The Official Cambridge Applicants for 2024 Entry Thread
The University of Cambridge 2024 Entry Thread
For Cambridge applicants applying in 2023 for 2024 entry, and 2025 deferred entry.
Parents, you are free to comment on this thread to provide words of encouragement and guidance to the applicants, but you also have your own thread for parental debates -> https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6325348
Here are a few suggested opening questions, but ask whatever you want regarding Cambridge.
1) What A Levels are you doing (or other eligible qualifications)?
2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?
3) What grades did you get/are you predicted to get at GCSE?
4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
6) What are you doing to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?
8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?
NOTE: It is better to post on this thread with your username rather than anonymous, as it makes it easier for contributors to provide guidance to help you through your journey.
A tracking form has been created so that you can see when offers/interviews are being given out.
Link to decisions entry form: https://forms.gle/jKQFgXuinKKDxPkt5
Please be aware you will need your TSR user ID to complete the form. If you don't know how to find this, click here.
2024 form responses:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jZ2MlmtrwgKjloO8Psw4asE-fJZR7TidDFW5M6NmXAk/edit?usp=sharing
Note: All data you share is at your own risk, the forms and resources linked here are not controlled by The Student Room Group Ltd. If you have any issues, please tag a member of the Universities Volunteer team (in purple and cyan at the bottom of this page). For more information please click here.
(edited 3 months ago)
Scroll to see replies
1) Biology, chemistry, maths, EPQ
2)Natural sciences, has more breadth than just a single science and allows me to follow both biological and chemical routes, to hopefully specialise in zoology
3)all 9s
4)Oxford does not offer the breadth of natural sciences, and only offers biological sciences. I would rather enjoy learning both biology and chemistry and degree level, and then narrow my options over the years, as I think there is a huge overlap between biology and chemistry which would be useful in a future career
5)NSAA, summer
6)essay competitions, 3 online courses, applications for summer schools, work experience, reading, academic competitions
7) maybe go into zoological research/ zoological presenter
8)not sure- Pembroke, downing, Corpus Christi look nice but havent properly looked!
2)Natural sciences, has more breadth than just a single science and allows me to follow both biological and chemical routes, to hopefully specialise in zoology
3)all 9s
4)Oxford does not offer the breadth of natural sciences, and only offers biological sciences. I would rather enjoy learning both biology and chemistry and degree level, and then narrow my options over the years, as I think there is a huge overlap between biology and chemistry which would be useful in a future career
5)NSAA, summer
6)essay competitions, 3 online courses, applications for summer schools, work experience, reading, academic competitions
7) maybe go into zoological research/ zoological presenter
8)not sure- Pembroke, downing, Corpus Christi look nice but havent properly looked!
1) Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Philosophy (predicted 4 A*s)
2) Medicine - I love the science and helping people
3) 9 9s
4) I like Cambridge’s early focus on the medical sciences and then clinical skills. The course has more choice for intercalation in the third year than Oxford and I prefer the environment
5) BMAT - late August (after the UCAT and a work experience placement)
6) 2 MOOCs, 2 books, some medical lectures and masterclasses, 2 work experience placements, written an article, delivered a presentation, volunteering, silvers and golds in challenges and olympiads
7) Become a doctor but not sure in what area (probably not a GP though lmao)
8) Probably Emmanuel, but I will take a look at some others (like Peterhouse) on the open day
2) Medicine - I love the science and helping people
3) 9 9s
4) I like Cambridge’s early focus on the medical sciences and then clinical skills. The course has more choice for intercalation in the third year than Oxford and I prefer the environment
5) BMAT - late August (after the UCAT and a work experience placement)
6) 2 MOOCs, 2 books, some medical lectures and masterclasses, 2 work experience placements, written an article, delivered a presentation, volunteering, silvers and golds in challenges and olympiads
7) Become a doctor but not sure in what area (probably not a GP though lmao)
8) Probably Emmanuel, but I will take a look at some others (like Peterhouse) on the open day
Original post by Saad06
1) Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Philosophy (predicted 4 A*s)
2) Medicine - I love the science and helping people
3) 9 9s
4) I like Cambridge’s early focus on the medical sciences and then clinical skills. The course has more choice for intercalation in the third year than Oxford and I prefer the environment
5) BMAT - late August (after the UCAT and a work experience placement)
6) 2 MOOCs, 2 books, some medical lectures and masterclasses, 2 work experience placements, written an article, delivered a presentation, volunteering, silvers and golds in challenges and olympiads
7) Become a doctor but not sure in what area (probably not a GP though lmao)
8) Probably Emmanuel, but I will take a look at some others (like Peterhouse) on the open day
2) Medicine - I love the science and helping people
3) 9 9s
4) I like Cambridge’s early focus on the medical sciences and then clinical skills. The course has more choice for intercalation in the third year than Oxford and I prefer the environment
5) BMAT - late August (after the UCAT and a work experience placement)
6) 2 MOOCs, 2 books, some medical lectures and masterclasses, 2 work experience placements, written an article, delivered a presentation, volunteering, silvers and golds in challenges and olympiads
7) Become a doctor but not sure in what area (probably not a GP though lmao)
8) Probably Emmanuel, but I will take a look at some others (like Peterhouse) on the open day
what do you like about emmanuel?
