The Student Room Group

Winter pool Cambridge

If I do not get a notification from another college that they are interested in me during the Winter Pool, what are the remaining options? (I mean that the college that I applied kept me or I got rejected?)
How is the winter pool really going on and how do I enter at winter pool? (note that I applied with predicted grades, if this helps)
Reply 2
Original post by TasteDaBomb
If I do not get a notification from another college that they are interested in me during the Winter Pool, what are the remaining options? (I mean that the college that I applied kept me or I got rejected?)
How is the winter pool really going on and how do I enter at winter pool? (note that I applied with predicted grades, if this helps)




You won't know if you are in the pool* until you get the final decision on the 14th January.

*the exception is the very few applicants who are called back for another interview. This affects fewer than 5% of the pool. They will be contacted on or shortly after 5th January
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by TasteDaBomb
If I do not get a notification from another college that they are interested in me during the Winter Pool, what are the remaining options? (I mean that the college that I applied kept me or I got rejected?)
How is the winter pool really going on and how do I enter at winter pool? (note that I applied with predicted grades, if this helps)


Basically the only way that you’ll find out you are in the winter pool is if you get an email from a college that isn’t the one you applied to. So if in decision day you get an email from another college. Then you can tell you have an offer from them, (then it’s just a case of opening to find out what the offer is!) (there is a slim chance of getting contacted earlier if a college wishes to reinterview you)

But there is nothing that you need to do so just relax and enjoy your holidays as much as possible!
Reply 4
Original post by Snoozinghamster
Basically the only way that you’ll find out you are in the winter pool is if you get an email from a college that isn’t the one you applied to. So if in decision day you get an email from another college. Then you can tell you have an offer from them, (then it’s just a case of opening to find out what the offer is!) (there is a slim chance of getting contacted earlier if a college wishes to reinterview you)

But there is nothing that you need to do so just relax and enjoy your holidays as much as possible!


Original post by Doonesbury
You won't know if you are in the pool* until you get the final decision on the 14th January.

*the exception is the very few applicants who are called back for another interview. This affects fewer than 5% of the pool. They will be contacted on or shortly after 5th January

well...thank you for both of you for your answers. But it writes on the Queens Website (the college where I applied for CompSci) that on the 5th of January is the Pool and after that Each college sends an email to the applicant that he/she has been pooled to them and they are verifying the application and on 10th of January He/She gets the offer or not.
Am I right?
Reply 5
Original post by Snoozinghamster
Basically the only way that you’ll find out you are in the winter pool is if you get an email from a college that isn’t the one you applied to. So if in decision day you get an email from another college. Then you can tell you have an offer from them, (then it’s just a case of opening to find out what the offer is!) (there is a slim chance of getting contacted earlier if a college wishes to reinterview you)

But there is nothing that you need to do so just relax and enjoy your holidays as much as possible!

Please, describe a little bit what it means to be pooled and the conditions to be pooled
Original post by TasteDaBomb
Please, describe a little bit what it means to be pooled and the conditions to be pooled


https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/guide_to_the_winter_pool_for_applicants.pdf

^ from the horse's mouth :smile:
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by TasteDaBomb
well...thank you for both of you for your answers. But it writes on the Queens Website (the college where I applied for CompSci) that on the 5th of January is the Pool and after that Each college sends an email to the applicant that he/she has been pooled to them and they are verifying the application and on 10th of January He/She gets the offer or not.
Am I right?


No that's just talking about the few who need another interview:

"WINTER POOL If Queens' is unable to accept you and yet we wish to pool your application, then you may be called for another interview from 7 January 2018 at Colleges which may be interested in taking you."

https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/apply-to-queens/undergraduates/application-timeline-and-process/applicants-to-queens-college

Edit: I'd also note the Queen's dates are referring to 2018 - i.e. are wrong!
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by TasteDaBomb
Please, describe a little bit what it means to be pooled and the conditions to be pooled


As per artful's post above, but note that generally you will be pooled entirely "on (overall) merit", rather than because you meet certain defined conditions.

The only candidates meeting pre-defined conditions for pooling are usually those with sufficient UMS (rare these days) or with A-level/IB/Scottish grades already achieved rather than predicted.

Also this article describes the pool process towards the end of the piece:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/jan/10/how-cambridge-admissions-really-work
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 10
Original post by TasteDaBomb
well...thank you for both of you for your answers. But it writes on the Queens Website (the college where I applied for CompSci) that on the 5th of January is the Pool and after that Each college sends an email to the applicant that he/she has been pooled to them and they are verifying the application and on 10th of January He/She gets the offer or not.
Am I right?


Unless they have changed something this year you won’t find out early.

The pool happens on the 5th but generally (unless they wish to reinterview) this means the admissions tutors (and other relevant people) will do their discussing and thinking (if you hunt through some of the old ask an AT thread they say some more about what the pool entails from their end!)
During this time you don’t know anything and just continue about your time, I certainly didn’t get any contact from medwards saying I had been pooled there.
Then on the 14th you spend ages checking your emails. This was when I got the first hint that I may have been pooled. Looked on Twitter and Caius (where I applied) tweeted that they were done, and I hadn’t received an email. Then came on here to see them Medwards AT saying they were just about to start emailing those who were pooled. Then up pops an email from medwards. So I could make a pretty good guess at what had happened!

As far as I know if you are put into the pool but not picked and given an offer your original college will just reject you but will say that you were placed in the pool for consideration.


The bit you wrote from queens doesn’t fully make sense (not blaming you. Some of the colleges has a bunch of confusing info!) as you aren’t pooled to a college, a college picks you from a pool of available choices. So by letting you know that you had been pooled that would be saying you have an offer (unless calling you for interview), it kind of sounds like it may have got mixed up with making an open offer where you are allocated to a college so that college would let you know your application has been sent to them.

In terms of the conditions to be pooled there are some I believe and if I remember correctly they are based on getting a certain grades (achieved) or on having an average of over 95%(?) ums for AS which doesn’t apply to as many people now.
Other than that colleges put people into the pool who they think could be given an offer but who they don’t want to give an offer. Maybe because they are not sure, or have too many other applicants.

Edit: just realised one of the dates is different so have corrected it!
(edited 5 years ago)
well... I do thank you to everyone who helped me with this info and I hope for an offer. BTW, can I get an offer if I am not pooled?
Original post by TasteDaBomb
well... I do thank you to everyone who helped me with this info and I hope for an offer. BTW, can I get an offer if I am not pooled?

You could obviously just get an offer from Queens’ directly.
Original post by CompSciCat
You could obviously just get an offer from Queens’ directly.


Thank you.
Reply 15
Original post by TasteDaBomb
BTW, can I get an offer if I am not pooled?


Uh, yes of course! Roughly three-quarters of offers are direct from their original college. Only a minority of applicants are pooled. The info is in the link artful gave you.

You will find out on the 14th Jan if you have an offer: whether it's from your original college or the pool. Or a rejection.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by Doonesbury
Uh, yes of course! Roughly three-quarters of offers are direct from their original college. Only a minority of applicants are pooled. The info is in the link artful gave you.

You will find out on the 14th Jan if you have an offer: whether it's from your original college or the pool. Or a rejection.


thank you for the info... well... hope we will see at the uni.. :smile:)
Reply 17
Just a quick question, Do all decisions come out on the 14th?
Original post by rich919
Just a quick question, Do all decisions come out on the 14th?


Yes - with one exception (that I’m aware of) a small number (its very small) of people will be asked to reinterview at another college when this other college is thinking about taking them from the pool. They will find out they are being reinterviewed before the 14th but probably won’t hear the result until a touch after.

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