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Ask an Admissions Tutor IX, 4th August - 2nd September

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Original post by physicsperhaps
Hello! I'm a prospective Geography student and got AAAA for AS in Geography, Maths, Physics and Psychology.

To break my results down a little bit:

Geography - 100% UMS
Maths - 98% UMS (for all C1, C2 and M1 modules)
Psychology (refined) - 58/75 on paper 1 (A grade boundary 59) and 56/75 on paper 2 (A grade boundary 47) i.e. 114/150 overall
Physics (refined) - 58/70 for breadth (A grade boundary 43) and 67/70 for depth (A grade boundary 54).

Considering that my Psychology marks are worse than my averages for the other subjects, will this affect my application in any way?


Hello and thank you for your question. You will be a good candidate with those results. All aspects of your application affect it in some way. Without seeing the whole application it's impossible to say how much. All I can say at this stage is that your very strong results in Geography, Maths and Physics will outweigh the weaker performance in Psychology. I hope that helps and best of luck! :smile:
Original post by louisedrake
sorry if this is a silly question, would it be realistic to apply for psychology (PBS) at cambridge with Psychology (A) Sociology (A) IT (B) at AS level?
thanks for your time :smile: x


AAB at AS Level does not put an offer out of reach there are quite a few people on TSR with similar results who received offers. It won't make you among the stronger applicants on paper, however, but if you are prepared to recognise that then there's no reason not to apply. It's a pity that you haven't done either Maths or Biology as a number of colleges prefer this. Have a look at the websites of the colleges you are interested to check whether this is a requirement.
Original post by Ayman!
Hi, I'd like to apply to Natural Sciences (Physical) or Engineering. I'm an international student who just finished A-levels.

Mathematics - 93% (one bad module, C12, due to extenuating circumstances) A*
Further Mathematics - 91% (completely self taught) A*
Physics - 88% A
Chemistry - 91% A*
AS Biology - 87% a

Best 3 - 91%

I can see my physics grade possibly being of concern along with my M3 UMS (73, bad day) and my UMS is on the lower side. I aim to possibly retake 3 maths modules to improve my UMS and resit 1 or 2 physics modules to try and get the A*.

Is there any chance I'd make into the interview stage? If it helps, my school performs very poorly in A-levels and I have the best grades from my year.

Is it worth applying at all?

Thank you!


With 3A*s and an A post A Level you would certainly be called for interview and pooled if not taken by your preference college. The best 3 is a little below average for successful Physical Nat Sci but not excessively so. The Physics will be a bit of a concern but I would think that while not the strongest on paper you'd certainly be a viable candidate.
Original post by Christ's Admissions
I'm very sorry to hear that. Yes, if your priority remark comes in before 31 August then your college will honour the offer for this year as you will have made the conditions. If it comes in later than 31 August then your college will either accept you for this year if they have room or offer unconditionally for next if not. Best of luck with the remark. Accept your insurance at this stage because we can retrieve you from them if the remarks comes in and there is no point in missing out on good accommodation at your insurance.


Thank you for your support, really am gutted that I wasn't pooled to Christ's/anywhere else but I have been accepted by my insurance for now. I assume I should email the college with the updated results sheet next week?
Original post by family'sfailure
Hi I had a place at Cambridge but lost it because of my results. I don't know what to do - there's nowhere else I want to go/ nothing else I want to do and my place is totally gone. Would you recommend reapplying? Maybe to a different college? I am waiting for priority remarks but it doesn't seem likely they will improve a whole grade. It feels like my life has fallen apart:frown:(


Hello and I am very sorry that you were unsuccessful at the final hurdle. I understand how difficult this must be given how much you will have invested in the process and your hopes of coming to Cambridge. It's very unusual for remarks to move the score drastically but it does happen very occasionally.

If you have missed the standard offer then it's unlikely that a reapplication would be successful. I've taken two students in three years who applied having missed the standard offer, so it's not common at all (we've admitted c.350 students in total in that time).

While I know it's hard to see now but there are other places than Cambridge and other courses where you can and will succeed. I was desperate to go to Cambridge at your age and can still remember how upset I was was I was unsuccessful. You should be proud of having got an offer but there is life afterwards, however, and Cambridge is always there at postgraduate level. I hope this is helpful in some way and wish you the very best for the future.
Original post by Poppycharlotte
Thank you for your support, really am gutted that I wasn't pooled to Christ's/anywhere else but I have been accepted by my insurance for now. I assume I should email the college with the updated results sheet next week?


That;s good that you've been accepted by your insurance, well done! Yes, if you get the remark, email your college next week. I'm sorry that the Summer Pool wasn;t successful for you, it's an agonising wait I know.
Hey admissions tutor it's just me again.

I'm wondering whether or not I would still stand a chance of getting an offer (or even just an interview) despite my bad GCSE grades (3 A*s 3 B's, 2 C's, 1 D and 1 E) although they have major extenuating circumstances (which I talked about earlier in the week) and cost me 4 years worth of secondary education.

At AS I got:

A - English language
A - English literature
B - History

I've always done well at History so the B came as a shock. I was devastated! I've been the strongest in the cohort, and I even got 60/60 in the AS History paper one in my exam. I didn't drop a single mark! We're sending Paper 2 back for a remark because I was 6 marks from an A grade overall, and I got 15/40 in paper 2. So it seems strange to go from 60/60 to 15/40, especially as I've gotten full marks in every History assignment since Year 8. Including my GCSE!

Is it still worth applying for Cambridge to read History?

