HSPS Cambridge 2019 applicants thread

Hello!!
I’m also applying to Warwick, Exeter, Lancaster and York
GCSE grades: 10 A*s (including two 9s and an 8) and an A
Predicted A Level grades: English - A*, Politics - A*, History - A*, GPR - D2
Extra-curricular activities: Politics officer, youth theatre stuff, Senior academic officer, work experience with an MP, did UNIQ summer school studying PPE

Reply 21

purplewings

5

Original post by richardsmith

Anybody considering applying this year?
If so, please post your GCSE grades, AS grades and Predicted Grades, as well as perhaps your relevant work experience. Also, how is everyone going to prepare for the admission test/interview?
Lets help each other out!

GCSE: 5A* 4A 1C (not good enough I know)
AS: AAA + a in Critical Thinking
Predicted grades: A* A* A* A

Relevant work experience: Attended lecture on foreign policy, volunteered, write for my school newspaper and pretty much it but I will try to add something before october. Do you guys reckon I stand a chance? My issue is that I know nobody who can help me prepare for admission tests or interviews.....

I have the EXACT same GCSEs! Predicted A*A*AB (B in Economics which I will most likely drop) What college are you applying to for HSPS?

Reply 22

purplewings

5

Original post by Nxncydooley

Hello!!
I’m also applying to Warwick, Exeter, Lancaster and York
GCSE grades: 10 A*s (including two 9s and an 8) and an A
Predicted A Level grades: English - A*, Politics - A*, History - A*, GPR - D2
Extra-curricular activities: Politics officer, youth theatre stuff, Senior academic officer, work experience with an MP, did UNIQ summer school studying PPE

Is that Edexcel Politics? Isn't the highest grade offered for this subject an A? My predicted for A Level Politics is an A only for this reason

Reply 23

richardsmith

OP

15

Original post by purplewings

I have the EXACT same GCSEs! Predicted A*A*AB (B in Economics which i'm thinking of dropping) What college are you applying to for HSPS?

Corpus Christi! But I feel like I’ll fail the admission test

Reply 24

Zouch

2

Hi all,
GCSE: 11 A*s (three 9s, eight A*s, including further maths)
A-level predictions: A*A*A* (English Lit, Maths, Economics) - all linear A levels so no AS grades

Haven't done any relevant work experience really, but have obviously read quite a few books towards my personal statement and the course itself.

The reading comprehension section of the admissions test seems fairly straightforward, but for the essay section I sincerely hope that they do not expect any significant amount of substantiating evidence, as I would greatly struggle with writing a both pursuasive and consistently corroborated essay, when there is such an eclectic breadth of possible subject matter. Anyone else in a similar boat, or perhaps feels differently?

I personally put in an Open Application and have been assigned to Homerton College

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 25

purplewings

5

Original post by Zouch

Hi all,
GCSE: 11 A*s (three 9s, eight A*s, including further maths)
A-level predictions: A*A*A* (English Lit, Maths, Economics) - all linear A levels so no AS grades

Haven't done any relevant work experience really, but have obviously read quite a few books towards my personal statement and the course itself.

The reading comprehension section of the admissions test seems fairly straightforward, but for the essay section I sincerely hope that they do not expect any significant amount of substantiating evidence, as I would greatly struggle with writing a both pursuasive and consistently corroborated essay, when there is such an eclectic breadth of possible subject matter. Anyone else in a similar boat, or perhaps feels differently?

I personally put in an Open Application and have been assigned to Homerton College

I applied to Homerton! Maybe we'll see each other at interview lol. I'm also giving linear A Levels, you don't think not having UMS or AS grades disadvantages us do you?
About the essay, they are marking your evidenciary support but I doubt it matters more than your general coherence/structure and pursuasiveness as they don't expect applicants to have formally studied HSPS tripos

Reply 26

MichaellaO

6

Original post by purplewings

Is that Edexcel Politics? Isn't the highest grade offered for this subject an A? My predicted for A Level Politics is an A only for this reason

I do Edexcel Politics and got predicted A*. It is possible to get predicted an A*, it must be that your teacher was reluctant to predict you one. My teachers at school were the same. Their explanation was that they rarely predict A*s.

Reply 27

Zouch

2

Original post by purplewings

I applied to Homerton! Maybe we'll see each other at interview lol. I'm also giving linear A Levels, you don't think not having UMS or AS grades disadvantages us do you?
About the essay, they are marking your evidenciary support but I doubt it matters more than your general coherence/structure and pursuasiveness as they don't expect applicants to have formally studied HSPS tripos

No it should not disadvantage us; I do believe a majority of people are studying linear A-levels now in fact. The lack of modular or AS level grades just means there is slightly higher weighting upon the other academic aspects of the application, namely the admissions test and GCSE grades I think. Of course, I don't know for certain, and the valuation of each aspect of an application is likely to be at the discretion of each college to a certain extent anyway.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 28

adamchin

5

Hello,

I applied to Downing College and have received offers already from Bath, York (unconditional if firm) and Southampton, so just awaiting Cambridge and Durham!

