Trinity Hall (URGENT)

Sorry if this is supposed to be in the help choosing a college but I need some urgent replies - I'm in a state again!

Basically I was going to apply to Homerton then went back to Cambridge to have another look at other colleges. I decided I really liked Downing and was going to apply. I've filled in my forms and everything now with Downing as 'preference college'. However, I've had a call from a family friend with experience of Cambridge applications and he thinks firstly my personal statement isn't good enough and secondly that Downing might be too hard to get into (I got AABBB at AS) - after originally encouraging me to apply to whichever college I preferred! I emailed the Downing asking if my AS grades were ok and they replied that basically it's so competitive my chances are low.

Now I don't know where to apply! I liked Homerton but heard most people think it's an 'easy' college and it's too far out.

So I'm back to looking at the college websites and considering those I hadn't seen before. Trinity Hall looks nice but can anyone answer my questions please?

1) What is the accommodation like? i.e. en-suite likelihood, cost, choice?
2) What is T.H.'s reputation like? Friendly? Hard to get into?

That's all I can think of for now but any general info would be VERY gratefully recieved :smile:

I'm very aware that my english today is appalling but I'm in a mess at the moment because my school are pressuring me to get my application in tomorrow and I still haven't decided on a college!!

MissSurfer

Reply 1

Turdburger

16

I dont get it, if you feel that you are a weaker candiate and like Homerton and its easy to get into why not apply there????

Reply 2

MissSurfer

OP

17

...because I've heard it's not considered a 'proper' college and it's a long way out of town.

I'm looking at Corpus Christi now.. that looks quite nice - if anyone knows anything about there...

Reply 3

justbrowsing

4

My god. I'm pretty sure that if yoiu picked 50 randomers of the street, lined them up and told them you attend Homerton College, Cambridge, I'm pretty sure none of them would laugh.

Reply 4

MissSurfer

OP

17

^ True. But what about the if the 50 people were other Cam students?

Really it's more of a distance thing. I think I might just go for Downing anyway... I think a lot of it just comes down to whether or not they click with you at the interview.

Reply 5

justbrowsing

4

You'll probably find, that if you're lucky enough to get in, you'll spend more time ridiculing the APU students (or whatever Cambs 'other Uni's' called) than you will each other.

Or at least that's what happens in Oxford!!

Reply 6

leannemarie

11

MissSurfer

^ True. But what about the if the 50 people were other Cam students?

Really it's more of a distance thing. I think I might just go for Downing anyway... I think a lot of it just comes down to whether or not they click with you at the interview.

If you like Homerton apply there, I applied to Girton because I loved it and mainly because I didn't want to live in the centre and I don't regret it. I think it's better to apply to one you like than one you haven't visited so chose from Homerton/Downing. You could always apply to Downing this year and if they reject you try again next year if you're worried about your grades.

Reply 7

MissSurfer

OP

17

I've just been discussing it with my parents and they think I should go for Downing. My AS results were disappointing but my school isn't great tbh - lots of people got Us this year. I know people who got 7/8 A*s for GCSE and got the same as me for AS. One boy was considering Physics at Oxford then got a U for AS...

Maybe it was something to do with the fact that one of my Physics teachers last year a) didn't have a physics degree - she was doing an OU course in the evenings, and b) she spent most of the time playing compter games on her laptop so when we got stuck she just said 'Erm.. have a look at.. er.. page 46 again'. Plus my biology teacher was ill for 6 weeks and we got cover work. My school are reluctant to mention any of this on my reference though :frown:

I guess it makes them look bad.

Anyway, that was a bit off topic.. sorry!

Reply 8

Villz

If you are pooled by Downing you are far more likely to be fished out of the pool than if you are pooled by Homerton

Reply 9

FadedJade

15

go for the one you wanted to go for, which is Downing. Thousands of people apply that thought they would walk it dont get in, and people that thought they didnt stand a chance were accepted. Be honest with yourself and apply wherever you want.

Reply 10

MissSurfer

OP

17

I'm being honest with myself and I'm thinking now that Downing would be a mistake. The admissions tutor told me there is a very slim chance of getting an offer with Bs in relevant subjects at AS so I think I was just burying my head in the sand.

I'm going through the college websites again and thinking Sidney Sussex looks v.nice - anyone know anything about that college?

MissSurfer

Reply 11

leannemarie

11

MissSurfer

I'm being honest with myself and I'm thinking now that Downing would be a mistake. The admissions tutor told me there is a very slim chance of getting an offer with Bs in relevant subjects at AS so I think I was just burying my head in the sand.

I'm going through the college websites again and thinking Sidney Sussex looks v.nice - anyone know anything about that college?

