I'm considering applying to Cambridge for their Computer Science MEng undergraduate course. Below are my academic details and circumstances:
GCSE Results:
Maths: 9
English Literature: 9
Combined Science: 9-8 (I missed a 9 due to extenuating circumstances in Biology Paper 2, despite achieving 9s in all other science papers.)
Religious Education: 7 (2 marks off an 8)
Computer Science: 7 (3 marks off an 8)
History: 7
English Language: 5 (extenuating circumstances)
Drama: 3 (extenuating circumstances)
These exams were severely impacted by my health, particularly in subjects like Maths, Science, and Computer Science, where I believe I could have achieved higher marks under better circumstances.
My predicted grades are expected to be at least A* A* A, or possibly 3 A*. My Maths teacher has already confirmed an A* prediction, and my other teachers, who know me from last year know my potential, believe I can achieve the same in their subjects.
Since the start of Year 10, I have faced severe health issues that caused frequent lateness and absences. These issues worsened during Year 11. For example, my English Literature teacher initially thought I would fail, as I scored a 3 in the March mocks. My mock grades across the board were 4s and 5s, with 8s and 7-7 in Maths and Combined Science, due to the disruptions caused by my health. However, I made a "academic comeback," but still some grades such as English Language and Drama still suffered.
During the GCSE exams, I dealt with multiple health challenges:
I managed a persistent cold and cough with lozenges.
My hand was in severe pain due to a skin condition that caused swelling and stinging, making writing extremely difficult and painful (this is now under control with prescribed medication after GCSE exam season).
I also experienced frequent migraines and physical exhaustion from studying long hours while battling these conditions.
For example, in English Language Paper 1, I achieved a grade 7, but my illnesses were at their worst during Paper 2, resulting in a grade 4 in paper 2(I was just 1 mark off a 6 overall).
As for Drama, the coursework component completed in Year 10 was heavily affected by my absences, making it impossible to recover the grade in Year 11, despite my efforts.
As for A levels:
I understand that Cambridge strongly encourages or prefers Further Maths for Computer Science. While my school does offer Further Maths yet I chose not to enrol(I had very limited knowledge on it as I'm the first in my family to be educated in England and its system is completely different to my home country's). I am compensating by pursuing additional Maths independently. This includes:
Enrolling in Further Maths courses published by Imperial College London and other universities, and Also covering topics like Linear Algebra and Discrete Maths from first-year university material after I complete the further maths courses(I am starting the first of these courses next week after my final mock tomorrow).
Planning to undertake an EPQ, where I will explore mathematical computation in depth.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I wanted to explain my circumstances and efforts thoroughly. Thank you again for reading!