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Studying in halls, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
Cambridge

Oxbridge postgraduate application

Hello,
I’m not sure if my module grades are high enough for Oxbridge. The courses I’m interested in specify a 2.i or above as a minimum academic requirement. But I think most applicants will have a first these days due to grade inflation and there being more graduates than any time in history. According to the course website, 140 people applied for my course and only 40 were offered a place. I think all 40 of these people would have got a first. So, my point is that I think the 2.i is not realistic entry requirement and that I’m a bit worried about applying. What grades did you have when you applied for a postgraduate course at Oxbridge?
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Student21x
Hello,
I’m not sure if my module grades are high enough for Oxbridge. The courses I’m interested in specify a 2.i or above as a minimum academic requirement. But I think most applicants will have a first these days due to grade inflation and there being more graduates than any time in history. According to the course website, 140 people applied for my course and only 40 were offered a place. I think all 40 of these people would have got a first. So, my point is that I think the 2.i is not realistic entry requirement and that I’m a bit worried about applying. What grades did you have when you applied for a postgraduate course at Oxbridge?


Plenty of people with 2.1s will get an offer and plenty of people with 1sts won't. The differentiating features are largely the strength of the research proposal, but also references, module relevance and grades, writing sample, strength of undergrad course etc
Studying in halls, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
Reply 2
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Student21x
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2
Original post by threeportdrift
Plenty of people with 2.1s will get an offer and plenty of people with 1sts won't. The differentiating features are largely the strength of the research proposal, but also references, module relevance and grades, writing sample, strength of undergrad course etc


Most postgraduate courses request a CV. Would this be an academic CV, two pages in length? Should I highlight and elaborate my strongest grades under the education section, or does the transcript already do this?
Original post by Student21x
Most postgraduate courses request a CV. Would this be an academic CV, two pages in length? Should I highlight and elaborate my strongest grades under the education section, or does the transcript already do this?


I don't really ascribe to any special category of 'academic CV'. A CV should always be tailored to what is is being written for. If you have research projects, posters, conferences books, papers etc to list, then your CV will probably be 2 pages long. But you can just as well make a strong application CV and fit it one one page while explaining your undergrad research etc
Reply 4
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Student21x
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Original post by threeportdrift
I don't really ascribe to any special category of 'academic CV'. A CV should always be tailored to what is is being written for. If you have research projects, posters, conferences books, papers etc to list, then your CV will probably be 2 pages long. But you can just as well make a strong application CV and fit it one one page while explaining your undergrad research etc


My undergrad grades are terrible.

These are all my undergrad grades so far

92
72
69
65
63
56
82
81
68
74
72
70
62
60


For first and second year... do I stand a chance?
Original post by Student21x
.............


It doesn't work like that. See my first post.
Reply 6
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Student21x
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Original post by threeportdrift
It doesn't work like that. See my first post.


I want to apply to 10 taught postgrad courses at Cambridge and around 5 at oxford.
I will end up paying around £700 in application fees overall.
Do admissions allow so many applications to be made?
Original post by Student21x
I want to apply to 10 taught postgrad courses at Cambridge and around 5 at oxford.
I will end up paying around £700 in application fees overall.
Do admissions allow so many applications to be made?


Yes, but they won't take you seriously!

Postgrad is supposed to reflect a narrowing of academic focus, not a lottery entry. I know Cambridge for certain will view it as a glory-hunting approach by someone who is more interested in getting into Cambridge that a serious commitment to academia. They are only interested in the latter type of applicant.
Reply 8
Avatar for Wwys
Wwys
9
Those grades are very similar to what I got in 1st and 2nd year haha
I think you do stand a chance. I applied to an Oxford PG course accepting ~20 students with ~75 applicants per year, so the odds were similar.
What I've heard from the admissions and my cohort once I got in is that they focus more on your CV, especially your references. Also, admissions will accept more students than what they say according to the website, so if you're good enough, they'll accept you.


Original post by Student21x
My undergrad grades are terrible.

These are all my undergrad grades so far

92
72
69
65
63
56
82
81
68
74
72
70
62
60


For first and second year... do I stand a chance?
Congrats, may I ask what course was this? Would you say this was the same for all the post grad courses at Oxford?
Original post by Wwys
Those grades are very similar to what I got in 1st and 2nd year haha
I think you do stand a chance. I applied to an Oxford PG course accepting ~20 students with ~75 applicants per year, so the odds were similar.
What I've heard from the admissions and my cohort once I got in is that they focus more on your CV, especially your references. Also, admissions will accept more students than what they say according to the website, so if you're good enough, they'll accept you.
Original post by threeportdrift
Yes, but they won't take you seriously!

Postgrad is supposed to reflect a narrowing of academic focus, not a lottery entry. I know Cambridge for certain will view it as a glory-hunting approach by someone who is more interested in getting into Cambridge that a serious commitment to academia. They are only interested in the latter type of applicant.

Hey, I will be applying to Cambridge for MASt Mathematics and I have obtained a first in my undergrad and have one research projects from good institute in the country and have also qualified for research work under Student's Undergraduate Research Excellence Internship which takes like 5-10% of total applicants but this year they took 1% only. Besides, my grades in the first year of undergrad were highest in my college at Uni. What are my odds of getting in? I am really worried.
Original post by Doctor_Wormhole
Hey, I will be applying to Cambridge for MASt Mathematics and I have obtained a first in my undergrad and have one research projects from good institute in the country and have also qualified for research work under Student's Undergraduate Research Excellence Internship which takes like 5-10% of total applicants but this year they took 1% only. Besides, my grades in the first year of undergrad were highest in my college at Uni. What are my odds of getting in? I am really worried.


I'm afraid I really can't say. It has the reputation for being an extremely competitive course, but then of course people do get on it, I'm not sure what the cohort size is, but quite large compared to most PG courses I think. You've got a great profile, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see. They do seem to be much later in making decisions this year for all the obvious reasons, so offers are still coming out.
Original post by threeportdrift
I'm afraid I really can't say. It has the reputation for being an extremely competitive course, but then of course people do get on it, I'm not sure what the cohort size is, but quite large compared to most PG courses I think. You've got a great profile, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see. They do seem to be much later in making decisions this year for all the obvious reasons, so offers are still coming out.


hey I'll be applying this year for next year admit! but thank you so much
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Doctor_Wormhole
hey I'll be applying this year for next year admit! but thank you so much


Sorry, thought I'd seen you 'around the bazaars' with an application for this year. You are in the 'apply and see what they say' boat then. Does your undergrad uni have a strong reputation for sending people on this course?
Original post by threeportdrift
Sorry, thought I'd seen you 'around the bazaars' with an application for this year. You are in the 'apply and see what they say' boat then. Does your undergrad uni have a strong reputation for sending people on this course?


idk about this course but for NAT Sci yes. we've 2-3/5 Rhodes scholars every year and pretty much many people go to Oxf but I know a couple who went to Cambridge and lots of them go to LSE and Imperial
Original post by Doctor_Wormhole
idk about this course but for NAT Sci yes. we've 2-3/5 Rhodes scholars every year and pretty much many people go to Oxf but I know a couple who went to Cambridge and lots of them go to LSE and Imperial


But for MAst Maths specifically?
Original post by threeportdrift
But for MAst Maths specifically?


I know a couple only but I'm pretty sure there might be others.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by threeportdrift
But for MAst Maths specifically?


got to know one dude from uni with 5 projects while I only have 2. I'm more demoralized now.
Original post by Doctor_Wormhole
I know a couple only but I'm pretty sure there might be others.


Well that's positive. Having prior evidence that a university turns out graduates that can cope with the course is a plus.

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