Ask the Admissions Teams - Results Day 2020

Not to be rude, but it's unsurprising you've resorted to insulting my intelligence rather than admit that using a vague, misleading and improperly sourced blog post as the basis of your opinion was a little daft.

I don't know if the given figures are meaningful (and never said they were). They seem like the most accurate figures Ofqual could have generated, and their imperfection is clearly reflected by the 35% range in their accuracy. You are suggesting a method that is less than 50% accurate and results in enormous grade inflation (a colossal headache for universities) is better than a system that is roughly as accurate and doesn't cause grade inflation.

I am also yet to see an actual source for the assumptions being completely wrong.

Hello! Sorry, I did miss this. At present, it seems unlikely that we will be using CAGs for the IB. We will be using the newly revised grades from the IB, but I am not aware of a move to use CAGs at the moment, I'm afraid.

I'm not insulting your intelligence. It's great that you're looking into it, but sometimes you need specific knowledge to understand something. If you don't have the relevant background to understand the blogpost (which I'm assuming is the case, given that you keep asking for a source when the source *is* the argument by Dr Haines) then you just have to take it on faith from people who do.

You're quite mistaken. He provides no source for his claim of how Ofqual tested their algorithm. Unless Dr Haines has psychic powers and that is his source, there needs to be a source for his claim of how they tested the algorithm - which there isn't. As such, it's impossible for me to verify whether his criticism of it is accurate because he hasn't sourced the information he's criticising.

Yes there is, it's page 49 of the report.

@Peterhouse Admissions Hi there, thanks for being so helpful during this uncertain time. I was wondering when our colleges might be in contact with us regarding further details on things like accommodation and institutio

@Peterhouse Admissions Hi there, thanks for being so helpful during this uncertain time. I was wondering when our colleges might be in contact with us regarding further details on things like accommodation and institution emails?

@Peterhouse Admissions

Will the amount of people deferring lower the amount of places available to currently Y12 A-Level students? I'm aware that it's nobody's fault but it will be disappointing if there is an ongoing domino effect due to the events of this year.

Hi there! It will depend on your College. At Peterhouse, all our offer holders have been contacted about accommodation, but we are unusually early. Most other Colleges will do it in the first week or two of September.

@Peterhouse Admissions You are very kind and helpful and I do not know who else to ask, but please can you tell us whether you know whether post 17 August offer holders (those previously rejected but whose CAGs meant they exceeded or met their offer conditions) will be contacted this week with information about their places? Do you have any idea whether some of us will be told that we definitely cannot start our courses until 2021? Do you have any idea which subjects are most likely to be affected by enforced deferrals? Will some of us be given places at Colleges other than our application College. Please, we are desperate for answers and our second-Choice universities have started sending us invoices and information about accommodation and generally behaving as those we will be going there, so the longer you leave us dangling, the longer we leave them dangling. It’s so stressful.

Hi there! First of all, I can only sympathise with what a stressful and uncertain time this is for you.

We are currently waiting for the verified CAGs to come from UCAS, which we've been told will be Friday. I think whether you can start your course now or in 2021 will depend on your College and if they have space and more importantly, whether there is space on your course. Some of this is out of our hands: we do not know whether the cap on Medicine places will be lifted, for example. We are yet to see certain numbers for each course, so I have no idea which ones may need to request more deferrals. It's also about more than pure numbers - some courses will have greater scope to increase capacity than others. As for being given places at other colleges, I am really not sure.

One thing I am sure of is that this is not what you will want to hear. We know you want certainty, but until we hear from UCAS, there is very little we can do. If there are official updates, I will do my best to post them here.

Hi again everyone! We (@Christ's Admissions, @Murray Edwards Admissions and ourselves) are back to help answer any questions about results, the summer pool, confirmation of places and starting at Cambridge. This thread will run through A level results week and until the 21^st August. We've put together a short FAQ below to help answer some of the most common questions at this time of year. TSR also has a very helpful guide on results day. Edit (12/08/2020): please also see the Cambridge guide to outcomes of results here.

We know how stressful and emotional it can all be. We all get quite invested too, particularly in cases where we have applicants who we've seen in school, have come to our events/open days then the offer-holders open day or applicants who we know have had to overcome some seriously tough times. There's honestly quite a bit of air punching and excitement or swearing and disappointment when the results come in. It isn't us spouting clichés, we really do view each applicant as an individual and we're rooting for them!

If your question is along the lines of 'I think I missed my offer, what are my chances' then I'm afraid that nobody on TSR can help as all decisions on missed offers are made individually on case-by-case basis and there's really no point in engaging in long hypotheticals or trying to learn from previous cases. All our offer-holders are individuals and we treat them as such.

FAQ
More general information, an FAQ about results day is here!

When do you get the results and make decisions?
We have some results now and will get more in the next few days and will aim to make and enter decisions for the majority of applicants ready for them to go live A level results day. However, there will be cases where a decision cannot be made yet (usually because we have placed you in the Summer Pool because you were very close to meeting the offer you were set).

