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The Official Cambridge 2017 Decisions Thread [no discussion]
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Decision: Accepted
Course: History
College: St John's
Offer Conditions: Five 5s on AP exams including completed exams
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email on the 12th
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): International (Canada)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private
Other:
APs - Art/European/World History (achieved 5,5,5); Eng Lit, French, German (predicted 5,5,5)
SAT I - 2180 superscored
98% school average
Reflection
Strengths: PS and grades???
Weaknesses: HAA (I literally ended my Section 2 essay mid-sentence lol), low SAT, third interview felt like a trainwreck
Interview Assessment: No idea - I really enjoyed them though, if that's any indication.
Why did you chose your college? Pretty buildings + good food rep
Where else did you apply? UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, St Andrews, and three others in Canada
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Not sure, probably University of Toronto?
General Comments & Advice:
I'm surprised that maintaining a decent school average isn't a condition, but I'm not complaining! This all still seems so surreal.
Course: History
College: St John's
Offer Conditions: Five 5s on AP exams including completed exams
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email on the 12th
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): International (Canada)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private
Other:
APs - Art/European/World History (achieved 5,5,5); Eng Lit, French, German (predicted 5,5,5)
SAT I - 2180 superscored
98% school average
Reflection
Strengths: PS and grades???
Weaknesses: HAA (I literally ended my Section 2 essay mid-sentence lol), low SAT, third interview felt like a trainwreck
Interview Assessment: No idea - I really enjoyed them though, if that's any indication.
Why did you chose your college? Pretty buildings + good food rep
Where else did you apply? UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, St Andrews, and three others in Canada
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Not sure, probably University of Toronto?
General Comments & Advice:
I'm surprised that maintaining a decent school average isn't a condition, but I'm not complaining! This all still seems so surreal.
Original post by jneill
I have added an extra question to the original template for Feedback received from your college. Can any posters please edit their original post to include college feedback if/when you receive it.
Note only rejected candidates should request feedback and it will take some time for your college to send it (it's a very time consuming but important task.
For offer holders, the offer IS the feedback
but you may be able to ask your DoS for feedback when you go up to Cambridge.
And just to add: these commentaries are brilliant and will be an excellent resource for future applicants. Good work people!
Note only rejected candidates should request feedback and it will take some time for your college to send it (it's a very time consuming but important task.
For offer holders, the offer IS the feedback
but you may be able to ask your DoS for feedback when you go up to Cambridge.And just to add: these commentaries are brilliant and will be an excellent resource for future applicants. Good work people!
Spoiler
Original post by jneill
I have added an extra question to the original template for Feedback received from your college. Can any posters please edit their original post to include college feedback if/when you receive it.
Note only rejected candidates should request feedback and it will take some time for your college to send it (it's a very time consuming but important task.
For offer holders, the offer IS the feedback but you may be able to ask your DoS for feedback when you go up to Cambridge.
And just to add: these commentaries are brilliant and will be an excellent resource for future applicants. Good work people!
Note only rejected candidates should request feedback and it will take some time for your college to send it (it's a very time consuming but important task.
For offer holders, the offer IS the feedback
but you may be able to ask your DoS for feedback when you go up to Cambridge.And just to add: these commentaries are brilliant and will be an excellent resource for future applicants. Good work people!
Spoiler
Hi, sorry if I'm not supposed to post this here, but what's the the best way to go about asking for feedback?
Original post by TIF141
Hi, sorry if I'm not supposed to post this here, but what's the the best way to go about asking for feedback?
Contact your college.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Decision: Accepted
Course: HSPS
College: St Catharine's
Offer Conditions: Conditional, A*AA
How did you first hear and when?: Letter, 12th Jan
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State, then state sixth form college
GCSE Grades: 6A* 4A
AS Subjects & Grades: Law, Politics, English Literature, Religious Studies, History, AABBC (Religious Studies at Grade B was taken in Yr11)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A with A* EPQ
Reflection
Strengths: Good personal statement and SAQ (I read 10 books which helped), I'm assuming good entrance test results (got 78% in the first section of the mock and the website says the average candidate scores ~50%, and I found the actual exam to be of similar difficulty), passionate about the course, good interview I'm guessing?
Weaknesses: AS grades were terrible, never expected to get in with them
Interview Assessment: Difficult. In the first interview got asked conceptual questions (what makes someone British, how do we know who we are etc) and surprise ethics questions, but a lot came from my PS. They pushed me to reach answers very quickly, and I thought that through defending controversial books/ideas I'd offended the interviewers somehow. In the second interview I was asked about two things in my PS and then had to defend my answers for half an hour, but the interviewers seemed pleased with me. I gave long answers but backed myself up as logically as I could.
Why did you chose your college? Seemed much more welcoming/friendly and less intimidating than others
Where else did you apply? Warwick, York, Bristol, Exeter
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Warwick or Bristol
General Comments & Advice: Oh goodness. I never expected to get in and I'm still wondering if I deserved to get accepted. I had to be persuaded by my teacher to apply in the first place, so this was always an unrealistic application - and now I'm stunned. So my teacher was right - it's still worth applying even if you never think you'll get in! But I'm very happy, I love the course and all the books I read, and even if I didn't get in then just reading all that and developing my understanding of these amazing subjects would have been the reward in itself. Also at the time of the admissions test + interview I had extenuating circumstances, and was going through counselling for them at the same time as applying. So to go through that and still get in is massive for me. But honestly as future advice - read the books you say you've read, be yourself, go for the course you love and don't let anyone tell you that it's not worth applying.
Course: HSPS
College: St Catharine's
Offer Conditions: Conditional, A*AA
How did you first hear and when?: Letter, 12th Jan
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State, then state sixth form college
GCSE Grades: 6A* 4A
AS Subjects & Grades: Law, Politics, English Literature, Religious Studies, History, AABBC (Religious Studies at Grade B was taken in Yr11)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A with A* EPQ
Reflection
Strengths: Good personal statement and SAQ (I read 10 books which helped), I'm assuming good entrance test results (got 78% in the first section of the mock and the website says the average candidate scores ~50%, and I found the actual exam to be of similar difficulty), passionate about the course, good interview I'm guessing?
Weaknesses: AS grades were terrible, never expected to get in with them
Interview Assessment: Difficult. In the first interview got asked conceptual questions (what makes someone British, how do we know who we are etc) and surprise ethics questions, but a lot came from my PS. They pushed me to reach answers very quickly, and I thought that through defending controversial books/ideas I'd offended the interviewers somehow. In the second interview I was asked about two things in my PS and then had to defend my answers for half an hour, but the interviewers seemed pleased with me. I gave long answers but backed myself up as logically as I could.
