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Will my GCSE's affect chances at Cambridge?

I am not making this to have people stroke my ego. Im really happy with my grades and i acknowledge they are above average, but i also know Cambridge isnt 'average'. So I know ill be disadvantaged but by how much?
Maths-8
English Lang-8
English Lit-7
Biology-A
Chemistry-A
History-A
Physics-B
Computer Science-B
French-C

I would like to study computer science as a degree and am doing maths further maths and physics at A level.

All feedback will be appreciated

Again. I know my grades are good, I just wanna know what my chances are.

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Correct me if I am wrong but is not recommended you do computer science at A Level to do it as a degree?
Original post by Ismaeel Ali
I am not making this to have people stroke my ego. Im really happy with my grades and i acknowledge they are above average, but i also know Cambridge isnt 'average'. So I know ill be disadvantaged but by how much?
Maths-8
English Lang-8
English Lit-7
Biology-A
Chemistry-A
History-A
Physics-B
Computer Science-B
French-C

I would like to study computer science as a degree and am doing maths further maths and physics at A level.

All feedback will be appreciated

Again. I know my grades are good, I just wanna know what my chances are.


That C in French has ruined your chances
Hmm the B in physics and computer science aren't great although well done on the 8 in maths. You can't change your gcses now, just work really hard for your a-levels as you'll need really high predicted grades to stand a chance. Also what school background do you come/ how did you do at gcse compared to everyone else at your school?
Reply 4
You'll be fine.

"There are no GCSE (or equivalent) requirements for entry to Cambridge. GCSE results are looked at as a performance indicator, but within the context of the performance of the school/college they where they were achieved.
Applicants have generally achieved high grades in subjects relevant to their chosen course, and most students who apply have at least four or five As or A*s at GCSE. However, there are always exceptions and we don’t require a minimum number of As/A*s at GCSE. One of the strengths of the Cambridge admissions system is its ability to assess all applicants individually.
Our research shows that post-16 examination performance is a much better predictor of degree success at Cambridge. While GCSE results are looked at as a performance indicator, this is within the context of the performance of the school/college where they were attained, and strong performance in Years 12 and 13 can make up for a less stellar performance at GCSE."
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements
Original post by InferInfer
Correct me if I am wrong but is not recommended you do computer science at A Level to do it as a degree?


No, the website says that any prior knowledge is not necesarry but say maths and further maths (for 2019 entry) is necessary with physics being desired,

Original post by Reece.W.J
That C in French has ruined your chances

Ah well, thank you for your response, ill just aspire for universoty of manchester (unless the C will also ruin my chances there too?)
Original post by black1blade
Hmm the B in physics and computer science aren't great although well done on the 8 in maths. You can't change your gcses now, just work really hard for your a-levels as you'll need really high predicted grades to stand a chance. Also what school background do you come/ how did you do at gcse compared to everyone else at your school?


Pretty sure i got the third highest in my year group (might be a bit lower since i havent compared with everyone, but im definitely in the top 5 and my school is under 'special measures' but i stayed cause i personally love it.
I take full responsibility for the physics and french grade since i didnt work on them, i take half of the responsibility for computer science, since our coursework was messed up by our teachers and we started theory a MONTH before the exam...although i cant really use that as an excuse as i should have started self teaching myself months prior.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Ismaeel Ali
No, the website says that any prior knowledge is not necesarry but say maths and further maths (for 2019 entry) is necessary with physics being desired,


Ah well, thank you for your response, ill just aspire for universoty of manchester (unless the C will also ruin my chances there too?)


Don't listen to them. Its not completely over. Work hard for your A Levels, do extra curricular stuff related to computer science, get a really good personal statement and references and you can still get in.

Good luck :smile:
Original post by shotwell
You'll be fine.

"There are no GCSE (or equivalent) requirements for entry to Cambridge. GCSE results are looked at as a performance indicator, but within the context of the performance of the school/college they where they were achieved.
Applicants have generally achieved high grades in subjects relevant to their chosen course, and most students who apply have at least four or five As or A*s at GCSE. However, there are always exceptions and we don’t require a minimum number of As/A*s at GCSE. One of the strengths of the Cambridge admissions system is its ability to assess all applicants individually.
Our research shows that post-16 examination performance is a much better predictor of degree success at Cambridge. While GCSE results are looked at as a performance indicator, this is within the context of the performance of the school/college where they were attained, and strong performance in Years 12 and 13 can make up for a less stellar performance at GCSE."
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements

thanls for the reply :smile: ill just work really hard for A levels :P

Original post by InferInfer
Don't listen to them. Its not completely over. Work hard for your A Levels, do extra curricular stuff related to computer science, get a really good personal statement and references and you can still get in.

