Hoping to Apply for Aerospace at Imperial – Feeling a Bit Lost, Any Advice?

Excuse me, I hope it’s alright to ask here. I’m currently a Year 12 student hoping to apply for Aerospace Engineering at Imperial next year. I know it’s a very competitive course, and to be honest, I’m feeling quite overwhelmed and unsure about what to focus on.

I’d really appreciate any advice from current students or applicants—especially on how much weight is given to the personal statement, the ESAT score, and A-level grades. I’m taking Further Maths, Maths, Physics, and Computer Science.

If anyone has any guidance or tips, I’d be incredibly grateful. Thank you so much in advance!

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Original post

by carlosku

Excuse me, I hope it’s alright to ask here. I’m currently a Year 12 student hoping to apply for Aerospace Engineering at Imperial next year. I know it’s a very competitive course, and to be honest, I’m feeling quite overwhelmed and unsure about what to focus on.
I’d really appreciate any advice from current students or applicants—especially on how much weight is given to the personal statement, the ESAT score, and A-level grades. I’m taking Further Maths, Maths, Physics, and Computer Science.
If anyone has any guidance or tips, I’d be incredibly grateful. Thank you so much in advance!

I'm an Aeronautical Engineering student at Imperial, and I was in the same position as you back in Year 12. Here's some advice that I hope will help—but please note that the entrance exam has changed since I applied and is now more similar to the ENGAA, so make sure to double-check the official website for the latest requirements.

Extracurriculars: Try to get involved in activities like challenges, Olympiads, or work experience. Basically anything that shows you're keen to apply your academic knowledge beyond the A-level curriculum. These experiences help demonstrate genuine interest and initiative whilst being good talking points in the interview.

Personal Statement: Start writing your personal statement early. Make it engaging and authentic, and avoid clichés like “stamp collecting” or “this is what it means to be an engineer.” The goal is to stand out.

ESAT Preparation: You still have a few months before the exam, so start preparing now. The ESAT is a crucial part of your application and can significantly impact whether you get an interview offer. It’s designed to be challenging, so don’t get discouraged as most people find it tough.

4. Interview: If your ESAT score is high enough, you’ll be invited to an interview. This is another key part of the admissions process. When I did mine, it was genuinely enjoyable as the interviewers were professors who actually teach the course, and they were great to talk to. Yet can throw a few hard questions if you get far enough.

To prepare, I’d recommend working through Professor Povey’s Perplexing Problems and watching example interviews from Oxford and other top universities on YouTube while attempting the questions yourself.

How they assess you: Imperial tends to evaluate applicants across three main areas:

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Application: Predicted A-level grades and personal statement

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Entrance Exam: Your ESAT score

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Interview: If your ESAT score meets the cutoff