Cambridge Re-applicants 2016

Apply to Oxford

I would have done that, if there's nice subject combination :/ but apparently there's not…


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I'm not going to take a gap year, but I was considering going to another uni for a year while I reapply to Cambridge. Obviously I plan to get good grades this year (A*A*A*AA plus at least 1, 1 in STEP), but I'm not yet sure whether it will be worth transferring after a year doing undergraduate studies elsewhere. I might just stay at the other uni.

I'm not going to take a gap year, but I was considering going to another uni for a year while I reapply to Cambridge. Obviously I plan to get good grades this year (A*A*A*AA plus at least 1, 1 in STEP), but I'm not yet sure whether it will be worth transferring after a year doing undergraduate studies elsewhere. I might just stay at the other uni.

Or I might do my masters or doctorate at Cambridge or Oxford.

Most oxbridge admissions tutors would take a dim view to you reapplying from another university. I say this from experience.If you do wish to go through with your plan at the very least make sure you contact the admissions tutors at the college you are applying to.

The largest problem is the course that you take at another university. If I were to go to another university to study English this year, I couldn't apply to Cambridge the next year for English. They will only allow you to apply if you are applying for another course that is sufficiently different to the one you would be studying, in this case, they frequently give offers based on your first year at university e.g. they can give you a conditional offer of achieving a 2:1 in your first year.

So you don't think I'd have much chance of getting in when applying next year? I think it's more important to me to carry on studying next year than go to Cambridge, so I will probably just go to another uni.


No it would be pretty much the exact same course. A different course title but the same regardless.
Don't they consider if you've already exceeded the course requirements though?

Human Science? Politics? PPE?

The largest problem is the course that you take at another university. If I were to go to another university to study English this year, I couldn't apply to Cambridge the next year for English. They will only allow you to apply if you are applying for another course that is sufficiently different to the one you would be studying, in this case, they frequently give offers based on your first year at university e.g. they can give you a conditional offer of achieving a 2:1 in your first year.

I don't know anybody who managed to transfer from another university. If they allowed it a huge proportion of rejects would give it a go. I think it is more common amongst internationals where the first year of a university course is not exactly comparable but I still never met anybody who had achieved it.

I don't know anybody who managed to transfer from another university. If they allowed it a huge proportion of rejects would give it a go. I think it is more common amongst internationals where the first year of a university course is not exactly comparable but I still never met anybody who had achieved it.

Hey again,

The application took up a lot of my time and caused me a lot of stress and I didn't get an interview. Based on my low UMS scores (probably my crap gcse's too)

I applied for HSPS at Girton, a course I really liked the look of. I'm weary if I should be be thinking about re applying because of the stress it causes and the fear of not getting in again.

I could go to warwick in September, but if I get 3 A* i'd want to try again for Cambridge.

My UMS in that eventuality would be 88-92% without any resits (not sure they would be counted anyway). That's not exactly Cambridge norm so would that be worth it? Would I even get an interview?

Thanks again

As I explained, they do not permit people to transfer from another university, they only allow people to apply for a different course to the one they are currently studying (this may be because they ave changed their mind about the course they are studying). If they do allow you to study the different course you applied for then the offer is usually based on the outcome of your first year, for whatever course you are currently studying.

I am aware of that but what I said remains true. I didn't come across anybody.


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I am an international applicant from China. I applied to Pembroke for HSPS, was auto pooled and then rejected.

My a levels were mainly science subjects: maths, further maths, economics and physics. I was asked in both of my interviews why I chose these subjects but I couldn't really give an answer because that's all my school offers. I am planning to self teach some arts and humanities a levels and complete AS in June together with my current A2's, and reapply.

My ums was 97.6, including further maths. I completed A Level maths. However I didn't complete the other AS's by the time I applied due to timetable problems (I was a part time student for a levels and I learned at a Chinese high school as well - not anymore though). My prediction was A*A*AA (one of the A*'s has already been achieved in maths)

My interviews went quite well, despite the fact that the questions wasn't challenging and I didn't feel that they were pushing me forward. Maybe my answers were too childish (I was only 15 when I was interviewed)

While taking new a levels, I also plan to do some voluntary work. I haven't found any suitable ones though. I am considering online volunteering, but most of the websites requires at least 18 years of age.

I am planning to reapply for HSPS, preferably to Pembroke again. I really liked it when I lived there for the interviews. I probably will choose to be interviewed at Shanghai this year though, I can't afford to fly to England from China just for the interviews again.


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Is this legit?! Jesus, that UMS only at 15 .. How old are you now?

16 haha

But thinking back then partly I get high ums because what I studied was maths and physics, not history, geography or other humanities a levels. And I didn't do the whole AS for every subject (because of my timetable problem heehee), so I actually 'skipped' the harder units, for example economics unit 2 (which I messed up with this time)

And the DoS was probably aware of this.

So I'll just wait for the results day for the January exams and see how much I messed up If the ums falls below 90 then I will probably think again.


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