The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
If that's true then you basically need to get A* X 100 to get in, I think some people are just over exaggerating.
Original post by BarackObama
x

Some of the profiles are fake or exaggerated, but not many, and the competition is tough, yes. However, it's worth remembering that since the stalking page is a TSR-only feature, the profiles are probably stronger than average.

Also, grades are by no means everything, which is why plenty of people are rejected with top scores, and plenty of people are made offers with relatively low scores.

A*A*A predictions are very good, and just a quick glance at the page revealed at least five TSR applicants who got in this year with those predictions. I doubt that Cambridge pay much attention to predicted grades, since they get access to all of your module scores. Lastly, since almost everyone applying has fairly similar grades, your interview/test performance can make a huge difference and outweigh a lack of a few UMS points.
(edited 10 years ago)
I don't know if this will put you at ease, but I applied to Cambridge and got a deferred offer.

I achieved 1 A* and 10 A's at GCSE, and achieved BBCD at AS. :colondollar:

It's not all about the grades - they look for academic potential, which is where the interview process comes in.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by BarackObama
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Predictions mean very little tbh. It's more about potential (which'll be demonstrated at interview) and actual achievement (mostly determined by your As UMS) :smile:
Reply 5
Original post by Silent Witness
I don't know if this will put you at ease, but I applied to Cambridge and got a deferred offer.

I achieved 1 A* and 11 A's at GCSE, and achieved BBCD at AS. :colondollar:

It's not all about the grades - they look for academic potential, which is where the interview process comes in.


That's impressive, well played, Sir, well played..
Original post by J_W-x
That's impressive, well played, Sir, well played..


Thank you :colondollar:

Fulfilling the offer of A*AA though... that's another story. I doubt I'll get in. :frown:
Reply 7
Inevitably there will be a few trolls. But grades aren't everything at Cambridge- there are people I know from my own school with 4 A*s predicted and didn't get the offer while I had lower predicted grades and did. I would say as long as you meet the minimum recommended criteria for applying for your course at a college (this is not the same as minimum grade requirements) then you will get an interview. After the interview, the grades may or may not be considered again depending on your college. But most often a strong interview means and offer. Don't worry if people with A*A*A*A* are being rejected- you don't know about their interview performance which is crucial in getting an offer. Your predicted grades seem good enough-but AS UMS is very important for Cambridge. If you have strong AS UMS then I would say go for it. Lots of things put me off applying but in the end I went for it and got an offer so don't let anyone tell you that its not possible because it is.
Good Luck!!
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by Silent Witness
Thank you :colondollar:

Fulfilling the offer of A*AA though... that's another story. I doubt I'll get in. :frown:


Cambridge tutors are generally smart people, they wouldn't have given you the offer if they didn't deem you capable of achieving it, don't doubt yourself if they didn't :tongue:
Original post by J_W-x
Cambridge tutors are generally smart people, they wouldn't have given you the offer if they didn't deem you capable of achieving it, don't doubt yourself if they didn't :tongue:


Thanks, but I can't help but doubt myself. :frown: I guess we'll have to wait and see this Thursday! :s-smilie:
As long as you meet the AAA requirement at AS and have an average of 90% in each subject, then you'll be fine. After that it's based mostly on the interview more than anything else. I'm predicted A*A*A and I have an offer, but I know of people predicted A*A*A*A* who were rejected. I think the key is confidence and enthusiasm at interview :smile:
Just to also add, grades don't always mean everything :nah: I got an offer despite having ABBCC as AS :yep: (STEP however was brutal :zomg:)
There will be a few trolls, but the reality with Cambridge is that grades aren't everything - there are so many facets to the applications that grades alone wont guarantee a place, hence the gruelling application process. I wouldn't worry about everyone else. Just focus on the minimum A*AA entrance requirement and go with that. The one thing I've learned about applying and getting in to Cam is that looking outwardly instead of inwardly is a waste of energy. You cannot control the competition around you. If you meet the minimum entrance requirements and you want to have a shot at Cambridge then go for it - its very unhelpful looking at the stalking pages in my opinion - its something I realised when offers were given out. If you take them with a pinch of salt they're okay, but if you take them too seriously you'll get massively stressed out.
The thing is that, once you reach a certain plateau in terms of grades, an extra A* doesn't mean anything. That grades don't prove that much is why Cambridge uses admissions tests and interviews etc. Don't worry about people having better grades than you -- that doesn't necessarily make them better applicants.
Reply 14
It terrified me too, and I got an offer, with only 2 A*s at GCSE and a D in my maths AS! Clearly it just means grades aren't everything :smile:
Reply 15
I wouldn't worry hugely, a lot of people probably don't submit their grades. Our school told us the average successful offerholder gets over 93% UMS but I definitely didn't do that well at AS and I got an offer, whereas I know students with INCREDIBLE UMS and taking more a levels then me and they made the autopool (93 ums i believe) but didn't get an offer.
At the end of the day they look at every applicant individually so no point freaking out because of some online statistics. If they like you at interview that counts for a lot, and you could be getting 98 UMS average and 5 A* predictions and still not get an offer because you are not what they are looking for at interview.
Also, I have a friend who I believe received an offer without any A*s predicted, and possibly a B? (iirc)

Original post by hogwartian1993
The one thing I've learned about applying and getting in to Cam is that looking outwardly instead of inwardly is a waste of energy. You cannot control the competition around you.


^ That is probably the best advice you can take. I was competing against a girl from my school for the same subject and college and her UMS were MUCH higher than mine, and she took more subjects, and is generally more academic but I got the college we'd applied to and she got pooled and then a place at another college. I kind of assumed I had no chance against her since our school told us that we had no chance of both getting in, but you never know what they will see in you individually; I definitely didn't look like I would get in on paper
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 16
Original post by Litterbug
...I would say as long as you meet the minimum recommended criteria for applying for your course at a college (this is not the same as minimum grade requirements) then you will get an interview...


How can I find those? Is there an official statement released by Cambridge about this, or would the 'recommended criteria' just be TSR speculation?
Reply 17
Original post by BarackObama
How can I find those? Is there an official statement released by Cambridge about this, or would the 'recommended criteria' just be TSR speculation?


You could look up the average UMS of those that get interviews and offers for the course- this information is readily available online, might even be on TSR. That should give you a good idea of what you should be getting.
basically what everyone else said - it's not all about UMS :smile: I got 94% and was rejected (physical natural sciences) because I had a bad interview, but I know people who have an average in the 80s but had amazing interviews and got in. They know people have off days.
Original post by PhysicsLeopard
basically what everyone else said - it's not all about UMS :smile: I got 94% and was rejected (physical natural sciences) because I had a bad interview, but I know people who have an average in the 80s but had amazing interviews and got in. They know people have off days.


Seems strange to side with the interview in that case though.

The interviews literally are held on "one day", therefore surely are more susceptible to an "off-day" than multiple examinations taken over a period of weeks.

I am not disputing your post, I'm questioning the judgement of admissions tutors in instances like that.

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