How important are competitions for cambridge/imperial application?
Hey guys,
I am in y12 and I am seeing what competitions I can do to improve my application for cambridge. I have already done the UKMT senior maths challenge but I only got a silver award. I am planning on doing the BPhO computational challenge and physics challenges and cambridge chemistry challenge and maybe some essay compeitions. Will this be enough? I know I probably will have to try and get gold for the UKMT SMC again but other than that is this okay?
Thanks
I am in y12 and I am seeing what competitions I can do to improve my application for cambridge. I have already done the UKMT senior maths challenge but I only got a silver award. I am planning on doing the BPhO computational challenge and physics challenges and cambridge chemistry challenge and maybe some essay compeitions. Will this be enough? I know I probably will have to try and get gold for the UKMT SMC again but other than that is this okay?
Thanks
No place to show UKMT or BPhO results through UCAS as I know. Cambridge doesn't care your PS. More important is the predicted A level grades and recommendations from your school.
Original post by Anonymous
No place to show UKMT or BPhO results through UCAS as I know. Cambridge doesn't care your PS. More important is the predicted A level grades and recommendations from your school.
You can and should mention them on your personal statement if relevant for your subject
OP you haven't said what subject you're actually going for but:
For Engineering/Physics: Your ESAT definitely matters more than anything else
For Computer Science: Your TMUA matters most
For Maths: there's no admissions test prior to the offer but your personal statement doesn't matter as much and as long as you're a decent candidate you'll likely get an interview
Regardles, these competitions will improve your problem solving skills and therefore your skills on admissions tests and interview - definitely keep doing them with
But as someone who has applied, if you get an international certificate from an international Olympiad you are given the chance to upload it (and the way to get there generally is through the British ones)
(edited 3 weeks ago)
Original post by AmIReallyHere
You can and should mention them on your personal statement if relevant for your subject
OP you haven't said what subject you're actually going for but:
For Engineering/Physics: Your ESAT definitely matters more than anything else
For Computer Science: Your TMUA matters most
For Maths: there's no admissions test prior to the offer but your personal statement doesn't matter as much and as long as you're a decent candidate you'll likely get an interview
Regardles, these competitions will improve your problem solving skills and therefore your skills on admissions tests and interview - definitely keep doing them with
But as someone who has applied, if you get an international certificate from an international Olympiad you are given the chance to upload it (and the way to get there generally is through the British ones)
OP you haven't said what subject you're actually going for but:
For Engineering/Physics: Your ESAT definitely matters more than anything else
For Computer Science: Your TMUA matters most
For Maths: there's no admissions test prior to the offer but your personal statement doesn't matter as much and as long as you're a decent candidate you'll likely get an interview
Regardles, these competitions will improve your problem solving skills and therefore your skills on admissions tests and interview - definitely keep doing them with
But as someone who has applied, if you get an international certificate from an international Olympiad you are given the chance to upload it (and the way to get there generally is through the British ones)
Are you sure you can upload certificates other than (predicted) A levels, APs, IB and EPQ etc.?
Original post by akashDTV
Hey guys,
I am in y12 and I am seeing what competitions I can do to improve my application for cambridge. I have already done the UKMT senior maths challenge but I only got a silver award. I am planning on doing the BPhO computational challenge and physics challenges and cambridge chemistry challenge and maybe some essay compeitions. Will this be enough? I know I probably will have to try and get gold for the UKMT SMC again but other than that is this okay?
Thanks
I am in y12 and I am seeing what competitions I can do to improve my application for cambridge. I have already done the UKMT senior maths challenge but I only got a silver award. I am planning on doing the BPhO computational challenge and physics challenges and cambridge chemistry challenge and maybe some essay compeitions. Will this be enough? I know I probably will have to try and get gold for the UKMT SMC again but other than that is this okay?
Thanks
What are you applying for? Tbh, they want you to talk about (personal statement) what youve learnt / how / what you found interesting / relevance for the course rather than achieving a specific level for such competitions. So if you want to improve (smc) what practice / learning are you going to do and thats more important than rocking up to a test once a year for 1 1/2 hrs.
(edited 3 weeks ago)
Original post by Anonymous
Are you sure you can upload certificates other than (predicted) A levels, APs, IB and EPQ etc.?
Yes, if you go on the Christ's college Cambridge current applicants page and look at the November 4th deadlines you'll see them giving people the chance to
Original post by AmIReallyHere
Yes, if you go on the Christ's college Cambridge current applicants page and look at the November 4th deadlines you'll see them giving people the chance to
Do you mean SAQ? Not many bother to fill anything there.
Original post by Anonymous
Do you mean SAQ? Not many bother to fill anything there.
No I don't mean the SAQ... if you'd done what I said you would know exactly what I mean
Original post by Anonymous
No place to show UKMT or BPhO results through UCAS as I know. Cambridge doesn't care your PS. More important is the predicted A level grades and recommendations from your school.
I wouldn’t say so. A lot of the colleges for natural sciences seemed to be interested in your areas of interest, wider reading and wider maths/science knowledge. I think it’s more than just those factors such as ESAT score, grades and references. Also scoring well on challenges and Olympiads is valuable because it shows that you are choosing to engage with your subject and improving your problem solving skills which is good evidence of your abilities. It obviously depends on college and im sure they have an understanding that not every school gets the same opportunities as others too. Of course you still need those a level grades too
Original post by AmIReallyHere
You can and should mention them on your personal statement if relevant for your subject
OP you haven't said what subject you're actually going for but:
For Engineering/Physics: Your ESAT definitely matters more than anything else
For Computer Science: Your TMUA matters most
For Maths: there's no admissions test prior to the offer but your personal statement doesn't matter as much and as long as you're a decent candidate you'll likely get an interview
Regardles, these competitions will improve your problem solving skills and therefore your skills on admissions tests and interview - definitely keep doing them with
But as someone who has applied, if you get an international certificate from an international Olympiad you are given the chance to upload it (and the way to get there generally is through the British ones)
OP you haven't said what subject you're actually going for but:
For Engineering/Physics: Your ESAT definitely matters more than anything else
For Computer Science: Your TMUA matters most
For Maths: there's no admissions test prior to the offer but your personal statement doesn't matter as much and as long as you're a decent candidate you'll likely get an interview
Regardles, these competitions will improve your problem solving skills and therefore your skills on admissions tests and interview - definitely keep doing them with
But as someone who has applied, if you get an international certificate from an international Olympiad you are given the chance to upload it (and the way to get there generally is through the British ones)
Thanks for that useful info...re the uploading of International Olympiad certificates isn't that incredibly niche? With the IMO for example that would be 4 students in the UK. Probably more important for international applicants given 110 countries compete in the IMO. I don't know much about the other Olympiads
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks for that useful info...re the uploading of International Olympiad certificates isn't that incredibly niche? With the IMO for example that would be 4 students in the UK. Probably more important for international applicants given 110 countries compete in the IMO. I don't know much about the other Olympiads
it is incredibly niche but you only get there by partaking in these competitions 😭
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