Why did you chose your college? Seemed much more welcoming/friendly and less intimidating than others
Where else did you apply? Warwick, York, Bristol, Exeter
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Warwick or Bristol
General Comments & Advice: Oh goodness. I never expected to get in and I'm still wondering if I deserved to get accepted. I had to be persuaded by my teacher to apply in the first place, so this was always an unrealistic application - and now I'm stunned. So my teacher was right - it's still worth applying even if you never think you'll get in! But I'm very happy, I love the course and all the books I read, and even if I didn't get in then just reading all that and developing my understanding of these amazing subjects would have been the reward in itself. Also at the time of the admissions test + interview I had extenuating circumstances, and was going through counselling for them at the same time as applying. So to go through that and still get in is massive for me. But honestly as future advice - read the books you say you've read, be yourself, go for the course you love and don't let anyone tell you that it's not worth applying.
(edited 7 years ago)
Decision: Accepted
Course: English
College: Selwyn
Offer Conditions: A*AA
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Letter arrived at noon on the 12th, but I didn't get home from college until 6.00pm. Once off the bus, I ran home and it was waiting on my bed! Screams were involved.
Home, EU or International (Country): Home (UK)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: 4 A*s (in Lit, Lang, Media, and IT), 3 As and 4 Bs
AS Subjects & Grades: 4 As in English Lit, History, Psychology and Media
A2 Predictions: A*AA (with the A* in English)
Strengths: My personal statement and admissions test were okay, and my general interview went really well.
Weaknesses: I thought my English-specific interview was pretty bad (but apparently not?), I overwrote in my admissions test.
Interview Assessment: The general one was great; it was with a Law fellow and we had a really good discussion. He was very nice and accommodating and I came out feeling very good and confident. The English-specific one didn't go as well: I kept looking down and rambling and at one point I just wanted to run away! But still, I think I made progress in the 30 minutes I had and it was a fantastic learning experience.
Why did you chose your college? I initially wanted to apply to Clare because of its reputation (and how pretty it is), but I knew that it's really over-subscribed for English, so I chose Selwyn instead because it seemed just as good - very pretty, the right location in the city for me, close to Sidgewick Site, ensuite accommodation. I had surgery on the day of the open day so I didn't manage to look around before I applied, but when I went for interview I felt very at home. It's a lovely place, and all the staff and students were very nice and helpful.
Where else did you apply? King's College London, Manchester, Exeter, and York.
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Manchester for English Literature and American Studies.
General Comments & Advice: Applying to Oxbridge takes the life out of you and is very draining, but is such a rewarding experience - you learn a lot. After completing UCAS, the SAQ, doing the ELAT, sending in work, and having the interview, I was exhausted, so it's important to just keep faith and not to give up. I went to a secondary school that was the worst in the county and was in special measures when I took my GCSEs. But I loved English, and I was good at it, so I applied. If you are passionate about a subject, please apply! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and even if you don't get in, you will have learnt a lot. Read everything on your personal statement, have a mock interview and keep your head.
Course: English
College: Selwyn
Offer Conditions: A*AA
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Letter arrived at noon on the 12th, but I didn't get home from college until 6.00pm. Once off the bus, I ran home and it was waiting on my bed! Screams were involved.
Home, EU or International (Country): Home (UK)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: 4 A*s (in Lit, Lang, Media, and IT), 3 As and 4 Bs
AS Subjects & Grades: 4 As in English Lit, History, Psychology and Media
A2 Predictions: A*AA (with the A* in English)
Strengths: My personal statement and admissions test were okay, and my general interview went really well.
Weaknesses: I thought my English-specific interview was pretty bad (but apparently not?), I overwrote in my admissions test.
Interview Assessment: The general one was great; it was with a Law fellow and we had a really good discussion. He was very nice and accommodating and I came out feeling very good and confident. The English-specific one didn't go as well: I kept looking down and rambling and at one point I just wanted to run away! But still, I think I made progress in the 30 minutes I had and it was a fantastic learning experience.
Why did you chose your college? I initially wanted to apply to Clare because of its reputation (and how pretty it is), but I knew that it's really over-subscribed for English, so I chose Selwyn instead because it seemed just as good - very pretty, the right location in the city for me, close to Sidgewick Site, ensuite accommodation. I had surgery on the day of the open day so I didn't manage to look around before I applied, but when I went for interview I felt very at home. It's a lovely place, and all the staff and students were very nice and helpful.
Where else did you apply? King's College London, Manchester, Exeter, and York.
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Manchester for English Literature and American Studies.
General Comments & Advice: Applying to Oxbridge takes the life out of you and is very draining, but is such a rewarding experience - you learn a lot. After completing UCAS, the SAQ, doing the ELAT, sending in work, and having the interview, I was exhausted, so it's important to just keep faith and not to give up. I went to a secondary school that was the worst in the county and was in special measures when I took my GCSEs. But I loved English, and I was good at it, so I applied. If you are passionate about a subject, please apply! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and even if you don't get in, you will have learnt a lot. Read everything on your personal statement, have a mock interview and keep your head.
Decision: Accepted from Pool
Course: Linguistics
College: Trinity College (I initially applied to John's)
Offer Conditions: IB score of 42 with 776 at HL
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): by email on the 12th
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): International (Hong Kong)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): International
IB (with predicted score): 44
Reflection
Strengths:
I'm not that great of a public speaker but the interview didn't go that badly. Less awkward silences than I thought. (I think) I walked the interviewers through my entire thinking process (which is key!).
Weaknesses:
Gosh I found the admissions assessment difficult in terms of management! I was literally plowing through the last section. It's a miracle I got an offer with the potato quality essay I wrote.
Interview Assessment:
Some answers I gave during the interview were... umm... not up to par. I was pretty enthusiastic during the process and sort of confident coming up, but as I thought about it on the plane ride back home, oh gosh... HAHA
Why did you chose your college?
John's is absolutely stunning! I am, like everyone else, sort of obsessed with the Bridge of Sighs. The location's pretty central too! Now that I've been pooled to Trinity, I've been looking around online and I'm kind of in love with it The fact that it's big means more societies!!! The May Ball looks amazing too! My academic interests also align more with this DOS (even though he's an external one).
