Cambridge English 2020 Grades

Unfortunately your chances will be very slim if your indicators do not increase to A*AA, which is their typical entry requirement. If you do get an increase in indicator grades, your chances will improve, and provided your personal statement is good, you'll probably get an interview. English is 4 applicants per place, so not as competitive as many other subjects - it's just that you're competing with very talented individuals.

I applied (albeit for a different course) last year, and was told that the results of your exam in October are not currently taken into account - they're building up a database so that in the future they will be able to judge who is likely to be of the right callibre.

It may be worth looking at entry statistics for each college - which accept more English students? Which accept more students from your background (e.g. some take more grammar school students, others take more comprehensive students etc.)? Just to maximise your chances. This information is available on the Cambridge website under admissions, iirc.

If you've got a lot of extracurricular stuff, that's great, and there're plenty of good guides to writing personal statements on here. Don't get too hellbent on Cambridge though, or it'll be more disappointing if you are rejected - I'm speaking from experience here.

Best of luck.

Oxbridge doesn't care about extracurricular activities. It's only after the most prodigious academic talent the world has to offer. Like me; I got straight A*s. Honestly, you're giving this person false hope If you think A*AA is Cambridge material.

It really depends on the course. I know people who got in with those grades, I know some who didn't get interviews. If they were applying for chemistry or law or something, I wouldn't be saying this. Phrasing regarding extra-curricular activities probably wasn't great, I agree - I mean more like reading around your subject than playing tennis or something.

Unfortunately your chances will be very slim if your indicators do not increase to A*AA, which is their typical entry requirement. If you do get an increase in indicator grades, your chances will improve, and provided your personal statement is good, you'll probably get an interview. English is 4 applicants per place, so not as competitive as many other subjects - it's just that you're competing with very talented individuals.

I applied (albeit for a different course) last year, and was told that the results of your exam in October are not currently taken into account - they're building up a database so that in the future they will be able to judge who is likely to be of the right callibre.

It may be worth looking at entry statistics for each college - which accept more English students? Which accept more students from your background (e.g. some take more grammar school students, others take more comprehensive students etc.)? Just to maximise your chances. This information is available on the Cambridge website under admissions, iirc.

If you've got a lot of extracurricular stuff, that's great, and there're plenty of good guides to writing personal statements on here. Don't get too hellbent on Cambridge though, or it'll be more disappointing if you are rejected - I'm speaking from experience here.

Best of luck.

OP, please ignore this! You don't need to be predicted exactly the requirements as we know how unreliable predictions can be. We'll form our own opinion of your likely performance from your application, including the teachers' reference, and from the ELAT.

There is no right way to choose a college but there are some wrong ways and looking at statistics is one. Just because a college may have taken more grammar school students (for example) doesn't mean they prefer them or rank them more highly, it is probably just that they had more applicants from this background. It also ignores the fact that if this were a good idea, then every other applicant would be doing the same.

If you feel like your education has been affected by circumstances outside your control then please consider asking a relevant professional to submit an extenuating circumstances form.

For English, the only supercurricular we expect is reading - do you like reading? A good tip is to ensure your reading has both breadth (read plays, poetry, novels and from a range of authors/backgrounds/periods) and depth (you've read a number of things by the same author or from the same time). It is a good idea to write down some quick notes about your opinion of a piece when you've finished - did you like it? why? what did/didn't work? did it remind you of anything else? how does it compare to other works? etc