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The Official Cambridge Offer Holders Thread 2017 Entry

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Reply 3240
Avatar for Doones
Doones
OP
21
Original post by NeverLucky
Tbh I don't know if I want to stick to ChemEng anymore. Honestly, I think I'll probably end up sticking with NatSci or maybe switch to Compsci in the second year depending on how much I enjoy the first year Compsci option.


Some ChemEngineers do stay with NatSci. I'm not sure how many go to CS, fewer for sure.

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Original post by Doonesbury
Some ChemEngineers do stay with NatSci. I'm not sure how many go to CS, fewer for sure.

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I think the problem is my interests have changed a fair bit since January tbh. This gap year has been fantastic in terms of learning new things and some of it has been in computer science. I haven't really touched chemistry or physics at all since I finished A-levels tbh.
Hi there, I'm a maths offer holder, and I'm a bit worried about how I've done in STEP. STEP II went really well and I think I've got a strong 1 or possibly an S, but STEP III wasn't as good and I might have got a 2. I'm not sure if this makes any difference but I had a 99.5% ums average last year, and hopefully it'll be similar again this year, and I think my interviews went well. I know obviously it's all holistic and depends on how the other offer holders did but what do you think my chances are? My college is Queens' if that helps at all. Thanks!
Original post by carly1999
Hi there, I'm a maths offer holder, and I'm a bit worried about how I've done in STEP. STEP II went really well and I think I've got a strong 1 or possibly an S, but STEP III wasn't as good and I might have got a 2. I'm not sure if this makes any difference but I had a 99.5% ums average last year, and hopefully it'll be similar again this year, and I think my interviews went well. I know obviously it's all holistic and depends on how the other offer holders did but what do you think my chances are?


Good. Depending on the quality of the cohort (which isn't as strong as last (my) year from what I can see) you should either get into Queens (less likely) or get pooled to some other college (more likely), or, of course not get picked up in the pool at all (less likely).
Original post by Zacken
Good. Depending on the quality of the cohort (which isn't as strong as last (my) year from what I can see) you should either get into Queens (less likely) or get pooled to some other college (more likely), or, of course not get picked up in the pool at all (less likely).


Thank you, this has definitely made me feel a bit better as I've been panicking about it ever since I came of of the exam on Thursday! Out of interest do you know if the interview and ums is really taken into account if you miss step or is it purely how close you were to the 1?
Original post by carly1999
Thank you, this has definitely made me feel a bit better as I've been panicking about it ever since I came of of the exam on Thursday! Out of interest do you know if the interview and ums is really taken into account if you miss step or is it purely how close you were to the 1?


In theory, yes - but in practice, the impression I (and most mathmos) get from our DoSes and supervisors is that the interview and your STEP score is the deciding factor (in (reverse of that) level of priority) as those are the things that judge degree performance adequately (A-Level maths being a rather shoddy excuse for maths), but good UMS certainly can't hurt.

It also depends on how others perform and such. I know two people who got 11, S1 for 11 + A*A*A offers at Trinity and Queens this year respectively, both missed the A* and both were pooled to different colleges (so there's that) because of how strong the cohort was that year.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Zacken
In theory, yes - but in practice, the impression I (and most mathmos) get from our DoSes and supervisors is that the interview and your STEP score is the deciding factor (in that level of priority) as those are the things that judge degree performance adequately (A-Level maths being a rather shoddy excuse for maths), but good UMS certainly can't hurt.

It also depends on how others perform and such. I know two people who got 11, S1 for 11 + A*A*A offers at Trinity and Queens this year respectively, both missed the A* and both were pooled to different colleges (so there's that) because of how strong the cohort was that year.


So interview takes precedence over STEP score - I was expecting it to be the opposite! And if that was the case last year I'm glad the cohort is (hopefully!) weaker this year. Anyway thank you for all the advice, you've certainly helped me feel a bit more relaxed about the situation.
Original post by carly1999
So interview takes precedence over STEP score - I was expecting it to be the opposite!


