Cambridge applicant question
I’ve just been on an open day to Cambridge and have had some sort of burst of motivation and really want to go there however I’m not a star student academically.
In GCSE’s I got 3 A*, 5 A, 2 B , 1 C.
(A* geography, ICT, welsh)
(A maths, numeracy, English lit, English lang, double science)
(B RE, additional science)
(C Spanish)
If I went to Cambridge I would choose to study natural sciences / psychological behaviour course
(Welsh so my course isn’t linear like in England)
At AS level I am studying chemistry, biology and psychology and my predicted grades respectively are ABC however I really don’t agree with them and I feel like my AS will be ABB.
If I try extremely hard to get higher to get AAB which would effectively raise my predicted grades for next year, would I still be in with a chance getting accepted (or even just worth applying) ? Or would it be completely not worth it?
(For academic extra curricular all I really have is work experience in a hospital as I used to want to do medicine)
In GCSE’s I got 3 A*, 5 A, 2 B , 1 C.
(A* geography, ICT, welsh)
(A maths, numeracy, English lit, English lang, double science)
(B RE, additional science)
(C Spanish)
If I went to Cambridge I would choose to study natural sciences / psychological behaviour course
(Welsh so my course isn’t linear like in England)
At AS level I am studying chemistry, biology and psychology and my predicted grades respectively are ABC however I really don’t agree with them and I feel like my AS will be ABB.
If I try extremely hard to get higher to get AAB which would effectively raise my predicted grades for next year, would I still be in with a chance getting accepted (or even just worth applying) ? Or would it be completely not worth it?
(For academic extra curricular all I really have is work experience in a hospital as I used to want to do medicine)
(edited 6 years ago)
I had similar GCSEs and got an offer. I BELIEVE (not sure, I THINK it was said to me by someone there) that generally if it is possible for you to get the required grades then you're considered. Now they said that in reference to maths, where a lot of applicants are weeded out by STEP anyway and it obviously varies from subject to subject.
In the end if you aim for the moon and miss, you'll land among the stars, kiddo.
In the end if you aim for the moon and miss, you'll land among the stars, kiddo.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by 000jn
I’ve just been on an open day to Cambridge and have had some sort of burst of motivation and really want to go there however I’m not a star student academically.
In GCSE’s I got 3 A*, 5 A, 2 B , 1 C.
(A* geography, ICT, welsh)
(A maths, numeracy, English lit, English lang, double science)
(B RE, additional science)
(C Spanish)
If I went to Cambridge I would choose to study natural sciences / psychological behaviour course
(Welsh so my course isn’t linear like in England)
At AS level I am studying chemistry, biology and psychology and my predicted grades respectively are ABC however I really don’t agree with them and I feel like my AS will be ABB.
If I try extremely hard to get higher to get AAB which would effectively raise my predicted grades for next year, would I still be in with a chance getting accepted (or even just worth applying) ? Or would it be completely not worth it?
(For academic extra curricular all I really have is work experience in a hospital as I used to want to do medicine)
In GCSE’s I got 3 A*, 5 A, 2 B , 1 C.
(A* geography, ICT, welsh)
(A maths, numeracy, English lit, English lang, double science)
(B RE, additional science)
(C Spanish)
If I went to Cambridge I would choose to study natural sciences / psychological behaviour course
(Welsh so my course isn’t linear like in England)
At AS level I am studying chemistry, biology and psychology and my predicted grades respectively are ABC however I really don’t agree with them and I feel like my AS will be ABB.
If I try extremely hard to get higher to get AAB which would effectively raise my predicted grades for next year, would I still be in with a chance getting accepted (or even just worth applying) ? Or would it be completely not worth it?
(For academic extra curricular all I really have is work experience in a hospital as I used to want to do medicine)
Only if you are realistically on target (ie predicted) to meet the typical offer by October. Ie. A*A*A for NatSci or A*AA for PBS.
Also for NatSci most applicants have 3 sciences, excluding Psychology. You would be ok for PBS though.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Doonesbury
Only if you are realistically on target (ie predicted) to meet the typical offer by October. Ie. A*A*A for NatSci or A*AA for PBS.
Also for NatSci most applicants have 3 sciences, excluding Psychology. You would be ok for PBS though.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Also for NatSci most applicants have 3 sciences, excluding Psychology. You would be ok for PBS though.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Yeah that was the part I was worried about
I never would’ve considered Cambridge so never considered 3 sciences until now and it’s too late 😂 even though that would be my preferred, before I wanted to do that I was dead set on psychology. So really either would make me eternally happy.Considering I’ve literally done no revision and exams start in a month the open day has both given me motivation and knocked me down tonnes
Original post by Ryanzmw
I had similar GCSEs and got an offer. I BELIEVE (not sure, I THINK it was said to me by someone there) that generally if it is possible for you to get the required grades then you're considered. Now they said that in reference to maths, where a lot of applicants are weeded out by STEP anyway and it obviously varies from subject to subject.
In the end if you aim for the moon and miss, you'll land among the stars, kiddo.
In the end if you aim for the moon and miss, you'll land among the stars, kiddo.
Did you end up going? I heard that if you do have lower GCSEs they prefer to see progress as you go along A levels so any improvement with no dips will help you get there.. but it’s probably fake motivation aha
Original post by 000jn
Did you end up going? I heard that if you do have lower GCSEs they prefer to see progress as you go along A levels so any improvement with no dips will help you get there.. but it’s probably fake motivation aha
Nope, but obviously good A-levels help. I got some awful GCSEs excepting the sciences and maths which I obviously took at A-level and did well.
Original post by Ryanzmw
Nope, but obviously good A-levels help. I got some awful GCSEs excepting the sciences and maths which I obviously took at A-level and did well.
Fair enough! Getting an offer would be an achievement that I would brag about for eternity
Original post by 000jn
Fair enough! Getting an offer would be an achievement that I would brag about for eternity
Thanks. What I will say is that don't think going to Oxbridge is make or break for going into any field whatsoever. You'll learn the same material everywhere; Oxbridge is just a very intense environment which generally works extremely well for those who get in and are likely acclimated to such an environment, but there's NOTHING to stop you if you do well in your degree which is the real hurdle.
Thank you that’s extremely helpful! I was completely out off oxbridge because of the workload that you have while you’re there compared to other unis. Realistically I would *maybe* be more suited somewhere like cardiff Bristol Exeter where I can be social but not feel like I’m dragging behind?Cambridge is probably a far fetched idea but if I get the grades I might as well try! Thank you!
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