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Giving Feedback to Cambridge - 2017

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Original post by jneill
Warn applicants the SAQ photo will be with them for the entire duration of their studies if they are successful :smile:

And maybe provide some more info about Open Offers - extending this beyond medicine was a great innovation this year but I don't *think* there is anything about it on the Cambridge site. It seems worthy of a Press Release :smile:


The Open Offer scheme was agreed quite late and we weren't quite sure how it was going to work in practice, hence the lack of a Press Release. But I think one may well be on the agenda now...
Reply 21
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Original post by Christ's Admissions
The Open Offer scheme was agreed quite late and we weren't quite sure how it was going to work in practice, hence the lack of a Press Release. But I think one may well be on the agenda now...


PRSOM
Original post by 210555
Thank you for doing this thread, whilst useful for yourselves it is useful for future applicants as well. Was the caution due to these assessments being new? I know you take a "holistic" approach but are they likely to be a more significant factor in future years?


They may well be a more significant factor in future years, but not until we are sure that there is a strong relationship between the marks that candidates obtain in them, and the marks they go on to obtain in A-levels/other public examinations - and, indeed, our own examinations. It will take a while to accrue the evidence on that front!
Original post by Student1256
Feedback given to students regarding their rejection takes too long and often times is vague. So if something can be done about that, then it would be great.


I'm not sure that very much can be done about the length of time it takes to deliver feedback at some colleges (Admissions Tutors often have a other jobs to do, and we get a lot of requests for feedback), but I'd agree that it could sometimes be more specific.
Original post by unknowntsr
I personally am very happy with how the ELAT was handled. I would prefer if colleges kept to using the ELAT as less about the marks and more about the ideas and way of thinking the applicant showcased.

Also candidates should not be allowed to sit outside their interview room but they often overhear things which maybe beneficial for their interview.

Apart from those two points, the whole process is exhausting but also very fun and enjoyable if handled correctly!


Well, anyone sitting outside my interview room would have had to hear through two sets of doors and have ears like a lynx, but I take your point :smile:
Reply 25
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Original post by unknowntsr
I personally am very happy with how the ELAT was handled. I would prefer if colleges kept to using the ELAT as less about the marks and more about the ideas and way of thinking the applicant showcased.

Also candidates should not be allowed to sit outside their interview room but they often overhear things which maybe beneficial for their interview.

Apart from those two points, the whole process is exhausting but also very fun and enjoyable if handled correctly!


Actually I agree with the point about sitting outside the interview room, you can sometimes hear. In addition, ( when I applied last year) I wasn't as "savvy" re the process as some obviously were .

It might be a good idea, upon arrival, for colleges to issue students with a quick note reminding them of the pitfalls of discussing the contents of their interview. I was directly asked on a few occasions. You'd think we should know but I actually don't think there's any harm in pointing out the obvious. Some colleges may already do this of course. Thank you.
I know that admissions are done holistically but are AS/A2 results and interview performance given equal weight? I've heard cases of people being admitted with a better interview and slightly lower grades, but not often the reverse.

Not everyone college's feedback is very in-depth which I understand (it takes time after all) but it does still give this element of "no idea" to the admissions. Arguably being as transparent as possible whilst also being efficient would be ideal.

What is your stance on applicants re-applying post results? Should they exceed the standard offer/their predictions or is this just a waste of time? Do you have any statistics about re-applicants (success rates, grades etc)?

Don't mean to sound critical at all, this is more out of curiosity because it's still a bit of a mythical process to most of us xD
Reply 27
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Original post by 210555
It might be a good idea, upon arrival, for colleges to issue students with a quick note reminding them of the pitfalls of discussing the contents of their interview. I was directly asked on a few occasions. You'd think we should know but I actually don't think there's any harm in pointing out the obvious. Some colleges may already do this of course. Thank you.


This was noted in last year's feedback too and remains a good idea :smile:

Even a sign in the waiting areas. Might I suggest: "loose talk costs places"
Original post by 210555
Actually I agree with the point about sitting outside the interview room, you can sometimes hear. In addition, ( when I applied last year) I wasn't as "savvy" re the process as some obviously were .

It might be a good idea, upon arrival, for colleges to issue students with a quick note reminding them of the pitfalls of discussing the contents of their interview. I was directly asked on a few occasions. You'd think we should know but I actually don't think there's any harm in pointing out the obvious. Some colleges may already do this of course. Thank you.