Sorry - I meant the opposite. Been working too much with posets...
Reply 3248
Avatar for alow
alow
19
Original post by NeverLucky
I think the problem is my interests have changed a fair bit since January tbh. This gap year has been fantastic in terms of learning new things and some of it has been in computer science. I haven't really touched chemistry or physics at all since I finished A-levels tbh.


For what it's worth, chemistry and physics will be very different at Cambridge compared to A Level, and if you like programming more than you like computer science there will be opportunities to do that. For example my Part III Chemistry project is going to be mainly writing software in C++.
Original post by Zacken
In theory, yes - but in practice, the impression I (and most mathmos) get from our DoSes and supervisors is that the interview and your STEP score is the deciding factor (in (reverse of that) level of priority) as those are the things that judge degree performance adequately (A-Level maths being a rather shoddy excuse for maths), but good UMS certainly can't hurt.


I hear the same. Rather amusingly, GCSEs are a better predictor of degree performance than UMS, only for maths.

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/special/20110406/multiple-regression-study.pdf
Reply 3250
Avatar for Doones
Doones
OP
21
Original post by Mathemagicien
I hear the same. Rather amusingly, GCSEs are a better predictor of degree performance than UMS, only for maths.

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/special/20110406/multiple-regression-study.pdf


I find it interesting that The Other Place stills uses the TSA for many courses, despite the evidence it is, er, pretty rubbish as a predictor.

(In before, O*ford's TSA is different - I don't think it's *that* different...)
Original post by alow
For what it's worth, chemistry and physics will be very different at Cambridge compared to A Level, and if you like programming more than you like computer science there will be opportunities to do that. For example my Part III Chemistry project is going to be mainly writing software in C++.


I actually haven't done much programming compared to banging my head over CLRS hahaha.
Original post by Doonesbury
I find it interesting that The Other Place stills uses the TSA for many courses, despite the evidence it is, er, pretty rubbish as a predictor.


Oh dear, I didn't even notice that.

Worse predictor than GCSEs for all but Engineering.

I'm also surprised how bad the BMAT is. Again worse than GCSEs.
Original post by Doonesbury
I find it interesting that The Other Place stills uses the TSA for many courses, despite the evidence it is, er, pretty rubbish as a predictor.

(In before, O*ford's TSA is different - I don't think it's *that* different...)


:rofl: as a person who took the TSA... no comment...

and Chemistry applicants need to do the TSA now as well for some reason.

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Original post by wolfmoon88
:rofl: as a person who took the TSA... no comment...

and Chemistry applicants need to do the TSA now as well for some reason.

Posted from TSR Mobile


I saw that and instantly thought...

Spoiler

Original post by Doonesbury
I find it interesting that The Other Place stills uses the TSA for many courses, despite the evidence it is, er, pretty rubbish as a predictor.

(In before, O*ford's TSA is different - I don't think it's *that* different...)


The Oxford TSA is identical to the one used at Cambridge other than the Oxford one also has an essay paper (except for Chemistry applicants) that is marked by the college.

I get the impression that they don't really care much about it being a predictor, rather it's just used as a (rather blunt) tool used to deselect a proportion of applicants before interview.
Original post by NeverLucky
I saw that and instantly thought...

Spoiler




:lol: I think they must have their reasons

Original post by Forecast
The Oxford TSA is identical to the one used at Cambridge other than the Oxford one also has an essay paper (except for Chemistry applicants) that is marked by the college.

I get the impression that they don't really care much about it being a predictor, rather it's just used as a (rather blunt) tool used to deselect a proportion of applicants before interview.


Yep they didn't really care about my score as long as it is satisfactory (not below average...) They cared more about what I wrote in the essay...
Original post by wolfmoon88
:lol: I think they must have their reasons



Yep they didn't really care about my score as long as it is satisfactory (not below average...) They cared more about what I wrote in the essay...


They have the PAT for physics and the MAT for Maths. Just create the CHAT...
Original post by NeverLucky
They have the PAT for physics and the MAT for Maths. Just create the CHAT...

idk man, it's an interesting question why they don't have the CHAT
Original post by wolfmoon88
idk man, it's an interesting question why they don't have the CHAT


Think of all the puns you can have with CHAT as it's name...

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