The Official 2018 Cambridge Offer Holders Thread

Yeah but who would want to be surrounded by that many tories

Haha, Nick Clegg!

I know this may sound whiny and almost ungrateful but I don't intend to come off like that. Basically I've been made an offer for architecture with grades AAA at scottish advanced higher. The thing is, on the ucas tariff this is equivalent to A*A*A* at a level - (both are 56 points each, and a B at advanced higher is equivalent to a regular A at a level.) I think I already know the answer but I'm just wondering if anyone reckons I should contact the college and ask about this?

I know this may sound whiny and almost ungrateful but I don't intend to come off like that. Basically I've been made an offer for architecture with grades AAA at scottish advanced higher. The thing is, on the ucas tariff this is equivalent to A*A*A* at a level - (both are 56 points each, and a B at advanced higher is equivalent to a regular A at a level.) I think I already know the answer but I'm just wondering if anyone reckons I should contact the college and ask about this?

I don't think it's a mistake because that's their standard offer for Scottish applicants, they don't normally make an offer any lower, often higher though. I basically just wanted to know why they do it (when it's technically harder than their a level conditions) and then maybe they could reconsider my conditions. I know that I sound really whiny and it's incredibly unlikely but I'm basically worrying that I don't meet them and feel this is a little unfair. I did know this before applying but I just feel the question would be a bit more valid now. Again, I don't want to sound arrogant by asking them about this so that's why I wanted some other opinions.

@Doonesbury @ImprobableCacti @123123412367

Edit:
More than 7% of all applicants are from Scotland and I suspect most of them apply with Scottish qualifications.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/sites/www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/undergrad_admissions_statistics_2016_cycle.pdf

It's only 2% of applicants, and 1.6% of offers

They do have experiences in assessing many applicants from Scotland. It’s not like they don’t know about Scottish qualifications. If that’s their standard offer, then obviously they think that’s what applicants need to achieve to be prepared enough for their course.
And you applied to them, knowing what their requirements are, and that’s what you got.
Sorry, but I really don’t understand why you want to ask them about the offer condition now.....


Edit:
2% of all applicants are from Scotland and I suspect most of them apply with Scottish qualifications.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/sites/www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/undergrad_admissions_statistics_2016_cycle.pdf

Hi marcusf.11! Firstly, many congratulations on your offer. For 2017 entry, there were around 50 offers from 430 applicants. So you've done extremely well!

vincrows and Doonesbury are absolutely right.

What I wanted to add is that Admissions Tutors and Directors of Studies work within an awkward, cumbersome system and also have to compare many candidates from many different educational backgrounds. You may well have been competong against broadly similar candidates but with qualifications from, say, Quebec in Canada, Turkish Cyprus, an IB from an international school in Dubai, as well as a few from England offering new A Levels. I'm afraid it's not a perfect system and these factors make the selectors job very hard. You may well feel it's unfair and that the offer conditions are daunting.

My daughter is now in her second term at Cambridge: she loves her course (a different subject) and her new friends. But she is still, I sense, extremely angry about her experience through the admissions process, not least her A Level offer grades. She decided to rant for 24 hours in January last year and has not mentioned the matter since. I'm sure this helped her right up to exam results day in August. So I really wouldn't spend valuable time and energy worrying about what you can neither control nor change.

The selection team,especially the AT and DoS at your college, chose you because they believe in your potential, your suitability for the course and because they reckon you will grow into your target offer grades and more. So do take heart from that.

My daughter now has two friends who are on the Architecture course.She says all the students are worked very hard, yet really enjoy many aspects and are a close bunch. They seem to have fun together, particularly on the group design projects.

Again, congratulations on your offer and good luck with your studies.

Hi marcusf.11! Firstly, many congratulations on your offer. For 2017 entry, there were around 50 offers from 430 applicants. So you've done extremely well!

vincrows and Doonesbury are absolutely right.

What I wanted to add is that Admissions Tutors and Directors of Studies work within an awkward, cumbersome system and also have to compare many candidates from many different educational backgrounds. You may well have been competong against broadly similar candidates but with qualifications from, say, Quebec in Canada, Turkish Cyprus, an IB from an international school in Dubai, as well as a few from England offering new A Levels. I'm afraid it's not a perfect system and these factors make the selectors job very hard. You may well feel it's unfair and that the offer conditions are daunting.

My daughter is now in her second term at Cambridge: she loves her course (a different subject) and her new friends. But she is still, I sense, extremely angry about her experience through the admissions process, not least her A Level offer grades. She decided to rant for 24 hours in January last year and has not mentioned the matter since. I'm sure this helped her right up to exam results day in August. So I really wouldn't spend valuable time and energy worrying about what you can neither control nor change.

The selection team,especially the AT and DoS at your college, chose you because they believe in your potential, your suitability for the course and because they reckon you will grow into your target offer grades and more. So do take heart from that.

My daughter now has two friends who are on the Architecture course.She says all the students are worked very hard, yet really enjoy many aspects and are a close bunch. They seem to have fun together, particularly on the group design projects.

Again, congratulations on your offer and good luck with your studies.

I think you’re ‘quoting’ a wrong person......

Always find it funny when non-mathmos complain about their offers.

Always find it funny when non-mathmos complain about their offers.

Always find it funny when non-mathmos complain about their offers.

Always find it funny when non-mathmos complain about their offers.

You've said that before and it's still a bit sad really.

I think many non-mathmos also know how "easy" it is for mathmos to get an offer but they understand it's harder to make that offer. It's largely swings and roundabouts. The overall success rate for mathmos is in line with the average success rate across all courses. You don't have a monopoly on "difficulty".

Does anyone know if it’s true that Cambridge match your maintenance loan as a bursary?

Context: the Queens’ SLO said this back when I was in Yr 11, I was wondering if it still holds.

@Doonesbury?