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When is the best time for masters programme? And if I have a 2:1 (63%) so far avg between 1st and 2nd year is there any point in applying? I feel it's too low
Good evening, thank you for answering all of these questions. I might be applying to Cambridge for medicine and wanted to know if I had even a slim chance of an invitation to an interview. I understand that there is still the BMAT to do; how much of a factor is this in the decision?

My academic profile consists of: 10A* and 3A at GCSE, plus an A* in the higher project qualification and a pass in level 3 algebra; A in AS-Level Maths, with an average of 90.3 UMS over the three modules; 3A* predicted at A-Level in Biology, Chemistry and Maths, plus an EPQ (A or A* predicted)

Super-Curriculars: 5 days' work experience on a geriatric ward, also observed some gynaecological surgeries; some time at an acute mental health day treatment centre; wider reading, such as by Atul Gawande; my EPQ contains some information relevant to medicine

Other extra: Silver DofE; paid employment (was in a supermarket, now mentoring at my school); dragons' apprentice challenge; senior prefect; house captain; senior fundraiser for sixth form

Also, I would like to ask how contexual data are used; would GCSE grades, for example, be compared to the school's results for that year or their most recent performance?

Thank you in advance.
(edited 6 years ago)
I'm under the impression that Cambridge place far more emphasis on AS ums than on GCSEs, could you possibly advise on how heavy this preference is within the holistic approach?
Also, given the uncertainty of the CSAT vs the MAT (on which I can determine whether I can perform at a suitable level to apply), is there a way you suggest to decide which of Oxford and Cambridge to apply to in an admissions sense, considering they are tied in all other ways in my mind (Course vs City etc). Thanks!
Hello, I'm applying to Natural Sciences (physical) this year. I was wondering how likely I'll get an offer with my maths and further maths ASs (an average of 89.2 UMS) that did not go as expected - the details are the following:
C1 - 93
C2 - 93
S1 - 93
FP1 - 74
M1 - 91
D1 - 91
In GCSEs I got 6 A*s, 5 As and an A in a FSMQ. My A Level predicted grades for maths, further maths, chemistry and physics are A*A*A*A*. (I've always been in grammar schools that do very well as a whole.)
I'm very worried. How likely will I get an offer assuming everything else goes alright? Are there any colleges that put a greater emphasis on the NSAA admission test than AS UMS marks, if so do you know what they are?

Thank you in advance.

(P.S. sorry about my username, it's how much I want to get in)
(edited 6 years ago)
Hi there, I'm applying for physical natsci and had a question about the NSAA? For the first paper, I was wondering if there's any particular preference for which sections students should attempt between chemistry and advanced maths + physics? (i.e if I did section 1A and 1B, i'm not sure which 3rd section to choose?) There's a couple of maths and physics topics on the specification for section 1E which we haven't really covered in school at all (e.g. solving differential equations, magnetic fields and radioactivity) - should I try to learn those topics independently and attempt advanced maths + physics, or should I do the chemistry section instead? (the content with which I'm admittedly much more comfortable). Would this reflect poorly on a student applying for physics at all other universities?

Thank you so much!
I regards to Personal statements: (applying to engineering if that makes a difference)

Would having no spaces between paragraphs be less preferred?
Does It make you more annoyed reading it?
Do people applying to engineering usually have spaces or not?
What are your views on this?
Original post by Christ's Admissions
I don't know the exact date of the test for 2019 entry, but it is likely to be around November 2 2018. You can either take the test at school, in which case your school will need to register to become a test centre

http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/administering-our-tests/become-a-test-centre/

and then register you for the test (by October 15 2018).

or you can take it as an external candidate at a school which is already registered as a test centre:

http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/find-a-centre/

and that school will register you.


Thank you for your reply
May I ask another Q. I am doing the IB with HL English; Maths and Economics;
SL Latin, History and Physics. I'm anticipated to get 44/45. Our school does offer Further Maths HL Is this disadvantageous to my application? Are the SAT scores of any use as well? Thanks again
Original post by Christ's Admissions
His GCSEs are fine, but GCSEs are only one factor in our assessment.

I think it's too early to comment on the 2019 application round.


Please can you give the average application elements below, for a typical offer holder for natural sciences? I know you're probably tired of saying everything is taken into account, but really, the paper application is going to be these things below minus the PS and reference.

Please can you put what a successful candidate might have in terms of grades (or just an example if one pat is weak and other parts are strong). And for GCSEs you could say "strong" relative to school or something.

