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Is a 65 a good enough grade for admission to Cambridge?

Hello, I had posted a similar question on the Cambridge forum, and it was suggested that it might be good to post it here as well; I recently finished an MA in English at KCL and received a grade of 65--I had an average of 67 in coursework, and came short I felt in the dissertation and received a 63 which brought down my grade average a bit (I was dissapointed in my performance in the dissertation and had some family problems over the summer while writing it).
I was wondering if a 65 is considered a good grade when applying to Cambridge? I have heard a lot that 67 tends to come up as a minimum, but I've also heard that a 65 corresponds to an American GPA of 3.5 or A- average that Cambridge requires.
Thank you for your help -- :confused:

Reply 1

Alan Smithee

Depends what you want to do...

Reply 2

london123

OP

I'd like to study for a second master's degree, in a different area of English... would love to apply for a PhD but I'm American and am not sure I'd be able to fund a 3-year degree, though it's a dream of mine to go to Cambridge. :redface:

Reply 3

london123

OP

Thanks for your posts... I appreciate it.

Reply 4

Alan Smithee

If you can get good references, a desire for your subject, then maybe.

Reply 5

shady lane

16

london123

I'd like to study for a second master's degree, in a different area of English... would love to apply for a PhD but I'm American and am not sure I'd be able to fund a 3-year degree, though it's a dream of mine to go to Cambridge. :redface:

2nd master's?!! :eek:

Dream or not, it might be worthwhile just to apply for a PhD at Cambridge, and apply for PhDs at other universities as well. It seems like a waste of money to do a second masters just to fulfill your dream of studying at Cambridge.

Reply 6

london123

OP

I hope so, that I'm able to demonstrate sufficient work for admission, though I know how competitive it can be... I've published two articles in the humanities and have spoken at a conference, and hope my references from King's are good. I had applied to Cambridge in 2005 (and was accepted to KCL and St Andrews at that time) for an MLitt in English but found out that they had more or less discontinued admissions for that degree (apparently it is more of a probationary degree for people who haven't completed their PhD), and was turned down. Actually my references may have been a bit better on the first application, as one of my referees was my mentor more or less.
But I really love English and I hope it's a field I can do well in, and of course to be able to study in Cambridge would be wonderful. So I have my fingers crossed, but of course it's ok not to get in as well. :smile:

Reply 7

london123

OP

Sorry, that post was a reply to the previous poster. Re: Shady Lane, I just worry that even if I were able to get into the PhD at Cambridge, having to show funds for 3 years study up front would be impossible.

Reply 8

ChemistBoy

16

I am definately under the impression that PhD funding is easier to come by than MA funding. Although, english is pretty competitive so getting a PhD without top marks may be difficult anywhere. However, you don't know until you apply. There is no limit to postgraduate places you can apply for so just do it.

Reply 9

The Boosh

17

a lot of people have 2 masters outside the sciences.

Reply 10

shady lane

16

What do you mean by "a lot?"

There are only 2 people on my course who already have masters, and neither of them are in the same subject as the current one.

Reply 11

The Boosh

17

i know about 40 people with second maters at exeter. i suppose i did the new route phd - so people do an undergrad degree, then a masters, then a new route phd which gives you an additional masters.

Reply 12

etherised

1

I've definitely heard 67 bandied around as a cut off point for history at Cam. I'm not sure about English. The best bet is almost certainly to call/email and ask!

Enquiries which relate specifically to the English Faculty can be directed to:
The Director of Graduate Studies,
University of Cambridge
9 West Road
Cambridge
UK
CB3 9DP
Tel. 01223 335076
http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/PhD.htm

Are you thinking of applying for entry this year or next? (Say I, wistfully, wishing I had got my act together and applied this year.)

Also, we must have done our MAs at the same time at KCL - I was there last year as well, on the early modern/shaks pathway.

Reply 13

london123

OP

zigguratted

I've definitely heard 67 bandied around as a cut off point for history at Cam. I'm not sure about English. The best bet is almost certainly to call/email and ask!

Enquiries which relate specifically to the English Faculty can be directed to:
The Director of Graduate Studies,
University of Cambridge
9 West Road
Cambridge
UK
CB3 9DP
Tel. 01223 335076
http://www.english.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/PhD.htm

Are you thinking of applying for entry this year or next? (Say I, wistfully, wishing I had got my act together and applied this year.)

Also, we must have done our MAs at the same time at KCL - I was there last year as well, on the early modern/shaks pathway.

Hi, yes we must have met one another--by any chance did you do your undergrad at Pembroke, Cambridge? I may have spoken to you at a party... I was on the 19th C. pathway.

Reply 14

London Prophet

17

ChemistBoy

I am definately under the impression that PhD funding is easier to come by than MA funding. Although, english is pretty competitive so getting a PhD without top marks may be difficult anywhere. However, you don't know until you apply. There is no limit to postgraduate places you can apply for so just do it.

^^^
This

Reply 15

etherised

1

london123

Hi, yes we must have met one another--by any chance did you do your undergrad at Pembroke, Cambridge? I may have spoken to you at a party... I was on the 19th C. pathway.

Er, yep, that's me. How on earth did you identify me?

Reply 16

london123

OP

I remember meeting someone on the MA English at KCL who was at Pembroke, and I think in another thread on the university you mentioned you were at Cambridge, so I guessed you may have been the person. I must have spoken to you at a Christmas party about Cambridge and various colleges there? I've heard Pembroke is a very literary college.