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What if I don't meet the grades on my conditional offer

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The chances of going very far wrong are extremely limited. Stop worrying about it. :smile:

9/10 people who get offers make them, and I expect an awful lot of that 1/10 are made up of missed STEP offers, and from the looks of CamDATA education people seem to miss a lot of offers. (55% get offers, 40% get admission -- though I guess they may go elsewhere)

Edit: Oh, and TSR has a very good record of getting people in. I'm not sure why that is, perhaps it just attracts people who tend to be a little more, um, shall we say "focused" on their academic work.

Reply 41

datr

coldfish

Edit: Oh, and TSR has a very good record of getting people in. I'm not sure why that is, perhaps it just attracts people who tend to be a little more, um, shall we say "focused" on their academic work.

I've always wondered actually how the admission success rate for regular members of TSR compares with those services which charge for help such as oxbridge applications.

Reply 42

NickkO

FadeToBlackout

Anyone who doesn't meet their offer, if their original collage can't have them, is placed in the summer pool where all the colleges look at the applicants. I think half of the people who are pooled are "fished" into another college.

So, basically, there's a reasonable chance you'll still be able to go to Cambridge, albeit at a different college to where you applied, and a small chance you'll be able to go to that college, along with a reasonable chance you'll be rejected.

Actually, the chance of being accepted after you've been pooled is smaller than being accepted in the first case. I thought it was like one out of eight? Not too sure, though. But very small indeed.

Reply 43

NickkO

datr

I've always wondered actually how the admission success rate for regular members of TSR compares with those services which charge for help such as oxbridge applications.

Same here, I always wonder what kind of advice they give. It's not like they can think of things you couldn't have thought of yourself. Work hard, read around your subject, don't lie, and have an open and critical mind. Don't have to be a genius to come up with that. I also got this "Tell me about a banana" book when I was in Cam, but I've been told it's full of rubbish.

Reply 44

Schott

I went on one of those oxbridge application days even though morally I'm not sure I agree with it! Hypocrite or what eh? It was full of public school jolly hockey-sticks kids but overall it did have some useful points such as how to put your case across in the interview better.

However, I'm not sure I agree with it because it would mean those with money can afford to get better advice and so maybe stand a higher chance of getting in, which keeps those who are wealthy at the top and those who aren't at the bottom.

I knew there was a little Karl Marx hiding within me somewhere...

Reply 45

hannah_banana

From the horses mouth:

http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/whatnext.html

You've got your exam results. What next?
Clearing 2007: The University of Cambridge has NO COURSE VACANCIES through Clearing. Further information about Clearing is available from the UCAS website: www.ucas.ac.uk/clearing/.

Postal strikes: Please note that communications by post may be slightly delayed because of the on-going postal strikes across the UK . Applicants are advised to consult UCAS Track (www.ucas.com/appenq/) rather than contacting the University or Colleges by telephone at this busy time.

If you are holding a conditional offer of a place at a University of Cambridge College and have met or exceeded all the conditions in your offer (including the grades required), congratulations! You don’t need to do anything. Your College will already have been told your A level (or equivalent) results, and your place has been automatically confirmed. You will receive a letter from the College and from UCAS in a few days. Please do not phone the College at this busy time. In the meantime, take a look at the information for new undergraduate students.

If you have not quite met the offer, please don’t panic! Depending on the number of students who have met their offers, there may be a few places available at the College you applied to or at another College. Please be patient for a little longer - your College will contact you as soon as possible. Please check the status of your application on UCAS Track (www.ucas.com/appenq/) rather than telephoning the College/University at this busy time.

If your grades are substantially lower than those required by your offer, hopefully you will have made the grades for your insurance offer. Unless there are special circumstances to consider, your application will have been unsuccessful. You will receive a letter from UCAS stating this so that you can take up your insurance place (if you meet the conditions for that place) or enter Clearing.

