The Student Room Group

Applying to Trinity College without Olympiads

Hi,
I'm applying to Nat Sci (Physical) this year. But I heard that it is a risk applying to Trinity without a Maths/Physics Olympiad medal. Should I pick a different college then?
Reply 1
Original post by ifahad64
Hi,
I'm applying to Nat Sci (Physical) this year. But I heard that it is a risk applying to Trinity without a Maths/Physics Olympiad medal. Should I pick a different college then?


Nope, there's no such requirement. If you like Trinity apply there.

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Reply 2
Original post by Doonesbury
Nope, there's no such requirement. If you like Trinity apply there.

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But I saw a Youtube video in which a Cambridge girl specifically tells us to apply to 'low-ranking' colleges in the Tompkins Table. She also says in the video that 'TSR guys won't admit it'! Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MegMzRkhgfI

Her reason is Trinity cares about Physics Olympiad medallists only for Nat Sci. And other candidates won't even stand a chance if they don't have Olympiad medals.
Reply 3
Original post by ifahad64
But I saw a Youtube video in which a Cambridge girl specifically tells us to apply to 'low-ranking' colleges in the Tompkins Table. She also says in the video that 'TSR guys won't admit it'! Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MegMzRkhgfI

Her reason is Trinity cares about Physics Olympiad medallists only for Nat Sci. And other candidates won't even stand a chance if they don't have Olympiad medals.


Why ask the question if you've already made the decision to believe a video on YouTube, the home of real news?

Alternatively ask actual admissions tutors and staff here:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5597134
Applying to Cambridge 2019 entry - ask the Admissions Teams!

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Reply 4
Original post by Doonesbury
Why ask the question if you've already made the decision to believe a video on YouTube, the home of real news?

Alternatively ask actual admissions tutors and staff here:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5597134
Applying to Cambridge 2019 entry - ask the Admissions Teams!

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LOL, no! In fact, I've already selected Trinity in UCAS and COPA. That's why I'm scared as I don't have any Olympiad medals!
Reply 5
Original post by ifahad64
LOL, no! In fact, I've already selected Trinity in UCAS and COPA. That's why I'm scared as I don't have any Olympiad medals!


You college choice doesn't affect your overall chance of a Cambridge offer.

Good luck with your application.

PS. You can still ask the question in that thread. It will give you better information than a YT vid.

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Reply 6
@ifahad64 by the way, that youtuber knows so much about the process - she thinks the deadline is the end of October, or 19th Sept if you are a Russian... clearly an expert*. :beard: (For the avoidance of doubt to lurkers - neither date is correct.)

If you really want to know the IPO credentials of Trinity offer holders send an FOI -
e.g. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/physical_natural_sciences_2017_e_4

Eitherway it doesn't affect your overall chances of an offer. <<< this really is important!

Note that colleges can (and do) reject direct applicants in favour of better applicants from the pool. So "tactically" applying to an "easier" college as a weak applicant won't help you.

*She's right about the CUSU Shadowing Scheme and Open Days, and not doing lots of interview preparation though. :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Doonesbury
@ifahad64 by the way, that youtuber knows so much about the process - she thinks the deadline is the end of October, or 19th Sept if you are a Russian... clearly an expert*. :beard: (For the avoidance of doubt to lurkers - neither date is correct.)

If you really want to know the IPO credentials of Trinity offer holders send an FOI -
e.g. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/physical_natural_sciences_2017_e_4

Eitherway it doesn't affect your overall chances of an offer. <<< this really is important!

Note that colleges can (and do) reject direct applicants in favour of better applicants from the pool. So "tactically" applying to an "easier" college as a weak applicant won't help you.

*She's right about the CUSU Shadowing Scheme and Open Days, and not doing lots of interview preparation though. :smile:

I live outside the UK, so I cannot do shadowing. And we shouldn't prepare for interviews?
Reply 8
Original post by ifahad64
I live outside the UK, so I cannot do shadowing. And we shouldn't prepare for interviews?


Having a mock interview or two is fine (and re-reading your UCAS/SAQ info especially your PS is vital), but Cambridge are very good at spotting over-prepared applicants parroting canned responses to their questions.

Just go with the flow, take your time and think out loud: talk through your thinking process.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/interviews/how-should-i-prepare
Reply 9
Original post by ifahad64
Hi,
I'm applying to Nat Sci (Physical) this year. But I heard that it is a risk applying to Trinity without a Maths/Physics Olympiad medal. Should I pick a different college then?


I was a Phys NatSci at Trinity. There were around 40 natscis in total in my year, most of which were phys natscis. Whilst there were several phys natscis with international olympiad medals, there were also many who didn't have olympiad medals (me included).

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Reply 10
Original post by Claree
I was a Phys NatSci at Trinity. There were around 40 natscis in total in my year, most of which were phys natscis. Whilst there were several phys natscis with international olympiad medals, there were also many who didn't have olympiad medals (me included).

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Do you have any other medals like UKMT?
Reply 11
Original post by ifahad64
Do you have any other medals like UKMT?


Most the UK maths/science olympiad awards I got were in Y13, so after applying.

Of those I had at the time of applying, I mentioned gold awards in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and Senior Maths Challenge, a gold medal in the Intermediate Maths Olympiad and a silver medal in the Biology Olympiad in my PS, as examples of opportunities I'd had to apply maths/science and me showing an interest in maths/science.

But not all schools will enter students for olympiads, there are other ways of showing supercurricular activity, and they don't base admissions decisions just on olympiad involvement - they care much more about your academic results, admissions test results, interview performance etc. :smile:

I found that doing olympiad past papers helped me feel prepared for interview (as when I had my Trinity interview, there was a preinterview test that was then discussed afterwards in the interview). But you can look at the past papers (and example preinterview tests) without having actually taken the olympiads.

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Reply 12
Original post by Claree
Most the UK maths/science olympiad awards I got were in Y13, so after applying.

Of those I had at the time of applying, I mentioned gold awards in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and Senior Maths Challenge, a gold medal in the Intermediate Maths Olympiad and a silver medal in the Biology Olympiad in my PS, as examples of opportunities I'd had to apply maths/science and me showing an interest in maths/science.

But not all schools will enter students for olympiads, there are other ways of showing supercurricular activity, and they don't base admissions decisions just on olympiad involvement - they care much more about your academic results, admissions test results, interview performance etc. :smile:

I found that doing olympiad past papers helped me feel prepared for interview (as when I had my Trinity interview, there was a preinterview test that was then discussed afterwards in the interview). But you can look at the past papers (and example preinterview tests) without having actually taken the olympiads.

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I don't have any kind of science competition medals. But I did further reading. Btw, how hard are the Trinity at-interview questions? Harder than NSAA questions?
Reply 13
Original post by ifahad64
I don't have any kind of science competition medals. But I did further reading. Btw, how hard are the Trinity at-interview questions? Harder than NSAA questions?


Further reading is good. :smile: I didn't do the NSAA when I applied. But I found the pre-interview test questions fine (there were example tests on the Trinity website when I applied, so assuming they are still there, you could take a look). I would guess that the questions might be a bit longer/more open-ended than the NSAA questions.

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