Official Cambridge 2022 Applicants Thread

Just to quickly add general consensus are from people who have been through the process and/or been helping people for many years.

1) What A Levels are you taking from September (or other eligible qualifications)?
English lit, econ, math, psy
2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?
English literature!
3) What grades did you get at GCSE? Are you retaking any?
I don’t take GCSE
4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?
I love the air in Cam. Since it has river cam running through the city, I feel it’s more “fluid” and flexible than Oxford.
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
ELAT!
6) What have you done in lockdown to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?
read and reflection
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?
8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?

maybe Pembroke

fair enough ...IMO everyone should go at their own pace...if you can go faster, there is no reason to slow down due to a perceived general consensus and in any case, i firmly believe just under 5 months is not at all early by any measure.... I remember 2022 Oxford thread was started way early and was encouraged actively by the veterans here

You are correct about that. I do not see the harm in it tbh.

You are correct about that. I do not see the harm in it tbh.

I believe in being early, and prepared.

Whom are we harming by setting a thread up early? Will the sky fall in?

That’s fair enough I just wanted to give OP both sides of the argument to make an informed decision

1) What A Levels are you taking from September (or other eligible qualifications)?
English lit, econ, math, psy
2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?
English literature!
3) What grades did you get at GCSE? Are you retaking any?
I don’t take GCSE
4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?
I love the air in Cam. Since it has river cam running through the city, I feel it’s more “fluid” and flexible than Oxford.
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
ELAT!
6) What have you done in lockdown to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?
read and reflection
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?
8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?

maybe Pembroke

so there isn't a general consensus from 'people who have been through the process and/or been helping people for many years' as you claimed a few posts above.

Now I don't want to extend this unnecessarily and understand where you are coming from. So take it lightly and in the same spirit .

It is the general consensus just wanted to give that against the opinion against OP (who is one person). I will not be replying anymore as it’s not productive

fair enough ...IMO everyone should go at their own pace...if you can go faster, there is no reason to slow down due to a perceived general consensus and in any case, i firmly believe just under 5 months is not at all early by any measure.... I remember 2022 Oxford thread was started way early and was encouraged actively by the veterans here

I started preparing for Cambridge in Year 10, it’s never too early imo, but there are times when it is too late.

I started preparing for Cambridge in Year 10, it’s never too early imo, but there are times when it is too late.

I would definitely agree with this. I am a Cambridge offer holder this year and whilst you definitely don’t need to be preparing for an interview just yet, it is vital to be building up a personal statement and researching course options. This is so you can link your personal statement to the course so you will be able to demonstrate an interest to the fellows and directors of studies interviewing you(this is what I did and was around a 2 year process). Don’t let other people put you off from working towards a goal, you can never be too early, it will pay off in the end.

I would definitely agree with this. I am a Cambridge offer holder this year and whilst you definitely don’t need to be preparing for an interview just yet, it is vital to be building up a personal statement and researching course options. This is so you can link your personal statement to the course so you will be able to demonstrate an interest to the fellows and directors of studies interviewing you(this is what I did and was around a 2 year process). Don’t let other people put you off from working towards a goal, you can never be too early, it will pay off in the end.

I would say however, this isn't 100% necessary! I started my personal statement properly in like August/September and the books I mentioned in it I literally read over summer. I also didn't particularly link my personal statement hugely to the specific course at Cambridge, more just what I was interested in. Of course, for the most competitive courses like medicine, maths etc it would probably be more helpful to start preparing earlier but it's definitely not necessary if you didn't.

The point is it not whether it is necessary. The point is start early if you want to and if you can, there is no problem in doing so.

yes, but i am putting that out there for those who didn’t start preparing 2 years in advance, or have only just considered applying and feel like they haven’t done enough or won’t get in because they haven’t been preparing for this moment their entire lives lol

good...but no one said that...that was not the discussion ..lol..

I would say however, this isn't 100% necessary! I started my personal statement properly in like August/September and the books I mentioned in it I literally read over summer. I also didn't particularly link my personal statement hugely to the specific course at Cambridge, more just what I was interested in. Of course, for the most competitive courses like medicine, maths etc it would probably be more helpful to start preparing earlier but it's definitely not necessary if you didn't.