Where else did you apply? UCL, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Newcastle US: UChicago, UPenn, UC Berkeley Canada : McGill, Quest
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Edinburgh (UCL if I get an offer haha)
General Comments & Advice:
You've got nothing to lose and nothing to prove. Treat it as a learning experience. I went in with that mindset and felt great during and after the process (sort of). Walk your interviewers through your thinking process. Don't just jump at wild answers! They want to see how you deal with these unfamiliar problems... and if you give a funny answer, they'll be able to see where you went wrong.
Course: Linguistics
College: Trinity College (I initially applied to John's)
Offer Conditions: IB score of 42 with 776 at HL
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): by email on the 12th
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): International (Hong Kong)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): International
IB (with predicted score): 44
Reflection
Strengths:
I'm not that great of a public speaker but the interview didn't go that badly. Less awkward silences than I thought. (I think) I walked the interviewers through my entire thinking process (which is key!).
Weaknesses:
Gosh I found the admissions assessment difficult in terms of management! I was literally plowing through the last section. It's a miracle I got an offer with the potato quality essay I wrote.
Interview Assessment:
Some answers I gave during the interview were... umm... not up to par. I was pretty enthusiastic during the process and sort of confident coming up, but as I thought about it on the plane ride back home, oh gosh... HAHA
Why did you chose your college?
John's is absolutely stunning! I am, like everyone else, sort of obsessed with the Bridge of Sighs. The location's pretty central too! Now that I've been pooled to Trinity, I've been looking around online and I'm kind of in love with it
The fact that it's big means more societies!!! The May Ball looks amazing too! My academic interests also align more with this DOS (even though he's an external one).Where else did you apply? UCL, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Newcastle US: UChicago, UPenn, UC Berkeley Canada : McGill, Quest
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Edinburgh (UCL if I get an offer haha)
General Comments & Advice:
You've got nothing to lose and nothing to prove. Treat it as a learning experience. I went in with that mindset and felt great during and after the process (sort of). Walk your interviewers through your thinking process. Don't just jump at wild answers! They want to see how you deal with these unfamiliar problems... and if you give a funny answer, they'll be able to see where you went wrong.
Decision: Accepted
Course:Mathematics (with phys)
College: Murray Edwards
Offer Conditions: A*A*A +1,2 in STEP ii&iii either order
How did you first hear and when? email 9:45 am 12/1/17
Optional
Home
School Type Independent (scholarship)
GCSE Grades: 11A* + 1A
AS Subjects & Grades: Stats A
A2 Predictions: Chem, Phys Maths,Fmaths
Reflection
Strengths: ...
Weaknesses: nervous af
Interview Assessment: wasalright
Why did you chose your college? Open
Where else did you apply?
Imperial - A*A*A
Nottingham - A*AA or AAB if firm
KCL - AAA
St Andrews - waiting
General Comments & Advice:
Any official feedback received from your college: Not yet
Course:Mathematics (with phys)
College: Murray Edwards
Offer Conditions: A*A*A +1,2 in STEP ii&iii either order
How did you first hear and when? email 9:45 am 12/1/17
Optional
Home
School Type Independent (scholarship)
GCSE Grades: 11A* + 1A
AS Subjects & Grades: Stats A
A2 Predictions: Chem, Phys Maths,Fmaths
Reflection
Strengths: ...
Weaknesses: nervous af
Interview Assessment: wasalright
Why did you chose your college? Open
Where else did you apply?
Imperial - A*A*A
Nottingham - A*AA or AAB if firm
KCL - AAA
St Andrews - waiting
General Comments & Advice:
Any official feedback received from your college: Not yet
Decision: Accepted
Course: Human, Social and Political Sciences
College: Girton
Offer Conditions: A*AA
How did you first hear and when? Letter 12/1/17
Optional
Home
School Type: Grammar
GCSE Grades: 7A* 5A
AS Subjects & Grades: French A, Maths D
A2 Predictions: History A*, French A*, Physics A (dropped maths after AS)
Reflection
Strengths: predictions, admissions assessment
Weaknesses: AS grades (see Maths) and a few silly answers in my interview
Interview Assessment: One interview went really well, one was 50/50
Why did you chose your college? Open
Where else did you apply?
Exeter- AAA
Bristol- AAA
Bath- AAA
Nottingham- AAB or unconditional if firm
General Comments & Advice: As you can see my AS grades weren't the best, my GCSE grades were solid but not as strong as many other candidates. Therefore I would advise anyone who thinks they have the slightest chance to go for Cambridge/Oxford because with a strong personal statement, interview and performance in any pre or during interview testing, you can get an offer Stay calm and remember it's not the be all and end all, there are plenty of fabulous universities in this country alone that can provide you with an excellent start to post education life.
Any official feedback received from your college: Not yet
Course: Human, Social and Political Sciences
College: Girton
Offer Conditions: A*AA
How did you first hear and when? Letter 12/1/17
Optional
Home
School Type: Grammar
GCSE Grades: 7A* 5A
AS Subjects & Grades: French A, Maths D
A2 Predictions: History A*, French A*, Physics A (dropped maths after AS)
Reflection
Strengths: predictions, admissions assessment
Weaknesses: AS grades (see Maths) and a few silly answers in my interview
Interview Assessment: One interview went really well, one was 50/50
Why did you chose your college? Open
Where else did you apply?
Exeter- AAA
Bristol- AAA
Bath- AAA
Nottingham- AAB or unconditional if firm
General Comments & Advice: As you can see my AS grades weren't the best, my GCSE grades were solid but not as strong as many other candidates. Therefore I would advise anyone who thinks they have the slightest chance to go for Cambridge/Oxford because with a strong personal statement, interview and performance in any pre or during interview testing, you can get an offer
Stay calm and remember it's not the be all and end all, there are plenty of fabulous universities in this country alone that can provide you with an excellent start to post education life.Any official feedback received from your college: Not yet
(edited 7 years ago)
Decision: Accepted from Pool
*offer for 2018
Course: Computer Science
College: Wolfson (pooled from Emmanuel)
Offer Conditions: 9.50/10 in the Romanian Baccalaureate
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email, a few hours ago
Home, EU or International (Country): EU
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: -
AS Subjects & Grades: -
A2 Predictions: 9.00/10 Romanian Language and Literature, 9.90/10 Mathemathics, 10/10 Informatics.
Other Qualifications
Other: 8.0 in IELTS (with 7.0 lowest module).
Reflection
Strengths: I believe I did a aced the CSAT and had a flawless interview.