Original post by Anonymous
what do you like about emmanuel?
I think that it has a very good location because it’s quite central and I like its size because it’s big but not too big. I’ve also heard that they do your laundry for you which is a plus
Original post by Saad06
I think that it has a very good location because it’s quite central and I like its size because it’s big but not too big. I’ve also heard that they do your laundry for you which is a plus
Yes, Emmanuel is in a great location and is very pretty college.
Hey all, I know this thread is still very new, but I applied and got into Cambridge for English last year so if there’s anyone who has any questions about the application process feel free to ask! I didn’t know anything at all about the Cambridge application system when I started out and I know how daunting it can seem- so I’d be happy to help in any way I can
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by Hlsy382
Hey all, I know this thread is still very new, but I applied and got into Cambridge for English last year so if there’s anyone who has any questions about the application process feel free to ask! I didn’t know anything at all about the Cambridge application system when I started out and I know how daunting it can seem- so I’d be happy to help in any way I can
Hey!! I haven’t actually decided if I want to apply to Cambridge or Oxford yet (I know) but I thought I would take you up on asking for help because it’s very kind of you to offer. I’m international, and my school doesn’t know how to do UK applications let alone Oxbridge so I’m very much trying to do this on my own.
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Original post by closetarchivist
Hey!! I haven’t actually decided if I want to apply to Cambridge or Oxford yet (I know) but I thought I would take you up on asking for help because it’s very kind of you to offer. I’m international, and my school doesn’t know how to do UK applications let alone Oxbridge so I’m very much trying to do this on my own.
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but I've never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but I've never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
I'm not a Cambridge student, but my daughter goes there. Here's my take for what it is worth.
1) Wider reading is important, but it is more about depth rather than volume. In your personal statement, rather than just listing a whole load of books, you should talk about maybe 2 of 3 of them but in a bit more detail.
2) Grades are important of course, especially A-levels, or the international equivalents, but it's only part of the bigger picture. There are also the entrance exams, interview, school references, personal statement, submitted work etc. They are all taken into account to give a holistic view.
4) Not sure about submitted written work - I'll let someone else comment on that, as daughter did not have to submit any for her course.
5) College choice is really not that important, as you might get pooled to another college anyway, and it seems everyone ends up falling in love with the college they end up at. Maybe just consider if you want a big or small college, or somewhere central or a bit further out. In a central college you are a bit nearer shops/bars etc, but the ones further out tend to have more space, fewer annoying tourists, and are perhaps a bit less competitive to get into, but that's somewhat negated by the pool system, so maybe makes little/no difference. Bear in mind that even if you are right in the centre, you will still have lectures/tutorials at other locations, and your accommodation might not be in the central college location either for all 3 years, so don't worry about it. You can't really go wrong will college choice.
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by closetarchivist
Hey!! I haven’t actually decided if I want to apply to Cambridge or Oxford yet (I know) but I thought I would take you up on asking for help because it’s very kind of you to offer. I’m international, and my school doesn’t know how to do UK applications let alone Oxbridge so I’m very much trying to do this on my own.
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Don’t worry about the length haha! The first thing I’d say is that by June 2023 you’re in no way behind. There’s a lot of stigma around oxbridge applications that you have to start really early, but myself and the others I know who got in did the majority of their prep over the July-December period.
1) So in all of the application talks I attended they stressed depth of knowledge over breadth. An applicant who shows clear interest in a few topics that they can back up with 2-3 quality references to wider reading (book, podcast, online course, website) will be much more competitive than someone who has mentioned lots of books one after the other. Even in the interview stage, Cambridge knows that the people applying do not have university-level knowledge of every possible topic and will ask you questions based on what you do know.
2) Grades are only important as a tick-box to prove you will be able to handle the workload. I believe the standard Cambridge offer is A*AA and Oxford AAA. If you can hit this you have just as much chance as anyone: I applied with predicted A*A*A and got an offer when people I knew with 4 A*s did not. Everyone applying will have the same grades so there is no way of making decisions based just on this. That’s why Cambridge also conduct subject-specific assessments and interviews, and there’s the personal statement as well.
