Giving Feedback to Cambridge - 2017

Scores for Section 1 were distributed in such a way that the average applicant scored 4. So anything above that is good.

I don't think there is any straightforward way to quantify the role it played in decision-making, and we didn't use it at all in determining who received an offer at Christ's, only in determining who to interview (see earlier posts).

Scores for Section 1 were distributed in such a way that the average applicant scored 4. So anything above that is good.

I don't think there is any straightforward way to quantify the role it played in decision-making, and we didn't use it at all in determining who received an offer at Christ's, only in determining who to interview (see earlier posts).

Hi, I felt the whole process was done very smoothly. As an Economics applicant to John's there's a couple of subject and college based things I'd mention.

With the ECAA, the actual paper was a lot harder than the specimen... and I mean I got 95%ish on the specimen, and feel I would be lucky to get 75% in the actual one (although I agree with other suggestions and results on those to all applicants). I feel I wasn't the only person to feel the same way (lots of disgruntled Studentroom applicants feeling their economics applications had gone out the window when in fact it seems to have just been low scores all around). Therefore I'd suggest having a look at that, although I obviously appreciate that this will improve over time.

With regards to other stuff, the SAQ photo form is a right pain... had to covert my photo to paint and recrop it multiple times to avoid my head either looking like a stick or a tomato... and I'm not like that, honest

At John's, my interviews were both 20 minutes, which felt rather short, although I obviously appreciate time restraints etc. But in my second interview I mucked up a maths question at the start, and then spent an awful lot of time on that, and felt that due to the 20 minutes, I didn't get an opportunity to showcase my other aspects such as personal statement and awareness of books and topics and current affairs etc.. so partly my fault, but would've been nice to not feel I hadn't had time to show my potential.

But as a first time applicant scared by the prospect of an application to Cambridge, it wasn't half as bad as the Daily Mail might have made it out to be

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Just wanted to know if there was any view on my feedback? Especially the ECAA, given that seemed quite a common concern... not that the paper was hard (sort of expected that ), but the disparity between the actual paper and practice paper

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What was an average score in section 1&2?

What sort of score out of 18 would be a 4 then? Something like 9?

Hope it is ok to repeat a question posted in the reject thread here. If not apologies and won't do it again.

There is a comment circulating in some schools that for those doing Pre-Us and considering reapplying post results, D1s in all 3 or 4 subjects are essential even though a D2 is equivalent to an A* and a D1 is higher still, and don't bother if they are just all D2s especially if the candidate is from what is considered a good school. Is there any degree of truth in that?

This is maybe not very UG-admission specific, but important nevertheless I think:
There are so many stereotypes of women-only colleges and I think giving more information (not only on their websites, but also on the university's - because many people won't even look at those colleges' websites) about why they exist and why they are important could help to challenge the often negative view, especially because there are so few women-only institutions that it might easily be the first time to stumble upon one for applicants.
I think it would be great if this could include that despite there being three female-only colleges, there are still more male students at the university as a whole - many applicants seem to think that men stand less of a chance of getting in when being pooled. I think (or hope) that could be an eye-opener for many.

This seems to me like wild exaggeration.

How do I contact the CAO? Do they have a particular email or should I submit an FOI?

I was an international applicant and flew over for interview. However, the college I applied to did not provide me with accommodation as my point of entry to the UK was from Heathrow Airport. I was thus forced to book my own hotel room with only 1.5 weeks notice. I was also not given any meals. Was hoping that in the future, priority could be given to internationals flying over to the UK for interviews.

Fortunately though, I was pooled to another college and couldn't be happier. I was really put off by the original college I applied to.

@Christ's Admissions

I was an international applicant and flew over for interview. However, the college I applied to did not provide me with accommodation as my point of entry to the UK was from Heathrow Airport. I was thus forced to book my own hotel room with only 1.5 weeks notice. I was also not given any meals. Was hoping that in the future, priority could be given to internationals flying over to the UK for interviews.

Fortunately though, I was pooled to another college and couldn't be happier. I was really put off by the original college I applied to.

@Christ's Admissions

Scores for Section 1 were distributed in such a way that the average applicant scored 4. So anything above that is good.

I don't think there is any straightforward way to quantify the role it played in decision-making, and we didn't use it at all in determining who received an offer at Christ's, only in determining who to interview (see earlier posts).

The average applicant scored 4! I can't remember what is what out of, but 4 seems remarkably low!

One of my interviewers showed me the marking sheet and it said 8 on it, what score would this roughly correspond to?

I don't have that data, I'm afraid, since section 2 was college-marked only, in most subjects.