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Laura Spence is Back!

Reply 40

tomcoolinguk

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3537724.stm

medical studies doesn't necessarily translate into medicine though... a medically related PhD could be classed as medicial studies. Will keep my eyes open at Barts for her though...

Spence Watch - I like it :biggrin:

Reply 41

tomcoolinguk

13

Yeah, but one of my friends saw her at the Oxford GEM open day last year

Reply 42

mobbdeeprob

Many thanks for your reply by the way, I've just noticed it. :smile:

Are you thinking of applying to any US universities or do you know anybody who has/intends to?

EDIT: I've seen the Columbia bit!

Reply 43

tomcoolinguk

13

The LEA paid for the top 20 people in the year group to take the SAT as they are thinking of making it compulsory and because of my score I received a huge amount of mail from all these colleges, and thought I might as well look into it. I'm still undecided- I'm going to visit all the Ivy League colleges in September, when I'll make up my mind. I much prefer the idea of Oxbridge though, to be honest.

Reply 44

tomcoolinguk

13

mobbdeeprob

EDIT: I've seen the Columbia bit!

Well my decision isn't finalised yet. :smile:

Reply 45

tomcoolinguk

13

Though it was great fun going to a Christ's college open day and telling them I was considering HYP as well as Cambridge, and that I'd got 1563 on my SAT's. They were fawning all over me! :biggrin:

Reply 46

mobbdeeprob

tomcoolinguk

Though it was great fun going to a Christ's college open day and telling them I was considering HYP as well as Cambridge, and that I'd got 1563 on my SAT's. They were fawning all over me! :biggrin:

I can imagine! What are the approximate timescales for applications to US colleges? (Including taking the SATs)

Reply 47

username9816

14

I never understood the fuss, she applied to the best university in the UK, for one of the most competitive subjects, at the most prestigious and competitive college, and she wasn't even enthusiastic (enough) on doing medicine, which was proven when she ended up doing BioChemistry at Harvard.

A load of publicity for nothing in my view.

Reply 48

GraduateMedic

tomcoolinguk

Yeah, but one of my friends saw her at the Oxford GEM open day last year

Which one? It wasn't the Summer one, 'cos I was there! must have been the Easter one.

Reply 49

tomcoolinguk

13

mobbdeeprob

I can imagine! What are the approximate timescales for applications to US colleges? (Including taking the SATs)

I took my SAT I on June 4th (a Saturday) in London, and there also testing dates in October, November and December. There are others, but I can't remember them- I think Feb, March and April. I could be wrong! I am taking my three SAT II tests (regardless of whether I decide to apply) in October. This is really the last date if you decide to apply for early decision or early action, as I learnt from a tutor at Harvard that often that simply defer your ED application if it is not complete (i.e. scores pending) in October. Theoretically, November scores should be fine- but often they aren't.

In America there are three application processes:
1. Early Action
2. Early Decision
3. Regular Action

Early Action and Early Decision have an earlier deadline, and you can only apply to one college under these programmes. Most colleges only have one of the two, the difference being that ED is binding- if you are offered a place, you have to take it, unless the financial aid package is not satisfactory. Of the colleges I am applying to, Princeton does ED and Harvard and Yale do EA. I am applying for EA at Yale, if I do go through and apply because they have replied consistently to every email sent and have openly encouraged me to apply, plus the ug courses sound really good.

The deadlines vary by colleges but are typically November 1st (postmark). The process is made more complex by the fact that your teacher evaulations are confidential, so have to be sent seperately, which makes for a logistical nightmare.

For regular action your application material has to be submitted for December 31st/ January 1st/2nd. For this deadline, you are obviously able to submit later test scores etc.

Harvard and Yale encourage applicants' to have interviews, and the system is fairly neoptious- I'm pretty certain that my teacher's friend at Fulbright will interview me for Harvard. These interviews are really varied, some take place in coffee shops, others in 5* hotels. It is inadvisable to have anti-American opinions, and indeed when assessing international applicants', Yale places emphasis on 'an appreciation and fascination and enthusiasm for American culture, life and politics'.

Where British applicants' really score is that GCSEs and A Levels, contrary to what the British media says, are really respected examinations. For guidance, it is advisable to use a GPA for GCSE on an 8.0 scale, to emphasise your achievements if you have loads of starred As and on a 4.0 scale, if you mainly had As. A Levels should be reported on a 5.0 scale.

One thing to remember, is that most American colleges require proof of everything; not necessarily when you apply (although you do have to send copies of your exam certificates) but afterwards. I was told to make sure I could authorise my involvement in scouts etc.

