The Student Room Group

Oxbridge Applications

Scroll to see replies

Original post by theford
That was poor wording I have admit. Thanks for making that clear.


Extremely. I suggest you give up on this thread and do some more research. Have a look at the excellent threads in the Cambridge forum, for example, in which admissions tutors and applicants discuss what makes a good candidate.

EDIT: Try starting here, http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4242660

Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 21
Original post by ageshallnot
Extremely. I suggest you give up on this thread and do some more research. Have a look at the excellent threads in the Cambridge forum, for example, in which admissions tutors and applicants discuss what makes a good candidate.

Posted from TSR Mobile


I wouldn't say give up, I'm benefitting from a lot of the contributions to this, but thank you for the advice on the Cambridge threads, they really are excellent.
Reply 22
Original post by theford
How important are ethnic and social factors to studying at Cambridge? I am white British, private school background and due to the contextual factors on disadvantaged or minority students, am I at a disadvantage?


Original post by ageshallnot
Extremely. I suggest you give up on this thread and do some more research. Have a look at the excellent threads in the Cambridge forum, for example, in which admissions tutors and applicants discuss what makes a good candidate.

EDIT: Try starting here, http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4242660

Posted from TSR Mobile

^this

And if you are an academically strong candidate with a passion for your subject you should apply. You can't change your "context" - i.e your GCSE school, your POLAR3, your "in care" or free school meal status, or much else at this stage. Simply apply on your own merits. Let the Cambridge Admissions Tutors and DoSs do the worrying about any contextual factors and the impact (or not) that has on applications. Fundamentally the context of your application is like everything else for Cambridge; it's another set of data to be considered holistically across your overall application. It's no more or less important that all the other factors. Getting 6 contextual "flags" doesn't guarantee an offer, equally getting none doesn't preclude one.

There are plenty of white, private-school educated students at Cambridge. There are also plenty of non-white, state-school educated too.

If YOU are good enough you will get an Offer. If you don't apply, you won't know...

Edit to add: there are no quotas (except for Medicine, but that's not a contextual quota, it's a straighforward limit on places and is imposed by the NHS not Cambridge).
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 23
Original post by jneill
^this

And if you are an academically strong candidate with a passion for your subject you should apply. You can't change your "context" - i.e your GCSE school, your POLAR3, your "in care" or free school meal status, or much else at this stage. Simply apply on your own merits. Let the Cambridge Admissions Tutors and DoSs do the worrying about any contextual factors and the impact (or not) that has on applications. Fundamentally the context of your application is like everything else for Cambridge; it's another set of data to be considered holistically across your overall application. It's no more or less important that all the other factors. Getting 6 contextual "flags" doesn't guarantee an offer, equally getting none doesn't preclude one.

There are plenty of white, private-school educated students at Cambridge. There are also plenty of non-white, state-school educated too.

If YOU are good enough you will get an Offer. If you don't apply, you won't know...

Edit to add: there are no quotas (except for Medicine, but that's not a contextual quota, it's a straighforward limit on places and is imposed by the NHS not Cambridge).


Thank you so much, that's really clarified all the misconceptions I've been told about the whole selection process
Reply 24
Original post by theford
Thank you so much, that's really clarified all the misconceptions I've been told about the whole selection process


Glad to be of help.

As @ageshallnot was indicating, the real Cambridge experts (i.e. the resident ATs) can be found in the Cambridge forum. They don't venture "out" that often :smile:

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending