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OFFICIAL: Cambridge doesn't care about non-academic ECs - and other things!
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ADREAM
Hmm, your right, I can't quite find it on the Cambridge website, but I do - 100% confident here - recall one of the admissions tutors saying that 'we look to see a minimum of an average of 90% in most of your A-level units' on their open day back in the summer. Though there will, of course, be exceptions, most candidates will meet this threshold.
Fair enough... anyway the closer to 100% in your modules the better!
im so academic
No it isn't. No from the Cambridge podcast. They say that "there is no silver bullet..." I.e. there is no one single factor in deciding a Cambridge place. Have you even read my post?
My advice to you is just to take things as they come; there's no point in concerning yourself with going to university when it's not going to happen for another five years or whatever. Just do the necessary work in class so you don't fall behind, and go to the park or do whatever most people your age do.
im so academic
If this is old news, how come so many people here make threads about ECs? And I can take one example "How can I make sure I get an offer" thread, where the OP was listing down his NON-ACADEMIC ECs.
Also, I thought Cambridge takes a "holistic" approach when assessing each candidate individually - see podcast (4) at first post?
Also, come on River85, you must admit that playing netball at national level and doing grade 6 clarinet is ever going to benefit your application, is it now? And you must admit that they really don't give a damn about unrelated, non-academic ECs, are they? As I quote, they look for "academic potential". Even you said that, so how does going on the X factor help matters? How does being an international model benefit your application?
Also, I thought Cambridge takes a "holistic" approach when assessing each candidate individually - see podcast (4) at first post?
Also, come on River85, you must admit that playing netball at national level and doing grade 6 clarinet is ever going to benefit your application, is it now? And you must admit that they really don't give a damn about unrelated, non-academic ECs, are they? As I quote, they look for "academic potential". Even you said that, so how does going on the X factor help matters? How does being an international model benefit your application?
This is old news, it seems to have been recorded on the 5th April 2007 if you really want to know and you can find a full transcript here.
The reason people ask stupid questions about ECs is because people ask stupid questions about Oxbridge on here.
I'm not sure they really specify 90% in every module or any such, I probably averaged 85% or so. It's almost certainly an advantage to have high UMS scores, but I don't think there's a fixed number.
joshm
Seriously dude, give it up. I started thinking about university a lot about this time last year when most of my friends didn't even consider it until results day, and where has that got me? Most likely a gap year and reapplying next year.
My advice to you is just to take things as they come; there's no point in concerning yourself with going to university when it's not going to happen for another five years or whatever. Just do the necessary work in class so you don't fall behind, and go to the park or do whatever most people your age do.
My advice to you is just to take things as they come; there's no point in concerning yourself with going to university when it's not going to happen for another five years or whatever. Just do the necessary work in class so you don't fall behind, and go to the park or do whatever most people your age do.
But still keep it in your sights im so academic. You wouldn't want to take your foot of the gas like I did and cock up your exams. I started thinking about Oxbridge when I was 10 or 11, then it just turned into this thing my parents would use when complaining to schools about bad teaching and stuff.
Anyway, I started not bothering with school, doing little work, going out drinking etc. Until last year when I fell in love with Oxford again, and optimistically applied. But it was just too late. 
im so academic
OK, I've been searching around Cambridge and I've found a podcast about admissions:
http://mediaplayer.group.cam.ac.uk/
^Go to admissions, and click on (2) Parent's Guide to Admissions.
It states that "the admission process is entirely driven by academic criteria". I.e. they don't give a damn about ECs.
As a bonus it states that, "your chance of getting a Cambridge offer is irrespective of the choice of college".
They also say that they "assess each person individually, in their individual context..."
Also, it states that "the media portrays them in a different way and Oxbridge mock interviews, courses and books are there to make money".
They say it's not about "body language, what you wear, how you speak..."
They look for:
*passion for their subjects
*passion for learning
*enthusiasm for difficult and complex ideas
*the ablility to think for themselves
*go beyong what it expected of them
*seek out the difficult, complex ideas
*get further into the subject
*motivated, committed and organised
*intectually flexible (?)
OFFICIAL: these are the factors that they assess Cambridge candidates:
*Academic record (GCSES, AS level, A Levels)
*School/college reference
*PS
*submitted work where requested
*test results (e.g. BMAT LNAT, TSA) where tests form a part of our assessment
*performance at interview
...no sign of non-academic ECs are there? They don't care about national level ping-pong, or grade 8 piano etc.
"There is no single element that will make or break an application" i.e. interview isn't EVERYTHING! And don't fret over your GCSES!
What happens if I had to re-sit some modules? What if my GCSEs aren't up to stratch? Cambridge says: "If it is a blip - it need not matter"
HOWEVER, if it's part of a pattern, it might....
Cambridge rejects around 5000 applicants who go on to get straight As or better - i.e. grades AREN'T everything, they want something else, as mention above^^^
"There is not one single ailver bullet that decides that "this student will become a first-class student""
"Having a good track record is important and is significant"
PS: It's not "why am I good?" it's "why am I right for this degree course?"
Also, be happy to discuss whatever on your PS.
The interviews are not the SOLE factor of your application.
These are some quotes I have taken off of that podcast from the link above. So, what are your opinions?
http://mediaplayer.group.cam.ac.uk/
^Go to admissions, and click on (2) Parent's Guide to Admissions.
It states that "the admission process is entirely driven by academic criteria". I.e. they don't give a damn about ECs.
As a bonus it states that, "your chance of getting a Cambridge offer is irrespective of the choice of college".
They also say that they "assess each person individually, in their individual context..."
Also, it states that "the media portrays them in a different way and Oxbridge mock interviews, courses and books are there to make money".
They say it's not about "body language, what you wear, how you speak..."
They look for:
*passion for their subjects
*passion for learning
*enthusiasm for difficult and complex ideas
*the ablility to think for themselves
*go beyong what it expected of them
*seek out the difficult, complex ideas
*get further into the subject
*motivated, committed and organised
*intectually flexible (?)
OFFICIAL: these are the factors that they assess Cambridge candidates:
*Academic record (GCSES, AS level, A Levels)
*School/college reference
*PS
*submitted work where requested
*test results (e.g. BMAT LNAT, TSA) where tests form a part of our assessment
*performance at interview
...no sign of non-academic ECs are there? They don't care about national level ping-pong, or grade 8 piano etc.
"There is no single element that will make or break an application" i.e. interview isn't EVERYTHING! And don't fret over your GCSES!
What happens if I had to re-sit some modules? What if my GCSEs aren't up to stratch? Cambridge says: "If it is a blip - it need not matter"
HOWEVER, if it's part of a pattern, it might....
Cambridge rejects around 5000 applicants who go on to get straight As or better - i.e. grades AREN'T everything, they want something else, as mention above^^^
"There is not one single ailver bullet that decides that "this student will become a first-class student""
"Having a good track record is important and is significant"
PS: It's not "why am I good?" it's "why am I right for this degree course?"
Also, be happy to discuss whatever on your PS.
The interviews are not the SOLE factor of your application.
These are some quotes I have taken off of that podcast from the link above. So, what are your opinions?
also generous donations will get you in from rich mofos
it should be purely academic! you are applying for a place as a student at an academic instituation to study an academic subject
Thanks for the link. But I still doubt that playing sport or an instrument will still give you an advantage.
you mentioned that the interview was to see what "you would contribute to the cambridge" or whatever i.e. you could say that you will be actively involved in the mathematics society to pursue your interest of mathematics even further and you could also say that in cambridge you would want to take advantage of the facilties offered here and so would think to join some of the other clubs and societies cambridge offers e.g. the debating society. you could even say that having a part time job in a local bank (which uses maths i.e. relevant) shows your time management skills and all of that crap so you would effectively meet the demands of what cambridge offers...
and tbh, if I was an admin tutor and the interview went like this:
interviewer: so, in what ways would you contribute to cambridge
applicant: well being in many national league champonships for rowing I will most definitely participate in the rowing society. tbh that is one of the factors that encouraged me to apply for cambridge. also, I've been in many international competitions in rowing such as those in chicago, of which I cam third in. this shows that I can cope with being the rowing society in my spare time as well as keeping up with the demands of cambridge. cambridge offers a high quality of sport and sport facilties and it'll be a shame to waste them and also, I might even participate in the annual may bumps, so yeah.
to me, that applicant will make me think that he is arrogant saying "oh I done this and I done that" and the fact he concentrated more on the sport instead of maths-related ECs at cambridge shows he'd rather spend his time worrying over his rowing that getting in depths of [something mathematical].
tbh, I bet this so-called "non-academic" interview is there to show if you are really that academic, as if you go on about playing rugby for cambridge, that's not really going to show enthusiasm and passion for your degree subject is it?