British students are theoretically eligible for Advanced Standing at American colleges, but I am definitely not going for this as it is antithical to anything [if i go for it] I would hope to gain from the experience. What people must appreciate is how competitive it is: Oxford and Cambridge each have 3000 places, yet combined HYP only have 4500! This creates a direly competitive system with only 10% success rates. As at Oxbridge, it is so much more than your academic standing, you really have to have many extracurricular activities, and your essays have to be amazing. I am quite fortunate that I have done quite Americanized activities such as Yearbook editor (seriously this is freakishly competitive in America), magazine editor (again), model UN as USA (just brown noses America really), school council (a lot more established in America) and events committee (again a lot more established in America). My SAT scores are in the upper quartile for all my universities, as is my GPA (7.8 GCSE) and I have varisty level participation. However, ultimately it may not be enough to get me in, and I wouldn't resent this at all-when you consider how much more preparation American students have to put in!

If you are looking to buy any books on the process, Cambridge is the place where books costing $50, are for some reason on sale at £19.99. Bargains!

Reply 50

gzftan

12

Oh..i don't know if anyone here remembers it..but back when i joined in December....somebody came on with the user name Agradestudent..or something like that..and wrote a lovely long post about how if they didn't get into cambridge...they were gonna go the national newspapers....the usual crap....i remember thinking...what a tosser!! Lemme see if i can dig up a link for you! :smile:

G

Reply 51

gzftan

12

gzftan

Oh..i don't know if anyone here remembers it..but back when i joined in December....somebody came on with the user name Agradestudent..or something like that..and wrote a lovely long post about how if they didn't get into cambridge...they were gonna go the national newspapers....the usual crap....i remember thinking...what a tosser!! Lemme see if i can dig up a link for you! :smile:

G

Ah..wonderful..it hasn't been deleted!!!

http://www.uk-learning.net/t15894.html

Enjoy!! Btw- though the thread was floating around in december....the poster actually made the thread in November..before they even went for an interview!!! What a jerk!!! Just thought i'd bring it up seeing as it was thread related :smile:

G

Reply 52

mobbdeeprob

Once again, many thanks! :smile:

I never cease to have questions, partly because you're so well informed!

Are the LEA awards (for entry to US colleges) common? Would those hoping to be involved have been notified already?

What are your views on the LSE/Kings/UCL route to combined LLB/JD qualification? As I'm, most probably, going to apply to all three institutions.

Out of curiosity (and I know this is highly presumptious!) what would your preferences be for the following?

- HYP JD route (followed by CPE/Senior Status LLB)
- Cambridge BA Law
- LSE/Kings/UCL LLB/JD
- Durham/Bristol LLB

Reply 53

mobbdeeprob

gzftan

Ah..wonderful..it hasn't been deleted!!!

http://www.uk-learning.net/t15894.html

Enjoy!! Btw- though the thread was floating around in december....the poster actually made the thread in November..before they even went for an interview!!! What a jerk!!! Just thought i'd bring it up seeing as it was thread related :smile:

G

I can't figure out whether this person is being serious!

Reply 54

gzftan

12

mobbdeeprob

I can't figure out whether this person is being serious!

I reckon it probably was serious....it is a really stupid thing though!! Imagine going into an interview and threatening the interviewer with going to the papers!!! :eek:

G

Reply 55

BazTheMoney

From what I've heard of Miss Spense she's terrible arrogant, but dosen't really have the intelligence to back it up. As for Oxford, she applied to the most competitive of colleges have the most competitive subject; I have no problem with anyone doing that, but if things don't turn out well you can at least take it with a bit of grace, which she seemingly failed to do. Trust me, she certainly wasn't missed.

tomcoolinguk

What people must appreciate is how competitive it is: Oxford and Cambridge each have 3000 places, yet combined HYP only have 4500! This creates a direly competitive system with only 10% success rates.

It isn't that straight forward; firstly you can apply to as many Ivies as you want, you can only apply to Oxford OR Cambridge; considering most people would apply to both given the chance, to make a fair comparison you need to double Oxbridge admission ratios. Secondly, in the US you have quite a few "give-it-ago" candidates, basically people you apply to an Ivy just because they can, knowing that there's little chance of getting an offers. If the UK was that same as the US (eg, apply to as many places as you want), the applications ratios would be similar, if not with Oxbridge slightly higher.

