Geography at Cambridge?

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I'm a parent of a Cambridge fresher (he starts in October to study Engineering).

TSR is here to help you :smile:

Yes, you sit the test at your school (usually). Are you at a UK school? Do they have any experience of sending pupils to Oxbridge? They might need to register with ATS to enable you to sit the test. http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/administering-our-tests/become-a-test-centre/

The Cambridge application timelines are here:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/dates-and-deadlines

Key date are:
UCAS deadline: 15th October
SAQ deadline: 22nd October
Pre-interview tests: 2nd Nov
Interview invitations sent (or rejections): usually some time between mid-Nov and early Dec.
Interviews: early-mid Dec
Offer decisions sent: early Jan

And there is a thread for potential applicants here:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3164815

I suggest you request a prospectus asap :smile:

Right I need to think this over a little, tbh I don't think anyone has ever gone to Oxbridge at my school ... ever I'd be the first. I'll write the personal statement and see how I feel plus order the prospectus.

What was the UMS averages again ? Mine are low right, plus poor GCSEs doesn't seem to be a wining combination here lol :biggrin:

Reply 21

Amelia488

Original post by vincrows

You can still apply to 4 other unis. No harm in adding Cambridge to the list as an aspirational choice as long as you choose other 4 wisely.
But check the course contents of all the unis you're interested very throughly before you decide. They're quite a lot of difference in how/what each uni teaches geography as it's such a fast-changing subject.
Cambridge's tends to be a little more 'traditional' than other unis.

i thought oxbridge took up 2 places on UCAS? I must be mistaken. Also, I'm kind of embarrassed to tell people i want to apply to cambridge. As my careers teacher will almost definitely advice against it, and my family will think I'm being overly confident, and it will be so embarrassing if I'm rejected.

Reply 22

username1865079

Original post by CallousCleric

You can see their prospectus and all the necessary info on their website, as well as the alternative version by the student union and by each college's JCR (college-based Union)

http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
(There's a page with links to all colleges, too.
If you search thoroughly on their website, there should be a link to their jcr's website/their alternative prospectus)

.http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk

https://www.applytocambridge.com

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 23

Doones

Original post by Amelia488

Hi. Sorry to hijack this thread lol, but i am also interested in geography at cambridge. I achieved 8A's and 1C (no A* grades.. :frown:

..) at GCSE, 3A's at AS level, and am predicted A*AA at A2 level, with an 87%UMS average. However, i really don't want to waste time applying if it takes too much from my uni choices, if there is a strong chance won't be accepted.
Swell, my geography UMS is also just 84%, lower than my other two subjects. Im also a little embarrassed to apply... as people in m year are not applying and have much better grades than me...

Original post by vincrows

And you can add those 4 other choices later. Just ensure your Cambridge application is made before 15th October. The other choices can be thoroughly researched and added before 15th January :smile:

(Note, if you add other choices you can't make any other changes. i.e. your PS and reference stays the same for all your choices.).

Reply 24

username1865079

Original post by Amelia488

No, they aren't that fat. One position is big enough for them :tongue:

You can't apply to both, have to choose either. Maybe that's how you're mistaken?
No shame in applying to Cambridge. :wink:

There's a few people in this forum who applied to Cambridge against their family's opposition and still got offer. One of them is starting at Cambridge in a few weeks time. The only important thing is if you want to or not. Nothing else matters.

But as I said, check their department's website to see if yiu like the course and compare it with other unis.

Reply 25

Doones

Original post by CallousCleric

I've answered your concern about GCSEs earlier :wink:

There's no UMS for linear AS-levels anyway so don't stress about UMS.

And follow @vincrows advice for online info (and all the links I already provided).

To be clear, you are realistically at the lower-end of potentially successfull applicants but if you keep that in mind there's no harm in having a shot at Cambridge. And the GAAS and Interview will be your chance to significantly strengthen your application.

Reply 26

username1865079

Original post by jneill

Yes 80+88 = average 84. That's possibly on the lower side, but the GAAS can help strengthen your application.

Yes it's an extra test, but they don't expect you to do a whole lot of prep for it. You sit it on 2nd November, so it's out of the way early and then you can continue with your A-levels.

They gave offers to approx 40% of Geography applicants. That's nearly a 50:50 chance... and with your grades I expect you will get offers from most if not all your other choices, so a shot at Cambridge is not really that risky.

The only way to guarantee not getting a Cambridge offer is by not applying. :smile:

They give offers to a bit over 30%, and just about 30% get accepted. It's more or less around the average acceptance rate for Cambridge as a whole. :wink:

Reply 27

CallousCleric

Original post by jneill

I've answered your concern about GCSEs earlier :wink:

Hi Jneil

After really thinking I think over I've decided not to apply to Cambridge but rather LSE instead.

I'm very thankful for your help and you really did help me make up my mind on this. I can't stress that enough.

Again thank you

Reply 28

Doones

Original post by CallousCleric

LSE for Geography instead of Cambridge? Ok... but why not both?

Reply 29

username1865079

Original post by CallousCleric

LSE's geography only covers only do human & environmental geography, no physical geography. Are you sure you're happy with that?
As long as you're ok with that, they run very good programme.m

For geography with both human & physical coverage, Durham and UCL are very good too.

Reply 30

CallousCleric

Original post by jneill

LSE for Geography instead of Cambridge? Ok... but why not both?

It's a good point but I feel that LSE is still my aspirational choice and to put two aspirational down is a little risky.

I'm being more practical with my decisions and I want to chose university ranging from A*AA - AAB

Cambridge has a lot of stress attached to it as well. To sit an exam and an interview is rather stressful for me. Admittedly I'd benefit from the interview as I'm the sort of gregarious type makes it a lot easy :biggrin:

I'm not sure of your situation, and you of mine. But I need to work an awful lot more then other candidates I imagine which is going to effect my end result for sure. So I'd like to apply to a range of uni's.

Reply 31

CallousCleric

Original post by vincrows

Precisely those are my favourite topics and they interest me the most, I'm either going to apply to Durham or LSE. I am tempted by Durham to avoid the hassle of the city. I'd commute if I went to LSE

Reply 32

username1865079

Original post by CallousCleric

Precisely those are my favourite topics and they interest me the most, I'm either going to apply to Durham or LSE. I am tempted by Durham to avoid the hassle of the city. I'd commute if I went to LSE

If you have tom choose either Durham or LSE,,pick,the one you like the course better as they're very different. (I mean, lse''s geography is quite unique)
If you want to avoid hassle of commuting inland on, Royal Holloway is quite good for geography and you live on the campus in the first year and somewhere very near from the second year onward in a very quiet suburban town.