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Cambridge PS

I've heard that the personal statement to apply to Cambridge (and Oxford) isn't exactly the same one as the one for the rest of unis, and you have to include a "why Cambridge" paragraph, is this true? or is it just one statement to rule the all?

thanks!
That's not true at all.
Original post by coquemampel
I've heard that the personal statement to apply to Cambridge (and Oxford) isn't exactly the same one as the one for the rest of unis, and you have to include a "why Cambridge" paragraph, is this true? or is it just one statement to rule the all?

thanks!


I think you might be confusing the PS with the supplementary information, the SAQ, which Cambridge require after you apply. See http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/saq.html

EDIT: There is a section in the SAQ for an 'additional personal statement' in which they say 'We would be particularly interested to know what aspects of the Cambridge course attracted you to apply here'.
(edited 10 years ago)
The personal statement that you write should be applicable to all universities, so should not reference a particular university.

However, when my friend applied to Cambridge she was then required to send an additional personal statement - I think this was meant to cover why wanted to study the particular course, since Cambridge has unique combination courses that aren't found at other universities, rather than study at the university as a whole.
Reply 4
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smile:D
16
There is no need to do this, the SAQ extra personal statement only really applies if you're applying to a different course at cambridge than for your other unis, e.g. if you're applying to law at other unis but land economy at cam :smile:
Reply 5
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suedonim
15
you are applying to 5 universities and your personal statement needs to reflect that as most people who apply to Cambridge (or Oxford) dont get a place there. However the SAQ can spell out why Cambridge. It's not just for subjects only studied at Cambridge, you get it for all subjects. There is no SAQ for Oxford.

If you're applying to the more academic universities say more about academic interests and less about extracurriculars, you only need enough to show you have life apart from academics (unless its medicine).
Reply 6
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Jkizer
16
If somebody did that in a PS, thats just application suicide
Reply 7
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Tuya
4
The SAQ is primarily used by Natural Scientists at Cambridge in which they talk about why they want to do science in general rather than, say, physics which is what they applied for at other unis. And also, for engineers as Cambridge does general engineering as opposed to other unis which offer specific didciplines.
Whatever the intended or actual use of the Cambridge SAQ, I take it we are all agreed that the OP putting a 'why Cambridge' paragraph into the general Ucas PS is a very, very, very bad idea?
Reply 9
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Tuya
4
Original post by ageshallnot
Whatever the intended or actual use of the Cambridge SAQ, I take it we are all agreed that the OP putting a 'why Cambridge' paragraph into the general Ucas PS is a very, very, very bad idea?


Indeed, although if you only apply to Cambridge, idk how that'd work
Reply 10
Avatar for coquemampel
coquemampel
OP
OK thanks all, that's what I thought, just needed to make sure.

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