Reply 56

tomcoolinguk

13

BazTheMoney

It isn't that straight forward; firstly you can apply to as many Ivies as you want, you can only apply to Oxford OR Cambridge; considering most people would apply to both given the chance, to make a fair comparison you need to double Oxbridge admission ratios. Secondly, in the US you have quite a few "give-it-ago" candidates, basically people you apply to an Ivy just because they can, knowing that there's little chance of getting an offers. If the UK was that same as the US (eg, apply to as many places as you want), the applications ratios would be similar, if not with Oxbridge slightly higher.

Well... on the one hand you are correct- but only to a point! Crucially, in America most colleges only actually offer one or two degrees [bachelor of arts, and bachelor of sciences], so at undegerdraduate level everyone is roughly equal- yet when it comes to applying here, as we know, applicant rates vary tremendously (at Oxford they vary from 1.4apps per place [chemistry] to c.6 for subjects such as E&M). If people were able to apply to both, the success rate would not, contrary to popular opinon 'halve', as some people would obtain offers from both, and many people would only apply to one (e.g. people going for architecture, veterinary medicine and those confirmed for a specific science).

Whilst I do think that applying to Oxbridge is very difficult and tough, I feel that the intensity of competition in America is even more ferocious. Your comment about 'have-a-go' candidates is completely unsubstantiated, and it is my opinion that there are many people who go for Oxbridge in this manner.

Reply 57

tomcoolinguk

13

mobbdeeprob

Once again, many thanks! :smile:

I never cease to have questions, partly because you're so well informed!

Are the LEA awards (for entry to US colleges) common? Would those hoping to be involved have been notified already?

What are your views on the LSE/Kings/UCL route to combined LLB/JD qualification? As I'm, most probably, going to apply to all three institutions.

Out of curiosity (and I know this is highly presumptious!) what would your preferences be for the following?

- HYP JD route (followed by CPE/Senior Status LLB)
- Cambridge BA Law
- LSE/Kings/UCL LLB/JD
- Durham/Bristol LLB

I wasn't offered an LEA award for entry to a US college, we were merely selected to take the SAT test, because Leicestershire has such a low entry to university and they [the lea] are thinking of introducing it, as a replacement to ALICE, so that we have something concrete to augment our other academic qualifications with.

The dual LLB/JD qualification is quite an unknown really, as they have only recently been piloted. It depends on what you want really. If you have the money, definitely go for it, as Columbia is widely considered to be in the top 3-5 for Law. Don't go for it thinking it will give you a passport to America though, as it will only have use to those who want to be solicitors for magic circle firms, or American ones based in London. The experience of studying in NY as well, would be incredible!

My preferred career route (and this is pathetically over ambitious, so feel free to laugh) would be:

Cambridge BA (Law) (first)
Oxford (Magdalen College! Ha- in Laura Spence's face!) BCL (distinction)
Harvard LLM (honours)
Followed by BVC, and then to practise chancery bar and be a supervisor at Cambridge or Oxford.

I too have thought about the LLB/JD route, but have eliminated it on the grounds that:
London would not be a productive place for me to study in
My parents refused to even consider remortgaging the house

Bristol is definitely my second choice, after Cambridge.

What about you?

Reply 58

BazTheMoney

THis isn;t the thread for this so I'll answer these pont and then shut up:

tomcoolinguk

Well... on the one hand you are correct- but only to a point! Crucially, in America most colleges only actually offer one or two degrees [bachelor of arts, and bachelor of sciences], so at undegerdraduate level everyone is roughly equal- yet when it comes to applying here, as we know, applicant rates vary tremendously (at Oxford they vary from 1.4apps per place [chemistry] to c.6 for subjects such as E&M). If people were able to apply to both, the success rate would not, contrary to popular opinon 'halve', as some people would obtain offers from both, and many people would only apply to one (e.g. people going for architecture, veterinary medicine and those confirmed for a specific science).

The average across all Oxbridge subjects is about 30% acceptance. And I think most people would apply to both, certainly if I had the chance I would; Oxford and Cambridge often offer the same subjects, sometimes not in the exact same form (eg, Physics and NatSci (physics)) but there is enough of an overlap to mean that in most cases, people would apply to both. And yes some people would get accepted to both, but that amount of places offered would be the same; all this would mean is that lots of people would turn down their offer, which happens in the US.

Your comment about 'have-a-go' candidates is completely unsubstantiated, and it is my opinion that there are many people who go for Oxbridge in this manner.

Well, there's no stats to answer this point, it is totally opinionated; I applied to both Oxford and Harvard, got accepted by both, and in my opinion the average Oxford applicant was better than the average Harvard one; that's not to say either studentel is better, but I certain think Harvard get many average students applying for the experience, which doesn't really happen at Oxford.

Reply 59

tomcoolinguk

13

reply posted to baz on harvard thread
:smile:

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