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Selwyn or Fitzwilliam .....
Right ive got my college choices down to Selwyn and Fitz, any1 got any comments about either of them ............ some1 help me pick 
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Reply 1
selwyn. ask kupoincarnate for more details.
Reply 2
Velocity
Right ive got my college choices down to Selwyn and Fitz, any1 got any comments about either of them ............ some1 help me pick
Personally I think I'd go for Selwyn. Looks quite nice, most of it.
Reply 3
I'd also go for Selwyn - because of its relative aesthetic qualities and location.
Reply 4
Don't know anything about Selwyn really. I'm going to Fitzwilliam (pooled from Emmanuel) so I'll be able to tell you more about it next week. From my experience at interview, and contact with them since, including my college parents, everyone there seems really nice. The tutors who interviewed me were great, and the secretaries and stuff have been too. The place has a nice atmosphere.
It does not, however, look like your typical Cambridge college. The majority of buildings are modern and it is slightly further from the centre than most of the older colleges (this is all relative, however).
My main reasons for applying to Emmanuel were aesthetic, due to a lack of anything better to make comparisons with really. The fact that Fitzwilliam is more modern, some would say uglier, doesn't bother me in the slightest but it might be important to you for your application.
Also, because I'm doing Natural Sciences, which is a really big subject, and in which a lot of the teaching is done in lectures, I think my choice of college was less important than for some subjects. In subjects which have a smaller intake, or where you're more exclusively dependent on a supervisor, it might make sense to look closely at who would be teaching you in the different colleges (a current student would know a lot more about this).
Well I seem to have talked a lot about nothing. Further impression of Fitzwilliam next week, if you like.
Good luck,
Catherine
It does not, however, look like your typical Cambridge college. The majority of buildings are modern and it is slightly further from the centre than most of the older colleges (this is all relative, however).
My main reasons for applying to Emmanuel were aesthetic, due to a lack of anything better to make comparisons with really. The fact that Fitzwilliam is more modern, some would say uglier, doesn't bother me in the slightest but it might be important to you for your application.
Also, because I'm doing Natural Sciences, which is a really big subject, and in which a lot of the teaching is done in lectures, I think my choice of college was less important than for some subjects. In subjects which have a smaller intake, or where you're more exclusively dependent on a supervisor, it might make sense to look closely at who would be teaching you in the different colleges (a current student would know a lot more about this).
Well I seem to have talked a lot about nothing. Further impression of Fitzwilliam next week, if you like.
Good luck,
Catherine
Reply 5
Velocity
OP
thanks every1, well my cambridge application has to be in this friday so my choice will be made by then. I think Selywn looks nicer (buildings, gardens etc) but shud i base my choice just on that? Selywn requires 3 inteviews and Fitz only 2, i know its a silly thing to pick up on but id much rather have only 2 inteviews lol.
Im applying for natural sciences as well
Im applying for natural sciences as well
Reply 6
Is one of Selwyn's interviews purely general? My "general interview" was done by a maths supervisor and some sciencey PhD student. It was mainly maths based with a couple of minutes spent on my music and stuff. They also asked my about some of the physics books I'd read, I think, and my work experience which was in a physics lab.
Both Emmanuel and Fitzwilliam seemed largely uninterested in my extracurricular stuff at interview, but I suppose it could in a small way have influenced their decision, I don't know.
You could look at it as the more interviews you do, the more chance you have to impress someone. I'd advise you to look carefully at what each of the interviews involves.
For Emmanuel, you could chose to be interviewed in Physics, Chemistry or Biology (I chose physics) and you also got a list of topics from which you had to pick one you'd be prepared to talk about t interview (I chose the CMB, can't really remember the rest of them) but for Fitzwilliam the technical interview was done by a physicist and a chemist and I was given questions by both.
Both Emmanuel and Fitzwilliam seemed largely uninterested in my extracurricular stuff at interview, but I suppose it could in a small way have influenced their decision, I don't know.
You could look at it as the more interviews you do, the more chance you have to impress someone. I'd advise you to look carefully at what each of the interviews involves.
For Emmanuel, you could chose to be interviewed in Physics, Chemistry or Biology (I chose physics) and you also got a list of topics from which you had to pick one you'd be prepared to talk about t interview (I chose the CMB, can't really remember the rest of them) but for Fitzwilliam the technical interview was done by a physicist and a chemist and I was given questions by both.
