Cambridge/Imperial Computer Science advice
Hi everyone,
I am in year 12 right now and I was hoping to apply for computer science at university - preferably Cambridge or Imperial. I wanted to ask from any applicants for computer science or cambridge or imperial students for computer science your advice on how you prepared to apply e.g. preparation for entrance tests, supercurriculars etc.
Thanks!
I am in year 12 right now and I was hoping to apply for computer science at university - preferably Cambridge or Imperial. I wanted to ask from any applicants for computer science or cambridge or imperial students for computer science your advice on how you prepared to apply e.g. preparation for entrance tests, supercurriculars etc.
Thanks!
not Oxbridge/imperial etc applicant but applying cs
idid Girls who code self paced programme during summer and read the code book by simon singh
idid Girls who code self paced programme during summer and read the code book by simon singh
Original post by LegoMaster
Hi everyone,
I am in year 12 right now and I was hoping to apply for computer science at university - preferably Cambridge or Imperial. I wanted to ask from any applicants for computer science or cambridge or imperial students for computer science your advice on how you prepared to apply e.g. preparation for entrance tests, supercurriculars etc.
Thanks!
I am in year 12 right now and I was hoping to apply for computer science at university - preferably Cambridge or Imperial. I wanted to ask from any applicants for computer science or cambridge or imperial students for computer science your advice on how you prepared to apply e.g. preparation for entrance tests, supercurriculars etc.
Thanks!
Don't bother if you're not a borderline genius at Maths. Lots of my friends (who are predicted A* in Further maths and maths) got curb stomped by the TMUA this year. They had also been revising for it throughout the summer. It's a very difficult test.
Original post by Rob Bellic
Don't bother if you're not a borderline genius at Maths. Lots of my friends (who are predicted A* in Further maths and maths) got curb stomped by the TMUA this year. They had also been revising for it throughout the summer. It's a very difficult test.
TMUA isn't really thatdifficult you just need a strong understanding of AS level maths
it helps to know about a level too
Original post by GreatestOfAllTim
TMUA isn't really thatdifficult you just need a strong understanding of AS level maths
it helps to know about a level too
it helps to know about a level too
Maybe you did it in a different year? They've majorly shook things up this year and put all sorts of logic curve balls and bizarre problem solving in it. Most Unis have adjusted the grade boundaries accordingly but it's still insane. Doing the TMUA with an AS level maths skillset is a deathwish.
Get your supercurriculars out of the way early. You should hopefully already have done some by now. Aside from other activities, your supercurriculars must include at least 1 or 2 things which demonstrate your mathematical ability, and some things you did which demonstrate your interest in computer science specifically (like coding projects).
For the entrance exams, theres not a whole lot you need to be doing right now, although you must ramp up at the end of y12. At this point just make sure you are confident with all of the standard A-level content you have covered so far. If you are feeling especially keen you can try doing some TMUA questions from earlier years (don't try anything remotely recent - you need these closer to the time). Alternatively, you can try getting through the STEP foundation modules or just doing lots of senior maths challenge questions to build on your mathematical thinking. Generally remain engaged with maths.
Oh, and make sure you get your A* predicteds. Your chance of admission drops precipitously with more than one A.
Best of luck for your application.
For the entrance exams, theres not a whole lot you need to be doing right now, although you must ramp up at the end of y12. At this point just make sure you are confident with all of the standard A-level content you have covered so far. If you are feeling especially keen you can try doing some TMUA questions from earlier years (don't try anything remotely recent - you need these closer to the time). Alternatively, you can try getting through the STEP foundation modules or just doing lots of senior maths challenge questions to build on your mathematical thinking. Generally remain engaged with maths.
Oh, and make sure you get your A* predicteds. Your chance of admission drops precipitously with more than one A.
Best of luck for your application.
Original post by Rob Bellic
Maybe you did it in a different year? They've majorly shook things up this year and put all sorts of logic curve balls and bizarre problem solving in it. Most Unis have adjusted the grade boundaries accordingly but it's still insane. Doing the TMUA with an AS level maths skillset is a deathwish.
You're overreacting tbh. I don't even do fm at all and got 5.9 this year (average was 4.5) so no, you don't need to be a genius at maths. Yes it was much harder than past papers, but it's not as impossible as some people make it out to be. Also the lowered grade boundaries is because Pearson changed the scoring system so that 5.0 is equivalent to 6.5 in previous years, it has nothing to do with the difficulty of the test.