Good luck :smile:


Thank you!! I ordered a book from amazon (cost £36 tho cause couldnt find it in the library makes me a bit suicidal) and am im the process of learning python and hoping to get a really good project completed to reference in my personal statement
Original post by Ismaeel Ali
Pretty sure i got the third highest in my year group (might be a bit lower since i havent compared with everyone, but im definitely in the top 5 and my school is under 'special measures' but i stayed cause i personally love it.
I take full responsibility for the physics and french grade since i didnt work on them, i take half of the responsibility for computer science, since our coursework was messed up by our teachers and we started theory a MONTH before the exam...although i cant really use that as an excuse as i should have started self teaching myself months prior.


I light at being a school in special measures, you did really well! :smile:. Although yeah physics a-level is hard and a lot of people who got As and A*s at gcse didn't do great at as at my school. If you apply yourself and do plenty of work outside of class then you'll do well in physics. Are you going to a better sixth form now? Also high five for the C in french! It's so much I didn't put work in although I really didn't put much work in, just that I was extremely bad at it and the school forced me to take it to add to their ebacc stats.
Original post by Ismaeel Ali
I am not making this to have people stroke my ego. Im really happy with my grades and i acknowledge they are above average, but i also know Cambridge isnt 'average'. So I know ill be disadvantaged but by how much?
Maths-8
English Lang-8
English Lit-7
Biology-A
Chemistry-A
History-A
Physics-B
Computer Science-B
French-C

I would like to study computer science as a degree and am doing maths further maths and physics at A level.

All feedback will be appreciated

Again. I know my grades are good, I just wanna know what my chances are.


Some of the people on this post are incredibly ignorant. They're fine. Yes, Cambridge look at your GCSE's. More so now that AS levels have been abolished. But if you can get the A-Level requirements, there's no reason you wouldn't be considered a serious applicant.
Original post by black1blade
I light at being a school in special measures, you did really well! :smile:. Although yeah physics a-level is hard and a lot of people who got As and A*s at gcse didn't do great at as at my school. If you apply yourself and do plenty of work outside of class then you'll do well in physics. Are you going to a better sixth form now? Also high five for the C in french! It's so much I didn't put work in although I really didn't put much work in, just that I was extremely bad at it and the school forced me to take it to add to their ebacc stats.

I stayed at my school's sixth form, my math teacher was AMAZING and i really clicked with him, my school actually doesn't offer further maths but i managed to convince the school to let me take it cause my teacher was wiling to teach me (3 teachers are actually teaching me further maths for each module) so having that one on one lessons is incredible, the physics department in my school is actually really good too my B in physics was down to me. My school is special measures cause there are ALOT of questionable teachers who cant control classes or are just generally bad. Thanks for the high five :smile:. And i know physics is so hard but i enjoy it for some reason but im not complaining lmao
Original post by Ismaeel Ali
I stayed at my school's sixth form, my math teacher was AMAZING and i really clicked with him, my school actually doesn't offer further maths but i managed to convince the school to let me take it cause my teacher was wiling to teach me (3 teachers are actually teaching me further maths for each module) so having that one on one lessons is incredible, the physics department in my school is actually really good too my B in physics was down to me. My school is special measures cause there are ALOT of questionable teachers who cant control classes or are just generally bad. Thanks for the high five :smile:. And i know physics is so hard but i enjoy it for some reason but im not complaining lmao


OMG yes that's amazing. I have some really great maths teachers this year too and my chemistry and physics teachers are also good. Your teachers are probably so willing to teach you fm because they think you're a really good student and they've probably always wanted to teach fm. It's great that you have such supportive teachers and I'm sure that even if you don't get a Cambridge offer, you'll get the grades to go to Manchester as long as you put in a lot of hard work. Yeah physics is really hard but I really enjoy it and I'm applying for physics; already got a brum offer! Also yeah nice thing about maths, fm and physics is that if you change your mind about computer science, you still have the perfect a-levels to do maths, physics or engineering, a few months ago I was debating between those 4.
Original post by black1blade
OMG yes that's amazing. I have some really great maths teachers this year too and my chemistry and physics teachers are also good. Your teachers are probably so willing to teach you fm because they think you're a really good student and they've probably always wanted to teach fm. It's great that you have such supportive teachers and I'm sure that even if you don't get a Cambridge offer, you'll get the grades to go to Manchester as long as you put in a lot of hard work. Yeah physics is really hard but I really enjoy it and I'm applying for physics; already got a brum offer! Also yeah nice thing about maths, fm and physics is that if you change your mind about computer science, you still have the perfect a-levels to do maths, physics or engineering, a few months ago I was debating between those 4.


