Medicine at Cambridge/Oxford - How many Advanced Highers?h

Hi. I'm considering applying to Cambridge next year to study Medicine but my school is only letting me take three Advanced Highers. Is there anyone else on these forums, from Scotland, that is applying to read Medicine at Cambridge or Oxford? If so, how many Advanced Highers are you studying? Do I still stand a chance getting in with the 3? I just stuck with the 5 Highers as well.

I feel as if those who get accepted from Scotland are always the ones who have 6/7 Highers and 4/5 Advanced Highers in one sitting.

Reply 1

Asklepios

19

Original post by Defensive Gnome

Hi. I'm considering applying to Cambridge next year to study Medicine but my school is only letting me take three Advanced Highers. Is there anyone else on these forums, from Scotland, that is applying to read Medicine at Cambridge or Oxford? If so, how many Advanced Highers are you studying? Do I still stand a chance getting in with the 3? I just stuck with the 5 Highers as well.

I feel as if those who get accepted from Scotland are always the ones who have 6/7 Highers and 4/5 Advanced Highers in one sitting.

I got rejected with 5 Advanced Highers and 6 A band 1s at higher level

Reply 2

ladymarshmallow

16

Original post by nerd434

I think I'll be applying to Cambridge next year as well. While yes, I am sitting six Highers, you're technically eligible to apply to Cambridge and Oxford with four Highers and three Advanced Highers, provided you have the A's. I wouldn't let other people put you off applying as pretty much everyone has straight A's so it makes little-to-no difference whether or not you have five, six or seven A's. What will differentiate you from other applicants is the likes of your BMAT score and the interview; where you can convey your genuine passion for the subject.

I was on the same boat with regards to how many Advanced Highers to take. After e-mailing one of the admissioners, at Cambridge, I was told that, "Scottish applicants tend to offer a whole range of subjects at both Higher and Advanced Higher level. For medical applicants, we look primarily for Advanced Highers in three of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and/or Physics."

To be honest, from what I've gathered, if you manage to get four/five A1's in your Highers then you'll nearly always get, at least, an interview. From there, your grades don't matter so much, it's how you conduct yourself in the interview and how you perform on the entry examinations.

I'm thinking of applying next year as well (IF I get the grades - got a C in English prelim because I only managed 2 paragraphs in my second essay, although have 3 A1s so far) for modern languages. I realise I sound like an arrogant prick, but would your teachers also mention it on your reference if you had achieved 100% in one of your exams? I ask this because I got 99% in the German prelim, and hope that I can achieve full marks in the final exam. (Again, sorry for sounding like a smug prick)

Reply 3

Hype en Ecosse

20

Original post by Defensive Gnome

Hi. I'm considering applying to Cambridge next year to study Medicine but my school is only letting me take three Advanced Highers. Is there anyone else on these forums, from Scotland, that is applying to read Medicine at Cambridge or Oxford? If so, how many Advanced Highers are you studying? Do I still stand a chance getting in with the 3? I just stuck with the 5 Highers as well.

I feel as if those who get accepted from Scotland are always the ones who have 6/7 Highers and 4/5 Advanced Highers in one sitting.

5 Highers in S5 and 3 Advanced Highers is perfectly fine - your last statement is definitely false! Oxford's requirements are set at 2 AHs at AA (with Chemistry) minimum, with AAAAA at Highers in S5.

Be wary of applying to Oxbridge simply because they're Oxbridge. Oxford and Cambridge aren't the best of the best that are super hard to get into (which is the feeling I always get when I see "Can I do medicine at Oxbridge?" threads) for medicine like they are with other subjects - plenty of applicants have been rejected from all their choices except Oxbridge. Apply to one of them because you legitimately want to go there, not because you think they're prestigious or better institutions.

The lad above got rejections with his stellar academics - this doesn't point to the fact that "oh, Cambridge are super elite, rejecting such a good candidate!", this is testament to the fact that medicine applications are about much more than your grades.

Reply 4

Friendly Forever

10

Original post by Defensive Gnome

Hi. I'm considering applying to Cambridge next year to study Medicine but my school is only letting me take three Advanced Highers. Is there anyone else on these forums, from Scotland, that is applying to read Medicine at Cambridge or Oxford? If so, how many Advanced Highers are you studying? Do I still stand a chance getting in with the 3? I just stuck with the 5 Highers as well.

I feel as if those who get accepted from Scotland are always the ones who have 6/7 Highers and 4/5 Advanced Highers in one sitting.