The Student Room Group

Scroll to see replies

Original post by eshakaur11
Hi,

I am looking to apply for Medicine for 2020 entry. I believe have the required grades, work experience and hopefully interest but I am not sure how to prepare for an interview; should I be focussing on topics of research I raise in my personal statement or the general academic syllabus.

Also what is the typical offer made for Med students? Do students with more than 3 A-Levels have an advantage?

Thank you.

The typical offer for Medicine is A*A*A. Students with more than three A Levels are not advantaged but students with fewer than three Maths/Science A Levels are statistically less likely to get in than those with three such A Levels. I think that a balance of ensuring your Science knowledge is secure and exploring your particular medical interests is the right way to approach preparing for interview but with an emphasis on the science knowledge, which is key to getting through the first two years in the way that we do medicine at Cambridge.
Original post by rb1275
@Murray Edwards Admissions

Hello there,

I'm keen on Cambridge and want to take a year out. I'm aware of the deferred entry system, but is it possible to take a year out and apply to Cambridge during the year out, ie. a year after most school leavers apply for places, or do you have to get a regular deferral in order to take a year out? Is so, what would be the advantages/disadvantages of either option?
- Reuben


It's quite common for students to apply after they have their results and statistically they have a higher success rate than people applying in Year 13. The biggest advantage/disadvantage is that you have your results in hand. Those who are successful post A Level are very likely to have exceeded the typical offer for their course and if you apply not having exceeded it then you aren't very likely to get in.
Original post by GreenCub
Hello, thanks for doing this thread.

I'm planning to apply for Maths (just finished Year 12). What kinds of things do Cambridge admissions tutors look for in maths personal statements? Is it more important to demonstrate ability or focus more on interest in the subject and things done outside of school?


To be honest, your PS for Maths is not likely to be very important for your chances of getting an offer. All that matters for Maths is how good you are at Maths not how much you tell us you like it! :smile:
Original post by bleu2256
I changed my A-Levels at the end of year 12 from all sciences to humanities as I felt it was a better fit and the fact that all universities required an essay based subject which I did not have at the time or required a foundation year which would add to my student debt Is it still worthwhile applying or will I be at a serious disadvantage as I will be in sixth form for 3 years instead of 2? I have checked all the other admissions criteria and I meet them.


You won't be at a disadvantage, no. It's not all that common but it does happen and it's perfectly understandable and acceptable.
Original post by MidSin
@Murray Edwards Admissions

I'm thinking of applying to NatSci physical, I just did my AS exams. If they don't go so well, but then I do really well on the entrance exam do I still have a chance of being considered. Also since not all schools offer AS exams how important are they if you did do them?


We consider AS Levels for those who have them and they are an important piece of information as we have a lot of historic data on A level performance and its relevance for Cambridge. If you do well in them it will be a big plus, if you do poorly it will be a disadvantage. All data is treated holistically, however, and if you do well in the Assessment, then that will help to mitigate or reinforce performance in AS Levels.
Original post by HamzaD
Introduce yourself
1. AS or A level? AS
2. What subjects? English Lit, History and Maths
3. How did your exams go?
Maths was awful. English lit and History went ok.

Year 12 :
7. What grades are you predicted? For AS - A A B
8. How are you feeling about results day? So scared for maths.
9. Anything else to add? I'm hoping to study English at Cambridge University.

What advice would you give me? How could I speak to teachers? I was not in sixth form during year 12 as I wanted to self-studied AS exams.


If you want to speak to academics at Cambridge, then the best advice is to book yourself onto one of the College open days in September (https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/college-open-days). You'll have your AS results then and that will help us give you advice about your likely strengths and weaknesses.
Reply 46
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
Hello All and welcome to another Ask an Admissions Tutor Thread. If you have any questions about Admissions at Cambridge, whether you're a current offerholder or prospective applicant, please fire away. I'll be here for the next couple of weeks or so to help with any query.

Hello ME.

I'm thinking of applying for graduate or affiliate medicine which I know aren't at your college but I think you'd be able to answer them anyway

1) Are the practical components of the a levels compulsory? They're about £800 per a level.... I can afford it but I'd really, really prefer not to pay if it wasn't required. First time round I got all A* if it matters but didn't do chem or bio.

2) If I got an offer when would you want proof of finance by? E.g. within a few weeks of receiving the offer or simply before I arrived. I could provide proof the day I got the offer but it would mean I'd have to take money out of various investments in advance and I'd much prefer to work and use the money from that.

3) What yearly budget is accepted as the minimum for "maintenance". The Cambridge site says about 10.5k but I think I could easily live on the maxed out student loan alone.

4) My gcses are awful (abusive parents and too young to cope) and at least for undergrad medicine on "whatdotheyknow" it doesn't seem like anyone's got accepted with 0A* for some years. I know there's a big thing about Cambridge being holistic and considering these things so I'm guessing the complete lack of people accepted is cause very few apply with 0A* and the few who did were overoptimistic in their A level results. Can you confirm that this is the case?

Thankyou
Original post by Presence
how important is the sbject chosen at gcse , i didnt know what i wanted to do so i did art/media / business gcses ( along with the other standard ones ) i did good but they arent facilitating subjects , i now do maths, fm,psychology and economics so is that ok i hope to apply to do economics ( at oxford )


Your A levels are perfectly fine for Economics at Cambridge and for either of the two economics routes at Oxford. You'll have to ask Oxford about what they think of subject choices at GCSE, for us, they aren't terribly important.
It's fine as a combination for Law. Some lawyers aren't that keen on Law at A Level but your choices aren't going to make you noncompetitive.
Original post by qazpl
Hello ME.

I'm thinking of applying for graduate or affiliate medicine which I know aren't at your college but I think you'd be able to answer them anyway

1) Are the practical components of the a levels compulsory? They're about £800 per a level.... I can afford it but I'd really, really prefer not to pay if it wasn't required. First time round I got all A* if it matters but didn't do chem or bio.

2) If I got an offer when would you want proof of finance by? E.g. within a few weeks of receiving the offer or simply before I arrived. I could provide proof the day I got the offer but it would mean I'd have to take money out of various investments in advance and I'd much prefer to work and use the money from that.

3) What yearly budget is accepted as the minimum for "maintenance". The Cambridge site says about 10.5k but I think I could easily live on the maxed out student loan alone.

4) My gcses are awful (abusive parents and too young to cope) and at least for undergrad medicine on "whatdotheyknow" it doesn't seem like anyone's got accepted with 0A* for some years. I know there's a big thing about Cambridge being holistic and considering these things so I'm guessing the complete lack of people accepted is cause very few apply with 0A* and the few who did were overoptimistic in their A level results. Can you confirm that this is the case?

Thankyou


Hello and thanks for the questions. Sorry, I can't answer competently on the graduate medicine course as it's only available the mature colleges. Your best option is to email one of the mature colleges and ask them. Sorry.
Reply 50
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
Hello and thanks for the questions. Sorry, I can't answer competently on the graduate medicine course as it's only available the mature colleges. Your best option is to email one of the mature colleges and ask them. Sorry.


No problem, thankyou anyway. Can you answer 2 and 3 please? (assuming these are the same across the university and I'm not asking you something I should be asking the matures lol)
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
To be honest, your PS for Maths is not likely to be very important for your chances of getting an offer. All that matters for Maths is how good you are at Maths not how much you tell us you like it! :smile:

Thanks. How do the admissions tutors assess how good an applicant is at maths? Is it mainly done through performance at interview, or are other things such as olympiads/competitions also taken into account in showing that they're good at it?

Also on that subject, would it be a disadvantage that I don't have any maths olympiads? I've heard that Cambridge can't place too much weight on them because not all candidates have the opportunity to take them, but would it reflect negatively if someone has taken them but hasn't done particularly well? I usually tend to do better on things like STEP than on olympiad questions.
(edited 4 years ago)
hello x i have another question , for the personal statement would you have to define the things you learnt e.g optimisim bias or would it be ok to assume the tutor knows what the term means?
(This could potentially apply to people applying for undergrad too)
But if I was potentially on track to get a 2:1 (60-64% average) would that put me out of the running for a Postgraduate place?
Even with some modules and assignments proving to be high 70s marks?

What else goes into the consideration of applying for a postgraduate course?
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
Hello All and welcome to another Ask an Admissions Tutor Thread. If you have any questions about Admissions at Cambridge, whether you're a current offerholder or prospective applicant, please fire away. I'll be here for the next couple of weeks or so to help with any query.

Hi,
I was looking at some stats on the cambridge website and I noticed that some of the colleges get a lot of applicants. I'm aspiring to study medicine at Cambridge university but I'm currently unsure of which college I want to go to. But I was just wondering, are my chances of getting into cambridge reduced if I apply to a more competitive college, for example King's college.
Reply 55
Should there be any evidence of extra curricular activity in the personal statement or should it be purely 100% academic?
Reply 56
please can you tell me what do you mean by your likely strengths and weaknesses?
Original post by Murray Edwards Admissions
If you want to speak to academics at Cambridge, then the best advice is to book yourself onto one of the College open days in September (https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/college-open-days). You'll have your AS results then and that will help us give you advice about your likely strengths and weaknesses.
Original post by qazpl
No problem, thankyou anyway. Can you answer 2 and 3 please? (assuming these are the same across the university and I'm not asking you something I should be asking the matures lol)


2) 31 August is when I believe that you need to provide your financial guarantee.

3) Rent will vary from College to College and within Colleges but I think you'd could manage on around £8k, especially if you were able to work in the vacations. It's hard to be sure, though, as it's a long time since I was a student!
No need to worry about work experience, it's not necessary. The course isn't about becoming a lawyer, it's about the Law.

Yes, it would be good to mention the residentials, especially what you got out of them - they are good evidence of 'super-curricular' activity.

If you reapply with A*AA your are statistically less likely to get in than someone applying in Year 13, who is statistically less likely to get in than someone applying with 2 or 3 A*s post-A level.
Original post by GreenCub
Thanks. How do the admissions tutors assess how good an applicant is at maths? Is it mainly done through performance at interview, or are other things such as olympiads/competitions also taken into account in showing that they're good at it?

Also on that subject, would it be a disadvantage that I don't have any maths olympiads? I've heard that Cambridge can't place too much weight on them because not all candidates have the opportunity to take them, but would it reflect negatively if someone has taken them but hasn't done particularly well? I usually tend to do better on things like STEP than on olympiad questions.


Interview is important and many Colleges will also have a test for candidates to take when they come up for interview. Olympiads can also be useful indicators but aren't essential by any means. There is an understanding that olympiad questions and STEP questions are different and suit different people sometimes but the very best candidates are often good at both.

Latest