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ICL Chemistry Applicants 2018

Hey Guys,
I'm starting this thread to get some support going for Chem applicants for 2018.
I'm applying for MSci Chem with Medicinal Chem and a year in industry.

My IGCSE Grades were 7A* and an A
AS were A's in Math, Chem, Bio, and Geography, with a B in physics.
I've been predicted 4 A*s for the above and an A for physics.

I have the interview coming up this weekend. Has anyone finished their interviews or got offers? Lemme know! :smile:

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Reply 1
Original post by arj99
Hey Guys,
I'm starting this thread to get some support going for Chem applicants for 2018.
I'm applying for MSci Chem with Medicinal Chem and a year in industry.

My IGCSE Grades were 7A* and an A
AS were A's in Math, Chem, Bio, and Geography, with a B in physics.
I've been predicted 4 A*s for the above and an A for physics.

I have the interview coming up this weekend. Has anyone finished their interviews or got offers? Lemme know! :smile:


Im also applying for chemistry (and molecular physics) do you know what the CAT is like? and are you preparing for it or just gonna go in blind?
Learning at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
London
Reply 2
I'm an international student, so I won't be taking the CAT. However, from my understanding, there's precious little A level chemistry involved. It's more of a critical thinking test, like the TSA at Oxford. However, if I were you, I would get some background knowledge on A-level portions not covered yet, as well as thoroughly revise my AS stuff.
Reply 3
I'm a first year Chemistry student at imperial so I can try to answer any questions if anybody has any :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by ElleCee
I'm a first year Chemistry student at imperial so I can try to answer any questions if anybody has any :smile:


yay, how was the interview/CAT is a lot of preparation required?
Also is London as expensive as everyone says so far? and what is it like generally? would you go somewhere else if you could?
Reply 5
Original post by bruh2132
yay, how was the interview/CAT is a lot of preparation required?
Also is London as expensive as everyone says so far? and what is it like generally? would you go somewhere else if you could?


Ok so firstly the interview, they seem to vary slightly depending on which interviewers you get but during mine I was asked several technical chemistry questions (some which were outside of what I'd already learned at school, so required educated guesses) and then two questions based off of my personal statement. As long as you know/understand what you've been taught at school and what you've written in your personal statement then you should be fine. They don't expect you to immediately know the answer to everything!

The CAT may possibly be different now as my year was the first year that took it, however last year it was made up of mostly logic questions and some maths just to see the way that you think and therefore not much preparation was really possible. I'd recommend checking the course page on the website if you haven't already as it should have more information on it (maybe in the entry requirements section somewhere?)

London is unfortunately quite expensive although it's really not as bad as I expected - my weekly shopping for example I can do for around £25 which seems fairly reasonable. In terms of costs of nights out - student nights are pretty cheap and tickets are reasonably priced unless you buy last minute. Pretty much as long as you're sensible with money it isn't too bad, although probably still more than at other places.

I'm absolutely loving it so far, both the course and the social life have been great. I absolutely wouldn't go anywhere else and I haven't yet found anybody who regrets their decision to come here (although there are probably some but you'll find them at every uni).

Wow that was long, hope it helps slightly!
Reply 6
Has anyone applying for 2018 had an interview or been made offers yet?
Reply 7
Original post by arj99
Has anyone applying for 2018 had an interview or been made offers yet?


Some interview invitations have already been sent out and the first interviews began last week so there may be a couple of offers already. The length of time it takes to be invited to interview is not however an indication of how strong your application is :smile:
Original post by ElleCee
Some interview invitations have already been sent out and the first interviews began last week so there may be a couple of offers already. The length of time it takes to be invited to interview is not however an indication of how strong your application is :smile:


Hello, :smile:
I got an interview invitation for Mathematics and Computer Science and on the email, it says my interview is around 12pm and the event finishes at 5pm. I was wondering if it's mandatory to stay in Imperial til 5pm? Or can I just leave after my interviews? Is leaving going to affect my application?
Reply 9
Original post by premedmath
Hello, :smile:
I got an interview invitation for Mathematics and Computer Science and on the email, it says my interview is around 12pm and the event finishes at 5pm. I was wondering if it's mandatory to stay in Imperial til 5pm? Or can I just leave after my interviews? Is leaving going to affect my application?