I know there will be people with AAA and 11 A*'s at GCSE, which makes my application seem a bit silly. (AAB and only 3 A*'s at GCSE). I just love History so much, and to study it at Cambridge would be such an amazing experience.

A2 predictions will be A*AA-A*A*A, with the A* prediction in History.

Thanks for all of your help, hope I haven't been too much of a bother! :redface:
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi again, my friend who is enamoured with Cambridge also wanted me to ask whether her M2 would be a detriment to her application and make her a weaker candidate?

C1 98C2 100S1 98M1 96D1 100FP1 97S2 90M2 83

Once again many thanks
Original post by physicsperhaps
x

Sorry for posting completely irrelevant thing but...
I couldn't help but notice your username 'physics perhaps'...were you thinking about studying physics before but were unsure and changed your mind to geography? XD
Original post by C0balt
Sorry for posting completely irrelevant thing but...
I couldn't help but notice your username 'physics perhaps'...were you thinking about studying physics before but were unsure and changed your mind to geography? XD


haha yes! I was thinking of physics around Christmas time, then after about a few weeks of reading into physics I realised I could not do it for another 3 years! Geography all the way now.
Original post by physicsperhaps
haha yes! I was thinking of physics around Christmas time, then after about a few weeks of reading into physics I realised I could not do it for another 3 years! Geography all the way now.


You should get a name change to 'geographydefinitely' :wink:
Original post by MCPClark
Hi again, my friend who is enamoured with Cambridge also wanted me to ask whether her M2 would be a detriment to her application and make her a weaker candidate?

C1 98C2 100S1 98M1 96D1 100FP1 97S2 90M2 83

Once again many thanks


I also had 83 (in FP1), got an offer for phys natsci and my interviewers didn't even point that out in my case. One rogue module doesn't impact much, everyone has a bad day. (I'd just make sure that she can answer M2 related questions to prove that it was just a bad day and not lack of understanding)

ok i'll stop hijacking the thread :getmecoat:
(edited 7 years ago)
Dear Admissions Tutor,

After receiving my AS level results, I did fairly better than I expected, getting AAAA in maths, physics, chemistry and biology (also maths is unreformed, C1 UMS is 100%, C2 UMS is 90% and M1 UMS is 100% so UMS total is 96.7%). Would my UMS be strong, average or mediocre for medicine?

Furthermore as I really felt I hadn't done as well in physics I didn't attend the Cambridge open day before my results, may I ask is the SAQ like another personal statement or are you simply writing why you would like to go to Cambridge?

Thank you for your help.
Just a small worry here. A person in the STEP prep thread mentions having been told that they had been downgraded in a STEP paper. Just to confirm, are our STEP results final? I have met my offer and received confirmation, that's not going to be taken away is it?
Original post by funky386
...Furthermore as I really felt I hadn't done as well in physics I didn't attend the Cambridge open day before my results, may I ask is the SAQ like another personal statement or are you simply writing why you would like to go to Cambridge?

Thank you for your help.


The SAQ is more than just an extra PS. See the info here
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/saq

Especially
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/sites/www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/saq.pdf


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by 16Characters....
Just a small worry here. A person in the STEP prep thread mentions having been told that they had been downgraded in a STEP paper. Just to confirm, are our STEP results final? I have met my offer and received confirmation, that's not going to be taken away is it?


Another person had their 1 upgraded to an S, I think if anything was to be changed, you'd already be notified. Should all be safe now, it was only a small number of scripts affected.
Original post by Zacken
Another person had their 1 upgraded to an S, I think if anything was to be changed, you'd already be notified. Should all be safe now, it was only a small number of scripts affected.


Huh. Any idea what the issue was?
Dear AT,
I've got these results for my AS this year: (UMS)Maths:
C1:100
C2:94
M1:100
F. Maths:
FP1:87:frown:
S1:100
D1:100
Physics(reformed/OCR): on the results sheet it says 135 points and an A grade, but does anyone know what does the points mean??

I'm hoping to apply for architecture, did not do an AS in art in Y12 bc I know I'm continuing it next year. I'll hopefully be predicted an A* in it. But with the 87 in FP1, I'm probably not going to be predicted A* in Further Maths if I continue it for A2. So with these results, should I drop Further Maths for A2 or keep it? Is it going to be helpful at all having this fourth subject?

Thanks a lot in advance!!!!
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi, I had pretty severe extenuating circumstances(sibling got mental illness in my last year of A Levels and parents didn't get her institutionalized) this year. I missed my offer by a lot but did get A*A*A*. I talked to my college and they said they or another college might be able to take me but they can't guarantee anything of course. I just wanted to know how are cases of students with extenuating circumstances looked upon. Have you ever seen someone with EC get accepted even if they missed their offer by 2 grades in a subject(that no colleges require for the course, some do prefer it though), given that their academic record prior to the EC is perfect and they exceed the standard offer? This is for a humanities course. Thank you.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by taylor9277
Hi, I had pretty severe extenuating circumstances(sibling got mental illness in my last year of A Levels and parents didn't get her institutionalized) this year. I missed my offer by a lot but did get A*A*A*. I talked to my college and they said they or another college might be able to take me but they can't guarantee anything of course. I just wanted to know how are cases of students with extenuating circumstances looked upon. Have you ever seen someone with EC get accepted even if they missed their offer by 2 grades in a subject(that no colleges require for the course, some do prefer it though), given that their academic record prior to the EC is perfect and they exceed the standard offer? This is for a humanities course. Thank you.


Very sorry to hear about your circumstances, but can clarify your A-levels. You say you got A*A*A*, but missed the offer... was there a 4th A-level in your offer?

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