Cambridge or ucl ?

Hi,
I'm Mirabelle, a french student who just graduated highschool! I'm not 18 yet, so I was accepted through UCAS to study European Social and Political Studies at UCL for the 2017 entry.
But since I got excellent results in my A-level, I think I could actually manage to enter Cambridge for the 2017 entry. Do you think I could re-apply through UCAS to get into Cambridge even if I'm already accepted in UCL ? Is it possible or would UCL fire me and/or Cambridge not consider my application ? Also do you know anything about the ESPS program in UCL ?
Thanks a lot !

Mirabelle

Reply 1

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by mirabelle61

You have to give up your place and reapply. You can't have your cake and eat it.

Reply 2

Doones

Original post by mirabelle61

You can't apply for 2017 entry while holding an offer from 2016. You would have to withdraw from UCL first and reapply to them and anyone else (including Cambridge) for 2017.

What are your A-level subjects and grades? And for which Cambridge course? HSPS?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 3

mirabelle61

Original post by jneill

Ok, I didn't know that thanks :smile:

In France you don't really chose subjects...but I studied Economy/Sociology, History/Geography, Philosophy, French, English, German, Maths
I had a final grade/average grade of 19/20 and british "best grades" (AAA) are our equivalent of 16/20.

Reply 4

mirabelle61

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

You have to give up your place and reapply. You can't have your cake and eat it.

Ok thanks ! I didn't know :smile:

Reply 5

Doones

Original post by mirabelle61

Ok, I didn't know that thanks :smile:

I presumed you were at an international school doing A-levels, because you mentioned A-levels and not Baccalaureate...

So 19/20 is obviously competitive. But UCL is an excellent university and there is no guarantee you would be succesful applying to Cambridge (you might be, but many good applicants don't get a place...)

So... if you are ok with taking a gap year, having a shot at applying to Cambridge, and probably getting another offer from UCL for 2017 then it may be worth a go.

By the way, the Cambridge forum is here
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=15

and the 2017 applicants thread is
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3164815

And, for info, here's the Cambridge page for French applicants.
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/france

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

mirabelle61

Original post by jneill

Thanks a lot !! i'll look into that ! Actually I did a simple Baccalaureate but I thought I had to translate everything into the british school system otherwise it wouldn't be really understandable !
I think I'll just stick to UCL, I just hope the tuition fees won't rise with the Brexit, otherwise I will go to McGuill in Canada, it would be cheaper then :wink:

Thanks a lot !

Reply 7

Doones

Original post by mirabelle61

Thanks a lot !

Current arrangements for EU students will continue to apply if you start in 2016 (and are very likely to remain in place if you delayed your start to 2017 too).

Oh, and quelle dommage about le football :frown:

Reply 8

mirabelle61

Original post by jneill

I hope they'll remain for the 2017 entry... fingers crossed !
Yeeees, I had the window opened at the end of the match and could hear everyone outside screaming "NOOOOONNN" "Putaiiin" etc. You can't always win, but I could def feel the disappointment ! At least Portuguese are happy :smile:

Reply 9

Doones

Original post by mirabelle61

I hope they'll remain for the 2017 entry... fingers crossed !

Cambridge have indeed confirmed it for 2017.
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/tuition-fees

Reply 10

mirabelle61

Do you know if UCL had ? They did it for 2016 but I can't see anything for 2017 tho

Reply 11

Doones

No you can't.

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Reply 12

Carnationlilyrose

In order to make an application to Cambridge for 2017, OP will have to make a new UCAS application. As soon as she attempts to do that, it will reveal that she is already holding a deferred offer from UCL under this year's application, and it won't proceed any further.

Reply 13

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by mirabelle61

Do you know if UCL had ? They did it for 2016 but I can't see anything for 2017 tho

According to UCL and the Student Loans Company nothing has changed. The overwhelmingly likely outcome will be that EU students who start their degree after the UK has left the EU (which won't happen for at least 2 years) won't have access to student loans, but any EU student who already started their degree will continue to receive loans.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0616/240616-uk-vote-to-leave-eu-ucl-statement/index
http://www.slc.co.uk/media/latest-news/eu-nationals-and-student-finance-in-england.aspx

I know a little about ESPS (although I'm not a student at UCL), did you have any course related questions?

Reply 14

post-grad-u-ate

Original post by mirabelle61

Congratulations on your offer! UCL is a very prestigious university in the world not just the UK so look forward to an exciting and rewarding career afterwards.

Would it not be better for you as a french student to go for the dual degree and study for two years at SciencesPo (preferably Paris as that is where all the politics happens) and then two years at UCL?

The normal ESPS course allows one year abroad, which I guess you might use to go to SciencesPo with?

Reply 15

alcibiade

Original post by mirabelle61

Ok, I didn't know that thanks :smile:

Your results are phenomenally high. My daughter, who also applied
from France, had conditional requirements of 16.

However, keep in mind that the grades are not the only thing they look for in admissions - Cambridge is looking for students who have the right intellectual fit, i.e. those whom they would like to teach and who will thrive in the tutorial system. Finally, they want to see real evidence of a serious commitment to an academic subject, which hopefully reflects a genuine passion.

Why would you prefer Cambridge? Prestige? Method? Subject? Do you know enough about it to take the risk of re-applying?

Reply 16

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by post-grad-u-ate

Would it not be better for you as a french student to go for the dual degree and study for two years at SciencesPo (preferably Paris as that is where all the politics happens) and then two years at UCL?

One of the good things about ESPS is the chance to learn a new language. I do not think UCL would let a native French speaker take the French pathway. If the OP was particularly interested in studying French politics then surely they would have just applied to do the standard non-dual SciencesPo degree?

Reply 17

mirabelle61

Original post by Snufkin

Hi ! Sorry for answering so late - I had forgotten about this account ^-^ - !
I applied for the Dual Degree UCL+Sciences Po and got rejected by Sciences Po (to be honest, my personal statement for Sciences Po was badly made in a rush).
My goal was to get into Sciences Po and I kind of ended up in UCL by "accident" x)! In the end I'm very happy with ESPS and I chose not to apply for Cambridge !
Thank you for your help :smile: