Official Cambridge 2022 Applicants Thread

Just going to add in that I didn’t mention I applied for history. If anyone needs any tips or advice on PS etc, plz feel free to ask

1) What A Levels are you taking from September (or other eligible qualifications)?
I took Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry


2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?
I want to do natural sciences because I'm interested in studying physics along with something else so that I get a more interdisciplinary education but still end up with a degree in physics.

3) What grades did you get at GCSE? Are you retaking any?
99999999888A*

4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?
My answer to Q3

5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
NSAA and probably June/July or something.

6) What have you done in lockdown to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?
Isaac Physics questions. Nuclear physics masterclass with the University of York.

7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?
Don't quite know yet haha

8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?

No but my school pushes us to apply to Jesus college although I doubt I will apply there since it's quite a big college.

Wait why would you not apply to oxford cause of ur gcses

Wait why would you not apply to oxford cause of ur gcses

I'm pretty sure that they meant to reference Q2...

1) What A Levels are you taking from September (or other eligible qualifications)?

English lit, History, Maths (and an EPQ in yr13)

2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?

English Literature- I like reading and don't really know what I want to do in the future and with an English degree you can go into lots of different fields. I do enjoy reading as well.
However I am questioning whether english is right for me. I haven't really enjoyed a level so far but I don't like any of the other degrees I could take with my a levels. I am hoping I can regain my love for english. I think a degree in english is very different from the a level any way and the main reason I am not liking english is that I don't like one of my teachers. I think I wanted to do an english degree originally because I like reading and am not as excited about analysis and interpretation- I don't think I would pick english if I could chose my a levels again so we'll see what I end up doing!

3) What grades did you get at GCSE? Are you retaking any?

9999999997 (7 was in art and no retakes) I hope my 7 doesn't disadvantage me.

4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?

I like how you can cover every literary period at Cambridge- at other uni's there are more optional modules so you don't really cover everything. The Oxford course features some english language as well which I am not intersted in and you can only pick one optional module in yr3 whereas at Cambridge you can do 2. There are also more papers you can swap for dissertations at Cambridge. I prefer the town as well!

5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?

ELAT- I will start preparing over the summer hols. I will do past papers and practice close analysis.

6) What have you done in lockdown to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?

Not a lot. I read quite a few novels but that was just for fun but it will help my application. I have listened to one lecture and will do a MOOC. Looking through this thread I fell really underprepared- everyone else has done so much extra work. There is an essay competition I will enter as well and might start a literary blog.

7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?

No idea. This question assumes I have already got in and it is so unlikely I won't get in that I wonder if it is worth applying.

8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?

Jesus, Emmanuel, Downing, Selwyn, Trinity Hall or another one! Basically no idea again. I would like one with a lot of outdoor space as this would be nice in the summer!

Don't be put off with the other posts in this thread because i think there are far fewer resources to prepare for an English course compared to STEM subjects and stuff which is not your fault Also I don't think your 7 in art will disadvantage you because the rest of your grades are 9s.

That is a very good point about having more resources for STEM subjects. There are so many more websites and podcasts and lectures and MOOC's about science/maths. But I suppose English is not as important as STEM subjects in the modern world so no one really cares about literature anymore.

It is true that less and less people are choosing English lit but I suppose that makes people that do English lit more important

Not when english lit is a pretty useless subject. The modern world is built on science and there is no room for literature or culture anymore which is a shame. It is not helped by Boris and his government saying how useless humanities are and how STEM is so much more important. At my school we didn't have any careers advice so I just chose english because I sort of liked it. But looking at job prospects I would do a STEM degree if I had the choice.

hmm I wouldn't say it's useless. A lot of careers aren't based on STEM. My sister did English history maths at a level (and bio at AS) and she's studying liberal arts which is quite the opposite of anything to do with stem. As she's graduating soon, she's been looking at career prospects and they aren't lacking.

But compared to STEM or finance/economics graduates they are lacking. But to counter what I have been saying I read an article that said by the time people are about 40 yrs old, STEM graduates earn about the same as liberal arts/humanities graduates because STEM jobs constantly require new skills to be learnt, and younger graduates already have this knowledge. So maybe I am wrong- I think my school is very STEM focused so I get bogged down in the constant stream of opportunities and encouragement to pursue STEM degrees. I have never had any career advice so no one has ever told me what I could do with an english degree.

yeah that is true, because stem degrees are more content based than something like law or politics.

I'll attach a link to this website that tells you everything about graduate prospects from a degree. it's already on the English degree but you can change it to other courses you may be interested in

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/english

The whole point of Cambridge interviews is to find out how you think, therefore finding out how you think in class is excellent preparation for Cambridge.

Even with science they want you to break down the problem and explain how you would go about solving problems.

I once met a trinity college Cambridge maths student, who said that people think they will get in if they are brilliant at doing sums in their heads like a computer, but what they are looking for is someone who can solve maths problems in groups.

@Lily_23