Weaknesses: And at the other interview I was quite clueless, I adapted to the interview-like setting too late. Also, my high school grades are slightly lower than I would want (transferred to a different high school after 2 years, and it messed up my grades)
Why did you chose your college? Emmanuel - strong academic reputation, they've been consistently in top 5 in the Tompkins Table so I expected to force myself to live up to the expectations (and be surrounded by people who do the same). And the college is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm happy with Wolfson too, I've read it's highly regarded for postgraduates (they don't take many undergratuades because they're a mature college)
Where else did you apply? UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh, Manchester.
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? No offers from the other yet. Hypothetically UCL (although they guarantee accommodation only if you firm them), might switch to Edinburgh or Manchester.
General Comments & Advice: Foreigners (and scientists): doesn't matter if you passed the IELTS with 9.0, DO MATHS IN ENGLISH!! There might be different notations or strange names, reading a PDF with English names for everything a week before the interview isn't going to replace practice in English.
And choose your college carefully.
Any official feedback received from your college: they didn't even send the rejection email, lol. Haven't asked for feedback yet.
*offer for 2018
Course: Computer Science
College: Wolfson (pooled from Emmanuel)
Offer Conditions: 9.50/10 in the Romanian Baccalaureate
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email, a few hours ago
Home, EU or International (Country): EU
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: -
AS Subjects & Grades: -
A2 Predictions: 9.00/10 Romanian Language and Literature, 9.90/10 Mathemathics, 10/10 Informatics.
Other Qualifications
Other: 8.0 in IELTS (with 7.0 lowest module).
Reflection
Strengths: I believe I did a aced the CSAT and had a flawless interview.
Weaknesses: And at the other interview I was quite clueless, I adapted to the interview-like setting too late. Also, my high school grades are slightly lower than I would want (transferred to a different high school after 2 years, and it messed up my grades)
Why did you chose your college? Emmanuel - strong academic reputation, they've been consistently in top 5 in the Tompkins Table so I expected to force myself to live up to the expectations (and be surrounded by people who do the same). And the college is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm happy with Wolfson too, I've read it's highly regarded for postgraduates (they don't take many undergratuades because they're a mature college)
Where else did you apply? UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh, Manchester.
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? No offers from the other yet. Hypothetically UCL (although they guarantee accommodation only if you firm them), might switch to Edinburgh or Manchester.
General Comments & Advice: Foreigners (and scientists): doesn't matter if you passed the IELTS with 9.0, DO MATHS IN ENGLISH!! There might be different notations or strange names, reading a PDF with English names for everything a week before the interview isn't going to replace practice in English.
And choose your college carefully.
Any official feedback received from your college: they didn't even send the rejection email, lol. Haven't asked for feedback yet.
Decision: Accepted
Course: Archaeology
College: Gonville and Caius
Offer Conditions: A*AA
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Letter
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: 3 A*, 11 A, 1 B
AS Subjects & Grades: English Literature - A, Classical Civilisation - A, Psychology - A, Archaeology - A, Critical Thinking - B, Drama and Theatre Studies - A,
A2 Predictions: A* (Arch), A* (ClassCiv), A (EngLit)
Strengths: Attending Archaeology summer school at Cambridge, Time Management, Long-term passion for subject, helping in the wider archaeological community
Weaknesses: Quick-thinking for answers in interview (some um and ah-ing but I got there soon enough)
Interview Assessment: I was pretty happy with how it went and most of the topics that were brought up, I had a good knowledge of (basically a huge relief)
Why did you chose your college? Friendliest one at open days, fellows for my subject (since it's a new subject there aren't too many fellows), plus they gave out free stuff at the open day and who doesn't love free stuff?
Where else did you apply? Birmingham, UCL
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? UCL
Course: Archaeology
College: Gonville and Caius
Offer Conditions: A*AA
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Letter
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: 3 A*, 11 A, 1 B
AS Subjects & Grades: English Literature - A, Classical Civilisation - A, Psychology - A, Archaeology - A, Critical Thinking - B, Drama and Theatre Studies - A,
A2 Predictions: A* (Arch), A* (ClassCiv), A (EngLit)
Strengths: Attending Archaeology summer school at Cambridge, Time Management, Long-term passion for subject, helping in the wider archaeological community
Weaknesses: Quick-thinking for answers in interview (some um and ah-ing but I got there soon enough)
Interview Assessment: I was pretty happy with how it went and most of the topics that were brought up, I had a good knowledge of (basically a huge relief)
Why did you chose your college? Friendliest one at open days, fellows for my subject (since it's a new subject there aren't too many fellows), plus they gave out free stuff at the open day and who doesn't love free stuff?
Where else did you apply? Birmingham, UCL
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? UCL
(edited 7 years ago)
In order to provide a more holistic overview of decisions it would be useful if some VERY BRAVE rejected applicants posted. Most on here don't. I'll start.
Applied: last year.
Course: Engineering
College: Peterhouse
GCSE: 11-12 A* ( you'll forget too 😜)
AS A's in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computing
A predictions 4 A* (dropped computing) achieved.
School type: Home applicant state grammar
Strengths: real interest in subject, ten years relevant extra curricular
Weaknesses: loads, too many to mention.
Interview assessment: let's not 😟
General reflection: I am living proof that life goes on. It is a very competitive process so to other rejectees, don't dwell 😀 For future applicants good luck but do have a back up plan and don't just rely on good grade.
Of course if people don't want to post, it is understandable. Future applicants note, although useful info on this thread the majority actually are rejected! Congrats though to those with offers.😀
Applied: last year.
Course: Engineering
College: Peterhouse
GCSE: 11-12 A* ( you'll forget too 😜)
AS A's in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computing
A predictions 4 A* (dropped computing) achieved.
School type: Home applicant state grammar
Strengths: real interest in subject, ten years relevant extra curricular
Weaknesses: loads, too many to mention.
Interview assessment: let's not 😟
General reflection: I am living proof that life goes on. It is a very competitive process so to other rejectees, don't dwell 😀 For future applicants good luck but do have a back up plan and don't just rely on good grade.
Of course if people don't want to post, it is understandable. Future applicants note, although useful info on this thread the majority actually are rejected! Congrats though to those with offers.😀
Original post by zpx
Decision: Accepted from Pool
*offer for 2018
Course: Computer Science
College: Wolfson (pooled from Emmanuel)
Offer Conditions: 9.50/10 in the Romanian Baccalaureate
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email, a few hours ago
Home, EU or International (Country): EU
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: -
AS Subjects & Grades: -
A2 Predictions: 9.00/10 Romanian Language and Literature, 9.90/10 Mathemathics, 10/10 Informatics.