MissSurfer

But regardless of the college, getting in with Bs in relevant subjects is going to be difficult - you may as well just pick a college that you've been to and you like! All I know about Sidney is that it's opposite Sainsbury's but it looks quite nice.

Reply 12

Anonystude

justbrowsing

You'll probably find, that if you're lucky enough to get in, you'll spend more time ridiculing the APU students (or whatever Cambs 'other Uni's' called) than you will each other.

Or at least that's what happens in Oxford!!

Ah, you see, at Cambridge we're not completely up our own a**es like at the Cotswold Polytechnic...! :rolleyes:

says the gentleman with quite a few 'normal people' friends at ARU -- on the whole, far more interesting than some Cambridge students.

Reply 13

priya

14

MissSurfer

I'm being honest with myself and I'm thinking now that Downing would be a mistake. The admissions tutor told me there is a very slim chance of getting an offer with Bs in relevant subjects at AS so I think I was just burying my head in the sand.

I'm going through the college websites again and thinking Sidney Sussex looks v.nice - anyone know anything about that college?

MissSurfer

you need to speak to your headteacher, have the physics thing and the biology thing mentioned in your reference. put it to him/her this way: how good would the school look if they got a pupil into oxbridge....

your grades aren't terrible, IF they can be explained. go for downing if that's where you like....it's very different to corpus and sidney (much bigger, much more open-plan grounds etc)

If you're good enough, you'll be offered a place. perhaps not at downing. but like somoene else said, if you're pooled, it's better that you're pooled by downing rather than homerton.

Reply 14

MissSurfer

OP

17

Ok - just thought I'd tell people that I'm applying to Homerton now after all that. Now nobody start discouraging me! I keep changing my mind when people bring up different viewpoints but I've written out my CAF with Homerton on now! I did like it there and if it were only a bit closer to town and had a better reputation I'd never have hesitated, but people kept advising me against it. I looked at about 6/7 colleges on the July open day and Homerton was definitely my favourite then (even before I looked at the application stats).

So yes, I suppose it's a long way out but the bus stop is right outside :smile:

AS for the reputation - people shouldn't stereotype and are employers really going to care which college you went to?

MissSurfer

Reply 15

MissSurfer

OP

17

Basically I asked the admissions tutor if I had a chance with my AS grades (see sig) and he said I would be very disadvantaged etc etc. Which subject are you applying for?

Reply 16

IseethroughWalls

The standards in between colleges are very similar. The whole object of the Cambridge application system is that whether you get an offer or not isn't dependent on the college you apply to. Of course, there is some sort of a number game but you exaggurate it enormously: if you apply to Downing and they think you are good enough for an offer but can't take you, they will pool you, and another college will take you if they think you are good enough- but not if there are better peeps in the pool. So the advantage you get from applying to Homerton is absolutely minimal, but it is still worth taking.

Moreover, you can find all the application statistics you want about application :tongue:

lace ratios etc. etc. on the cambridge web-site.

Reply 17

MissSurfer

OP

17

^^ Yeh I know thanks. For NatSci, Downing is 4.4 applicants per place and Homerton only 1.2 applicants per place (which I'm sure must be wrong!).

I think an additional advantage might be that I'll be a lot more confident in a Homerton interview whereas with Downing I'll know in the back of my mind I'll be thinking 'I'm out of my depth here'. I know it technically should be the same wherever but my mind is a complicated thing!

Plus also that I've met the director of studies at Homerton (she was very nice!) but I haven't spoken to anyone at Downing.

Reply 18

leannemarie

11

MissSurfer

^^ Yeh I know thanks. For NatSci, Downing is 4.4 applicants per place and Homerton only 1.2 applicants per place (which I'm sure must be wrong!).

I think an additional advantage might be that I'll be a lot more confident in a Homerton interview whereas with Downing I'll know in the back of my mind I'll be thinking 'I'm out of my depth here'. I know it technically should be the same wherever but my mind is a complicated thing!

Plus also that I've met the director of studies at Homerton (she was very nice!) but I haven't spoken to anyone at Downing.

But that's because Homerton will take several people from the pool, they won't give offers to people who aren't good enough just for the sake of it so even though the applicant to place ratio is low it doesn't take into consideration that maybe only a few places will be given to direct applicants. Moral of the story: apply where you like and try your best :smile:

Reply 19

restro

leannemarie

But that's because Homerton will take several people from the pool, they won't give offers to people who aren't good enough just for the sake of it so even though the applicant to place ratio is low it doesn't take into consideration that maybe only a few places will be given to direct applicants. Moral of the story: apply where you like and try your best :smile:

i agree with this, i also got 2 A's and 3B's im applying for clare college which is by the means an "easy" college to get into. I would advise on getting geared up for the interview and not worrying too much about college choice at the end of the day if ur good enough for cambridge then your going to get in somewhere.

Trinity Hall (URGENT)

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