The Cambridge Special Access Scheme (CSAS) - Anyone?

Tbag you seem to have confused disrupted education/problems with schooling - ie missing several years of education through illness, not being able to take exams, unable to participate in lessons - with going to a **** school. Cambridge already take into account the quality of your school when judging your application, but by going to a poor school (as Nina is saying) you don't fall within the second statement which is designed for people who fall into the categories i've listed.

Also, people have mentioned teachers having to nominate you for CSAS. My teachers didn't have a clue about the Cambridge application system and i had to point out the CSAS to them, rather than the other way around (though i was a pretty concrete case for the CSAS so it didn't really matter who suggested it). If your teacher doesn't know about the provisions on offer or does not know about the details of your case, then mention it to them.

Was your school in special measures?

Remember that even if you don't qualify for the Special Access Scheme, the university are perfectly aware of which and what type of school you attended. That might be reflected in the admissions tutors being a little more lenient, and your grades are excellent in relation to your school. There are people dotted around this forum who have been given offers with similar GCSE grades.

I didn't know about this. Can anyone give me an approximation if I'm elligible?

At the beginning of year 10 my mother (my only parent for most of my life), grandfather and a friend all died, followed a few months later by another friend, my other grandfather and my grandmother throughout my GCSEs and I ended up with depression which persists but I am 'almost better'. MY GCSEs are awful but I've been assured circumstances will be considered. I am a year behind everyone else because I started year 12 but got into such a mess I had to leave after the first term but was invited back on good terms. I've just finished my second attempt at year 12 which has gone a lot better - As in all modules so far and I think/hope summer exams went okay. I still attend therapy however as I'm not "all better" and still have CBT to help deal with things. I was going to apply regardless as my reference/statement will include information on why my GCSEs are awful and I thought my A levels are just about good enough to show what I am capable of but my performance throughout the year seems to be increasing which I think is correlating with recovery.

In short, does that count as significant disruption? I know a lot of people go through bad stuff too and aren't crippled like this. I am worried too that my school might be contacted (not the college I currently attend) as they never really acknowledged I had any sort of problem, I think they just thought I couldn't be bothered. My college now though is wonderful and if it wasn't for them I would probably be working at Morrison's or such.

Yes that sounds like it certainly counts. Don't worry about them contacting your school, they won't, your referee (who i assume will be from your college) will simply tell them what problems you've have and how they have affected your education. Make sure you mention the CSAS to your referee.

I have paruresis ( http://www.paruresis.org/ ) and general anxiety disorder, which has disrupted my schooling in so much as the G.A.D can make it difficult to go back to school after holidays/on mondays, and the paruresis means that I do a lot of 'fluid dieting' as my psychologist calls it, and it causes a lot of pre-occupation and stress. I have been receiving treatment for it (counselling from age 11-13 and CBT from 13 onwards, though the counselling was actually for self esteem stuff as well...) I have moved schools because of it (from a high achieving state school to a pretty mediocre private school) so, any hope of qualifying?

do you qualify for CSAS if the disruption of your education was during high school? I was in hospital for almost a year during year 10 followed by the passing away of my mother which affected the outcome of my GCSE's. But after reading the application form, it says "comments on applicants academic record since GCSE" so does this mean I don't qualify?
or should my case only be mentioned in my reference?