This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Per School Quota?

My friend and I both want to study at the same college (cam) for the same course. We are class mates and will be applying this year to get places for the course (med) in 2005. Supposing we are of equal abilities and similar nature and similar backgrounds, will the medical school only have one student per school and it is impossible for both of us to get places (8-10 in total at the college), or is it just unlikely and the admissions will not actively try to have only one from the school?

Help yourself: rant on :cool:

Reply 1

MadNatSci

12

d0c

My friend and I both want to study at the same college (cam) for the same course. We are class mates and will be applying this year to get places for the course (med) in 2005. Supposing we are of equal abilities and similar nature and similar backgrounds, will the medical school only have one student per school and it is impossible for both of us to get places (8-10 in total at the college), or is it just unlikely and the admissions will not actively try to have only one from the school?

Help yourself: rant on :cool:

Statistically I reckon it's unlikely you'll both get in. The admissions tutor I know would certainly never actively try to take only one of you and although I can't speak from experience for all tutors, I reckon the same would apply - they don't seem to have much truck with quotas (other than the government-imposed ones for medicine). I think I'm right in saying that they don't know what school you go to until after the applications procedure...?

Reply 2

Alexander

12

Your school is unlikely to allow you both to apply to the same college -- mine certainly wouldn't; it's silly as it will create a little less competition for both of you if you apply to different ones, and there are about 25 to choose from -- you ought to be able to find two different ones! If I were an admissions tutor I would think it odd that two schoolmates applied for the same course.

Reply 3

Alexander

12

MadNatSci

I think I'm right in saying that they don't know what school you go to until after the applications procedure...?

No -- at a couple of interviews my interviewers have looked at my UCAS form and said "ahhh you go to XXX school"

Reply 4

CamSPSer

yup why both apply for the same college? if one of you gets in and the other doesnt you might end up thinking why did he get in but i didnt, what does have that i havent. if he had applied somewhere else would i be going. and whoever u are i think you would do that to some extent. i could imagine a nasty interviewer using it to his advantage as well, comparing your knowledge of topics to see how well you compare against each other
my school wont let two people apply for the same course or similar courses (ie PPE and Phil/Theology) and will bug you lots until they manage to get it down to one person per college even if you're doing completely different courses.

Reply 5

Alexander

12

notyourpunk

and will bug you lots until they manage to get it down to one person per college even if you're doing completely different courses.

I don't see the point when it's completely different courses -- it would be completely different people doing the decision-making. From my school as many as three people in one year have got offers from the same college, in different subjects of course.

Reply 6

MadNatSci

12

Alexander

No -- at a couple of interviews my interviewers have looked at my UCAS form and said "ahhh you go to XXX school"

Ah bummer. I still think they won't use that against you.

Although if it was me I wouldn't want to go to the same college as someone from school - my uni life and my ex-school friends life are separate. I have a friend who's at a different college here but that's as close as I'd want it to be!

Reply 7

CamSPSer

Alexander

I don't see the point when it's completely different courses -- it would be completely different people doing the decision-making. From my school as many as three people in one year have got offers from the same college, in different subjects of course.

dunno why this is. i suppose the school thinks its beneficial to try and get a spread of people from the school at different colleges to maintain the school's presence.
or maybe, given what my schools like, they dont want people up for interview being in close enough proximity to be able to go out and get blind drunk hehe

Reply 8

Lucy

My school strongly recommends not to apply for the same course at the same college too (just because you'll be in direct competition with each other so you're just making it more difficult for yourself, especially if you two are so similar). There have been clashes in the past at my school but normally someone backs down (after lots of petty arguing :rolleyes:

).

As for applying to the same college for different courses, my school has never had any problems with that before (just under 10 students applied last year to Downing and a large proportion received offers).

I would go and have a proper look around/research a whole bunch of colleges at Cambridge and then reconsider.

Reply 9

Suzy_vet

i would try to and think of another college to applt to! i think although its not impossible, its def rejucing your chances.

Reply 10

figgetyfig

2

Alexander

I don't see the point when it's completely different courses -- it would be completely different people doing the decision-making. From my school as many as three people in one year have got offers from the same college, in different subjects of course.

I think that's happened at our school before.

This year from one college we got one offer and one pooled.

Reply 11

rts

7

me and a classmate/friend both applied this year to the same course at the same college and we both got offers.

Reply 12

hildabeast

7

rts

me and a classmate/friend both applied this year to the same course at the same college and we both got offers.

Yes, there were two people in my year who both applied for chemistry at Jesus and both got in.

Reply 13

H&E

3

hildabeast

Yes, there were two people in my year who both applied for chemistry at Jesus and both got in.

How many people were in your year? Apparently the big Sixth Form Colleges in both Oxford and Cambridge often send well over 100 applicants, so a bit of overlap is inevitable. However, at my school we were told to avoid it if at all possible.

Reply 14

hildabeast

7

H&E

How many people were in your year? Apparently the big Sixth Form Colleges in both Oxford and Cambridge often send well over 100 applicants, so a bit of overlap is inevitable. However, at my school we were told to avoid it if at all possible.

Jeez, probably about 1000 people in each year at my 6th form college!! :tongue:

Only about 6 people applied to Oxford though.

Reply 15

H&E

3

hildabeast

Jeez, probably about 1000 people in each year at my 6th form college!! :tongue:

Only about 6 people applied to Oxford though.

Only 6 people and they still managed to apply for the same course at the same college...

Spose it shows that the tutors really do pick on merit and merit only.

Reply 16

house badger

7

hildabeast

Jeez, probably about 1000 people in each year at my 6th form college!! :tongue:

Only about 6 people applied to Oxford though.

Similar for me 2500 over two years and we managed to get 3 into Oxford and 5 into the other place last year. Not bad though.

Reply 17

Elles

17

we weren't allowed to apply for the same course at the same college..involved me getting into college vary early one morning to sign up for the one i wanted! :tongue:

not sure how many applied from my 6th form..but i think there were 40 offers, which isn't bad for a state 6th form..although it was huge!

Reply 18

hornblower

6

Elles

we weren't allowed to apply for the same course at the same college..involved me getting into college vary early one morning to sign up for the one i wanted! :tongue:

not sure how many applied from my 6th form..but i think there were 40 offers, which isn't bad for a state 6th form..although it was huge!