiaxMalkovaxxx
Woah 12, let me guess The Perse School or Hills Road?

Regardless A* A* A would be a minimum...


For Sciences.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Quick Reply

Latest