Some colleges do issue a reminder, yes, but more would probably not go amiss!
Original post by jneill
This was noted in last year's feedback too and remains a good idea :smile:

Even a sign in the waiting areas. Might I suggest: "loose talk costs places"


Wait so if you talk to someone else about your interview they find out and remove your place? What if this person was at your school? Or was this more of a reference to people discussing specific things whilst eg waiting and then one person does better because they knew what to expect etc?
I think, in general, it was professional.

It might help students to have a definitive date on which one finds out their decision re winter pooling. I would prefer to know that I will hear on Friday than I will hear at some point before or on Friday, because I then spend five days checking my emails and it's distracting from my study quite a bit, as is happening right now haha
Reply 31
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Original post by auburnstar
Wait so if you talk to someone else about your interview they find out and remove your place? What if this person was at your school? Or was this more of a reference to people discussing specific things whilst eg waiting and then one person does better because they knew what to expect etc?


As part of your application you have signed a statement similar to this:

"I understand that the College expects me to retain confidentiality and not to share interview questions and unseen work with other applicants, or to discuss them publicly before the admissions round is complete. This includes communication indirectly or directly by email, websites, chat rooms and texts with other candidates. The College will treat any breach of confidentiality as a very serious matter and appropriate action will be taken."

Talking to a school mate who isn't a candidate *could* lead to that school mate later talking to a candidate. Best not to discuss specifics with anyone...
Original post by auburnstar
I know that admissions are done holistically but are AS/A2 results and interview performance given equal weight? I've heard cases of people being admitted with a better interview and slightly lower grades, but not often the reverse.

Not everyone college's feedback is very in-depth which I understand (it takes time after all) but it does still give this element of "no idea" to the admissions. Arguably being as transparent as possible whilst also being efficient would be ideal.

What is your stance on applicants re-applying post results? Should they exceed the standard offer/their predictions or is this just a waste of time? Do you have any statistics about re-applicants (success rates, grades etc)?

Don't mean to sound critical at all, this is more out of curiosity because it's still a bit of a mythical process to most of us xD


It's actually very common for people to be admitted with strong grades, and a slightly weaker interview performance, but applicants don't generally realize this has been the case...

I can't give you precise statistics on re-application success rates, simply because we destroy and/or anonymize the records of all unsuccessful applicants at the end of each of Admissions Round, not least to ensure that anyone who chooses to try again has a completely blank slate. Anecdotally, however, it is pretty common for students to get in the second time around.

Where attainment is concerned, the majority of successful applicants do in fact exceed the standard offer (most successful science applicants to Christ's, for example, have A*A*A* or better), so the higher your grades, the better your chances, overall. Having said that, though, there are exceptions to every rule, and anyone who has achieved at the standard offer level is in with some chance of success.
Original post by epsilondelta
I think, in general, it was professional.

It might help students to have a definitive date on which one finds out their decision re winter pooling. I would prefer to know that I will hear on Friday than I will hear at some point before or on Friday, because I then spend five days checking my emails and it's distracting from my study quite a bit, as is happening right now haha


Good point, yes!
If one requests feedback following an unsuccessful application to Cambridge, what is the typical time-frame for feedback to be given? @jneill
Original post by Percypig17
If one requests feedback following an unsuccessful application to Cambridge, what is the typical time-frame for feedback to be given? @jneill


Most colleges aim to give feedback within one to two months of their deadline for feedback requests (and faster if possible).
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Most colleges aim to give feedback within one to two months of their deadline for feedback requests (and faster if possible).


I heard from someone that some of the colleges don't offer individual feedback (including some at Oxford). Is this true? What should an applicant do in this instance or is feedback not available?
Original post by Christ's Admissions
most successful science applicants to Christ's, for example, have A*A*A* or better


Do most successful humanities/arts applicants have A*A*A or better, in that case?
Original post by auburnstar
I heard from someone that some of the colleges don't offer individual feedback (including some at Oxford). Is this true? What should an applicant do in this instance or is feedback not available?


I can't answer for Oxford but as far as I am aware, all Cambridge colleges will offer feedback to candidates who have been rejected post-interview.
Original post by auburnstar
Do most successful humanities/arts applicants have A*A*A or better, in that case?


The average successful humanities/arts applicant to Christ's last year had 2.12 A*s. But there was quite a lot of variation across subjects, and this is true at other colleges too. There is less variation in the sciences.

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