If you know people predicted A* in fm and couldn't score well on TMUA, thats on them. You don't have to put other people off from applying because of it 😑.
I got offers from both of these universities in 2013. Things will no doubt have changed since then but I can try to speak about my experience.
For Cambridge, I got an offer for their BA Computer Science course; it was the "maths option" where 50% of your time would be spent doing the BA Maths course.
For Imperial, I got an offer for their MEng Computing course.
I did the typical thing of reading some "classic" applicant books in the field (I'm really not a fan of the Turing Omnibus actually) and making a point to mention them in my personal statement but the impression I got was that none of that really mattered.
What they did want to see was:
EDIT: Wow, formatting on the new TSR is awful. It has nested bullets when I'm editing but not when I post. Bring back bbcode.
EDIT2: Corrected year of offers.
EDIT3: Okay, all the nested bulleted text is now missing. Any chance a mod can look at the edit history of this and restore it? Or someone could direct me on how I can do that? I can rewrite if needed but would rather not.
For Cambridge, I got an offer for their BA Computer Science course; it was the "maths option" where 50% of your time would be spent doing the BA Maths course.
For Imperial, I got an offer for their MEng Computing course.
I did the typical thing of reading some "classic" applicant books in the field (I'm really not a fan of the Turing Omnibus actually) and making a point to mention them in my personal statement but the impression I got was that none of that really mattered.
What they did want to see was:
•
Evidence of mathematical ability
•
Genuine interest in the subject
•
Logical thinking
EDIT2: Corrected year of offers.
EDIT3: Okay, all the nested bulleted text is now missing. Any chance a mod can look at the edit history of this and restore it? Or someone could direct me on how I can do that? I can rewrite if needed but would rather not.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by pagan-scimitar
You're overreacting tbh. I don't even do fm at all and got 5.9 this year (average was 4.5) so no, you don't need to be a genius at maths. Yes it was much harder than past papers, but it's not as impossible as some people make it out to be. Also the lowered grade boundaries is because Pearson changed the scoring system so that 5.0 is equivalent to 6.5 in previous years, it has nothing to do with the difficulty of the test.
If you know people predicted A* in fm and couldn't score well on TMUA, thats on them. You don't have to put other people off from applying because of it 😑.
If you know people predicted A* in fm and couldn't score well on TMUA, thats on them. You don't have to put other people off from applying because of it 😑.
I'm not putting people off the TMUA, they just need to know what they're getting into. You did well on it, good for you, but I've seen others who've had utter dumpster fires for their TMUA exam. Tbh I do notice that the "logic" based questions in paper 2 are like marmite. Either you're really good at them and find it easy or you find them very challenging. And for the latter group, no amount of revision led to any noticeable improvement.
so negative for what
just keep banging out MAT questions and UKMT as well as doing the TMUA questions cold
the limitation is the self ability u put on yourself
just keep banging out MAT questions and UKMT as well as doing the TMUA questions cold
the limitation is the self ability u put on yourself
Original post by LegoMaster
Hi everyone,
I am in year 12 right now and I was hoping to apply for computer science at university - preferably Cambridge or Imperial. I wanted to ask from any applicants for computer science or cambridge or imperial students for computer science your advice on how you prepared to apply e.g. preparation for entrance tests, supercurriculars etc.
Thanks!
I am in year 12 right now and I was hoping to apply for computer science at university - preferably Cambridge or Imperial. I wanted to ask from any applicants for computer science or cambridge or imperial students for computer science your advice on how you prepared to apply e.g. preparation for entrance tests, supercurriculars etc.
Thanks!
Not applying for cs but a few on my friends are. Their main regrets would probably be help you get good chances.
Try make an impressive portfolio, it helps ps shine and give you bit more to write about don’t need tons of projects just few impressive ones they say.
TMUA needs to be aced. In the past avg Cambridge score was like 7.1, I think highest being 8 for a college and lowest I think it was 5 not sure tho. It’s the main thing that make you stronger. When time comes for an interview watch mock ones online and ask a teacher or something to do mock interviews with you.
Thats mainly it ofc easier said then done but other things should be out of the way. GCSE alr sat so get some good predicted (which is fine for an Oxbridge applicant) and then the ps,test and interview is all the focus. I started prep for my test too late and caused me to flop it so try start earlier once yk decent amount of A level math knowledge . Gl
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