MML at Cambridge - advice??

Hey,

I really want to apply for the MML course at Cambridge next year (Spanish and Portuguese - ab initio). For my GCSEs I got 9 A*s and 1A, and I'm trying to do some activities spanish related for my statement, I'm editor of the school spanish magazine, I teach languages after school, am doing some essay competitions, am an "MFL mentor" at school, joining a debating contest and keeping up with films and literature etc.
If anyone has any tips or actually is doing MML at Cambridge, some advice would be much appreciated! Am I doing enough and do you guys have tips that can really help me try and get in? I would love to be accepted onto the course, so if you have advice please let me know! Thanks

Hey,

I really want to apply for the MML course at Cambridge next year (Spanish and Portuguese - ab initio). For my GCSEs I got 9 A*s and 1A, and I'm trying to do some activities spanish related for my statement, I'm editor of the school spanish magazine, I teach languages after school, am doing some essay competitions, am an "MFL mentor" at school, joining a debating contest and keeping up with films and literature etc.
If anyone has any tips or actually is doing MML at Cambridge, some advice would be much appreciated! Am I doing enough and do you guys have tips that can really help me try and get in? I would love to be accepted onto the course, so if you have advice please let me know! Thanks

Yea, you've got plenty of extra/supercurricular stuff there. And good GCSEs too.

Best advice is to succeed in AS-Levels. For more advice, check this thread for advice from people who just got in:

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4494572#primary_content

They barely look at your PS, the main factor in getting an interview is AS, get high ums 85+ then you should get an interview. Do well in the interview and you get an offer.

FrenchNerd2 has just got an offer including ab initio Portuguese so he might be able to help with that side of the application/interests pertaining to that language. I've just got one including French and ab initio Italian (of course I can't tell you what it is like there, but can give my application tips/experience)

Your GCSEs are very impressive, FAR better than mine and I got an offer (I only have an A in French at GCSE, but am in a crappy languages area and improved massively at AS), but as you rightly recognise you can't rest on your laurels and assume that is enough, I know applicants from this year with a flawless academic record who have been rejected from Oxbridge.

Your extra-curriculars look great, I'd just suggest as well as doing this plethora of activities make sure you take time to really reflect on what you have been reading/watching/doing so you could discuss it further.

Please feel free to ask further questions, although I'm not an undergraduate! My particular interest is literature, literary theory and thought, but I think FrenchNerd2 is more linguistics/film leaning than me

FrenchNerd2 has just got an offer including ab initio Portuguese so he might be able to help with that side of the application/interests pertaining to that language. I've just got one including French and ab initio Italian (of course I can't tell you what it is like there, but can give my application tips/experience)

Your GCSEs are very impressive, FAR better than mine and I got an offer (I only have an A in French at GCSE, but am in a crappy languages area and improved massively at AS), but as you rightly recognise you can't rest on your laurels and assume that is enough, I know applicants from this year with a flawless academic record who have been rejected from Oxbridge.

Your extra-curriculars look great, I'd just suggest as well as doing this plethora of activities make sure you take time to really reflect on what you have been reading/watching/doing so you could discuss it further.

Please feel free to ask further questions, although I'm not an undergraduate! My particular interest is literature, literary theory and thought, but I think FrenchNerd2 is more linguistics/film leaning than me

I also plan on putting my personal statement on the PS page when the deadline has passed since I have seen no Portuguese ones so feel free to use that for ideas (but you'll get disqualified if you plagiarise do remember ). If you want any advice on texts/films have a look at the reading lists of prospective unis (or do what I did and search for Brazilian poetry on tumblr 😂)

When is it safe to post our personal statements? I also plan to.

I also plan on putting my personal statement on the PS page when the deadline has passed since I have seen no Portuguese ones so feel free to use that for ideas (but you'll get disqualified if you plagiarise do remember ). If you want any advice on texts/films have a look at the reading lists of prospective unis (or do what I did and search for Brazilian poetry on tumblr 😂)

When is it safe to post our personal statements? I also plan to.

So far ab initio languages, they like to see that you've actually thought about why you want to do that as opposed to another language (especially since Portuguese is by far the least popular language taken). There are many ways you could show this: start learning the basics, explore Lusophone literature in translation, film etc. But also remember that you want to mention what you got out of it as well.

Also make sure you focus on your AS exams this year and once they're over, explore all this extra stuff for your personal statement.

I'd also recommend applying for UNIQ and Sutton Trust Cambridge, with your grades you'd definitely be eligible and it's great for exploring your subject in more detail. If you haven't applied to UNIQ already, the deadline is 24th January (or 23rd not sure)

Ah sorry should have mentioned this in the original message, but our new system means I don't do AS levels anymore. Does this mean I should put more emphasis on extra-curricular activities and films/literature etc, given that they only grades they'll have for me are my GCSEs?

They barely look at your PS, the main factor in getting an interview is AS, get high ums 85+ then you should get an interview. Do well in the interview and you get an offer.

Forgot to add - we don't do AS levels anymore, so I think my GCSEs are all the universities have to go on. Also, in terms of colleges do you think that some colleges are easier to get into for MML than others or is it equally likely in all the colleges? I really like St Johns and Christs for example but some of their data say around 500+ people apply and only 100+ get in? Should this put me off? x

Ah sorry should have mentioned this in the original message, but our new system means I don't do AS levels anymore. Does this mean I should put more emphasis on extra-curricular activities and films/literature etc, given that they only grades they'll have for me are my GCSEs?

You are equally likely to get into Cambridge no matter which college you apply to. The winter pool is used to help good candidates find a place when their original college doesn't have room for them.

If you like John's or Christ's apply there. And no college has 500 applicants for MML. Last year Christ's had 21, and John's 25.

Would love to ask a special case of me that I join French in A2, in AS I was doing Furthermath then I drop to do French. Of course I have strong foundations before, but would it likely to be a big thing for me to apply Cambridge? Especially some popular one like King's
I had 4A* and 1A in A2
And my ps should be above average

I'm not sure what you are asking...?

Have you completed your A-levels with 4A* and 1A in A2 achieved? Or are those predicted?

What are your individual A-level subjects and grades?

It's my predicted grades. The thing is, i didn't do French in A1, but I joined this year and i directly do A2. I made the AS up during summer holiday.
Math/Physics/French/Chinese A*
Economics A
Chinese is the mother tongue but the admission said they do take account