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most competitive subject

Reply 40

spurs123

10

RxB

Yeah, but how many LSE offer-holders will turn them down?

i'm turning them down

Reply 41

bOdOING2

Amrad

1. Architechture at Cambridge
2. Economics & Management at Oxford
3. Medicine at Cambridge
4. Economics at Cambridge
5. Law at Oxford/Cambridge
6. Medicine at Oxford

Perhaps philosophy should make it in there somewhere but I know very little about the course and have come across few applicants.

Medicine at Cam is THAT competive, their applicants to places ratio is approx 5:1, whereas Oxford's is more like 7 - 7.5:1

Reply 42

khl31

ratios are only half the equation. there is also the consideration of the QUALITY of applicants that apply - you could, hypothetically, get 50 students with CCC applying for a place on course X123 at Uni of X, and 10 students with AAAA applying for a place Y456 at Uni of Y. which one is more competitive?

also, with regards to the higher end of universities, they tend to pick the "cream of the crop". larger applicant pools means a wider curve in terms of ability, and thus more people are "exceptional". hence it is *likelier* to stand out from a pool of 300 applying for 30 places, than it is to stand out from a pool of 3000 for 300 places (assuming your abilities are fixed of course, if not the probability is the same :rolleyes:

)

Reply 43

Comp_Genius

4

bOdOING2

Medicine at Cam is THAT competive, their applicants to places ratio is approx 5:1, whereas Oxford's is more like 7 - 7.5:1

true but different kinds of applicants apply to both.

e.g. people usually with very high UMS (>290) apply to Cambridge because they ask for marks, whereas at oxford they look at BMAT more seriously but don't ask for UMS marks.

Reply 44

bOdOING2

darkenergy

true but different kinds of applicants apply to both.

e.g. people usually with very high UMS (>290) apply to Cambridge because they ask for marks, whereas at oxford they look at BMAT more seriously but don't ask for UMS marks.

Yeah.. but Oxford put alot of weight on GCSEs so ppl with better GCSEs tend to apply to Oxford while ppl with better UMS marks tend to apply to Cambridge... so over all the quility of applicants seem to be similar in my opinion... so in this case the ratios DO tell us something

Reply 45

Elles

17

darkenergy

true but different kinds of applicants apply to both.

e.g. people usually with very high UMS (>290) apply to Cambridge because they ask for marks, whereas at oxford they look at BMAT more seriously but don't ask for UMS marks.

& not purely marks within the subjects, but your actual subjects too are relevant. cambridge would have been unlikely to have seriously considered me with my A levels subjects..

Reply 46

Comp_Genius

4

Elles

& not purely marks within the subjects, but your actual subjects too are relevant. cambridge would have been unlikely to have seriously considered me with my A levels subjects..

what did u take?

Reply 47

Comp_Genius

4

bOdOING2

Yeah.. but Oxford put alot of weight on GCSEs so ppl with better GCSEs tend to apply to Oxford while ppl with better UMS marks tend to apply to Cambridge... so over all the quility of applicants seem to be similar in my opinion... so in this case the ratios DO tell us something

I am not entirely sure: in SOME cases, ppl have better GCSEs e.g. more A*s have lower UMS scores and vice versa. Which do you think is more important? High UMS in my opinion because they are in subjects of your own choice, whereas for GCSE you are forced take some subjects and so u are less likely to succeed in them if u don't enjoy them. I had a B in graphics :mad:

, and A in literature etc. which I hated :frown:

Reply 48

Elles

17

darkenergy

what did u take?

just chemistry & biology at A2 out of the science/maths options. & Tab-land wanted you to have at least 3 & i gather most applicants would have had all sciences & maths/FM or you got grilled at interview on the 1 you didn't do. how boring! :wink:

re. UMS v. GCSE - not sure where i stand..

GCSEs show your ability to apply yourself & work hard even in subjects you wouldn't have chosen to do, which i think is quite an important trait for a medicine degree - as is a core level of competence in the subjects you might not choose at AS i.e. Maths & English.

although AS are obviously at a higher level, i think UMS scores (as opposed to just using the grade system) would give a misleading sense of 'accuracy' at dsicriminating between genuine ability. instead perhaps rewarding the ability to jump through multiple exam system hoops which may potentially discriminate between types of schools. & surely will also start encouraging students to be entered for Jan modules orginally & resit to get even higher As in June, which i think seems a little silly..

Reply 49

Drogue

19

Phil23

prob most competitive in UK is Economics in LSE - they have like 3000 + applicants for 50/60 places - thats absurd huh?

Their management has more, but is easier to get in. I still reckon it's easier than Cambridge or Oxford, but yes, it's tough.

Reply 50

Helenia

20

bOdOING2

Yeah.. but Oxford put alot of weight on GCSEs so ppl with better GCSEs tend to apply to Oxford while ppl with better UMS marks tend to apply to Cambridge... so over all the quility of applicants seem to be similar in my opinion... so in this case the ratios DO tell us something

Wow, loving your sweeping generalisations here! A LOT of people don't know all these supposed inclinations of the two universities, so go for the one they like, as they should! Plus, I also think part of the ratio thing at Oxford is simply because they have far fewer places than we do, so a similar-ish number of applicants (who again, may not all be aware of these ratios) will produce a bias to Oxford. I suppose technically that means they take the "better" candidates out of their pool of applicants, but the ratio is not the whole story.

And Elles - I took Bio, Chem, Maths and German, and they didn't even question why I didn't do Physics or FM. They do like you to have three rather than two science subjects though.

Reply 51

bOdOING2

darkenergy

I am not entirely sure: in SOME cases, ppl have better GCSEs e.g. more A*s have lower UMS scores and vice versa. Which do you think is more important? High UMS in my opinion because they are in subjects of your own choice, whereas for GCSE you are forced take some subjects and so u are less likely to succeed in them if u don't enjoy them. I had a B in graphics :mad:

, and A in literature etc. which I hated :frown:

Depends on wot u mean by more important... More important as a tool for selecting candidates? or more important as a factor to indicate how well one would cope with the course?

I have read that there is a stonger sorrelation between GCSE grades and final degree outcomes compared to A level grades... So GCSEs do seem to be more important in this regard. However that said I do think its a mistake for Oxford not to look at UMS marks for the majority of their appluicants... (unlike Cambridge), if they did it would proberly give them a better picture...

Reply 52

bOdOING2

Helenia

Wow, loving your sweeping generalisations here! A LOT of people don't know all these supposed inclinations of the two universities, so go for the one they like, as they should! Plus, I also think part of the ratio thing at Oxford is simply because they have far fewer places than we do, so a similar-ish number of applicants (who again, may not all be aware of these ratios) will produce a bias to Oxford. I suppose technically that means they take the "better" candidates out of their pool of applicants, but the ratio is not the whole story.

Dats true.. I didnt know the Cam med school was SOO much bigger than Oxford until after I applied... (we are tinnnny comapred to u...lol)
But most ppl now would know b4 applyin that Cam interview most ppl and Ox cut down their numbers with BMAT/GCSEs.. so the 1s with better GCSEs would proberly think they'd stand a better chance with Ox (unless they absolutly h8 it!) and apply there, and the 1s with not as good GCSEs would proberly think they have a better chance of atleast being interviewed at Cam and apply there.

most competitive subject

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