Extracurricular for Oxbridge

The context for this question is my hopes to apply for an Oxbridge university, specifically Cambridge, so please can you try and cater responses for Cambridge (if the two differ at all on this subject).

I am on track to get many A*s at my GCSEs and hope to continue this into A-Level. Assuming I have the appropriate standard of qualifications for the Cambridge course which I'd like to apply for (Natural Sciences), what else do I require to be a successful applicant. Cambridge state that they mainly care about your academic ability, but many accounts and anecdotal evidence suggest that actually this is very important, for instance those often repeated stories of relative who had 6 A*s at A-Level but didn't get a place, etc.

I currently manage and participate in the school's debating society. I plan to also complete the extended project next year. Are these "extracurricular" activities combined with the required grades 'enough' to be a successful Cambridge applicant?

TL;DR Assuming my grades are perfect, are there other things required to be a successful Cambridge applicant?

Many thanks.

TL;DR No.

To expand, ECs are not interesting to Cambridge. Super Curriculars (ECs that are directly relevant to your intended course) can be helpful, but are not required.

A passion (or at the very least, a strong interest) in your subject is all that is required on top of your academics.

The context for this question is my hopes to apply for an Oxbridge university, specifically Cambridge, so please can you try and cater responses for Cambridge (if the two differ at all on this subject).

I am on track to get many A*s at my GCSEs and hope to continue this into A-Level. Assuming I have the appropriate standard of qualifications for the Cambridge course which I'd like to apply for (Natural Sciences), what else do I require to be a successful applicant. Cambridge state that they mainly care about your academic ability, but many accounts and anecdotal evidence suggest that actually this is very important, for instance those often repeated stories of relative who had 6 A*s at A-Level but didn't get a place, etc.

I currently manage and participate in the school's debating society. I plan to also complete the extended project next year. Are these "extracurricular" activities combined with the required grades 'enough' to be a successful Cambridge applicant?

TL;DR Assuming my grades are perfect, are there other things required to be a successful Cambridge applicant?

Many thanks.

Two words: extra reading

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Thanks for your help. Will make sure to excel at my chosen subjects, and will do some super curricular activities!

My son's school told him to make his personal statement 80% academic, and 20% EC, mostly for the other Unis on his UCAS. They were of the view, like others have said, that Oxbridge want you to be good at your chosen subject and demonstrate passion for it. He applied for Maths at Oxford, but the same applies - quotes from teachers at his school who were graduates of Oxford and Cambridge included 'they won't care if you did DoE or were captain of the 1st XI, they just want you to be really good at Maths'.

The context for this question is my hopes to apply for an Oxbridge university, specifically Cambridge, so please can you try and cater responses for Cambridge (if the two differ at all on this subject).

I am on track to get many A*s at my GCSEs and hope to continue this into A-Level. Assuming I have the appropriate standard of qualifications for the Cambridge course which I'd like to apply for (Natural Sciences), what else do I require to be a successful applicant. Cambridge state that they mainly care about your academic ability, but many accounts and anecdotal evidence suggest that actually this is very important, for instance those often repeated stories of relative who had 6 A*s at A-Level but didn't get a place, etc.

I currently manage and participate in the school's debating society. I plan to also complete the extended project next year. Are these "extracurricular" activities combined with the required grades 'enough' to be a successful Cambridge applicant?

TL;DR Assuming my grades are perfect, are there other things required to be a successful Cambridge applicant?

Many thanks.

I remember reading a prospectus of theirs. Unless the extra-curricular activities are related to the course you're applying to, then they hardly give a sh*t. Those people with 100% UMS or close most likely did bad on the entrance exams (e.g. BMAT) or did bad in the interview.