The Student Room Group

Cambridge a levels

I am in year 13 and take maths, further maths, bio and Chem. I am planning on taking a gap year then either applying to maths at Cambridge or natural sciences at Cambridge (which requires two sciences). Would it significantly disadvantage my application for natural sciences if i decided to take maths, further and bio this year and then do chemistry in my gap year? And alternatively would it harm my maths application if i decided to do chemistry in the gap year ( keep in mind my school is a selective independent school and all school guidance counselors have said people from our school only get into Cambridge with 4 a levels, especially for maths). Would doing an a level in the gap year harm my natsci chances or maths chances, as i heard some say Cambridge want your a levels to be done in 2 years? Pls help
Your counsellors are mistaking correlation for causation. Cambridge generally looks for three A levels, but, if applying to read Maths, Physics, Engineering, or Computer Science, taking Further Maths as a fourth A level may well be useful.

Taking the A levels in one go would probably be the better choice.

Cambridge does not discriminate against applicants from independent schools, despite false claims to the contrary by some media orgs. Private school pupils still obtain a disproportionate number of the places available at Cambridge, Oxford, and some other competitive universities.
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 2
Original post by Fermat42647
I am in year 13 and take maths, further maths, bio and Chem. I am planning on taking a gap year then either applying to maths at Cambridge or natural sciences at Cambridge (which requires two sciences). Would it significantly disadvantage my application for natural sciences if i decided to take maths, further and bio this year and then do chemistry in my gap year? And alternatively would it harm my maths application if i decided to do chemistry in the gap year ( keep in mind my school is a selective independent school and all school guidance counselors have said people from our school only get into Cambridge with 4 a levels, especially for maths). Would doing an a level in the gap year harm my natsci chances or maths chances, as i heard some say Cambridge want your a levels to be done in 2 years? Pls help

Maths is one subject Cambridge are not keen on you taking a gap year with.The feeling is you can lose your sharpness in the interim.Are you applying this year?
Reply 3
Original post by Fermat42647
I am in year 13 and take maths, further maths, bio and Chem. I am planning on taking a gap year then either applying to maths at Cambridge or natural sciences at Cambridge (which requires two sciences). Would it significantly disadvantage my application for natural sciences if i decided to take maths, further and bio this year and then do chemistry in my gap year? And alternatively would it harm my maths application if i decided to do chemistry in the gap year ( keep in mind my school is a selective independent school and all school guidance counselors have said people from our school only get into Cambridge with 4 a levels, especially for maths). Would doing an a level in the gap year harm my natsci chances or maths chances, as i heard some say Cambridge want your a levels to be done in 2 years? Pls help

If aiming for Cambridge maths and wanted to take a gap year, your best bet might be to do FM in your gap year. Cambridge want at least 3 A-levels in one sitting, and for maths don’t want you to lose your sharpness in your gap year, so that would cover both of these.
Original post by Scotney
Maths is one subject Cambridge are not keen on you taking a gap year with.The feeling is you can lose your sharpness in the interim.Are you applying this year?

Am I significantly less likely to get in after a gap year? I had some extenuating circumstances, so despite my perfect academic track record so far ( 13 9’s at GCSEs) I didn’t meet minimum entry requirements for my precited grades , so no point applying . Is it worth applying for maths after a gap year, or highly improbable to get in?
Original post by lalexm
If aiming for Cambridge maths and wanted to take a gap year, your best bet might be to do FM in your gap year. Cambridge want at least 3 A-levels in one sitting, and for maths don’t want you to lose your sharpness in your gap year, so that would cover both of these.

I read on the Cambridge maths website that they suggest you do ‘four a levels if most in you school do 4 and 3 if most in your school do 3). The vast majority im my school do 4, and everyone in the last few years from my school who got into Cambridge maths had 4a*, so would doing an a level in gap year be looked down upon?
Reply 6
Original post by Fermat42647
I read on the Cambridge maths website that they suggest you do ‘four a levels if most in you school do 4 and 3 if most in your school do 3). The vast majority im my school do 4, and everyone in the last few years from my school who got into Cambridge maths had 4a*, so would doing an a level in gap year be looked down upon?

Cambridge say that they don’t look down upon people that take a gap year, but they do say that they are concerned about maths students losing their edge during gap years.
Reply 7
Original post by Fermat42647
Am I significantly less likely to get in after a gap year? I had some extenuating circumstances, so despite my perfect academic track record so far ( 13 9’s at GCSEs) I didn’t meet minimum entry requirements for my precited grades , so no point applying . Is it worth applying for maths after a gap year, or highly improbable to get in?

No I think there is no point this year .But just because you have extenuating circumstances why not contact Cambridge admissions and ask.
Do you meet Oxford's criteria?Cambridge are very particular in my experience about predicted
grades but the gap year with Chemistry is best answered by them.There may be other ways they suggest to keep your maths up to scratch such as tutoring.
Original post by Stiffy Byng
Your counsellors are mistaking correlation for causation. Cambridge generally looks for three A levels, but, if applying to read Maths, Physics, Engineering, or Computer Science, taking Further Maths as a fourth A level may well be useful.
Taking the A levels in one go would probably be the better choice.
Cambridge does not discriminate against applicants from independent schools, despite false claims to the contrary by some media orgs. Private school pupils still obtain a disproportionate number of the places available at Cambridge, Oxford, and some other competitive universities.

For both Maths and Natural Sciences at Cambridge A-Levels are not that important, there is a separate entrance exam for Nat Sci (changing this year to the one all the engineering students do) and for Maths you will need STEP papers.

A-Levels are far too easy to discriminate at the level Cambridge requires for these subjects, which is why they had so many problems with the Covid years when thousands more were awarded top grades at these easy exams
Reply 9
Original post by iceblink1
For both Maths and Natural Sciences at Cambridge A-Levels are not that important, there is a separate entrance exam for Nat Sci (changing this year to the one all the engineering students do) and for Maths you will need STEP papers.
A-Levels are far too easy to discriminate at the level Cambridge requires for these subjects, which is why they had so many problems with the Covid years when thousands more were awarded top grades at these easy exams

They will still want the A level grades too though.
Original post by iceblink1
For both Maths and Natural Sciences at Cambridge A-Levels are not that important, there is a separate entrance exam for Nat Sci (changing this year to the one all the engineering students do) and for Maths you will need STEP papers.
A-Levels are far too easy to discriminate at the level Cambridge requires for these subjects, which is why they had so many problems with the Covid years when thousands more were awarded top grades at these easy exams

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