christs or clare college? for ECONOMICS

hey, jus really needed some advice as to which of the above 2 colleges to apply to..id like to know which you think would be easier for me to get into,

I,

-go to a state school in bradford
-8A*s,2A's and 2B's at GCSE (B in GCSE) Maths
-On target for 3a's and a B at AS-level (B in AS ICT)
-Predicted 3A's at A-Level (Maths, Physics,Business&Economics)
-many EC's and work experience
-like both colleges!

Reply 1

N9ne

Neither is easier or harder to get into, please try to understand that. Apply to the one which you think is best for you; if you're good enough, you'll get in.

Also, it isn't necessary to make numerous threads asking the same thing.

Reply 2

FadeToBlackout

They're both equally hard to get into!

Playing the system like this, in short, doesn't work. There may be a slightly higher proportion of applicants per place at one of them, but that doesn't mean it's any harder to get into.

In short, apply to the one that you think best; you can't play the system, if you're good you'll get in or be pooled.

Personally I think you should apply to Clare as it is by far and away the best college, but then I am only slightly biased... :rolleyes:

Reply 3

rivengurl

Do note that Christ's will very likely offer a conditional offer of 4A's....

Reply 4

FadeToBlackout

Assuming you're doing 4 A2s, which the OP doesn't seem to be doing. :smile:

The offers will more than likely both be at AAA, so there's nowt to choose between them there.

Reply 5

N9ne

Since you're doing three A-levels and no AEAs, your offer from either would be AAA.

Reply 6

minimo

They will probably question you as to why you got a B in GCSE Maths.

Reply 7

veni, vidi, vici

if so, what would be a good response?

Reply 8

opolunina

atz

if so, what would be a good response?

Two options here that I see: either you're good at maths, and have a perfectly credible reason for not having got a great mark (e.g. bad teaching/teachers kept changing...etc..), in which case you should just tell them so and they'll understand. Alternately, you're just not very good at maths, in which case to be honest you'd struggle with economics at Cambridge, which is very heavily focused around mathematical techniques.

I'm sorry - that comes out as being very harsh, and I don't mean to disparage your maths ability when I know nothing about it! I just thought it worth pointing out that the course *is* very mathsy, so if you're not great at it you might want to rethink course or at least uni - Oxford, for instance, has a much less mathsy Economics & Management course. However, if you're fine for an A in maths at A level, you should be OK - just explain that you had trouble with the GCSE for whatever reason it was, its bound to be a good one. If you want advice with how to structure your actual circumstances into the most appealing sentense at interivew - PM :wink:

Reply 9

N9ne

atz

if so, what would be a good response?

Well what's the real reason?

Reply 10

toto8462

atz

if so, what would be a good response?

I would have to agree with the other posts. You shouldn't want to con the interviewer into making them think you are something you are not. You may be very good at maths, but be honest as to why you got a B. If you dont have a good reason for getting a B (i.e. its purely your fault) than think about whether you want a really mathematics related degree.

The interviews are about seeing whether you will cope, but maths is often not tested at interview, dont shoot yourself in the foot at interview, just be honest about why you got a B. You must have some idea!?

Reply 11

N9ne

toto8462

The interviews are about seeing whether you will cope, but maths is often not tested at interview, dont shoot yourself in the foot at interview, just be honest about why you got a B. You must have some idea!?

The maths testing at interview is an interesting point. Some colleges test it heavily while others don't. I believe it also varies from year to year.

To be on the safe side, you need to be very clued up on AS Maths, as it definitely came up in some significant detail and difficulty in interviews at some colleges, namely St Catz.

Reply 12

opolunina

I think they will definitely want to assure themselves that you're capable of the maths - for some people, exam results do the job, for others more testing is required...