Is it really hard to get into the University of Cambridge for foreigners?

Hi, I'm an asian girl and I want to study in the University which is in U.K.

The U.K.'s education is quiet different from my country's so I can't sense how difficult it is to get into the University which is in Uk.

Well, my question is a bit vague. I have 2-3 years for preparing for university applications. And I'm at the top of the whole school, if I do say so myself. In addition I'm the head of student council, can this be a advantage for entering the university?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

Maker

20

British universities don't really care about none academic activities unless they have a direct bearing on the subject you want to study. They only really care about exam grades, references relevant work experience and interviews if there is one.

You can contact the admissions office of the university you want to apply to and ask them what is needed for you to apply. All British universities are very interested in getting more foreign students so they will be very helpful.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

sweeneyrod

15

Original post by highrise

Hi, I'm an asian girl and I want to study in the University which is in U.K.

The U.K.'s education is quiet different from my country's so I can't sense how difficult it is to get into the University which is in Uk.

Well, my question is a bit vague. I have 2-3 years for preparing for university applications. And I'm at the top of the whole school, if I do say so myself. In addition I'm the head of student council, can this be a advantage for entering the university?

If you look at Cambridge's website, it will probably list the grades required for applicants from your country. That should give you an idea of approximately what standard applicants can be (although in many cases successful applicants will surpass the stated entry requirements). Although differences in exam systems might sometimes make UK universities less willing to accept foreign students for some subjects, generally speaking you have the same chance as a UK student with equivalent grades. The exception to this is medicine, where government quotas make it difficult for foreign students to get places at all UK universities.

Reply 3

alcibiade

11

Admissions officers work hard to understand the educational systems of applicants' countries. I suggest you get a book about "how to get into oxbridge" and devise a strategy. It is not just grades, but demonstrated commitment, enthusiasm, and luck - the admissions officers are seeking people they would like to teach.

After having devised a strategy on her own, my daughter applied from France and was admitted in 2013. We were deeply impressed by the entire process,which treated her like an indvidual and ioffered her careful attention.

Reply 4

Audrey18

21

Original post by highrise

Hi, I'm an asian girl and I want to study in the University which is in U.K.

The U.K.'s education is quiet different from my country's so I can't sense how difficult it is to get into the University which is in Uk.

Well, my question is a bit vague. I have 2-3 years for preparing for university applications. And I'm at the top of the whole school, if I do say so myself. In addition I'm the head of student council, can this be a advantage for entering the university?

@alcibiade @sweeneyrod

It depends on which country you're from. There are some countries that prestigious universities are fond of and may have allocated a higher number of places on their courses to students from those countries. Take a look at the annual report (if their statistics are to be believed) that these unis release and you can see very clearly which countries have more of its citizens studying in these prestigious unis. Of course from time to time, to silent critics, these unis will award places to students from rarely heard off countries.

If you have a good personal statement, referee report and good exam results in hand but you get rejected from these prestigious unis then please ask for feedback because clearly there is a flaw in the admissions' process.

Reply 5

alcibiade

11

Original post by Audrey18

@alcibiade @sweeneyrod

It depends on which country you're from. There are some countries that prestigious universities are fond of and may have allocated a higher number of places on their courses to students from those countries. Take a look at the annual report (if their statistics are to be believed) that these unis release and you can see very clearly which countries have more of its citizens studying in these prestigious unis. Of course from time to time, to silent critics, these unis will award places to students from rarely heard off countries.

If you have a good personal statement, referee report and good exam results in hand but you get rejected from these prestigious unis then please ask for feedback because clearly there is a flaw in the admissions' process.

IMHO, it's more a question of what admissions officers are familiar with. I have corresponded with some of them here, and they say they need to be sure about standards and whether the applicants can keep up at Cam.

I do not believe this implies any kind of systematic preference. Their responses to my questions in this regard were quite convincing: they want to admit those who will contribute to the community, but may err on the side of caution if they lack information. Hence, acceptance rates of international students are about half that of UK students.

Reply 6

mishieru07

12

Original post by Audrey18

It depends on which country you're from. There are some countries that prestigious universities are fond of and may have allocated a higher number of places on their courses to students from those countries. Take a look at the annual report (if their statistics are to be believed) that these unis release and you can see very clearly which countries have more of its citizens studying in these prestigious unis. Of course from time to time, to silent critics, these unis will award places to students from rarely heard off countries.

If you have a good personal statement, referee report and good exam results in hand but you get rejected from these prestigious unis then please ask for feedback because clearly there is a flaw in the admissions' process.

I'm from "the other place", but I honestly don't believe that there's a systemic bias in favour of (or against) specific countries. I come from a country which supplies a relatively large number of students to Oxbridge (vis a vis our population size), and it's really down to a number of factors, such as a high volume of applicants, weaker students being discouraged from applying at all by their schools, a high school system which prepares students well for further study in the UK (ex British colony), having English as a first language, students being well aware of the admissions requirements, and so on.