and tbh, if I was an admin tutor and the interview went like this:
interviewer: so, in what ways would you contribute to cambridge
applicant: well being in many national league champonships for rowing I will most definitely participate in the rowing society. tbh that is one of the factors that encouraged me to apply for cambridge. also, I've been in many international competitions in rowing such as those in chicago, of which I cam third in. this shows that I can cope with being the rowing society in my spare time as well as keeping up with the demands of cambridge. cambridge offers a high quality of sport and sport facilties and it'll be a shame to waste them and also, I might even participate in the annual may bumps, so yeah.
to me, that applicant will make me think that he is arrogant saying "oh I done this and I done that" and the fact he concentrated more on the sport instead of maths-related ECs at cambridge shows he'd rather spend his time worrying over his rowing that getting in depths of [something mathematical].
tbh, I bet this so-called "non-academic" interview is there to show if you are really that academic, as if you go on about playing rugby for cambridge, that's not really going to show enthusiasm and passion for your degree subject is it?
im so academic
tbh, I bet this so-called "non-academic" interview is there to show if you are really that academic, as if you go on about playing rugby for cambridge, that's not really going to show enthusiasm and passion for your degree subject is it?
tbh, I bet this so-called "non-academic" interview is there to show if you are really that academic, as if you go on about playing rugby for cambridge, that's not really going to show enthusiasm and passion for your degree subject is it?
So if they ask you what you would contribute to the Uni except for maths talent, you should just talk about maths again, thus not answering their question?
Having passion for a sport/music/other and having a passion for maths aren't mutually exclusive.
DaveJ
So if they ask you what you would contribute to the Uni except for maths talent, you should just talk about maths again, thus not answering their question?
Having passion for a sport/music/other and having a passion for maths aren't mutually exclusive.
Having passion for a sport/music/other and having a passion for maths aren't mutually exclusive.
fair enough... but then I bet this so-called "non-academic" interview is just an ice breaker, to help you ease things in and not be nervous. in maths, I bet they would give you technical questions and comment things on your PS, not about "what else do you do besides maths?"
Well exactly. Maybe you just like wearing hoodies or can't afford anything else.
I know more people who have gotten in with "well-bred" accents as opposed to regional accents...Less so to Cambridge than Oxford, admittedly.
I know more people who have gotten in with "well-bred" accents as opposed to regional accents...Less so to Cambridge than Oxford, admittedly.
im so academic
OK, I've been searching around Cambridge and I've found a podcast about admissions:
http://mediaplayer.group.cam.ac.uk/
^Go to admissions, and click on (2) Parent's Guide to Admissions.
It states that "the admission process is entirely driven by academic criteria". I.e. they don't give a damn about ECs.
As a bonus it states that, "your chance of getting a Cambridge offer is irrespective of the choice of college".
They also say that they "assess each person individually, in their individual context..."
Also, it states that "the media portrays them in a different way and Oxbridge mock interviews, courses and books are there to make money".
They say it's not about "body language, what you wear, how you speak..."
They look for:
*passion for their subjects
*passion for learning
*enthusiasm for difficult and complex ideas
*the ablility to think for themselves
*go beyong what it expected of them
*seek out the difficult, complex ideas
*get further into the subject
*motivated, committed and organised
*intectually flexible (?)
OFFICIAL: these are the factors that they assess Cambridge candidates:
*Academic record (GCSES, AS level, A Levels)
*School/college reference
*PS
*submitted work where requested
*test results (e.g. BMAT LNAT, TSA) where tests form a part of our assessment
*performance at interview
...no sign of non-academic ECs are there? They don't care about national level ping-pong, or grade 8 piano etc.
"There is no single element that will make or break an application" i.e. interview isn't EVERYTHING! And don't fret over your GCSES!
What happens if I had to re-sit some modules? What if my GCSEs aren't up to stratch? Cambridge says: "If it is a blip - it need not matter"
HOWEVER, if it's part of a pattern, it might....
Cambridge rejects around 5000 applicants who go on to get straight As or better - i.e. grades AREN'T everything, they want something else, as mention above^^^
"There is not one single ailver bullet that decides that "this student will become a first-class student""
"Having a good track record is important and is significant"
PS: It's not "why am I good?" it's "why am I right for this degree course?"
Also, be happy to discuss whatever on your PS.
The interviews are not the SOLE factor of your application.