Other Qualifications
Other: 8.0 in IELTS (with 7.0 lowest module).
Reflection
Strengths: I believe I did a aced the CSAT and had a flawless interview.
Weaknesses: And at the other interview I was quite clueless, I adapted to the interview-like setting too late. Also, my high school grades are slightly lower than I would want (transferred to a different high school after 2 years, and it messed up my grades)
Why did you chose your college? Emmanuel - strong academic reputation, they've been consistently in top 5 in the Tompkins Table so I expected to force myself to live up to the expectations (and be surrounded by people who do the same). And the college is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm happy with Wolfson too, I've read it's highly regarded for postgraduates (they don't take many undergratuades because they're a mature college)
Where else did you apply? UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh, Manchester.
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? No offers from the other yet. Hypothetically UCL (although they guarantee accommodation only if you firm them), might switch to Edinburgh or Manchester.
General Comments & Advice: Foreigners (and scientists): doesn't matter if you passed the IELTS with 9.0, DO MATHS IN ENGLISH!! There might be different notations or strange names, reading a PDF with English names for everything a week before the interview isn't going to replace practice in English.
And choose your college carefully.
Any official feedback received from your college: they didn't even send the rejection email, lol. Haven't asked for feedback yet.
*offer for 2018
Course: Computer Science
College: Wolfson (pooled from Emmanuel)
Offer Conditions: 9.50/10 in the Romanian Baccalaureate
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email, a few hours ago
Home, EU or International (Country): EU
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: -
AS Subjects & Grades: -
A2 Predictions: 9.00/10 Romanian Language and Literature, 9.90/10 Mathemathics, 10/10 Informatics.
Other Qualifications
Other: 8.0 in IELTS (with 7.0 lowest module).
Reflection
Strengths: I believe I did a aced the CSAT and had a flawless interview.
Weaknesses: And at the other interview I was quite clueless, I adapted to the interview-like setting too late. Also, my high school grades are slightly lower than I would want (transferred to a different high school after 2 years, and it messed up my grades)
Why did you chose your college? Emmanuel - strong academic reputation, they've been consistently in top 5 in the Tompkins Table so I expected to force myself to live up to the expectations (and be surrounded by people who do the same). And the college is absolutely gorgeous.
I'm happy with Wolfson too, I've read it's highly regarded for postgraduates (they don't take many undergratuades because they're a mature college)
Where else did you apply? UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh, Manchester.
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? No offers from the other yet. Hypothetically UCL (although they guarantee accommodation only if you firm them), might switch to Edinburgh or Manchester.
General Comments & Advice: Foreigners (and scientists): doesn't matter if you passed the IELTS with 9.0, DO MATHS IN ENGLISH!! There might be different notations or strange names, reading a PDF with English names for everything a week before the interview isn't going to replace practice in English.
And choose your college carefully.
Any official feedback received from your college: they didn't even send the rejection email, lol. Haven't asked for feedback yet.
Emmanuel told me they won't give feedback to people who have received offers elsewhere, just so you know.
Decision: Accepted
Course: Economics
College: Hughes Hall (open application)
Offer Conditions: Unconditional
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email few minutes after 9 AM, UK time.
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): International
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private
Other Qualifications
IB (achieved score): 45 points overall, HL Biology, Chemistry, and Math, SL English A: Language and Literature, Chinese B, and Economics. English EE.
Reflection
Strengths: Strong achieved grades, possibly made more advantageous by the lack of UMS such that my achieved qualifications gave me a more reliable indicator of my ability.
Weaknesses: When I sat the ECAA, the last time I laid eyes on a test paper was 2 years ago (doing 2 years of military service), so I imagine I wasn't as practiced and fluent in my test-taking skills compared to my peers. I was also rather out of touch with my learned Economics material and Mathematics skills.
Interview Assessment: Near the beginning, I was completely unable to recall a small economic concept, after which the interviewer did not pursue the question any further. I believe I wasn't marked down too much on this though, and I'm more inclined to think that he just didn't want to waste his limited interview time on some content which I clearly forgot, and instead moved to something else where I would be able to showcase the extent of my ability.
Somewhere later on I was asked a question which I got slightly wrong, and he led me into another series of questions which ultimately led me to the correct answer to the question I first answered wrongly. This is just my conjecture, but I believe he used this as a gauge of how teachable I was and how I responded to the Cambridge style of personal tutoring.
One part I found funny, my interviewer wrote something on his notes after I made a very silly, almost unforgiveable error, but didn't say anything and let me continue. Shortly afterwards I realised my mistake and wrote the correct thing down, and he went back to his notes and scribbled down more things. I can't really translate well into writing why I found this funny but it was just the image of him obviously reacting in real-time to my mistake, and the correction of my mistake :P
The last question (supposedly the hardest) I stumbled on for what seemed like ages, before the interviewer asked me what I was thinking. I told him what I was trying to do and he basically hand-held me through the question to arrive at the solution. I left feeling like that was my big failure in the interview. Still, the interviewer prefaced the final question by saying that it was the last question before we started, so I know he didn't choose to end the interview there and then because of my (self-assessed) poor response. To be honest at the end of the day I don't know what the interviewer thought of this question.
Apart from these memorable incidents, the rest of the interview was fairly straightforward, gave the correct answers to his simple questions.
Why did you chose your college? If I am to be completely honest, I was lazy and chose an open application, because at the time of applying I didn't think myself capable of actually getting into Cambridge. I felt like I just wanted to get my UCAS application over and done with, and see what came out of it. I wasn't very familiar with UK schools and the Cambridge college system; I picked my 5 university choices by simply taking the top 5 universities in the Economics league table! As with most people, I gradually became invested into the application process and started to research intensely about Cambridge and the college I got allocated. I'm happy so far with what I've seen
Where else did you apply?
