Ask an Admissions Tutor - applying at 21+

In my experience, yes.

Thanks so much for your clarification! Personally, my cumulative grade is 4.0, which in itself doesn't mean much, but I was lucky enough to be the top of my class for my cohort. With ECs in public speaking, debate and a win in a criminal moot court competition, 3-month work experience in the Attorney-General's Chambers, a decent PS and a positive reference, do I stand a realistic chance of being admitted if I apply?

There are no certainties where interview-based admissions systems are concerned, and you've now missed the deadline for an interview in Singapore, but on the basis of what you've told me, your application sounds competitive.

For the Graduate Course in Medicine - how much overlap is expected between the UCAS personal statement and the Cambridge form's reflection on healthcare experience? Can they duplicate, or is it better to choose some different examples for these 2 forms?

Also, is there any limit on the size of the completed Cambridge form with all attachments? The scans of my degree certificates and transcripts seem to be pretty large in size, and I am slightly worried that emailing everything in one file might not be feasible (e.g. due to security settings of the Cambridge email system or something).

Thanks again for your time. This is a great thread.

We wouldn't expect substantial overlap between the personal statement and the reflection on healthcare experience, in that they serve a different purpose - one is an overall 'portrait', and one is focussing on a specific set of activities and the learning you have gained from them. Having said that, it is fine to use the same examples, as long as you pull out different aspects.

There is, technically, no limit on file size, but the Lucy Cavendish Admissions inbox, at least, can struggle with very large attachments, so you might want to create more than one file, and attach to several e-mails, if you're worried.

Hello!

I have a question about the CGCM form - sorry!

It says everything needs to be emailed as one pdf document. However, does this include the reference? Because this would seem to imply that the referee would then have to email everything including my work experience reflections etc. themselves, rather than having the referee send in just the reference, and I send my things separately.

Also, I read on the Hughes Hall website that the deadline is October 15th for the CGCM form and the UCAS form, which contradicts what it says on the actual form itself - would I be right in saying that the 22nd is the correct deadline and the Hughes Hall website is incorrect, or is that their college-specific deadline?

No it doesn't include the reference; that should come under separate cover from your referee. The agreement between the three colleges that admit for this course and the Clinical School is that the UCAS deadline is the 15th, and the deadline for all other materials the 22nd. It seems probable that there is an error on the Hughes Hall website (or that it hasn't been updated since last year), but if you're worried, then do double-check with the Hughes Hall Admissions Office.

Thanks so much, you've been really helpful!

Final question (hopefully!) - do you require AS level certificates or are just A level certificates fine?

This is a very useful thread. Thank you for taking the time.

I am applying for History and will have had two consecutive years away from school since graduating from the IB programme with an overall score of 40. Different colleges seem to differ somewhat as to whether or not this constitutes a competitive score. Does there exist a difference between how mature and other colleges view history applicants?

Hello,

Thank you for creating this thread, it has been very useful.

I have a question regarding the CGCM entry requirements. I am a Pharmacy graduate with a 1st and AAB at A-level (Chem, Bio, Maths), I was wondering, from your past experience have applicants in recent years managed to attain an interview with such A-levels (assuming the rest of their application was strong)?

Hi
I know this is a long way off but I am surrently studying with the open university for a natural science degree. I am in my first year but I would like to do medicine in the future when I am 30 (I am currently 25). I am also planning on doing my a levels while I am doing my degree but one after the other over the next 4 years because I will not have time to sit them all in 2 years.The a levels I will do are biology, chemistry, physics and maths. I am currently a healthcare assistant in the NHS working full time and by the time I apply I would have about 5-6 years work experience and 8-9 years in total of caring experience. if I was to get a first on my degree and a/a*'s on my alevels would I be a possible candidate or am I just kidding myself.

Would it also hinder my application that I have had poor academic performance in the pass. By this I mean that even though I have 4 a's at GCSE taken in 2005 i also have 2 d's. I also have a CDD at alevel in applied science, CD, and environmental science, D, taken in 2008. I also spent an extra year in college becasue I did biology, chemistry, physics and the use of maths at as but I only got an E in biology and the rest were unclassified. I also went to uni after this to study biomedical science and human biology and only ended up with a diploma of applied science in a pass. All of this underperformance is due to me being immature and lazy when I was a teenager and in my early 20's but I have turned myself around.

If after all this I still have a chance at cambridge what else can I do to strengthen my application. And also when I do apply at around 30-31 will my age hinder my application. Also will a degree from the open university be accepted becasue im not sure if you would see it at a reputable institution.

Thank you for your time