3) They actually caution against writing a “perfect” essay- they know you are only at secondary-level and want to see your standard of work and that you have the capacity to improve. If you’re worried, you could speak to your teacher or advisor about what would best showcase your ability. Also, when you send in written work, you upload a cover sheet that provides context- it asks what the work was, what help you received and how much time you had to complete it. So against a coursework essay that a student has spent weeks on, an essay on a recently introduced subject that’s timed in an hour is in no way disadvantaged.
4) Colleges are where you will live and they also run your supervisions, but outside of that everyone receives the same education and gets the same degree- there aren’t any colleges that are objectively better or worse than others. Apologies that I’m not 100% sure what you mean by tiered system- is it an international thing? My advice would be to check out their websites and see which one would fit you best- based on where they are in the town, whether they’re all-girl, their size, accommodation, how close they are to your subject buildings, how pretty their gardens are (superficial but valid). I applied to Lucy Cavendish for the latter reason, but also because it was smaller, a little removed from the busy town and the vibe was so welcoming when I visited I could really see myself enjoying it there. If you’re really stuck on colleges you can make an open application and leave it up to fate!
This has been an equally long response, but I hope I’ve been able to clear some things up for you and let me know if there’s anything else. Best of luck on your application!
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by closetarchivist
Hey!! I haven’t actually decided if I want to apply to Cambridge or Oxford yet (I know) but I thought I would take you up on asking for help because it’s very kind of you to offer. I’m international, and my school doesn’t know how to do UK applications let alone Oxbridge so I’m very much trying to do this on my own.
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Never heard of tiered colleges at either Oxford or Cambridge Just pick one you like the look of and look at alternative prospectus to get another perspective on the culture and social life at the colleges .
Can you get to the open days at all?
Original post by Hlsy382
Hey all, I know this thread is still very new, but I applied and got into Cambridge for English last year so if there’s anyone who has any questions about the application process feel free to ask! I didn’t know anything at all about the Cambridge application system when I started out and I know how daunting it can seem- so I’d be happy to help in any way I can
Welcome to the thread.It will be great to have a recent applicant on here.How have you enjoyed your first year?
Original post by Scotney
Welcome to the thread.It will be great to have a recent applicant on here.How have you enjoyed your first year?
Sorry I meant I just applied last year- I don’t start until September. I’m a little nervous but mostly excited!
Original post by Scotney
Never heard of tiered colleges at either Oxford or Cambridge Just pick one you like the look of and look at alternative prospectus to get another perspective on the culture and social life at the colleges .
Can you get to the open days at all?
Can you get to the open days at all?
That's a relief! I wish but unfortunately no. My parents have said they'd only consider going to England if we could go for at least 2-3 weeks, which they don't think is wise to do in the final term break before my last term at school.
Original post by Hlsy382
Sorry I meant I just applied last year- I don’t start until September. I’m a little nervous but mostly excited!
Are you doing A levels now or did you apply with grades in bag?
Original post by Hlsy382
Don’t worry about the length haha! The first thing I’d say is that by June 2023 you’re in no way behind. There’s a lot of stigma around oxbridge applications that you have to start really early, but myself and the others I know who got in did the majority of their prep over the July-December period.
1) So in all of the application talks I attended they stressed depth of knowledge over breadth. An applicant who shows clear interest in a few topics that they can back up with 2-3 quality references to wider reading (book, podcast, online course, website) will be much more competitive than someone who has mentioned lots of books one after the other. Even in the interview stage, Cambridge knows that the people applying do not have university-level knowledge of every possible topic and will ask you questions based on what you do know.
2) Grades are only important as a tick-box to prove you will be able to handle the workload. I believe the standard Cambridge offer is A*AA and Oxford AAA. If you can hit this you have just as much chance as anyone: I applied with predicted A*A*A and got an offer when people I knew with 4 A*s did not. Everyone applying will have the same grades so there is no way of making decisions based just on this. That’s why Cambridge also conduct subject-specific assessments and interviews, and there’s the personal statement as well.
3) They actually caution against writing a “perfect” essay- they know you are only at secondary-level and want to see your standard of work and that you have the capacity to improve. If you’re worried, you could speak to your teacher or advisor about what would best showcase your ability. Also, when you send in written work, you upload a cover sheet that provides context- it asks what the work was, what help you received and how much time you had to complete it. So against a coursework essay that a student has spent weeks on, an essay on a recently introduced subject that’s timed in an hour is in no way disadvantaged.