This made me smile so much!!! I just honestly love sixth form and school is great atm. And yh i think part of me is aiming for Cambridge cause i know deep down i will not get an offer, but aiming for Cambridge motivates me to get the A*'s required which will be sufficient for Manchester and university of Birmingham. And you nailed my motivation to do my 3 A levels, those are the exact reasons i chose them! Good luck with all your offers, i hope you get offers from every uni you applied for. Congrats on the Brum offer!!! thats a really hard uni to get into, you've done amazing to get an offer

And yeah they really do want to teach further maths, they say its a pleasure to go from teaching year 7's how to divide to teaching me argand diagrams and complex numbers
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Ismaeel Ali
This made me smile so much!!! I just honestly love sixth form and school is great atm. And yh i think part of me is aiming for Cambridge cause i know deep down i will not get an offer, but aiming for Cambridge motivates me to get the A*'s required which will be sufficient for Manchester and university of Birmingham. And you nailed my motivation to do my 3 A levels, those are the exact reasons i chose them! Good luck with all your offers, i hope you get offers from every uni you applied for. Congrats on the Brum offer!!! thats a really hard uni to get into, you've done amazing to get an offer


Yeah I've been obsessed with going to cambridge since year 11 although originally thought I was going to do maths but now I wanna do natsci. Thing is nobody really knows if they are cut out for cambridge or not so all you can do is try your very best. I did a bit better than you at gcse but I've still improved leeps and bounds since then and they love seeing that upwards trajectory. Are you doing any exams in year 12? Also I know you aren't applying for physics but a really good website I'd recommend is issac physics. Join the year 12 mentoring scheme and catch up on the 8 weeks of set problems you've missed (although there might be topics you haven't covered in class yet but you may be able to work out questions just with your physics formula book!) https://isaacphysics.org/pages/mentor_scheme_y12_home
There's also loads of a-level maths stuff on there so you can practice your maths skills too. Since you are in year 12 though, start out with the level 1 and 2 problems. Level 3 and level 4 are quite tricky and level 5 and 6 are flipping impossible XD.
Reply 15
Original post by InferInfer
Correct me if I am wrong but is not recommended you do computer science at A Level to do it as a degree?


No.

Original post by Reece.W.J
That C in French has ruined your chances


No.

Original post by Ismaeel Ali
Ah well, thank you for your response, ill just aspire for universoty of manchester (unless the C will also ruin my chances there too?)


You can continue to aspire for Cambridge if you wish. Your A-levels/CSAT/etc are much more important, and given the context of your GCSEs they are fne anyway.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Ismaeel Ali

And yeah they really do want to teach further maths, they say its a pleasure to go from teaching year 7's how to divide to teaching me argand diagrams and complex numbers


Complex numbers are such an awesome topic! So are you on the new maths specification?
Original post by InferInfer
Correct me if I am wrong but is not recommended you do computer science at A Level to do it as a degree?


nah my friends brother didn't do it for a level and now hes at imperial doing computing
Original post by black1blade
Yeah I've been obsessed with going to cambridge since year 11 although originally thought I was going to do maths but now I wanna do natsci. Thing is nobody really knows if they are cut out for cambridge or not so all you can do is try your very best. I did a bit better than you at gcse but I've still improved leeps and bounds since then and they love seeing that upwards trajectory. Are you doing any exams in year 12? Also I know you aren't applying for physics but a really good website I'd recommend is issac physics. Join the year 12 mentoring scheme and catch up on the 8 weeks of set problems you've missed (although there might be topics you haven't covered in class yet but you may be able to work out questions just with your physics formula book!) https://isaacphysics.org/pages/mentor_scheme_y12_home
There's also loads of a-level maths stuff on there so you can practice your maths skills too. Since you are in year 12 though, start out with the level 1 and 2 problems. Level 3 and level 4 are quite tricky and level 5 and 6 are flipping impossible XD.


Reformed A levels D: We are doing As levels but they count for sh*t for A2 and since im taking all 3 a levels to A2, my AS are important for just predicted grades. I've heard isac physics is great, ill have to start using it. Half term so im going to get a lot of work done. I will definitely check out the Math stuff as i have an abnormal love towards math.

Thanks for the link it will prove invaluable, although the description of those level 5 and 6 problems are scaring me lol. If i were to change my mind about comp sci, i would most likely change to maths, ill probably make a more informed decision once i've learnt python and see if i enjoy that language, i've only played around with it and enjoyed what i did try.

The year 12 mentoring scheme also sounds really intresting, im just so motivated to do great at AS exams
Ah good to know. Ty

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