GCSEs:
AS Levels (linear):
UCAS Predictions:


NSAA score(s):
Interview score(s):
Original post by Christ's Admissions
Hi there,

We are using it with caution for now, so it would probably only come into play if a borderline candidate did extremely badly, or extremely well. I think using similar tests for other Cambridge subjects is a sensible idea.


Hello, thank you for doing this thread. Would this apply to other new assessments such as the NSAA as well?

I'm also applying to one of the colleges that uses an at-interview assessment for Natural Sciences, would you happen to know roughly how this would be weighted/considered? It hasn't affected my choice but I'm a little worried about it :s-smilie:

Many thanks for your time!
Reply 589
Hello again and many thanks for your previous answer, always useful to get an honest feedback.

I am still thinking about my A Levels options and would have several additional queries if I may:
- Would a combination such as Maths, FM, Physics + Eco or Pre-U Philo be a good one for CompSci (of course provided you get the right marks/predicted!)? If yes, which between Eco and Philo would be better?
- What would I need to show my interest in Computer Science (EPQ, Summer school...)? How important would it be?
- Finally, as you can apparently take Maths IA and, say, Physics from NatSci, could you transfer to the second year of NatSci if your first years results are good enough in those subjects (with restrictions on IB topics of course)?

Thanks in advance!
Hi,

I am the AMES student that asked about languages a couple of days back.

I feel like I am having to work quite hard to achieve my two A*s by changing my writing style. When I have seen/talked to students at cambridge, they all say they got their grades either by accident or 100% in their subject chosen.
Do you think this means I will struggle at such a high level uni?
Original post by DvsAmjed
"Research undertaken by the Cambridge Admissions Office indicates that an applicant with excellent grades at GCSE from a below average school is likely to perform well in Tripos examinations."

Does this have any significance?


We try not to ignore our own research! Candidates from a lower performing GCSE school are flagged on the subject moderation spreadsheet and as has been said many times before, a candidates performance is considered holistically and in the proper context. We never compare candidates as simplistically as just counting A*s.
Original post by hxfsxh
Hi, would I be likely chosen for an interview for law, assuming my reference and personal statement were up to standard?
GCSEs- 6A*s and 5As plus a Distinction* in ECDL
A* in EPQ and A in AS politics
And predicted A*A*A


Yes. Anyone who is reasonably predicted the typical offer is likely to be interviewed. We don't do much filtering at the pre-interview stage.
Original post by GausIsTheBoss
What resources would you recommend to use to prepare the engaa exam since there are only 2 past papers?


We don't expect or require extensive preparation - they are designed to assess how well you can apply your existing knowledge from your school work. We also think your current work is more important and don't want to distract you so the best preparation is to keep working hard at the maths and physics you've studied so far.
Original post by hhassan05
Hi,

This year, I sat a linear History AS, but will also be sitting the linear A2 next year.

Would this be the right way to put it on the SAQ form?

Capture.PNG

Are there also any established exams similar to the HAA that have a lot of past papers I can use to practise?

Thanks.


[email protected] is the place to ask - now that we're close to the deadline you need to check with the oracle as people on TSR (even if we work for the University!) might not be able to give you the right advice and we wouldn't want to disadvantage your application.

As I said with regard to the ENGAA, extensive preparation isn't expected or required (and lots of the students who sat assessment last year said their preparation wasn't helpful). The assessments are desgined to assess you on your application of skills you've gained from your current schoolwork like critical reading or source analysis. The HAA is not an exam where you're assessed on how much you know, it's about what you can do when faced with something unfamiliar.
Original post by econflower
hi, when you look at GCSE grades relative to the school's performance, is this more likely just taken into account if the student has under-performed but still done better than the school average, or is it also used when a student has done average and their school has performed extremely well?


We always look at your achievements, abilities and potential holistically and in the appropriate context :smile:.
Original post by AdHominem
Good evening, thank you for answering all of these questions. I might be applying to Cambridge for medicine and wanted to know if I had even a slim chance of an invitation to an interview. I understand that there is still the BMAT to do; how much of a factor is this in the decision?


Thanks for posting! Let's see if we can help.

The BMAT is part of our assessment but isn't considered in isolation and there isn't a cutoff or pass mark. Exactly how much we rely on the BMAT varies from candidate to candidate, just try and do your best :smile:

Original post by AdHominem

My academic profile consists of: 10A* and 3A at GCSE, plus an A* in the higher project qualification and a pass in level 3 algebra; A in AS-Level Maths, with an average of 90.3 UMS over the three modules; 3A* predicted at A-Level in Biology, Chemistry and Maths, plus an EPQ (A or A* predicted)


Great! Those are a great set of results and suggest you're on track to exceed our typical offer.

