Ask an Admissions Tutor - International Applicants (Sept. 8-15)

OP

Original post by Sketches

I have another question.

In the context of medicine as an international student and regarding Cambridge admissions in general, there is a point during admissions past which grades don't matter right?

Like when admissions narrows it down to the few applicants they are considering to give an offer, (and they all have reached a certain standard, such as all A*s and SUMS above X%) does it really matter if candidate A has 1% higher SUMS than candidate B or if candidate C has a slightly higher BMAT than candidate D?

I would like to assume when a certain high standard is met the grades are no longer a deciding factor but instead Personal Statement/Interview is, is this the case?

Admissions decisions for medicine are based on a number of factors. We look at grades, interview performance, BMAT results, personal statement, school letter of reference and contextual information amongst other things. I would say that a 1% overall difference in SUMS score is not likely to be so meaningful, but we might look closely at the modules taken and the grades achieved in the more difficult papers. If one candidate had marginally better UMS scores than another, as well as marginally better interviews and marginally better BMAT, then that candidate is more likely to receive an offer.

Reply 52

OP

Original post by calmer410

88 in Literature (my lecturer expects an A* overall), 93 in English Language.

In that case it seems like you are on course for A*A*A in three meaningful A-levels for your course, so I would think that you would still be a competitive applicant despite the poor biology AS.

Reply 53

OP

Original post by gsckmom

Hello,

Thank you so much for this thread and for the patience that must be required to answer our endless questions!

In regards to high school transcripts, the COPA website states:

In the US, high school transcripts are not standardized. Some schools include results from national qualifications (SAT, ACT, AP) directly on the transcript, but many do not. My son's school does not.

For US universities, this is not an issue as they all require that the official scores be sent directly to them from the issuing body anyway. That does not seem to be the case at all for applications to UK univeristies.

So we not sure how to proceed. He has already reported the scores in both the UCAS and the COPA as directed, but it seems from the quote above that the high school transcript is expected include those scores as a means of validation.

So there seems to be three options:
1. We have unofficial copies of the scores that we can include in the PDF.
2. He can have the school's college counselor sign and apply the school seal to the official school copies then scan and attach those to the transcript.
3. He can just send the HS transcript as is and rely on the self-reported scores.

Which option would actually be preferable?

On another note, what is the timeline for hearing about invitations to interview after the application is submitted and is there any flexibility in selecting a date for the interview for students who are traveling long distances.

Again, thank you for your time and patience!

Thanks for your questions. I think we would prefer option 2 for his transcripts. We like a school seal to be applied so that we know we can trust the document.

As far as interview dates, it will vary from College to College but most will try to let the candidates know by mid November. Colleges will always try to be accommodating with interview dates for people traveling long distances, however we are often limited in what dates we can offer as our interview panels can be quite busy around that time of year. It is good practice not to make any concrete advance plans during the main interview period just in case.

Reply 54

OP

Original post by oopswronganswer

Hi there,

I hope you are well. I'm sure I asked something similar before on Christ's thread, but I'm curious about how Cambridge compares percentage uniform marks in CIE A levels and UMS. I heard that CIE candidates with PUM are sorted into quintiles along with UMS candidates, but in certain subjects, I can't help but feel that my ability is not accurately reflected on my PUM. For instance, in AS mathematics, I received a raw mark of 124/125, yet I received a PUM of 95% - which is certainly very good, but from personal observation, it seems as though getting a 95% UMS and above in mathematics is very much more common (at least on TSR!) Would admission tutors take this difference into account? Sorry for burdening you with this question - and thanks a lot in advance!

A 95% PUMS score in mathematics is a great accomplishment, congratulations! Admissions tutors will known how the CIE A levels work and will be able to take this into account when making admissions decisions. We have many applicants taking CIE A levels.

Reply 55

OP

Original post by PlayerBB

I a applying for the pharmacy course independently as my school is not registered with UCAS , I did IAL As biology, chemistry and Maths and got an A in all of them, so when submitting the grade modules, I got 2 high B's in two of the As biology modules but an A overall, how would you know that overall it's not an A ? And Is it necessary to attend an interview to be accepted? Moreover, are the scholarships being awarded on the predicted grades? Finally, I was depending on my chemistry and biology teacher to write for me the reference letter, however some personal problems occurred and he can't unless after several months, Is it suitable if I ask my GCSE ICT teacher to write it for me ?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Vincrows and jneil give some excellent advice. As pointed out pharmacy is not offered at Cambridge, and ABB is unfortunately below our minimum offer level in science courses, which stands at A*A*A. We can take personal issues into account through and Extenuating Circumstances Form (ECF). This is a form which your school fills out on your behalf which tells us about any teaching or personal difficulties you might have experienced. Sorry to not be more encouraging.

Reply 56

OP