LSE
Warwick
St Andrews
UCL
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? LSE/St Andrews
General Comments & Advice: From everything I've read and heard, I think it's safe to conclude that you cannot really 'game' the admissions procedure; it's been designed and executed quite successfully by experienced people who are very good at deeming candidates' suitability for the style of teaching at Cambridge. I feel the only useful advice I have is that being suitable for Cambridge doesn't mean one is more intelligent; it simply means one benefits more from the supervision-style teaching and environment. Yes, a requirement for Cambridge is good academic performance/potential, but they have limited places, so naturally they have to reject some very intelligent people who they may simply have felt would benefit more from other universities. I won't lie; Cambridge really is a cut above the other universities in prestige, but I feel the biggest mistake one can make is walking into the application process thinking that a rejection means one is not qualified or intelligent enough. No human process is perfect, but I think as a general rule the final decisions are carefully deliberated and fully sensible. No matter what you walk away from the process with, it's you who defines yourself, not your university.
Any official feedback received from your college:
(not yet)
Course: Economics
College: Hughes Hall (open application)
Offer Conditions: Unconditional
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email few minutes after 9 AM, UK time.
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): International
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private
Other Qualifications
IB (achieved score): 45 points overall, HL Biology, Chemistry, and Math, SL English A: Language and Literature, Chinese B, and Economics. English EE.
Reflection
Strengths: Strong achieved grades, possibly made more advantageous by the lack of UMS such that my achieved qualifications gave me a more reliable indicator of my ability.
Weaknesses: When I sat the ECAA, the last time I laid eyes on a test paper was 2 years ago (doing 2 years of military service), so I imagine I wasn't as practiced and fluent in my test-taking skills compared to my peers. I was also rather out of touch with my learned Economics material and Mathematics skills.
Interview Assessment: Near the beginning, I was completely unable to recall a small economic concept, after which the interviewer did not pursue the question any further. I believe I wasn't marked down too much on this though, and I'm more inclined to think that he just didn't want to waste his limited interview time on some content which I clearly forgot, and instead moved to something else where I would be able to showcase the extent of my ability.
Somewhere later on I was asked a question which I got slightly wrong, and he led me into another series of questions which ultimately led me to the correct answer to the question I first answered wrongly. This is just my conjecture, but I believe he used this as a gauge of how teachable I was and how I responded to the Cambridge style of personal tutoring.
One part I found funny, my interviewer wrote something on his notes after I made a very silly, almost unforgiveable error, but didn't say anything and let me continue. Shortly afterwards I realised my mistake and wrote the correct thing down, and he went back to his notes and scribbled down more things. I can't really translate well into writing why I found this funny but it was just the image of him obviously reacting in real-time to my mistake, and the correction of my mistake :P
The last question (supposedly the hardest) I stumbled on for what seemed like ages, before the interviewer asked me what I was thinking. I told him what I was trying to do and he basically hand-held me through the question to arrive at the solution. I left feeling like that was my big failure in the interview. Still, the interviewer prefaced the final question by saying that it was the last question before we started, so I know he didn't choose to end the interview there and then because of my (self-assessed) poor response. To be honest at the end of the day I don't know what the interviewer thought of this question.
Apart from these memorable incidents, the rest of the interview was fairly straightforward, gave the correct answers to his simple questions.
Why did you chose your college? If I am to be completely honest, I was lazy and chose an open application, because at the time of applying I didn't think myself capable of actually getting into Cambridge. I felt like I just wanted to get my UCAS application over and done with, and see what came out of it. I wasn't very familiar with UK schools and the Cambridge college system; I picked my 5 university choices by simply taking the top 5 universities in the Economics league table! As with most people, I gradually became invested into the application process and started to research intensely about Cambridge and the college I got allocated. I'm happy so far with what I've seen
Where else did you apply?
LSE
Warwick
St Andrews
UCL
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? LSE/St Andrews
General Comments & Advice: From everything I've read and heard, I think it's safe to conclude that you cannot really 'game' the admissions procedure; it's been designed and executed quite successfully by experienced people who are very good at deeming candidates' suitability for the style of teaching at Cambridge. I feel the only useful advice I have is that being suitable for Cambridge doesn't mean one is more intelligent; it simply means one benefits more from the supervision-style teaching and environment. Yes, a requirement for Cambridge is good academic performance/potential, but they have limited places, so naturally they have to reject some very intelligent people who they may simply have felt would benefit more from other universities. I won't lie; Cambridge really is a cut above the other universities in prestige, but I feel the biggest mistake one can make is walking into the application process thinking that a rejection means one is not qualified or intelligent enough. No human process is perfect, but I think as a general rule the final decisions are carefully deliberated and fully sensible. No matter what you walk away from the process with, it's you who defines yourself, not your university.
Any official feedback received from your college:
(not yet)
(edited 7 years ago)
Decision: Accepted
Course: Mathematics with Physics
College: Pembroke
Offer Conditions: 15 in LK mathematics and physics with 1.2 overall in the Abitur, 1,1 in STEP II and III.
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email on the 12th
Home, EU or International: EU
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): private, albeit free?
Other: applied mathematics research projects, physics, maths and philosophy olympiads
Reflection
Strengths: research experience, early STEP preparation (immensely helped with problem solving during the interview), strong on-paper application (or so I was told during interview)
Weaknesses: lack of experience with mechanics, limited national mathematics curriculum in comparison to A-levels (though partially compensated by further reading)
Why did you choose your college? It's small but admits a relatively high number of mathematicians each year, the DoS is an applied mathematician, it has beautiful architecture and good food, it's conveniently situated.
Where else did you apply? Imperial, UCL, KCL
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Imperial (Mathematics and Mathematical Physics) or LMU Munich
General Comments & Advice:
Although the interview questions will be of a different form, practise both creative problem solving and explaning your thought process using STEP problems (I cannot stress the importance of the second skill enough).
Then, try to sleep well before the interview in order to be alert and able to follow the interviewers' hints, and do not worry too much when you begin to think that your interview didn't go well - firstly, how one thinks it went doesn't correlate with one's actual performance at all, and secondly, what's important, really, is that you tried your best.
Course: Mathematics with Physics
College: Pembroke
Offer Conditions: 15 in LK mathematics and physics with 1.2 overall in the Abitur, 1,1 in STEP II and III.
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email on the 12th
Home, EU or International: EU
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): private, albeit free?
Other: applied mathematics research projects, physics, maths and philosophy olympiads
Reflection
Strengths: research experience, early STEP preparation (immensely helped with problem solving during the interview), strong on-paper application (or so I was told during interview)
Weaknesses: lack of experience with mechanics, limited national mathematics curriculum in comparison to A-levels (though partially compensated by further reading)
Why did you choose your college? It's small but admits a relatively high number of mathematicians each year, the DoS is an applied mathematician, it has beautiful architecture and good food, it's conveniently situated.
