Should I consider applying to Cambridge?

I've gotten my results for AS: Chem:A, Maths:A, Music:A, Physics:C and I was thinking of applying to Engineering at Cambridge(I'm flexible with changing courses). I will be predicted AAAB in my UCAS since I won't be dropping any subjects and I'm going to retake the two physics modules.
My GCCE's weren't great, no A*'s. 8 A's and 5 B's but I was thinking to apply since I won't lose anything trying.

Reply 1

Plagioclase

21

Original post by m_sweets

I've gotten my results for AS: Chem:A, Maths:A, Music:A, Physics:C and I was thinking of applying to Engineering at Cambridge(I'm flexible with changing courses). I will be predicted AAAB in my UCAS since I won't be dropping any subjects and I'm going to retake the two physics modules.
My GCCE's weren't great, no A*'s. 8 A's and 5 B's but I was thinking to apply since I won't lose anything trying.

You're not going to get in with a C in AS Physics and being predicted AAAB when the standard offer is A*A*A. Even if you were predicted A*A*A or above, it'd still be extremely unlikely because of that C in AS Physics. Engineering at Cambridge is ridiculously competitive and Cambridge is very fussy about AS grades, particularly AS grades in subjects directly related to the subject you're applying for - like Physics. Unless there's anything in your application that you haven't mentioned that somehow explains the C in AS Physics, I don't really think it's worth applying for Cambridge, certainly not for Engineering. The fact that you say "I'm flexible with changing courses" is also very worrying because that suggest you're not particularly dedicated to Engineering, which is going to alarm any admissions tutor.

Talking more generally about applications (assuming you are serious about Engineering), that C in Physics is going to be a problem for you. The rest of your AS grades are great and you're probably a very intelligent person, but that C could potentially make getting into top universities difficult for Engineering. If it were in a less relevant subject like Music or even Chemistry, it wouldn't be as big as an issue but Physics is pretty important for Engineering. If you end up with issues this year when applying, you may want to consider applying post-A2. Your position will be a lot stronger if you apply after you get your A2 grades if you manage to push your AS grades up (particularly with Physics, which you really want to get to an A).

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

m_sweets

OP

I'm flexible with my course because I don't know what I want to do and I haven't decided but I do enjoy science and maths so I thought engineering would be good to do. Do you think I could get into any Imperial/UCL or any top UNI with the C in Physics then?

By post A2 do you mean I should apply(and probably get rejected) but when I get my A2 results next year along with my retakes in Physics which should hopefully be an A and try to call them up and see if they have places? Or do you mean take a gap year?
Also my UCAS application and personal statement have to be great if I want to apply for Engineering right(with the grades I have)?

Reply 3

Plagioclase

21

Original post by m_sweets

I'm flexible with my course because I don't know what I want to do and I haven't decided but I do enjoy science and maths so I thought engineering would be good to do. Do you think I could get into any Imperial/UCL or any top UNI with the C in Physics then?

By post A2 do you mean I should apply(and probably get rejected) but when I get my A2 results next year along with my retakes in Physics which should hopefully be an A and try to call them up and see if they have places? Or do you mean take a gap year?
Also my UCAS application and personal statement have to be great if I want to apply for Engineering right(with the grades I have)?

If you don't know what you want to do, your best course of action is to wait until you do know what you want to do. Particularly for somewhere as competitive as Cambridge, it's going to be very clear (if you got an interview) that you're not dedicated to the course and that's a huge black mark against you. It's also bad for you - if you've not researched the course properly and you're not 100% certain it's the course for you, you might end up hating it and then dropping out.

Imperial's also incredibly competitive for Engineering so I'd have thought it'd be similarly unlikely. UCL I'm not sure about because their entry requirements are a little bit strange. They're one of the only top universities that doesn't require A Level Physics for their Engineering courses so there's a chance they'd be more lenient, but I honestly don't know.

Cambridge and Imperial are probably not going to happen, at least not for 2016 entry. As for other very good universities, I'm honestly not sure what they'd make of your application. It's possible that your otherwise very strong A Level results in Maths and Chemistry will make them overlook the C in Physics, but I'm not sure. It may be worth emailing university departments (e.g. at UCL) to ask what they'd make of your grades; they ought to be able to give you an answer. If the response is positive and you think you'd be happy going to a good (but not Oxbridge/Imperial) university, then apply for 2016 entry. If you think the C in AS Physics was a fluke and you're determined to get into Oxbridge or Imperial, still apply normally this year and see how you feel. If you still want to get into Oxbridge or Imperial, you could take a gap year (maybe do a Year in Industry to see if Engineering is really for you, google YINI) and apply post A2 if your A2 grades are really great.

Regardless of what you do, you need to do some serious research into degree courses. Don't apply for Engineering just because you enjoy maths and science - that's precisely why I thought I'd like Engineering but I found out after lots of research that I probably wouldn't (and then I found a subject that genuinely interests me).

Your personal statement should be good, of course. It's of lesser importance the higher up the league tables you go though, because they get more concerned about grades.

Reply 4

m_sweets

OP

I see, thanks for the advice. By the way how should I go about researching different courses. I always say I'll try but I don't know where to start and what websites to go on or books to read. Is there anything you've found helpful?

Reply 5

Plagioclase

21

Original post by m_sweets

I see, thanks for the advice. By the way how should I go about researching different courses. I always say I'll try but I don't know where to start and what websites to go on or books to read. Is there anything you've found helpful?

University prospectuses are a good place to start. They're available online, you can order paper versions though (it's not very environmentally friendly... but there's something very nice about a paper prospectus and I'd by a hypocrite if I told you not to get any!). That helps you get a good overview about what the course entails. It also allows you to look at other courses that you may not have considered before, such as Earth Sciences (which I ultimately decided on) or Materials Science or Computer Science. All of these courses you can do with a science/maths background but not many people know about them because they're not generally taught at school!

To find out more information, look at the modules offered. You can find these on university websites. Then start reading around the subject. If you find that the course looks genuinely interesting and you can imagine taking those modules, and you're enjoying reading around the subject then you've probably made the right choice.

By the way, if you want me to reply, please make sure that you quote me so I get a notification to reply to you otherwise I might miss your response!

Reply 6

m_sweets

OP

Original post by Plagioclase

University prospectuses are a good place to start. They're available online, you can order paper versions though (it's not very environmentally friendly... but there's something very nice about a paper prospectus and I'd by a hypocrite if I told you not to get any!). That helps you get a good overview about what the course entails. It also allows you to look at other courses that you may not have considered before, such as Earth Sciences (which I ultimately decided on) or Materials Science or Computer Science. All of these courses you can do with a science/maths background but not many people know about them because they're not generally taught at school!

To find out more information, look at the modules offered. You can find these on university websites. Then start reading around the subject. If you find that the course looks genuinely interesting and you can imagine taking those modules, and you're enjoying reading around the subject then you've probably made the right choice.

By the way, if you want me to reply, please make sure that you quote me so I get a notification to reply to you otherwise I might miss your response!

Alright thanks for all this advice, it has really helped. Hopefully I can get this whole career thing sorted out. I feel like this should be a lesson in life to myself to avoid future disappointments. :smile:

Reply 7

Plagioclase

21

Original post by m_sweets

Alright thanks for all this advice, it has really helped. Hopefully I can get this whole career thing sorted out. I feel like this should be a lesson in life to myself to avoid future disappointments. :smile:

Good luck! Don't get too disheartened, as I've said, the rest of your grades are great so an application for anything that isn't directly physics related should be absolutely fine, and in the worst case scenario you can always make a competitive post-A2 application if you get very good A2 results.

Should I consider applying to Cambridge?

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