Cambridge Uni tries to get on Corrie to improve image

Chewwy

er, no.

and if your brother's working that hard just to get in, he's doomed to fail in life.

And you were the one criticising her for making horrendous assumptions. :eek:

Reply 42

huangcjz

I think it's a good idea, at least they're being open-minded and trying something new. Every approach possible has to be tried to see if they work.

Reply 43

Chewwy

er, no.

and if your brother's working that hard just to get in, he's doomed to fail in life.

He still gets straight A's; although he works hard for it. I doubt that constitutes failure. Ambition usually leads onto success I've found.

Reply 44

Good bloke

19

jismith1989

Have you thought of joining the Widening Access team? :p:

The selection methods are irrelevant to widening access, given that they are accessible to all students in the UK. You don't have to be rich to attend an interview, or take an LNAT test, or take aSTEP. The fact that you are going to be tested or interviewed should not put off the sort of person that would thrive at Cambridge.

The problem this initiative tries to assist in solving is that of people from backgrounds where education has not traditionally been valued not even being aware that it is a possibility for them.

The student does not even have to be a viewer for it to be useful. If a parent sees someone similar in a soap getting in (or attempting to), then the student might be persuaded to have a go - and let's face it, they have little to lose, do they?

Reply 45

Jigglypuff

JocastaJackal

I'm not saying ALL university students can't watch them, but my brother for example who's being prepped for Oxbridge hardly even has time to watch TV or even read a book that isn't intended for work, so I assumed this amount of work was the norm to get into a university like Cambridge.

Maybe there are people who can successfully get into Cambridge without cutting themselves away from the real world like this - I just haven't met them.

Oxbridge is in a totally different league from most universities, is what I'm saying.

That is by no means the norm. Not many have no time for anything but work...that's really rare. If someone has to be working that hard in order to get As at A-level I think Cambridge would be worried, if I'm honest. I mean Cambridge itself is meant to be loads of work, but I'm still watching as much TV as I did during my A-levels.

Sallena

what it really could do is change the attitude of the parents/grandparents, as these surely influence the people making the decision whether to apply. I would have thought that that would be the largest viewergroup so the idea may not be bad. they also mentioned top gear. I think alot of potential applicants watch it.

Not really-- I think had my parents seen this storyline before I applied they would have taken the piss out of me so much I would have decided NOT to apply. Who wants to be friends with someone who dissects rats at the kitchen table 'because that's what you have to do to get into Cambridge!' ?

Reply 46

Sallena

Jigglypuff

Not really-- I think had my parents seen this storyline before I applied they would have taken the piss out of me so much I would have decided NOT to apply. Who wants to be friends with someone who dissects rats at the kitchen table 'because that's what you have to do to get into Cambridge!' ?

I hate soaps and never watch them so I just assumed that they would portrait a relatively normal person, not some weirdo. What their showing is clearly not the norm and also not what they wanted to do according to the article. In this case it could have a negative effect (but people wouldnt not apply because of it).

Reply 47

Sallena

Maybe im an exception but i dont think so but i didnt do that much extra work for cambridge. quite a bit of step but i still had loads of time to be bored sitting infront of a computer or going partying. I think that most applicants will have plenty of time to watch tv if they want to.

Alright, thanks for clearing that up for me. After hearing what people have to say I accept that Cambridge might be on the right track for appealing to potential applicants (though I don't think they really have a shortage to be honest), but I'm not sure if this is the best method with which to do it. Good luck to them anyway.

Reply 48

kiss_me_now9

Just think it's worth noting in this thread that Cambridge at the big UCAS fair thing were checking peoples GCSE grades before they gave them a prospectus... Anyone with less than (I think) 6 As or A*s wasn't allowed to get one.

Fair enough that anyone with less than full As at least won't even get looked at, but didn't do much for their image there.

Reply 49

Helenia

20

Sallena

Maybe im an exception but i dont think so but i didnt do that much extra work for cambridge. quite a bit of step but i still had loads of time to be bored sitting infront of a computer or going partying. I think that most applicants will have plenty of time to watch tv if they want to.

Yeah, I spent plenty of time on the net/watching trashy TV. We used to watch Neighbours twice a day at school FFS! I did a bit of revision pre-MVAT (old form of BMAT) and interviews, but certainly had time for a life, being a Brownie leader, playing in two orchestras, etc, whilst getting the required UMS.

Reply 50

kiss_me_now9

Just think it's worth noting in this thread that Cambridge at the big UCAS fair thing were checking peoples GCSE grades before they gave them a prospectus... Anyone with less than (I think) 6 As or A*s wasn't allowed to get one.

Fair enough that anyone with less than full As at least won't even get looked at, but didn't do much for their image there.

Surely you just made that up? I hope so.

Reply 51

kiss_me_now9

jismith1989

Surely you just made that up? I hope so.

I'm afraid not. My friend went and asked them for one and she was asked for her grades, she got full A*s so it wasn't a problem for her but someone behind was told they weren't allowed a prospectus.

(FYI she's starting Cambridge at the end of the month, lol)

Reply 52

Sallena

if thats true i find that really wrong tbh...

Reply 53

kiss_me_now9

I'm afraid not. My friend went and asked them for one and she was asked for her grades, she got full A*s so it wasn't a problem for her but someone behind was told they weren't allowed a prospectus.

(FYI she's starting Cambridge at the end of the month, lol)

That's pathetic. To put so much weight on exams taken at the height of one's adolescence is both ridiculous and surely not the optimum way to get the best talent.

Reply 54

kiss_me_now9

I'm afraid not. My friend went and asked them for one and she was asked for her grades, she got full A*s so it wasn't a problem for her but someone behind was told they weren't allowed a prospectus.

(FYI she's starting Cambridge at the end of the month, lol)

Wow, that's shocking.

I had no idea that GCSEs were such an issue to them to be honest.

Reply 55

Demoskratos7

8

What a massively cynical idea. The implication is that all working class people watch Corrie, and the only way to communicate with the 'proles' is to talk in a language they understand. I.e. the strange, fantasy world of soaps.

Reply 56

kiss_me_now9

Yep, but you won't get a look into Oxbridge unless you have exceptionally good grades (despite what they or anyone else says). So it kinda makes sense...

Reply 57

kiss_me_now9

Yep, but you won't get a look into Oxbridge unless you have exceptionally good grades (despite what they or anyone else says). So it kinda makes sense...

I'm not sure... I only realised how important the university thing was during sixth form and so my GCSE grades don't really reflect my ability so well. When you're 14-16 usually working towards university won't occur to most people, correct me if I'm wrong.

Reply 58

kiss_me_now9

Yep, but you won't get a look into Oxbridge unless you have exceptionally good grades (despite what they or anyone else says). So it kinda makes sense...

Well was it 6 A*s or 6 As? Because if it was 6 A*s loads of people get into Oxbridge without that; I suppose that an incredibly lucky few must get in without 6 As as well tbh.

Reply 59