Where else did you apply? Imperial, UCL, KCL
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? Imperial (Mathematics and Mathematical Physics) or LMU Munich
General Comments & Advice:
Although the interview questions will be of a different form, practise both creative problem solving and explaning your thought process using STEP problems (I cannot stress the importance of the second skill enough).
Then, try to sleep well before the interview in order to be alert and able to follow the interviewers' hints, and do not worry too much when you begin to think that your interview didn't go well - firstly, how one thinks it went doesn't correlate with one's actual performance at all, and secondly, what's important, really, is that you tried your best.
Decision: Rejected (from pool, after re-interview)
Course: Law
College: Downing originally, re-interviewed at Selwyn (on the 12th)
Offer Conditions: N/A
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email from Selwyn - Downing will send me the official rejection letter later on.
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): Home, England
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: A*x3, Ax8, Bx1
AS Subjects & Grades: AAAA (Government in Politics (100% UMS!), Economics, History, English Literature)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A (Government and Politics, History, Economics respectively)
Reflection
Strengths: ability to talk clearly, good AS grades, willingness to expand upon & modify points
Weaknesses: GCSE grades, lack of prior contact with genuine legal passages (I've read legislation before, but I don't think I ever had to really think about it, so...), and probably many other things I can't think of at the moment!
Interview Assessment: First one at Downing went awfully - I could not, for the life of me, decipher the passage they had given me (in interview, so I had no time to look at it beforehand). Second one went better; I love discussing my own ideas and the practical implementation of legislation in cases, and this gave me a chance to do that. First interview at Selwyn was more general, and I loved it; discussing the jobs of lawyers was a major part of it that I enjoyed. Second one not so good - again, I just found the legislation that I had been given really tried my ability to think outside the box.
Why did you chose your college?: I've heard excellent things about Downing (and Selwyn!) for Law; I kind of just took a few that I had heard similar things about and narrowed it down from there!
Where else did you apply?: Exeter (AAA), Warwick (AAA), Lancaster (AAB), Leicester (Unconditional)
If you were rejected, which uni is benefiting from Cambridge’s oversight?: Exeter, definitely.
General Comments & Advice: Keep an open mind. Cambridge ATs and those who interview you know the university better than you ever will, probably - when you've been rejected, you've been rejected for a reason. It's not because you're "worse than the rest", or because your grades weren't high enough: It's because they know the university, and they don't think it's what would be best for you. Of course, this is advice for those who have been rejected, but hey, I'm in that position. I'm keeping myself going by knowing that, at the end of the day, there's a very, very good reason they've rejected you, especially if you got invited to interview (or twice, in my case!), and it likely has absolutely nothing to do with anything you could reasonably change. The application process is entirely holistic, and different every single year - 2 years ago, my school sent 7 students to Oxbridge; this year, 7 applied, and none got in. It's not about fitting into a cookie-cut 'Cambridge student' shape, it's about whether or not their style of teaching is for you... And considering you've never gone to their university before, it's a safe bet that they can judge that better than you.
Any official feedback received from your college: Will edit when I have it!
Course: Law
College: Downing originally, re-interviewed at Selwyn (on the 12th)
Offer Conditions: N/A
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email from Selwyn - Downing will send me the official rejection letter later on.
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): Home, England
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): State
GCSE Grades: A*x3, Ax8, Bx1
AS Subjects & Grades: AAAA (Government in Politics (100% UMS!), Economics, History, English Literature)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A (Government and Politics, History, Economics respectively)
Reflection
Strengths: ability to talk clearly, good AS grades, willingness to expand upon & modify points
Weaknesses: GCSE grades, lack of prior contact with genuine legal passages (I've read legislation before, but I don't think I ever had to really think about it, so...), and probably many other things I can't think of at the moment!
Interview Assessment: First one at Downing went awfully - I could not, for the life of me, decipher the passage they had given me (in interview, so I had no time to look at it beforehand). Second one went better; I love discussing my own ideas and the practical implementation of legislation in cases, and this gave me a chance to do that. First interview at Selwyn was more general, and I loved it; discussing the jobs of lawyers was a major part of it that I enjoyed. Second one not so good - again, I just found the legislation that I had been given really tried my ability to think outside the box.
Why did you chose your college?: I've heard excellent things about Downing (and Selwyn!) for Law; I kind of just took a few that I had heard similar things about and narrowed it down from there!
Where else did you apply?: Exeter (AAA), Warwick (AAA), Lancaster (AAB), Leicester (Unconditional)
If you were rejected, which uni is benefiting from Cambridge’s oversight?: Exeter, definitely.
General Comments & Advice: Keep an open mind. Cambridge ATs and those who interview you know the university better than you ever will, probably - when you've been rejected, you've been rejected for a reason. It's not because you're "worse than the rest", or because your grades weren't high enough: It's because they know the university, and they don't think it's what would be best for you. Of course, this is advice for those who have been rejected, but hey, I'm in that position. I'm keeping myself going by knowing that, at the end of the day, there's a very, very good reason they've rejected you, especially if you got invited to interview (or twice, in my case!), and it likely has absolutely nothing to do with anything you could reasonably change. The application process is entirely holistic, and different every single year - 2 years ago, my school sent 7 students to Oxbridge; this year, 7 applied, and none got in. It's not about fitting into a cookie-cut 'Cambridge student' shape, it's about whether or not their style of teaching is for you... And considering you've never gone to their university before, it's a safe bet that they can judge that better than you.
Any official feedback received from your college: Will edit when I have it!
Decision: Rejected (from pool, after re-interview)
Course: Economics
College: Pembroke, then pooled to Selwyn
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email today, after a reinterview on 12th January
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
GCSE Grades: 10A*s
AS Subjects & Grades: Econ (A), Chemistry (A), Chinese (B) and A* Maths A Level
A2 Predictions: A*A*A*A* (Econ, Maths, FM, Chem)
Strengths: GCSEs, teacher reference saying they predicted I would get a First, interviews at both colleges went well, was proud of my personal statement as well
Weaknesses: ECAA definitely, was savage
Interview Assessment: I had two sets of interviews, both went really well. Both very mathematical as expected.
Why did you chose your college?: Fell in love as soon as I walked round, pretty buildings and very central (also food was amazing there when I stayed overnight for interview). My pooled college was great too, next to the humanities site which seemed like a massive bonus.
