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Application Advice!

Hey, I'm currently in lower sixth at the moment, but I suppose it's good to start thinking about universities to apply for as I'll have to start doing all that UCAS stuff in a few months!

I want to study Economics, so I was considering Cambridge...as I live here and obviously because it's a good university, but I'm unsure if I have what it takes...what are my chances....if it's a wasted application...etc etc.

So, I didn't do as well as others on my GCSEs with 6A*s and 5As, Maths and Englishes were A*s but unfortunately not science.

For A Levels I'm doing Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Accounting and German, I did Economics and Accounting a year early so I'll finish the A2 by summer this year, I did get As at AS for both of them.

In terms of predictions, I'm on an A for Maths, B/A for German though, but I'm hoping with a lot of work I can get an A at AS and then hopefully get that prediction up (bit more focus in class I think...).

So...when I go to apply, I will have two A Levels under my belt, which'll be Economics and Accounting, hopefully both of which will be As. I heard that you need more than just your 3As though, so I am looking to do the Advanced Extension Award in Economics next year, perhaps A Level Critical Thinking. Would either of those two help? Also, I have no idea if it counts for anything but I was Head Boy at school, and I've just been elected the Chairman of the Student Council in College.

To roundup, I'm looking for answers to the following points:

- is it worth giving it a go?
- which college should I apply to if I do apply
- anything else that I could do to improve my chances.

And that's the 99999th Oxbridge application query for you :smile:

Reply 1

jjpp

might as well, at least you won't have to travel far for interview. read a lot around your subject and give it a go, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Reply 2

ExRx123

Thanks for your help, are anticipating the possibilities of resits a bad idea then?

Reply 3

FadedJade

not at all, loads of people have resits, god I know i took loads of them!!

jjpp, what do you have your offer in from Pem? Great choice of College btw. :biggrin:

Reply 4

Llamaaa

OP you have the best username. Do you like the films?

And yes, you should definitely apply. In my AS levels I got AABB so I resat modules in Politics and English Lit and studied for my A levels and got three As as required. Plus I'm doing one of the most competitive subjects- Law. I would highly recommend my college- Gonville and Caius, because I love it, but I don't think it's the best for economics. It's still good though and the buildings are pretty :biggrin:

Reply 5

ExRx123

helenkr

I've only seen Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, but not El Mariachi...Desperado is mental, my favourite film by a country mile!

In terms of colleges, is it simply just which college I like the atmosphere of..or which one is the "best" in economics? Cambridge is Cambridge after all isn't it?

Also, for open days, I've not seen a specific one for economics, does this mean I should just book college open days, and the main university open day?

Reply 6

Llamaaa

i would go for college open days certainly. Perhaps look through the prospectus and make a shortlist of about 5 colleges that look nice, perhaps read some threads on here from current students and then book open days and make your decision that way. If you are certain that you want to apply to cambridge then I wouldn't recommend the whole university open day because it's all about telling you why you should go to cambridge.

desperado is the best. El mariachi is a good film but you can tell they made it with only a 10,000 dollar budget! plus el mariachi isn't antonio banderas. it's a wussy little man called carlos gallardo. He isn't as badass as banderas!

Reply 7

ExRx123

Ah ok, thanks for the advice, I'd still welcome any more general advice regarding to my first post :smile:

Carlos Gallardo...he was in Desperado too wasn't he!

Reply 8

Llamaaa

he was- he was a friend with a guitar who killed people to help el mariachi :biggrin:

Reply 9

Llamaaa

oooh yes, things like head boy work in your favour- put all that on your personal statement. Critical thinking probably won't help you in any way but to show that you are well rounded since it is disregarded as a qualification by cambridge. The economics certificate will probably work in your favour- again personal statement and cambridge application form. The interview is a big part of your application so you could perhaps work on interview skills, building up self confidence and so forth. Can you get any related work experience? With colleges, I would go for the college where you feel most at home, where you like the atmosphere, rather than which is best for economics. They are all cambridge afterall.

Reply 10

Llamaaa

oh of course, now the universities can see your mark for individual modules. When I resat modules they couldn't see that :biggrin:

So only resit if it is absolutely necessary beforehand, then resit the rest after they give you the offer :smile:

Reply 11

Llamaaa

i think all can see the module results now, from what my friends have told me. I may well be wrong though :biggrin:

Reply 12

ExRx123

I did work experience at the Dept for Biochemistry back in year 10 lol, but it wasn't really the event of my life.

From what I've heard I think one of the most important parts and differentiators is the interview, so I will read up as much as I can about that, and we also conduct mock interviews at college which'd be useful.

Reply 13

wanderer

Yeah, go for it, you're in the right bracket.

Reply 14

ExRx123

Right, bring on the application forms then!

Suppose I've got a bit of time..

Reply 15

Dragonfly1989

Solemn Wanderer

On the point about resits, they will see the results for each individual sitting of each module. So if it has taken you more than one attempt to get up to a particular standard on a module at the point you apply, that will be seen and may be taken into account. On the other hand, once an offer is made, they have no power to stop you resitting modules in order to meet it.

Eek, how do they see that?

If someone (i.e. me lol) got a low a on a module and could retake it wod it be worthwhile?

Reply 16

boomboomboom

hey i got in for Economics cambridge and in upper sixth atm.
what i can say is economics is one of the most competitive subjects. your gcses arent that bad, but they are probably below average by a little bit. Accounting is a blacklisted subject, but the fact that u managed to do the whole a level of economics and accounting in Lower sixth will you give not just advantage on app form, but at the interview because you will have a vast knowledge. You definitely need As in every subject. I had a B in history, performed very well at the interview, but still got pooled. Critical thinking might help, because you would have to sit TSA exam, which is very important.
good luck dont hesitate to PM me.