Cambridge

I would like to study Chemical Engineering at Cambridge but I have no relevant work experience or extra academic competitions. Is it possible ? I plan on doing a mooc and I’ve applied for some work experience but I’m not sure if I got in . Is there anything else I can do or shall I not consider applying ?

I would like to study Chemical Engineering at Cambridge but I have no relevant work experience or extra academic competitions. Is it possible ? I plan on doing a mooc and I’ve applied for some work experience but I’m not sure if I got in . Is there anything else I can do or shall I not consider applying ?

I think it's still definitely worth applying. I know that Oxbridge looks favourably upon relevant work experience, however, as long as you bulk your personal statement with wider reading and other extra-curriculars you can relate to your degree, you certainly have a fighting chance. With COVID, I would imagine a lack of work experience would be overlooked.

Go for it, there's nothing to lose!

I would like to study Chemical Engineering at Cambridge but I have no relevant work experience or extra academic competitions. Is it possible ? I plan on doing a mooc and I’ve applied for some work experience but I’m not sure if I got in . Is there anything else I can do or shall I not consider applying ?

They don't "look favourably on relevant work experience" because they know the vast majority of applicants do not have the social connections to gain any non-trivial work experience. Also the majority of degrees offered by Oxford and Cambridge are academic and even those which are somewhat "vocational" have an extremely academic angle to them (e.g. engineering, law, medicine). They care first and foremost about academic ability and aptitude and activities and qualifications that demonstrate that. Sitting next to an engineer in an office for a few weeks tells them exactly nothing about that...

The only courses at Oxford and Cambridge which may require or even "prefer" any work experience are medicine (at both) and veterinary medicine (at Cambridge), unless you're a mature student or applying for a second undergraduate degree (in which case I gather Cambridge may consider it if you are applying e.g. for a law degree as a mature student and have been working as a paralegal for some time or something...they still require you to meet the academic requirements anyway though).



As above they don't care about work experience.