Cambridge previous offers - 128-144 points?

I was having a look through the previous admissions data Cambridge has on their website, and couldn't help noticing that there were a few students receiving offers with as low as 120 points? I know of course that A levels aren't the only qualification accepted, but if I'm correct 120 points evens out to ABC?

I'm in a slight panic as my initial film coursework feedback has been poor, despite getting full marks in the mock, and so I think it's very likely to pull my grade down at the end of the year. If that comes out as a D and I get a high A* in the exam, that could in theory come out as a B or potentially a C - does this mean there's still a chance of meeting a Cambridge offer should I get one?

May also be worth mentioning I have a long-term condition which would likely lead to a contextualised offer.

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(edited 5 years ago)

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Reply 1

akpo

Cambridge don’t give out contextualised offers. The applicants with a UCAS score 120-128, may have been applying for undersubscribed courses. Or maybe, it’s because they applied, scored really high at an admissions test and had an exceptional interview performance. It’s quite unusual, but not impossible, there are always exceptions. They may have been predicted AAA/A*AA?

Reply 2

Faction Paradox

Original post by katiec2210

It's also worth noting this is achieved grades not offers, which are given (for the majority of people) after they have uni offers, so you could be predicted A*AA, have an offer for A*AA and then achieve ABB, then be rejected, and that would show in the offers column under 120 UCAS points. In the data you have shown there is no one who got in who is in the 120 UCAS points bracket.

I would guess that those who got in with less than the standard offer did so with extenuating circumstances during exams, or only missed the grades by a very small number of marks, they would almost certainly have be given standard offers, but then been let in anyway after having under-performed.

I don't know whether Cambridge give out contextual offers (but if it were common, I'd assume I would have heard about it), and that is something you'd have to talk to colleges about, and people on the internet won't be able to tell you your chances, although my guess would be that unless you are currently on track to get their standard offer, then you will have significantly less chance of getting an offer.

Reply 3

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by katiec2210

............

Presumably they had other qualifications that didn't accrue UCAS points, eg overseas qualifications, or indeed, professional experience.

Reply 4

Doones

Original post by threeportdrift

Presumably they had other qualifications that didn't accrue UCAS points, eg overseas qualifications, or indeed, professional experience.

The table does specify it only lists those with at least 3 A-levels.

Could also be Graduate Medicine applicants with "poor" A-levels?

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Reply 5

sweeneyrod

I don't think there's much to explain in tables. It's not surprising that people with grades significantly below the standard offer apply -- anyone can. It's also not surprising that some of those received offers -- people do badly in exams for a variety of reasons that can't be predicted by Cambridge in January of year 13 (when they give the offers out). The only potentially surprising thing would be if people with low grades were actually accepted. But the lowest acceptance shown in the table is ABB which doesn't seem that odd. I think it's perfectly believable that 1 out of >1000 offer holders would miss the offer like that but impress admissions tutors enough/have sufficient extenuating circumstances to get in anyway. However, as the table shows, it's pretty rare.

Reply 6

tripplea

Hey, I applied with grades ABC at AS and got an offer. I was predicted A*AA and my offer was A*AA but didn’t get the grades so got rejected (right at the last hurdle- so frustrating and I had major extenuating circumstances aswell).

But nevermind, I’m off to do an MSci at another uni now 🙃