With regard to less well represented countries, part of the problem is that few people go to Oxbridge or even apply in the first place. Students might not be aware of the admissions requirements (as evidenced by the queries on TSR from time to time), and might not actually be competitive applicants, or are less prepared. This is further compounded by the fact that not all high school national qualifications are deemed suitable for direct admission (which probably deters people from applying for undergrad), and that some people aren't as fluent in English because it isn't their first language.

Simply put, unlike the US universities, where they clearly do take into account one's country of origin and have a "quota" for each country, the UK universities don't really care. All they care about is recruiting the best students possible, and whether one comes from China, Canada, or Pakistan is irrelevant. The only subject that does have an explicit quota for overseas students is Medicine, and even then places aren't allocated on a per country basis.

Many of the students who apply to Oxbridge will have a great PS, a good reference, and excellent grades. The fact of the matter is that there are probably more good applicants than there are places, which is why Oxbridge uses other criteria such as interviews and subject tests to allocate spots. All of the stuff you mentioned is undoubtedly important, but they do not in and of themselves guarantee admission.

Reply 7

Doones

21

Original post by highrise

Hi, I'm an asian girl and I want to study in the University which is in U.K.

The U.K.'s education is quiet different from my country's so I can't sense how difficult it is to get into the University which is in Uk.

Well, my question is a bit vague. I have 2-3 years for preparing for university applications. And I'm at the top of the whole school, if I do say so myself. In addition I'm the head of student council, can this be a advantage for entering the university?

Original post by sweeneyrod

If you look at Cambridge's website, it will probably list the grades required for applicants from your country. That should give you an idea of approximately what standard applicants can be (although in many cases successful applicants will surpass the stated entry requirements). Although differences in exam systems might sometimes make UK universities less willing to accept foreign students for some subjects, generally speaking you have the same chance as a UK student with equivalent grades. The exception to this is medicine, where government quotas make it difficult for foreign students to get places at all UK universities.

11% of Cambridge undergraduates are International (i.e. from outside UK/EU). That's relatively high.

The current International requirements are here:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/eu-and-international-qualifications
and http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/entrance-requirements

But one other thing to note is the fees (university tuition fees and college fees) are significantly higher for Internationals compared to UK/EU applicants. However living costs (accomodation, food, etc) are lower at Cambridge than most other UK universities due, partly, to the shorter terms.
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international-students/fees

Reply 8

Audrey18

21

Original post by alcibiade

IMHO, it's more a question of what admissions officers are familiar with. I have corresponded with some of them here, and they say they need to be sure about standards and whether the applicants can keep up at Cam.

I do not believe this implies any kind of systematic preference. Their responses to my questions in this regard were quite convincing: they want to admit those who will contribute to the community, but may err on the side of caution if they lack information. Hence, acceptance rates of international students are about half that of UK students.

oh really? there are scholars from around the world who take up full scholarships offered by their respective governments to study at these prestigious unis. I would like you to ask some of those admission officers you've corresponded with, the following :

1.

how many of these government scholars have they rejected in terms of not offering them a place on their courses?

2.

does being a government scholar give these applicants any added advantage over normal applicants?

Reply 9

Doones

21

Original post by Audrey18

oh really? there are scholars from around the world who take up full scholarships offered by their respective governments to study at these prestigious unis. I would like you to ask some of those admission officers you've corresponded with, the following :

1.

how many of these government scholars have they rejected in terms of not offering them a place on their courses?

2.

does being a government scholar give these applicants any added advantage over normal applicants?

Why not ask for yourself via https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/university_of_cambridge

(Just to add: you may have to ask individual colleges, rather than CAO)

And before you ask them, perhaps you can state how many "government scholars" you think apply to Cambridge and how many are accepted.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 10

Audrey18

21

Original post by jneill

Why not ask for yourself via https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/university_of_cambridge

Thanks for this. I have repped you accordingly. This is one of the reasons why I like this forum a lot. I learn new things everyday from kind people like yourself. Thanks again.

Reply 11

Doones

21

Original post by Audrey18

Thanks for this. I have repped you accordingly. This is one of the reasons why I like this forum a lot. I learn new things everyday from kind people like yourself. Thanks again.

Check my edit above before repping me... oops, too late :wink:

Reply 12

Audrey18

21

Original post by jneill

Check my edit above before repping me... oops, too late :wink:

@alcibiade @sweeneyrod @mishieru07

Oxbridge and 20 other institutions are currently embroiled in a legal tussle to be exempted from the clutches of the Freedom of Information Act. They do not want this Act to apply to them. I suggest if you have any burning questions to pose to these universities, do it soon before they have it their way and never have to answer another query again.

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2016012309195011

Is it really hard to get into the University of Cambridge for foreigners?

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