4) Colleges are where you will live and they also run your supervisions, but outside of that everyone receives the same education and gets the same degree- there aren’t any colleges that are objectively better or worse than others. Apologies that I’m not 100% sure what you mean by tiered system- is it an international thing? My advice would be to check out their websites and see which one would fit you best- based on where they are in the town, whether they’re all-girl, their size, accommodation, how close they are to your subject buildings, how pretty their gardens are (superficial but valid). I applied to Lucy Cavendish for the latter reason, but also because it was smaller, a little removed from the busy town and the vibe was so welcoming when I visited I could really see myself enjoying it there. If you’re really stuck on colleges you can make an open application and leave it up to fate!
This has been an equally long response, but I hope I’ve been able to clear some things up for you and let me know if there’s anything else. Best of luck on your application!
1) So in all of the application talks I attended they stressed depth of knowledge over breadth. An applicant who shows clear interest in a few topics that they can back up with 2-3 quality references to wider reading (book, podcast, online course, website) will be much more competitive than someone who has mentioned lots of books one after the other. Even in the interview stage, Cambridge knows that the people applying do not have university-level knowledge of every possible topic and will ask you questions based on what you do know.
2) Grades are only important as a tick-box to prove you will be able to handle the workload. I believe the standard Cambridge offer is A*AA and Oxford AAA. If you can hit this you have just as much chance as anyone: I applied with predicted A*A*A and got an offer when people I knew with 4 A*s did not. Everyone applying will have the same grades so there is no way of making decisions based just on this. That’s why Cambridge also conduct subject-specific assessments and interviews, and there’s the personal statement as well.
3) They actually caution against writing a “perfect” essay- they know you are only at secondary-level and want to see your standard of work and that you have the capacity to improve. If you’re worried, you could speak to your teacher or advisor about what would best showcase your ability. Also, when you send in written work, you upload a cover sheet that provides context- it asks what the work was, what help you received and how much time you had to complete it. So against a coursework essay that a student has spent weeks on, an essay on a recently introduced subject that’s timed in an hour is in no way disadvantaged.
4) Colleges are where you will live and they also run your supervisions, but outside of that everyone receives the same education and gets the same degree- there aren’t any colleges that are objectively better or worse than others. Apologies that I’m not 100% sure what you mean by tiered system- is it an international thing? My advice would be to check out their websites and see which one would fit you best- based on where they are in the town, whether they’re all-girl, their size, accommodation, how close they are to your subject buildings, how pretty their gardens are (superficial but valid). I applied to Lucy Cavendish for the latter reason, but also because it was smaller, a little removed from the busy town and the vibe was so welcoming when I visited I could really see myself enjoying it there. If you’re really stuck on colleges you can make an open application and leave it up to fate!
This has been an equally long response, but I hope I’ve been able to clear some things up for you and let me know if there’s anything else. Best of luck on your application!
All of this has been incredibly helpful, so thank you very much. It's quite a relief to know that I'm not behind. I had it in my head that most other students would have their personal statements done by now and I would have to race to catch up.
RE point 3, on the essays: That's extremely reassuring to know! I think I will have a much easier time finding an essay that best showcases my ability and capacity to learn as opposed to one that is necessarily perfect. Especially considering my history teacher never gives full marks for introductions or conclusions on principle. Unfortunately, my best essay in literature was a take-home project and is far too long to send in. Would it be wiser to send in an extract from this essay, or to use one from class that may not be as good? I don't know if you'll be able to answer this, but I was considering applying for a joint degree with languages (History + French), however, in my curriculum, I've never had to write an essay in French. Would I be at an advantage to submit my 150-200 word response to a prompt that we write when we do assessments? My main concern is that other applicants would be at essay writing level, making me not competitive.
RE point 4, on the colleges: The blog @askacambridgestudent on Tumblr has a lot of information about a 'tier system' at Cambridge, which is where I have gathered this knowledge from. In a nutshell, they say that there are colleges more people apply to and that people get pooled from, colleges that people usually get pulled to, and then ones in the middle. As I don't actually go to Cambridge this could be a gross generalization or misunderstanding on my part. I, however, will definitely continue doing my own research!
Original post by closetarchivist
All of this has been incredibly helpful, so thank you very much. It's quite a relief to know that I'm not behind. I had it in my head that most other students would have their personal statements done by now and I would have to race to catch up.
