Ask An(other) Admissions Tutor 25/07/2017-08/08/2017

Are you allowed to request which subjects you will be interviewed for? Do you know which colleges use 3? (a maths, physics and chemistry interview would be great! )

Your chances of success with those GCSEs are lower than they might otherwise be, particularly if you secured them at a school where the average GCSE performance is much higher, but we do accept applicants every year with one or fewer A*s at GCSEs. So if your application is competitive in other respects (strong AS-levels, strong GCSE, strong performance in a pre-interview assessment for History or at-interview assessment for Law), you might still be in with a chance.

I don't think it matters which of those AS-level combinations you take; the most important thing is your combination of subjects at A-level, and there I would recommend you take at least two out of History, Literature and RE.

If I was applying for physical natsci and I'd done my a-level maths a year early but missed out on the A* by a small number of ums by not doing as well as usual on c4, would I be considered for an offer if I retook c4 next year alongside all my further maths modules (assuming I'd done well on most of my other modules)? Partly asking for me as well as my friend who I sit next to in maths who is applying to same course and may be in that situation.

I went to state comprehension that was getting emergency aid due to beneath 50% of students attaining even a C in English and maths. My school was a shambles, to say the least.

You can certainly express a preference at Christ's. I don't off-hand know which colleges use three interviews for Ohysical Natural Sciences, but I think it's likely that many colleges will test all three across two interviews.

Yeah I'm going to be applying for maths and physics joint honors or theoretical physics at other universities so my personal statement will mainly be focused on maths and physics but I want a chance to show off my chemistry ability if I get to the interview stage of cambridge admissions process.

Bear in mind that you can also flag your chemistry ability in the SAQ and in the pre-interview assessment!

I was planning on doing chemistry multiple choice section and maybe doing 1 of the chemistry long form questions depending on the selection of the question.

On the subject of grade improvement, would AABBB at AS vs A*A*AA/A*AAA at A2 be a significant improvement?

Can anynone please help me with this, I have a conditional offer for graduate entry medicine for Cambridge, the conditions were to complete my current MPhil which is def not an issue and to resit A level chemistry, because my previous one was over 7 years ago. I had received an A** back then. Hiwever, my mother is seriously ill with terminal brain cancer since November, and even though i was really well prepared for the exam, one of the 2 went very badly i think, because i was depressed and distracted and basically run out of time during the exam. the other one went ok i think. The condition is to get an A. I am not sure if i will achieve it and there is good chance i might miss it. I am extremenly anxious and frustrated, because I have worked for 2 years extremely hard to get into medicine, graduate entry cuz i cannot afford undergrad. I have worked every weekend in my past 2 and half years as carer, in NHS as HCA, i volunteered in many places, i graduated my BSc with 2:0 and my MPhil is going for distinction too, despite the horrible emotional circumstances i have been through these past few months, I do not know what to do, if i miss medicine, with my mother about to die it is the only think keeping me going, to study and do what i fought for all this time. I do not know if i have any hope to appeal or if there is any chanvce for me to get my offer. I feel is entirely unfair to be judged for my academic abilities when all my Alevel equivalents in Chemistry, Biology and Maths were A**< A* an A and I have Neuroscience BSc 2:0 with chemistry module which i received a first too, and an MPhil from cambrdige in genetcis, and to lose everything becuase i was distress on that single day. The reason i was distracted is cuz my mother got hospitalised 2 days before the exam, plus I had to pass 2 modules of my masters on the same week. I do not know how mamy ppl could cope better than i diid. please can anyone tell me if there is any hope in appealing or is it going to be a waste of effort, will they just listen and say, sorry you failed te grade you lose the offer thats it/ what should i do? i acant sleep i am anxious and feel awful, hating myself...

The first thing you need to do is notify the College from which you are holding an offer of your current circumstances, and what happened during your exams. If you can get a third party (a tutor on your MPhil, your doctor or your mother's doctor) to write to that College as well, so much the better. The critical thing is to do it *now*, before you get the results. I suspect - though I can't guarantee - that Cambridge will be sympathetic in the event that you narrowly miss the offer, but it's much better to get the explanation in, ahead of time, otherwise it may look like "special pleading". And good luck!

I have met with the head of admissions at hughes a few times, and last tme in june i mentioned i fear my exams did not go as planned due to my mothers being hospitalised just a day before the exam and she is aware of the health problems cuz i had to submit medical evidence to get extension for my dissertation, however at that time she was more concerned that i submit financial undertaking evidence, which i did and this issue is now been settled, but she did not elaborate on whether i should submit special circumstances before results are out and i did not want to come off as whiny or super nervous or a crybaby, so i dont know if its best to wait or contact her again on this matter, because i do not know my results but i sincerely fear they are not as good as should be for the condition..would you thiink it is best i contact them again now before results or wait to see what has actually happened, becuase i do not want to seem pathetic and lacking confidence contacting them before i actually know results...wat do you think is best, please gove me some advice, i appreciate it greatly

Hi everyone, I'm the Admissions Tutor at Christ's College, and I'm here to answer any questions you might have about applications or admissions to the University of Cambridge, or to Christ's College specifically, until August 08. So please fire away!

I have met with the head of admissions at hughes a few times, and last tme in june i mentioned i fear my exams did not go as planned due to my mothers being hospitalised just a day before the exam and she is aware of the health problems cuz i had to submit medical evidence to get extension for my dissertation, however at that time she was more concerned that i submit financial undertaking evidence, which i did and this issue is now been settled, but she did not elaborate on whether i should submit special circumstances before results are out and i did not want to come off as whiny or super nervous or a crybaby, so i dont know if its best to wait or contact her again on this matter, because i do not know my results but i sincerely fear they are not as good as should be for the condition..would you thiink it is best i contact them again now before results or wait to see what has actually happened, becuase i do not want to seem pathetic and lacking confidence contacting them before i actually know results...wat do you think is best, please gove me some advice, i appreciate it greatly

Please do forgive my typos.there are due to fast typing

Hi AT, thanks for doing this!

Applying to Economics this year:

I have 10A*s at GCSE, currently studying Maths, Fm, Econ and Physics, (I did AS Maths, FM and Econ and should get 3 A's). I should be predicted 4A*s but in one of my AS FM exams i messed up really bad as I was really ill on the day. Im worried I might get a B in FM because of it (might get an A but still worried), my other 5 maths modules should be 93+ UMS.

Firstly how much would you say my chances are ruined because of this, and do you suggest I use the ECF? (I can get a doctors note as I was visited by a doctor that evening). Sorry for making this so personal!!

Hey! I wish to apply for Land Economy this year, but since Land Economy is exclusive to Cambridge, I would likely apply for pure Economics at other universities. Such a situation posed a challenge when writing my personal statement.

Would you recommend me to structure it purely on Economics? However, I worry that this approach will jeopardise my chances to be shortlisted for the Land Economy interview, or worse, play a part in being rejected for Land Economy altogether. Yet if I were to incorporate some Land Economy aspects such as law or environment, I am concerned that it would affect my chances for Economics at other universities.

I would really appreciate if you could share your recommendation on how to approach the personal statement.