Original post by AdHominem

Super-Curriculars: 5 days' work experience on a geriatric ward, also observed some gynaecological surgeries; some time at an acute mental health day treatment centre; wider reading, such as by Atul Gawande; my EPQ contains some information relevant to medicine

Other extra: Silver DofE; paid employment (was in a supermarket, now mentoring at my school); dragons' apprentice challenge; senior prefect; house captain; senior fundraiser for sixth form


This is all good but make sure you're not just listing things on your application but instead can reflect thoughtfully on what you've experienced. Quality of experience matters much much than quantity.

Original post by AdHominem

Also, I would like to ask how contexual data are used; would GCSE grades, for example, be compared to the school's results for that year or their most recent performance?

Thank you in advance.

We use as much contextual data as we can to paint as complete a picture as possible of your achievements, abilities and potential. Don't sweat over the details - there's nothing you can do to change them now, just focus on putting in the best application you can.
Original post by lellama
I'm under the impression that Cambridge place far more emphasis on AS ums than on GCSEs, could you possibly advise on how heavy this preference is within the holistic approach?
Also, given the uncertainty of the CSAT vs the MAT (on which I can determine whether I can perform at a suitable level to apply), is there a way you suggest to decide which of Oxford and Cambridge to apply to in an admissions sense, considering they are tied in all other ways in my mind (Course vs City etc). Thanks!


We know from our research that performance in year 12 and 13 gives a much better indication of how you'll do in university exams than looking at GCSEs - how you did in year 11 simply isn't as useful a predictor of university success. Where AS results are available we'll continue to use them but remember we're very experienced in assessing performance in year 12 and 13 in other ways - even before A level reform about 40% of our applicants weren't taking A levels.

As we've covered previously, its not a good idea to try and choose between Oxford and Cambridge on the basis of their admissions processes. Both unviersities use very similar means to find very similar people, indeed this is why you can't apply to both. I'd say look again at the courses though, there are differences in the CS courses as offered at Oxford and Cambridge.
Original post by Cam Bridge
Hello, I'm applying to Natural Sciences (physical) this year. I was wondering how likely I'll get an offer with my maths and further maths ASs (an average of 89.2 UMS) that did not go as expected - the details are the following:
C1 - 93
C2 - 93
S1 - 93
FP1 - 74
M1 - 91
D1 - 91
In GCSEs I got 6 A*s, 5 As and an A in a FSMQ. My A Level predicted grades for maths, further maths, chemistry and physics are A*A*A*A*. (I've always been in grammar schools that do very well as a whole.)
I'm very worried. How likely will I get an offer assuming everything else goes alright? Are there any colleges that put a greater emphasis on the NSAA admission test than AS UMS marks, if so do you know what they are?

Thank you in advance.

(P.S. sorry about my username, it's how much I want to get in)


Hi, thanks for posting!

Looking at your scores, it is clear that FP1 is an outlier. This is why we never look at just averages but instead consider scores on a module-by-module basis. Obviously a decision on interview will consider your performance in our other subjects and the NSAA but there's nothing you've said which suggests you're unrealistic as a candidate.
Original post by levi ackerman
Hi there, I'm applying for physical natsci and had a question about the NSAA? For the first paper, I was wondering if there's any particular preference for which sections students should attempt between chemistry and advanced maths + physics? (i.e if I did section 1A and 1B, i'm not sure which 3rd section to choose?) There's a couple of maths and physics topics on the specification for section 1E which we haven't really covered in school at all (e.g. solving differential equations, magnetic fields and radioactivity) - should I try to learn those topics independently and attempt advanced maths + physics, or should I do the chemistry section instead? (the content with which I'm admittedly much more comfortable). Would this reflect poorly on a student applying for physics at all other universities?

Thank you so much!


Thanks for posting! In the NSAA you should just follow your interests in choosing questions, provided you comply with the rubric. Remember you won't be studying just physics here so your performance on the chemistry questions might be relevant (as might your performance in a chemistry interview).

My advice might seem obvious but it seems like you might need it - if you have a choice, do not attempt questions for which you lack knowledge. As an example, we had some (more than 1) cases last year of prospective physicists attempting the biology questions despite not taking A level biology. This did not go well for them.

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