If you have not received all of your results, please don’t panic! We know that sometimes there are processing problems. Please contact your College as soon as you have received your missing results. Normally we have to make decisions on all conditional firm offers by 26 August or, if there are delays/re-gradings, by 31 August at the latest. After that date decisions on whether or not to accept applicants are at the discretion of the College.

If you have not applied to the University of Cambridge: We do not consider any new applicants at this stage for entry in 2007 or for deferred entry in 2008 through Clearing. If your examination results are better than you expected and you wish to try for a place at Cambridge, you’ll need to apply by 15 October 2007 for entry in 2008 or deferred entry in 2009 (see below).

Reply 46

shi

Thanks for copying this.
The section "If you have not quite met the offer" gives a hope :smile:

Reply 47

Chloedanielle

hannah_banana

'the college will phone you' if you narrowly miss grades?!?! Is this really the case? I would have thought we had to phone them?

Reply 48

metaphysical

ok not a hope in hell with 3 points off right? pool, no?

still waiting for english to back sometime this week, but if theres no luck then its gonna be them 3 points off. praying for english really.

Reply 49

Stick Man

I imagine (though I have no evidence to support this) that when assessing candidates tutors post-results will look at the positives rather than the differences between scores and offers, that is they will see that you have 39 IB points, which from what I know is a brilliant score. Don't do yourself down.

Failing that, if it is of any comfort to you, the document I quoted in #2 has since been updated with a 2007 edition that still has the "AAA people should be pooled" clause, so it is more likely that this will apply to you should you need it (though obviously the other caveats mentioned in that post still apply).

In the meantime I think epitome's advice is still most relevant: try where possible not to agonise over it too much. Only time will tell.

Reply 50

XIII

42 points!? God, that's unlucky... i was looking through all the IB offers recieved by my school in the last 4 years and out of about 40 only two of them asked for 42, nearly all of them were 39...

That's got to suck, you did a great job getting 39 776 HL. You should at least be auto-pooled for that.

Reply 51

metaphysical

allanboy

I have been accepted at Cambridge, but I panicking if I don't make the required grade.
Are Cambridge likely to accept me anyway.

Oh god i feel with u!
Am now missing 3 IB points- might be 2 after remark.
But still, its dreadful not knowing what will happen :frown:

good luck to you..

Reply 52

jason_88

does anyone know the date we're supposed to arrive at cambridge for freshers' week/ when you're going to arrive anyway?

cheers

Reply 53

ukebert

tony_ron

I knew there was a little Karl Marx hiding within me somewhere...

Good for you :p:

I keep telling myself that even if I do slip up in electronics I may still be able to get in, but its all a bit nerve wracking with *gulp* less than 2 days left...

Reply 54

metaphysical

jason_88

does anyone know the date we're supposed to arrive at cambridge for freshers' week/ when you're going to arrive anyway?

cheers

Now thats a VERY adequate question in response to people on the verge of being rejected... :rolleyes:

sorry bit agonised at the moment..

Reply 55

jason_88

does anyone know the date we're supposed to arrive at cambridge for freshers' week/ when you're going to arrive anyway?

cheers

Inappropriate setting aside, the answer is Saturday the 29th September, i believe.

Reply 56

coldfish

Yeah, but some colleges will be on the Friday and some on the Sunday, iirc.

Reply 57

coldfish

datr

I've always wondered actually how the admission success rate for regular members of TSR compares with those services which charge for help such as oxbridge applications.

It's good, but it's hardly easy to do anything that'd demonstrate that. It's a self-selecting sample of people who are very interested in getting in and have done research. But yeah, we seem to be good at getting people in. Perhaps what'd be more accurate to say is that being on here is a good indication.

Reply 58

Craghyrax

samba

No. You'll likely get pwnd.

Somebody was in a mood :wink:

Reply 59

metaphysical

Oh thanks top both of you!

Just a thought- should I email Newnham myself? Or should only my Head do it? And if i should then what sort of thing can I write? I am generallt thinking something about the unimportance of the Extended Essay and my German grade (which dragged down my score from a 42 to a 39)....any ideas?

Tnaks a lot again!!