These are some quotes I have taken off of that podcast from the link above. So, what are your opinions?
http://mediaplayer.group.cam.ac.uk/
^Go to admissions, and click on (2) Parent's Guide to Admissions.
It states that "the admission process is entirely driven by academic criteria". I.e. they don't give a damn about ECs.
As a bonus it states that, "your chance of getting a Cambridge offer is irrespective of the choice of college".
They also say that they "assess each person individually, in their individual context..."
Also, it states that "the media portrays them in a different way and Oxbridge mock interviews, courses and books are there to make money".
They say it's not about "body language, what you wear, how you speak..."
They look for:
*passion for their subjects
*passion for learning
*enthusiasm for difficult and complex ideas
*the ablility to think for themselves
*go beyong what it expected of them
*seek out the difficult, complex ideas
*get further into the subject
*motivated, committed and organised
*intectually flexible (?)
OFFICIAL: these are the factors that they assess Cambridge candidates:
*Academic record (GCSES, AS level, A Levels)
*School/college reference
*PS
*submitted work where requested
*test results (e.g. BMAT LNAT, TSA) where tests form a part of our assessment
*performance at interview
...no sign of non-academic ECs are there? They don't care about national level ping-pong, or grade 8 piano etc.
"There is no single element that will make or break an application" i.e. interview isn't EVERYTHING! And don't fret over your GCSES!
What happens if I had to re-sit some modules? What if my GCSEs aren't up to stratch? Cambridge says: "If it is a blip - it need not matter"
HOWEVER, if it's part of a pattern, it might....
Cambridge rejects around 5000 applicants who go on to get straight As or better - i.e. grades AREN'T everything, they want something else, as mention above^^^
"There is not one single ailver bullet that decides that "this student will become a first-class student""
"Having a good track record is important and is significant"
PS: It's not "why am I good?" it's "why am I right for this degree course?"
Also, be happy to discuss whatever on your PS.
The interviews are not the SOLE factor of your application.
These are some quotes I have taken off of that podcast from the link above. So, what are your opinions?
My opinion is: You think this is some sort of newsbreaker?
Shock horror! So the stuff myself and many other current students have been repeating day in and out on hundreds of threads about Admissions is actually true!?!!!??Perish the thought
On the plus side, maybe this means people will stop barking up the wrong trees asking pointless questions
LearningMath
If you're going to cambridge, 'A' grades are easy to achieve. Trust me, the interview is the most important factor by miles
...says the guy with firsthand experience of the issue
LearningMath
Not at all, they're actively looking for talent, even if that talent isnt backed by motivation. EE offers are still given out you know.
Motivation is pretty damn important!
River85
Why not? 
...because he's confidently asserting his dubious opinions as fact?
im so academic
If this is old news, how come so many people here make threads about ECs?
Because schools stress ECs on principle, and students are unsure whether to trust their teachers and tutors (who they know personally) or the words written on the Admissions pages of the Cambridge and Oxford websites. Rather than choose, they'll try to cover all angles just to be sure.
im so academic
Also, come on River85, you must admit that playing netball at national level and doing grade 6 clarinet is ever going to benefit your application, is it now?
Do you mean 'ever' or 'never'. If the latter - it would benefit the application if the interviewers had two candidates who were equal in every other respect - as it gives the impression that the person is capable, motivated and good at time management (skills very necessary for success at Oxbridge) However this is so blindingly obvious nobody's going to bother writing it in stone for you.
im so academic
I can tell you haven't even bothered to read my first post, or even go on the podcast link.
Some of us know this feeling very well... *not so subtle cough*
jiung0416
so just 1 resit might be ok then?? thanks
so just 1 resit might be ok then?? thanks
I had loads of resits and I'm at Cambridge. But its a really pointless question. As the OP explains, they treat each case individually, so nobody will be able to tell you how they'll respond to your resits. The only thing to do is to give it a shot. Its not like you have anything to lose.
im so academic
If this is old news, how come so many people here make threads about ECs?
Because they don't know any better and are ignorant?
I didn't say it was particularly well known, or that you'd expect sixth form applicants to know it, did I? I only said that it's not old news for those who know what they are talking about (and is something that Cambridge have admitted/strongly hinted in the past).
im so academic
Also, come on River85, you must admit that playing netball at national level and doing grade 6 clarinet is ever going to benefit your application, is it now??
It may not harm your application at all, but it will not get you an offer (not over an academically stronger candidate).
Why have the moderators' username colours changed?
Craghyrax
For Christmas.
It's Christmas?
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