Hey, being a chemist I can't answer for definite as I'm not sure how the JMC interview days are laid out... For chemistry, the interviews themselves run either from 2-3 or 3-4 depending on what group you're in and then the applicants have a tour during the other time slot. If you were in the group with the interview first and the tour after then you could definitely leave directly after the interview and skip the tour, indeed many people do. If the JMC interviews are the same format then there's no reason you couldn't leave straight after the interview without it hurting your application. The only issue could be if there's an admissions test or something similar which you would miss, if it's just talks and tours then nobody will mind.

Sorry I couldn't give a more definite answer! Good luck with your interview!

Edit: If you haven't already then maybe pop over to the main Imperial applicants thread and ask there, I think a current Maths student was there earlier and they may be able to give a more reliable answer :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by ElleCee
Hey, being a chemist I can't answer for definite as I'm not sure how the JMC interview days are laid out... For chemistry, the interviews themselves run either from 2-3 or 3-4 depending on what group you're in and then the applicants have a tour during the other time slot. If you were in the group with the interview first and the tour after then you could definitely leave directly after the interview and skip the tour, indeed many people do. If the JMC interviews are the same format then there's no reason you couldn't leave straight after the interview without it hurting your application. The only issue could be if there's an admissions test or something similar which you would miss, if it's just talks and tours then nobody will mind.

Sorry I couldn't give a more definite answer! Good luck with your interview!


Thank you so much for answering! Hope I can spend some time in London :redface:
Reply 11
Hi! At the interview, how direct would you say the questions are? Would they be Oxford style, where they're kinda twisted to see how you think? Or are they direct and technical?
Reply 12
Original post by arj99
Hi! At the interview, how direct would you say the questions are? Would they be Oxford style, where they're kinda twisted to see how you think? Or are they direct and technical?


Hey, this will depend on who your interviewers are unfortunately. My interview was a mix of both - started with a few 'Oxford style' ones then moved onto more technical questions afterwards. Most other people I've spoken to say that theirs were mostly direct, technical ones too so if I had to guess then I'd assume that's what you'll have as well.

Hope that was vaguely helpful? Sorry that I can't be more specific...
Reply 13
Original post by ElleCee
Hey, this will depend on who your interviewers are unfortunately. My interview was a mix of both - started with a few 'Oxford style' ones then moved onto more technical questions afterwards. Most other people I've spoken to say that theirs were mostly direct, technical ones too so if I had to guess then I'd assume that's what you'll have as well.

Hope that was vaguely helpful? Sorry that I can't be more specific...


Thanks that really helped! :smile:
Hey, I have just been invited to an interview at Imperial for Chem with Research Abroad, anybody know what the odds are of getting in once offered an interview? Also, how many students are generally on the course for chemistry?
Original post by llama99
Hey, I have just been invited to an interview at Imperial for Chem with Research Abroad, anybody know what the odds are of getting in once offered an interview? Also, how many students are generally on the course for chemistry?

i went recently and they said most people invited to interview get a place so its not too formal the CAT is a little weird in terms of new material but the maths was easy GCSE stuff. in my interview they just talked about PS stuff so if uve written interresring stuff revise it
Reply 16
Does anyone receive an offer from ICL for chem? What are ur predicted grades? Home or international?
Reply 17
Original post by tino083
Does anyone receive an offer from ICL for chem? What are ur predicted grades? Home or international?


I'm an international student with predicted grades of 4A* and an A (see above). I had a Skype interview and received an offer of A*A*A exactly two weeks later.
Reply 18
Original post by arj99
I'm an international student with predicted grades of 4A* and an A (see above). I had a Skype interview and received an offer of A*A*A exactly two weeks later.


Nice!!! I apply for the same course as you do (F125). Hopefully we can see each other next year XD
Reply 19
Original post by tino083
Nice!!! I apply for the same course as you do (F125). Hopefully we can see each other next year XD


Hopefully! Are you an international student?

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