What could happen?
Accepted if you meet the offer conditions
Accepted even though you missed
Still under consideration by you preference College or the Summer Pool
Rejected and released to your insurance choice or clearing if you miss the offer and are not thought to be of interest in the Summer Pool (the University has clear guidelines for this)

You won't be accepted by another College on the 13^th.

If you miss your offer and are still pending on the 14^th, the Summer Pool takes place and you may:
Be accepted by your preference College
Be accepted by another College
Be rejected and released to your insurance choice or clearing

How will I know if I’m in?
You will know via UCAS Track, from the results you have achieved (if you meet or exceed your offer, your place is certain) and you should also hear from the College by email (hopefully on results day but possibly the next day). If Track updates to show you as ‘unconditional’ at Cambridge then you’re in, regardless of whether the results you get meet the offer or not. Celebrate! Do not phone, email or turn up to check – if it says you’re in, then you’re in.

When will UCAS Track update?
Track updates by 8 am on the 13^th. Don't read too much into things if your Track doesn't update - go and get your results before contacting us. There may just be a delay in the news getting from Cambridge to UCAS (we don’t update Track, UCAS do).

If Track hasn’t updated then collect your results before getting in touch with your college. Emailing your college is better than phoning (we’re busy and answering phones slows us down but we’ll respond to emails as and when we can). Do not turn up at the College as you will not be allowed in to see the Admissions Team and there’s nothing you can’t do via email.

I’ve missed my offer – what now?
If you have missed your offer conditions then you could still end up at Cambridge if Track is showing ‘conditional.’ Your preference College may decide to relax your conditions if you have just fallen short of your offer. All decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis taking all available information into account. This includes your personal statement, Admissions Assessment, submitted written work, teacher’s reference, interview reports, how close the missing grade was, how many other people missed their offer in your subject etc.

If your preference College isn’t willing to relax your conditions then you may be either rejected or put into the Summer Pool (see below).

If your Track shows as rejected then I’m afraid your application to Cambridge has been unsuccessful and you have been passed to your insurance choice or into clearing. This won’t be what you hoped for so take some time to let things sink in. If this has happened there is no way to revisit your application unless a re-mark or results appeal means that you meet the original conditions of your offer by 31^st August. A re-mark where you grades improve but don’t meet the offer conditions will not allow us to take you.

More information on what to do if you have missed your offer but would intend to take exams in the autumn will be posted here in due course. We would, however, recommend informing your college when you are sure that this is the route you wish to take.

Should I reapply?

Christ’s will be running a post-exams clinic to help state school students who did better than they thought decide whether to apply to Cambridge for 2021 entry. Successful reapplicants typically exceed the typical offer for their course so if you haven’t met the offer and don’t have compelling extenuating circumstances then a reapplication for the same or a different course is unlikely to be successful.

We appreciate that you have been thinking about starting in Cambridge and it will be a shock if you’re not accepted but remember that there are many excellent universities and that students who don’t come to Cambridge go on to do fantastically well, and be fantastically happy, elsewhere. Don’t make any rash decisions (e.g. rejecting your insurance because you feel angry) without talking to your supporters and advisers first.

I was rejected in January but have great results! Can I come to Cambridge?

The only way to start at Cambridge in October is to hold an offer already or be eligible for Adjustment. You will have been informed in January if you meet our widening participation criteria. If you were not told at this time, you are not eligible.

There have been claims this year that there may be places available as international students are less likely to attend. This is NOT TRUE. Please do not call us ‘on the off chance’ – there is no chance of you being given a place this way, no matter your results.

There is no opportunity to revisit unsuccessful applications at this point. Christ’s will be running an advice clinic if you want to think about reapplying for 2021 entry but remember that you may be rejected a second time so you should only consider this if you’re excited about the idea of a gap year and have something planned. Take your time and think very carefully about offers you hold to start in 2018.

What should(n’t) I do?
DO: Make a plan ahead of time for what you will do in case you miss your conditions. Are you happy with your insurance? Do you want to go into clearing?

DO: Take a charged smartphone if you have one, along with the relevant email addresses and phone numbers you might need.

DO: Stay calm! If you don’t get the results you were hoping for then it is probably best to get on top of sorting out remarks (once you’ve checked Track) before getting in touch with us as they are time-sensitive.

DON’T: Inform us of extenuating circumstances on results day – we can’t take them into account unless we know about them in advance.

DON’T: Phone to check if you’re really in or that there’s not a mistake on Track or you’ve not been sent the wrong letter – if you’re in then you’re in – congratulations!

DON’T: Phone around colleges hoping to be accepted – that isn’t how the Summer Pool works. If you weren’t made an offer in January then I’m afraid there’s no way to be accepted now. If you’re thinking of reapplying then there’ll be another thread for you along shortly. Please note that Cambridge does not take part in adjustment.

DON’T: Get your teacher/parent/carer/supporter/friend to call up for you. We can only discuss the details with the candidate themselves.