Spending the half term going over the HSPSAA and beginning interview prep. As my GCSEs aren't strong (2A*, 5A, 4B) , I am hoping that a strong performance in the HSPSAA as well as the interview gives me a reasonable shot of getting an offer, I've done a lot around the subject (involved in local politics, been to the EU Parliament and PMQs to name a few) as well as doing Biology A Level (where I am predicted an A*), which goes well with some of the Anthropology topics so I am still optimistic.

For those applying to colleges that require written work, what are you submitting? Is it your best work or the most interesting topic for you? I am planning to submit two politics essays however one is based on a short source (that I have), do you think they will accept this?

Good luck everyone!

Reply 29

richardsmith

OP

15

Original post by adamchin

Hello,

I applied to Downing College and have received offers already from Bath, York (unconditional if firm) and Southampton, so just awaiting Cambridge and Durham!

Spending the half term going over the HSPSAA and beginning interview prep. As my GCSEs aren't strong (2A*, 5A, 4B) , I am hoping that a strong performance in the HSPSAA as well as the interview gives me a reasonable shot of getting an offer, I've done a lot around the subject (involved in local politics, been to the EU Parliament and PMQs to name a few) as well as doing Biology A Level (where I am predicted an A*), which goes well with some of the Anthropology topics so I am still optimistic.

For those applying to colleges that require written work, what are you submitting? Is it your best work or the most interesting topic for you? I am planning to submit two politics essays however one is based on a short source (that I have), do you think they will accept this?

Good luck everyone!

What have you been getting in the HSPS practice papers? Yes I think that would be fine, I am sumbmitting a history essay but it kind of links with politics

Reply 30

Zouch

2

Original post by adamchin

Hello,

I applied to Downing College and have received offers already from Bath, York (unconditional if firm) and Southampton, so just awaiting Cambridge and Durham!

Spending the half term going over the HSPSAA and beginning interview prep. As my GCSEs aren't strong (2A*, 5A, 4B) , I am hoping that a strong performance in the HSPSAA as well as the interview gives me a reasonable shot of getting an offer, I've done a lot around the subject (involved in local politics, been to the EU Parliament and PMQs to name a few) as well as doing Biology A Level (where I am predicted an A*), which goes well with some of the Anthropology topics so I am still optimistic.

For those applying to colleges that require written work, what are you submitting? Is it your best work or the most interesting topic for you? I am planning to submit two politics essays however one is based on a short source (that I have), do you think they will accept this?

Good luck everyone!

Congratulations on your offers! The only viable essay subject I take for the submission of written work is English Literature. Consequently, I am intending to submit my year 12 English Literature coursework (~1800 words), and then another just general English Literature essay/argument I did that is much shorter (~900 words). I chose these particular pieces because they are the most substantial and apposite pieces towards the criteria of "critical and argumentative written work" I have done. Nevertheless, they are still English Literature essays and as such don't bear that strong a relation to HSPS subject matter, although should still be demonstrative of writing ability.

I'm sure that so long as your source-based essay is sufficiently critical and argumentative, then it will be absolutely fine (just make sure that you do send the source along with your response to it). With HSPS, unlike other subjects such as History or English, I think they are mainly trying to appraise our ability to construct rounded, critical essays, regardless of subject or subject matter. I certainly hope so at least - HSPS doesn't really have any stringent prerequisites in terms of subject requirements or indeed prior knowledge, so I don't see why they would with this.

Best of luck

Reply 31

WebHitchhiker

5

I emailed my college (St Johns) about this the other day, who told me that the interviewers can't read more than 2,000 words for each applicant, so if your work is going to exceed that then highlight the parts you want them to read. Also that it should be the work you most enjoyed writing/shows off your skills and potential. May well apply to other colleges too!

Reply 32

PAUEspb

4

Quality is far better than quantity, honestly. Personally, I'll just try to plan well and structure my essay as clearly as possible. Good luck!!

Reply 33

PAUEspb

4

Original post by WebHitchhiker

I submitted to the Open Futures competition too! What topic was yours on?

I've applied to St John's.

Same!! I'm also applying to St John's.

Reply 34

Dsk10911

9

Original post by PAUEspb

Same!! I'm also applying to St John's.

That makes 3 of us!

Reply 35

WebHitchhiker

5

Original post by PAUEspb

Same!! I'm also applying to St John's.

Original post by Dsk10911

That makes 3 of us!

Hopefully see you both at interview!

Reply 36

Nxncydooley

7

Yes it is, but as far as I’ve been told it’s possible to get an A*, I’m doing the new course so maybe it’s different but an A* is the highest grade offered not an A