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Is it worth applying to study Computer science at a top uni like Oxford ?

Hi All,i am considering applying for computer science at 4 top unis like oxford and cambridge.However,i got a 7 in my computer science GCSE and i don't do CS for A level.I study Physics,Maths,Economics and Further Maths and am predicted 3 A stars.I have 6 a stars,3 As and 1B at GCSE.Do i realistically stand any chance of getting admitted to Unis like Warwick,UCl,Imperial or Oxford.During these summer holidays i am planning to learn how to code using 2 different languages and i am planning to do an AI related project.Do you think it is worth it or should i apply for something else?
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Hiim
14
you’ve got the grades but you also need to pass the MAT and do well in the interview. if you work hard you’ll do great.
That's fine, they don't expect or require any background in CS or any experience programming to apply to those courses. The main requirement is very strong ability in maths, and you having maths and FM is favourable in that regard. The Oxford and Cambridge CS courses (also other "top" unis in the area like Imperial, Edinburgh, and Warwick) tend to focus more on the mathematical and theoretical areas of the field anyway (although Imperial does have a fair bit of programming content as well, but they along with most CS degrees in the UK teach all programming from scratch). Provided you are predicted A*A* in maths and FM I don't see any reason you could not successfully apply to any of those courses.
Original post by Alevel2407
Hi All,i am considering applying for computer science at 4 top unis like oxford and cambridge.However,i got a 7 in my computer science GCSE and i don't do CS for A level.I study Physics,Maths,Economics and Further Maths and am predicted 3 A stars.I have 6 a stars,3 As and 1B at GCSE.Do i realistically stand any chance of getting admitted to Unis like Warwick,UCl,Imperial or Oxford.During these summer holidays i am planning to learn how to code using 2 different languages and i am planning to do an AI related project.Do you think it is worth it or should i apply for something else?

Good morning! It’s awesome to hear that you’re considering entering into the field of Computer Science. I think you’d stand a strong chance of getting into any university, but I’d also like to offer up a different point of view.

I was in a similar situation to you prior to university - my sixth form didn’t offer Computer Science as an A-Level, so I did Maths, Physics and Geography instead. In my spare time, I self-taught Java and worked on some projects in the Open Source community.

I’d suggest giving some thought towards what you want to do after university. From personal experience, if you’re considering going into a career in Software Engineering, which university you choose may be less important than having a large portfolio of past & current projects (GitHub is fantastic for this). Equally, if you wanted to pursue a career in academia or research having a strong theoretical background from a high-ranking university could help you massively.

Whilst interviewing for my placement year in industry, almost all of the questions I was asked were about those personal projects and not about the degree itself. This can change based on where you apply, but it’s worth considering.

In short, consider the opportunities & experience that each university can give to you outside of the course & rankings itself. Hope this helps and best of luck in your applications!

~ Mikael - UoP Student Rep :h:

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