The Summer Pool
It is much smaller than the Winter Pool and about 25% of this is Maths. There isn't a set number of places - this depends on how many colleges are looking, how short of students they are (in all subjects) and who is in the pool. Colleges and the University can vary the number of students taken overall and taken in most subjects in response to the strength of candidates. Colleges would rather end up with a smaller year group than take a weak candidate* but success rates are generally higher than in the Winter Pool as colleges only Pool candidates who are realistic prospects for a place.

*So if you are fished you are meant to be at Cambridge - students from the Summer Pool or with waived conditions get the same results (no significant difference statistically) as those who met their offers.

How do I get put in the Summer Pool?
The College you hold an offer at decides whether they want to relax your offer or not and whether they think you're of interest in the Summer Pool (but there are strong guidelines as to what counts as a realistic Summer Pool candidate and there are some compulsory pooling criteria, just like at the Winter Pool). Only a minority of those candidates who miss their offer are put in the Pool.

THE PROCESS IS DIFFERENT IF YOU ARE AN OPEN OFFER HOLDER – SEE BELOW

How will I know if I am being put in the Pool?
Your preference College should tell you on the 13^th that you are being put in the Pool and check that you’re happy with this. If you’d rather be released to your insurance or into clearing then let them know at this point.

THE PROCESS IS DIFFERENT IF YOU ARE AN OPEN OFFER HOLDER – SEE BELOW

When is it?
The Pool happens on the Friday after results day (14^th).

When will I find out if I’ve been taken?
You should hear by the Friday evening but there is a chance that a small number of people won’t hear until the Monday. You’ll hear whether you are successful or not but please be reactive and don’t chase us – the more time we spend answering phones or emails then the less time we have to do what needs doing.


Open offers
I have an open offer – what does this mean?
If you have an open offer and meet your conditions then your place at Cambridge is guaranteed. However, which college you’ll be at may not be determined until the Summer Pool on the 14^th. We would then aim to communicate decisions as quickly as possible via email and UCAS track, to be followed up by full details in the post exactly as for others offered places in the summer pool. If you are an open offer holder and you miss your conditions, you may still be put in the Summer Pool but you wouldn’t be guaranteed a place.

Freshers information

How do I get my university email address?
You don't have to wait until you get here but you do have to wait for an email from Student Registry. This will have instructions on what to do. There's a leaflet from the University with information which is sent to all our incoming students but it can also be found at http://www.uis.cam.ac.uk/for-students/gettingstarted

Is there any preliminary reading?
Glad to hear you’re keen! There might be or there might not be, depending on your course and College. If there is anything your Director of Studies would like you to do then they will be in touch but please don’t chase us - there might not be any and make sure you’re taking a break!

Depending on your course you might also be registered for Moodle before you arrive so you can access reading lists and preliminary work. This can be done using the email address you gave on your application (which I hope you all kept up to date and isn't an expired school email!).

When should I arrive?
Your College will be in touch with dates. Lectures etc. will start in the week of the 1^st Oct so most students will arrive over the weekend before and certainly by the 2^nd. Your college may specify arrival times to help with the unloading of hundreds of cars into old buildings.

Overseas and EU students may be allowed to arrive a week earlier to attend some of the optional settling in events in international freshers week. You may also have to arrive early for course-specific summer schools etc. but your College will be in touch.

How do I sort accommodation?
Your College will be in touch with details of your accommodation. Cambridge is not like other universities - we work on the assumption that everyone will live in so you don't need to register for accommodation in the same way as at other universities. Your college will let you know when you can move in.

What's provided in my room?
It is difficult to say exactly what you'll get in all colleges but your room will be furnished and you'll almost certainly be provided with a duvet, pillow, lamp, desk, chair etc. Your college may be in touch with more information, otherwise drop your JCR freshers' rep an email - they'll be happy to answer any questions you have. There may also be an official freshers group on facebook or something.

Any possibility of adjustment re-opening with all that's been going on? especially the lift in cap

I think that's very unlikely, I'm afraid.

thank you for reply. The Christ's 2020 post-qualification clinic has been cancelled.
are there any other services similar to this that is available?
thank you

While I have nothing to do with Cambridge admissions anymore (see my earlier posts), I thought I will give my two penny's worth. :-)

As I have said earlier, Cambridge is not infallible and probably does make egregious mistakes in their admissions decisions. However, their response to the uncertainty generated by this year's fiasco has been impeccable. The decisions have been fair, communication has been open, clear and timely. They could not have done any better. Well done is what I would say.

And @Peterhouse Admissions continues to do a superhumanly fabulous job!

Secondly, those arguing about accuracy of the algorithm are making the same mistake as Ofqual: focusing on numbers, not individuals. Potentially thousands of careers were going to be ruined, which is patently unacceptable. The built-in bias for private schools was toxic. In absence of a solution, relying on teacher's judgement was the least worst option.

Best thing would have been to seek help from Royal Statistical Society at the outset. Both Ofqual and government failed spectacularly.

(Declaration of self interest: my son goes to a well-known grammar and his CAG was one notch higher than Ofqual in one subject, but that made no difference to his admission to a very good university this year.)

I will shut up now.