The Official Cambridge Offer Holders Thread 2017 Entry

But what does pot of greed do??

Tis a mystery even the most boosted peeps dunno.

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Firstly, just because a course is listed in Extra doesn't mean it actually is in Extra. Some universities are rather lazy and don't remove their courses from Extra... so you need to call the university first to check.

Secondly Extra and Clearing are, of course, different and you can't assume one leads to the other, or that if a course is in clearing necessarily means it will accept a lower requirement.

"Generally" most universities do allow a one or even two grade miss, but there's no guarantees... (and the most demanding/popular courses are less likely to relax their offer). Durham in particular can spend a long time thinking about it and still say no after days have elapsed.

Eitherway, less than 10% of applicants end up at their Insurance anyway. The vast majority go to their firm (and approx 90% of Cambridge offer holders make their offer (except for Maths...)).

What unis are you thinking about for your insurance, and what are their offers?

Ah thanks. What I meant was that if I missed the offer for a combined honours course (which has higher entry requirements), would the uni typically let you transfer to single honours (which have lower entry requirements and also happens to be one of the few courses currently advertised in extra)- all very hypothetical and hopefully won't get to this.


Considering either Edinburgh (ABB) or Durham (A*AA)- in terms of pros and cons both courses and unis have them but I'm leaning towards Durham more (for more non academic reasons if I'm being honest but academic reasons do have a say too). If you haven't guessed already, Durham is the one with combined honours.

I mean I'm thinking that I should get AAB even on a really bad day so that would be guaranteed but alternatively any less than ABB and I may retake some exams as I've had rather many this time round and definitely know I'm capable of doing better than that

We'll look out for you

I think you're very much over exaggerating this (from my experience, of course - I might certainly be wrong), unless there's a genuinely really big gap between average mathmo ability and natsci ability.

An average undergraduate first year mathmo should be able to easily do STEP by the end of their first year (a far far harder exam than any of this AA stuff), so it's rather surprising to hear that a NatSci would have the least bit of trouble with the NSAA - of course, I don't know very much about the NSAA and it's relevance to the NatSci course, so that might account for it to a small extent, but I don't know...

I think you're very much over exaggerating this (from my experience, of course - I might certainly be wrong), unless there's a genuinely really big gap between average mathmo ability and natsci ability.

Aha, honestly I would be more confident about getting 100+ in STEP I than 90%+ in the NSAA. I sat STEP back in school and it was the one exam which I knew I nailed. It's a different type of exam. In the same regard I would be relatively certain I could at least draw a chess game against an IM or even low GM with classical time controls, but I would be worried about a rapid game against almost any opponent. I think in this regard you are right that STEP is more difficult but the challenge to natsci applicants is to beat 75-80% of the cohort in a rapid-fire exam like this. Conversely the odds for STEP offer holders is more favourable.

Lol I am not explaining myself very well. There is no doubt mathmos are better at maths based stuff that natscis. There is no doubt STEP is a harder exam with more challenging questions. I don't outright contest either point there.

But I do think dismissing an exam because it is easy(/ier) than another is problematic. Let's say I had to stake my life on a particular performance in a maths exam. I can pick between getting 100% raw mark on C3 and C4, or getting a 1 in STEP or getting above 105 in the Senior Maths Challenge (I did all 3 of these things when I was 17). But right now, out of the 3, I would pick STEP, because that is probably the most reliable outcome of the 3 for me. Appreciably a lot of people would probably pick C3 and C4. That doesn't mean they are better or worse than me, it's just that I don't back myself to be fast, efficient, mistake free as much as I would back myself to get to the bottom of 4 STEP questions in 3 hours. I am sure that as a (current?) mathmo you would feel the same.

I also think it's difficult to revisit anything when you've spent too much time doing something else. I do remember working for my chemistry A-Level and occasionally getting things wrong or perhaps not understanding something instantly. However, if I looked at it now I would laugh. That doesn't mean it's easy, it's just the position I am in now.

oh damn, hope u were alright.

afaik mathmos go crazy and wonder the streets at night instead.

As you say, it won't get to this

However, as I mentioned, Durham has a reputation for being decidedly unhelpful on Results Day.... I suggest you contact them and straightforwardly ask what are the chances of them accepting you onto the single honours if you Insure them but miss A*AA. You could specifically ask how many applicants did they accept last year who missed their offer?

And, just to say, Edinburgh is excellent anyway

Yeah i was going to but then I didn't want to ask as I know Durham aren't a fan of you insuring them

I imagine they'd be less of a fan of you rejecting them entirely. Honestly, in all things it is better to be straightforward with people... you have a valid concern so ask them It's not as if they will remove your offer.

Hey Doonesbury, do you think my insurance being Durham (AAA) is unreasonable/too risky?

Hey Doonesbury, do you think my insurance being Durham (AAA) is unreasonable/too risky?

I'm not Doonesbury, but I wouldn't have thought AAA was unreasonable considering you're probably pegged for something along the lines of A*A*A (or better).

Has anyone else found that their parents/relatives/other adults seem to think that at Cambridge the 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' attitude applies? My mum keeps offering to introduce me to the children of random mutual friends who are at Cambridge (different course and college to me) and I don't know how to politely refuse 😅😑

....Just focus on studying for AS exams lol.

Anyone got mocks this week?? I feel there's something slightly soul destroying about doing a paper and going blank on topics you already knew you were rubbish at less than 2 months before the real thing.


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