STEP

Why are Imperial now offering impossible Math step papers for people applying to do straight computing? Makes no sense.

I'm really worried about getting an offer with STEP after I read about the Computing offers people on TSR have been getting. I mean, yes, CompSci depends on Maths a lot, but not to the point that people are getting a condition of 1 in STEP II. Would've just applied for a Maths course if I wanted to take STEP so bad!!

Why are Imperial now offering impossible Math step papers for people applying to do straight computing? Makes no sense.

Exactly. I didn't apply for Maths. The only other person doing STEP in my school is a Kings College Cambridge mathematics applicant. Why do we need to do it for a subject which doesn't even have that much math? What confuses me even more is people who don't have any form of STEP in their offers.

Why do you think it makes no sense?

Are you aware there are handbags with a price tag of £40,000?

So if you think that price is too high, then there should be no takers.

If there are no takers, that means there will be no revenue, etc.

Therefore the obvious conclusion is the price, (surprisingly I must admit) is NOT set too high.

Similarly Imperial add the STEP requirement because it feels the current UK A-Level system does not differentiate the smart from the very smart, so need an additional measure.

Imagine what would happen if nobody applied to Imperial because of STEP. Surely they will drop that requirement but clearly that is not the case.

Add to the fact computing requires logical thinking and you can't get more logical than maths, so STEP makes sense.

Why do you think it makes no sense?

Are you aware there are handbags with a price tag of £40,000?

So if you think that price is too high, then there should be no takers.

If there are no takers, that means there will be no revenue, etc.

Therefore the obvious conclusion is the price, (surprisingly I must admit) is NOT set too high.

Similarly Imperial add the STEP requirement because it feels the current UK A-Level system does not differentiate the smart from the very smart, so need an additional measure.

Imagine what would happen if nobody applied to Imperial because of STEP. Surely they will drop that requirement but clearly that is not the case.

Add to the fact computing requires logical thinking and you can't get more logical than maths, so STEP makes sense.

Yes, exactly. I have no idea how they're basing the decisions of giving/not giving people STEP offers. Are they giving it to people who they think have the ability to do it? Are they giving it to people they don't think have the ability to do it? Just completely sucks honestly, it's not an exam you can just easily prepare for and go in and get an amazing grade. But I guess we'll just have to work as hard as we can. Nothing else to do at this point. :/

I disagree with this argument, given that Cambridge/Oxford don't offer STEP for Compsci.

Before Imperial started using the MAT for their Maths applicants, they either asked for STEP or didn't, again with no obvious logic as to who was asked for a STEP grade. If you looked at:

applicants with FM
applicants doing 4 A levels

there still didn't seem to be any obvious rules.

Why are Imperial now offering impossible Math step papers for people applying to do straight computing? Makes no sense.

STEP is difficult, not impossible.

How much experience do you have to make this statement?

I can see why you didn't get an offer from Cambridge, your overall UMS are not high enough.

You cannot put those units together for Maths A level. Your applied units (from those you've taken so far) can be D1 and D2, D1 and M1, D1 and S1 or M1 and S1.

A lot of people say that, but I have a certificated A-level at A* with S1 and D2.

Exactly. I didn't apply for Maths. The only other person doing STEP in my school is a Kings College Cambridge mathematics applicant. Why do we need to do it for a subject which doesn't even have that much math? What confuses me even more is people who don't have any form of STEP in their offers.

Coincidentally the only other person at my school doing STEP is also a King's Cambridge mathmo.
God I hate imperial so much for their STEP requirement. I'd be more OK (but still annoyed) if it was a blanket thing, so then they could arguably take the 'best' for their course. But no, they arbitrarily decide who to give it to. They don't have our UMS, so they're basing it on predictions, GCSEs and reference/PS. The interview was a joke so it can't be based on that. There's no discernible pattern as to who has STEP and who doesn't or the severity of STEP they need. F***ing Imperial.

It's completely random, and based on interviews it can't be based on that. They give it out randomly or give it out to people who sent their application before the 15th Octber I think. I know someone with no STEP, someone Octber I think. I know someone with no STEP, someone with 2 in STEP 1, 1 in STEP 1, 2 in STEP 2, 1 in STEP 2, etc... Makes no sense. If I wanted to do this much step I'd have applied for maths.

There are some who applied before 15 Oct and didn't get it though. So IDK. What's the point of giving STEP to your best candidates, surely you want to give it to your worst to see if they're capable or not?

Who knows? It's weird given that they didn't even offer it last year almost at all while this year nearly everyone has it, and we're not even applying for JMC but just computing.

Such a shame after their interview day impressed me so much.