The Official 2017 Cambridge Applicants Thread [part 3]

I think one of the big reasons why an Oxbridge rejection is always so disappointing is due to the effort put in. Think about it this way: if all you had to do was indicate your choice on UCAS, a rejection probably wouldn't affect you that much. Take that as a sign that the difference between Oxbridge and Durham, Edinburgh etc. isn't that pronounced in practice, but only appears so due to hype and reputation. Just focus on getting good grades and doing well wherever you go

Personal experience and saw quite a few people with 5+ A's at AS not pooled.

Already planning what college to apply to next year tbh either Christs, Kings, or Sidney Sussex.

I've not even finished the application rollercoaster yet!

Should probably have more faith in myself but Monday isn't gonna be great I can tell

I get that you're upset about not getting an offer, but saying that some colleges don't care about pooling because they didn't pool you is a bit of an overstatement. The autopooling criteria is 93ums+ average (and a lot of AS levels dont have ums anymore) not based on the amount of A's achieved.

I know the perfect college for you.

Medwards.

Posted from TSR Mobile

I get that you're upset about not getting an offer, but saying that some colleges don't care about pooling because they didn't pool you is a bit of an overstatement. The autopooling criteria is 93ums+ average (and a lot of AS levels dont have ums anymore) not based on the amount of A's achieved.

All colleges websites I've been on say they don't give offers based on STEP for Natsci and I think it would be quite a shock to see that

I know just how you feel... I feel the same about my interviews, particularly the general one. I can't stop thinking that if I just relaxed a little and spoke with the knowledge and passion I would usually speak with I would have had a much better chance. It's just the thought that I'll never be an undergraduate at Oxbridge... which college did you apply to? I'm sure you will end up loving whichever uni you choose, it is just so hard at the moment to think of anything but Cambridge.

Corpus Christi - what about you? And yeah, like I know this isn't the end of the world and I'll be okay but right now the decision is still so fresh in my head and the last few days have felt like a weird dream that I haven't woken up from yet. I generally tend to have dreams about awful things happening which isn't fun but then I wake up in the morning, panic for a minute and then realise none of what I just went through was actually real and it's such a relief. The morning after Decision Day, I woke up and for a minute I thought it had just been another one of my "worst-case scenario" dreams and I was so relieved until I realised it was very, very real. Then I felt truly horrible. Have you found that you feel worse than you expected? I honestly thought I wouldn't feel too bad because I was aware of the realistic statistics of getting in but wow, it feels like my whole world has turned upside down and I'm taking it pretty badly even though I put on a brave face around other people. I think it's a mixture of being a perfectionist and never having been rejected from anything before.

If they decide not to have me though then I can't reapply to the place that rejected me.

Not happening. Nah!

Right, so you've gone from being excited and positive about being pooled to Medwards, to (naturally) having doubts about yourself and your possible performance on Monday. Now swing it back to your first thoughts.

You know it's a good match for you and so does the DoS/AT

Trust in yourself and your abilities. You've got this.

The problem with the pooling system is that some colleges don't bother pooling you and you end up not even getting a chance at another college. It happened to me this year.

In 2016 the only colleges that had none of their applicants fished* were:
Homerton
Hughes Hall
Lucy Cav
Medwards
St Eddies
Wolfson

*and that's NOT to say they didn't put anyone in the pool. Just that nobody was fished.

Trinity Hall had 24 applicants fished from them, so they must have pooled approx 100.

In 2016 the only colleges that had none of their applicants fished* were:
Homerton
Hughes Hall
Lucy Cav
Medwards
St Eddies
Wolfson

*and that's NOT to say they didn't put anyone in the pool. Just that nobody was fished.

Trinity Hall had 24 applicants fished from them, so they must have pooled approx 100.

I never said they don't care about pooling and I certainly didn't say it was because they didn't pool me. I'm not even upset anymore. The pooling criteria isn't solely 93 UMS and that's an imperfect system as most international A levels students don't even have UMS. The problem with applying to an oversubscribed college is you run the risk of getting rejected and not being put in the pool, that's all I said. Nothing about the college not caring lol

Which colleges fished the fewest number of candidates though...

Posted from TSR Mobile

I don't think they even invite that many for interview

wut? This is for the entire college, not a specific course.

That's a completely different question though. In 2016 Emma didn't fish anyone from the pool (they provided 66 fishes though), same for King's (37 fishes), Clare fished 1 (66 fishes).