Reply 7
Velocity
OP
You can expect to have two 30 minute scientific interviews, together with a shorter general interview. In addition, applicants also have a 15 minute interview with the Admissions Tutor (Sciences).
Does that mean there's 4 inteveiws? lol inteviews stress me out :P
Does that mean there's 4 inteveiws? lol inteviews stress me out :P
Reply 8
selwyn is well good and stuff... do it. the new range of the new court is amazing and it's even got lifts (and the best showers in the world ever).
it's also pretty, which is always good.
it's also pretty, which is always good.
Reply 9
15
selwyn every time. I was interviewed at Fitzwilliam and I hated it. Quite frankly the architechture depressed me and my interviewers were rude, stuck-up and determined to catch me out, even looking a bit angry when they realised that I was on to them and didn't fall for their traps. I left angry and disillusioned and determined not to take a place at Cambridge if I was pooled to Fitz. Selwyn is nice, not just architechturally, but also has much nicer people, in my opinion. I've had supervisions with a Selwyn DoS and he was encouraging and funny and human, something I didn't encounter at Fitz at all.
Reply 10
Velocity
OP
A lot for selwyn then ..... im still worried bout all the inteviews! Naelse, did u originally pick fitz? R u at Selywn now?
Reply 11
15
Velocity
A lot for selwyn then ..... im still worried bout all the inteviews! Naelse, did u originally pick fitz? R u at Selywn now?
I originally applied to, and am currently at, Newnham. The Fitz interview was part of a system for Classics and Theology which means that you get interviewed at 2 different colleges on the same day.
Reply 12
Velocity
OP
oh ok then. Thanks for ur help ...... i think Selywn is gonna b my choice 
Reply 13
15
just make sure that you make the decision based on what you need. It'd be awful for you if you decided based on what a few strangers on the internet thought, and then made the wrong choice for you...
Reply 14
Yeah you should have a look at both if you get a chance and talk to some students and supervisors face to face, although I'm not sure that even this will help you much.
I think really that any decision you make about what college you apply to is going to be quite arbitrary. I also think that it's unlikely you'd dislike your college once you got there (although I haven't started yet, so what do I know?)
Also, while I don't know what naelse studies, I'd just like to point out for fairness' sake that everyone I met at Fitz was lovely, apart from a couple of the interviewees.
I think really that any decision you make about what college you apply to is going to be quite arbitrary. I also think that it's unlikely you'd dislike your college once you got there (although I haven't started yet, so what do I know?)
Also, while I don't know what naelse studies, I'd just like to point out for fairness' sake that everyone I met at Fitz was lovely, apart from a couple of the interviewees.
Reply 15
Velocity
OP
yeah i know what u mean, i'll think about it a bit more 2moz ....
Reply 16
11
Fitz has Starkey!
Reply 17
naelse
interviewers were rude, stuck-up and determined to catch me out, even looking a bit angry when they realised that I was on to them and didn't fall for their traps.
Personally I found my maths DoS at Fitz to be absolutely lovely and friendly, see seemed very happy to help and genuinely interested in what I had to say. And even when I arrived late and at the wrong door (dont ask lol
), everybody was amazingly helpful.I also had a problem with nasty interviewers in my original choice college. Its obviously dependant on which subject you're doing, so I'd suggest meeting your potential DoS, though its probably a little late for that now!
Also I thought that Fitz wasnt as ugly as people have said - true its not as pretty as some of the other places, but at least its not concrete or red bricks
It also has squirrels!
On the other side...Fitz is really far away from the centre of cambridge - a 5 min bike ride I think. But look at it this way, at least you'll stay fit
Btw...see you at Fitz soon Catherine!
Sarah
Reply 18
Gemini
Also I thought that Fitz wasnt as ugly as people have said - true its not as pretty as some of the other places, but at least its not concrete or red bricks
Reply 19
Gemini
On the other side...Fitz is really far away from the centre of cambridge - a 5 min bike ride I think. But look at it this way, at least you'll stay fit
On the other side...Fitz is really far away from the centre of cambridge - a 5 min bike ride I think. But look at it this way, at least you'll stay fit
These types of sayings allways crack me up...when you think of it 5 minutes is nothing but distances do take a whole new meaning at cambridge
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