Where else did you apply?: LSE, Warwick, Durham, Bristol
If you were rejected, which uni is benefiting from Cambridge’s oversight?: LSE
General Comments & Advice: Had to go back for another interview which was a pain, found with both interviews that preparing in any way is pretty useless. nothing can prepare you for what they throw at you. Preparing and practising only helps boost confidence, so if you felt like your school doesn't help with much preparation that really won't disadvantage you in anyway.
Course: Economics
College: Pembroke, then pooled to Selwyn
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email today, after a reinterview on 12th January
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
GCSE Grades: 10A*s
AS Subjects & Grades: Econ (A), Chemistry (A), Chinese (B) and A* Maths A Level
A2 Predictions: A*A*A*A* (Econ, Maths, FM, Chem)
Strengths: GCSEs, teacher reference saying they predicted I would get a First, interviews at both colleges went well, was proud of my personal statement as well
Weaknesses: ECAA definitely, was savage
Interview Assessment: I had two sets of interviews, both went really well. Both very mathematical as expected.
Why did you chose your college?: Fell in love as soon as I walked round, pretty buildings and very central (also food was amazing there when I stayed overnight for interview). My pooled college was great too, next to the humanities site which seemed like a massive bonus.
Where else did you apply?: LSE, Warwick, Durham, Bristol
If you were rejected, which uni is benefiting from Cambridge’s oversight?: LSE
General Comments & Advice: Had to go back for another interview which was a pain, found with both interviews that preparing in any way is pretty useless. nothing can prepare you for what they throw at you. Preparing and practising only helps boost confidence, so if you felt like your school doesn't help with much preparation that really won't disadvantage you in anyway.
Decision: Accepted
Course: Human, Social, and Political Science (HSPS)
College: Queens'
Offer Conditions: 41 IB with 776 HL
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email between two of my exams on the 12th
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): EU (Austria)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private International
IB predictions: 43 with 777
Reflection
Strengths: Admission Assessment (the interviewers said my essay was outstanding), Grades, Predictions
Weaknesses: Interview
Interview Assessment: Terrible, I started faking a British accent half way through...
Why did you chose your college? locations, size, accommodation, good ratios of students in different courses, general atmosphere
Where else did you apply? UCL, LSE, and Warwick + others in the US
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? schools in the US, or UCL
Course: Human, Social, and Political Science (HSPS)
College: Queens'
Offer Conditions: 41 IB with 776 HL
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): email between two of my exams on the 12th
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): EU (Austria)
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private International
IB predictions: 43 with 777
Reflection
Strengths: Admission Assessment (the interviewers said my essay was outstanding), Grades, Predictions
Weaknesses: Interview
Interview Assessment: Terrible, I started faking a British accent half way through...
Why did you chose your college? locations, size, accommodation, good ratios of students in different courses, general atmosphere
Where else did you apply? UCL, LSE, and Warwick + others in the US
If you were accepted, what is your Insurance choice? schools in the US, or UCL
Decision: Rejected
Course: Law
College: St Catharine's
Offer Conditions: n/a
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email, 9.03am 12th January
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private
GCSE Grades: 9 A*'s 1 A
AS Subjects & Grades: Only took Maths AS, B
A2 Predictions:
D2 - English Lit (Pre U)
A* - Politics
D3 - Spanish (Pre U)
C - Maths (really bombed the AS, suspected reason for rejection)
Reflection
Strengths: Personal Statement, Cambridge Law Test, Law-based EPQ
Weaknesses: Low UMS for Maths AS, Interview skills (tend to get really nervous on the day and my brain short circuits)
Interview Assessment: First one went well because we were discussing my EPQ topic and I know my EPQ pretty well. Second did not go so well because it was the analysis of the statute and whilst I thought I had prepared well in the time they gave us, they ripped me to shreds in the interview room.
Why did you chose your college? Was my second choice to Downing. Liked the size of the college and had read around the Law supervisors and liked them.
Where else did you apply? Durham, Bristol, Nottingham, QMUL
If you were rejected, which uni is benefiting from Cambridge’s oversight? If I get good grades this summer, I'm going to try for Cambridge again. If not, I will happily go to Durham
Any official feedback received from your college: Naturally, my low UMS had an impact. I was also said I needed extra guidance to get through the statute I had to read for my interview. For my CLT, I made lots of relevant points but needed more analysis. Overall, I was good but other people were better. At the end of the day, 41 people applied for 6 places so I understand why they would have rejected me.
Course: Law
College: St Catharine's
Offer Conditions: n/a
How did you first hear and when? (email/letter/owl): Email, 9.03am 12th January
Optional
Home, EU or International (Country): Home
School Type (Private/State/Grammar/other): Private
GCSE Grades: 9 A*'s 1 A
AS Subjects & Grades: Only took Maths AS, B
A2 Predictions:
D2 - English Lit (Pre U)
A* - Politics
D3 - Spanish (Pre U)
C - Maths (really bombed the AS, suspected reason for rejection)
Reflection
Strengths: Personal Statement, Cambridge Law Test, Law-based EPQ
Weaknesses: Low UMS for Maths AS, Interview skills (tend to get really nervous on the day and my brain short circuits)
Interview Assessment: First one went well because we were discussing my EPQ topic and I know my EPQ pretty well. Second did not go so well because it was the analysis of the statute and whilst I thought I had prepared well in the time they gave us, they ripped me to shreds in the interview room.
Why did you chose your college? Was my second choice to Downing. Liked the size of the college and had read around the Law supervisors and liked them.
Where else did you apply? Durham, Bristol, Nottingham, QMUL
If you were rejected, which uni is benefiting from Cambridge’s oversight? If I get good grades this summer, I'm going to try for Cambridge again. If not, I will happily go to Durham
Any official feedback received from your college: Naturally, my low UMS had an impact. I was also said I needed extra guidance to get through the statute I had to read for my interview. For my CLT, I made lots of relevant points but needed more analysis. Overall, I was good but other people were better. At the end of the day, 41 people applied for 6 places so I understand why they would have rejected me.
(edited 7 years ago)
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March 2024 Cambridge Mature Colleges Round - Anybody?Last reply 1 day ago
MPhil Advanced Computer Science Cambridge - 2024 EntryLast reply 2 weeks ago
Easy Colleges in Cambridge to get in - should this be allowedLast reply 2 weeks ago
Could I get into Oxford or Cambridge without studying A-level background??Last reply 2 weeks ago
MPhil in Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence at Cambridge 2024Last reply 2 weeks ago
Cannot find funding for Cambridge, is it worth getting a loan?