RE point 3, on the essays: That's extremely reassuring to know! I think I will have a much easier time finding an essay that best showcases my ability and capacity to learn as opposed to one that is necessarily perfect. Especially considering my history teacher never gives full marks for introductions or conclusions on principle. Unfortunately, my best essay in literature was a take-home project and is far too long to send in. Would it be wiser to send in an extract from this essay, or to use one from class that may not be as good? I don't know if you'll be able to answer this, but I was considering applying for a joint degree with languages (History + French), however, in my curriculum, I've never had to write an essay in French. Would I be at an advantage to submit my 150-200 word response to a prompt that we write when we do assessments? My main concern is that other applicants would be at essay writing level, making me not competitive.
RE point 4, on the colleges: The blog @askacambridgestudent on Tumblr has a lot of information about a 'tier system' at Cambridge, which is where I have gathered this knowledge from. In a nutshell, they say that there are colleges more people apply to and that people get pooled from, colleges that people usually get pulled to, and then ones in the middle. As I don't actually go to Cambridge this could be a gross generalization or misunderstanding on my part. I, however, will definitely continue doing my own research!
RE point 3, on the essays: That's extremely reassuring to know! I think I will have a much easier time finding an essay that best showcases my ability and capacity to learn as opposed to one that is necessarily perfect. Especially considering my history teacher never gives full marks for introductions or conclusions on principle. Unfortunately, my best essay in literature was a take-home project and is far too long to send in. Would it be wiser to send in an extract from this essay, or to use one from class that may not be as good? I don't know if you'll be able to answer this, but I was considering applying for a joint degree with languages (History + French), however, in my curriculum, I've never had to write an essay in French. Would I be at an advantage to submit my 150-200 word response to a prompt that we write when we do assessments? My main concern is that other applicants would be at essay writing level, making me not competitive.
RE point 4, on the colleges: The blog @askacambridgestudent on Tumblr has a lot of information about a 'tier system' at Cambridge, which is where I have gathered this knowledge from. In a nutshell, they say that there are colleges more people apply to and that people get pooled from, colleges that people usually get pulled to, and then ones in the middle. As I don't actually go to Cambridge this could be a gross generalization or misunderstanding on my part. I, however, will definitely continue doing my own research!
On 'tiers' this really is not a thing.Yes of course loads of people apply to Kings and Trinity as they are the most famous ones,but the education is the same.You attend the same lectures and tutors are top of the game at every college.Honestly just pick one that appeals to you .Do you want to be right in the middle with all the tourists or would you rather somewhere more peaceful.Do you want a really formal college or one that is more relaxed.
(edited 10 months ago)
Original post by closetarchivist
Hey!! I haven’t actually decided if I want to apply to Cambridge or Oxford yet (I know) but I thought I would take you up on asking for help because it’s very kind of you to offer. I’m international, and my school doesn’t know how to do UK applications let alone Oxbridge so I’m very much trying to do this on my own.
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Some questions:
1) How much ‘wider reading’ is desired? I really enjoy reading deeper about my passions but I’m worried I haven’t done enough to be considered a competitive applicant
2) I know grades are one of the main features of someone’s application, but is it virtually the only feature? Or are there other things one can do that may make them a more viable candidate?
3) With written work (this seems quite daunting) are most people sending in near perfect essays/perfect? I don’t think my written work is bad, but i’ve never been given a 100% for the relevant subjects so I’m worried I wouldn’t look very good.
4) How important was college choice for you? This is something that is stressing me out quite a lot. Especially with the discussion of different tier systems which seems a bit complex for an outsider.
Sorry this is so long! It wasn’t intended to be
Hey, I’m in Year 13 right now and have a History offer from Cambridge! Here’s my take on your questions:
1) Wider reading is in my opinion the most important part of your application because it will make up the majority of your personal statement and for me personally a lot of my interviews were about my own wider reading, half of one of my interviews was discussing ideas around some things I’d mentioned in my personal statement and additional personal statement on MCA.
2) GCSE grades play less importance than you are led to believe. A-Level grades are only important as long as you are predicted the minimum entry requirements for your subject at your college. A lot of schools will inflate their predicted grades while others are harsher so they will take into account the fact that predicted grades can be very varied.
3) Me personally, neither of my essays were perfect lol, at that point I had never gotten a 100% on an essay. But my essays were on things I genuinely found interesting and a large portion of one of my interviews was discussing one of those essays, and i think the fact that I was interested in the topic the essay was about helped me a lot. So send in essays you are genuinely interested in and can talk about, that’s more important than them being 100%.
4) College choice is in my opinion very unimportant, you will love your college no matter which one you end up at and unless it’s a college that is specifically well known for a particular subject then your chances of getting in are identical wherever you go.
I hope this helps! Please ask any more questions you have x
Original post by Scotney
Are you doing A levels now or did you apply with grades in bag?
I’ve just finished my A levels!
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