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is cambridge easier to get into?

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Reply 60
Avatar for RichE
RichE
15
fumblewomble
Here are Cambridge's applications stats http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/statistics/university.html

Cambridge
2006
14105 applications
3950 offers

2007
14505 applications
4066 offers

Oxford (http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/how_to_apply/admissions_statistics/index.html):
2006
13,639 applications
3,160 offer acceptances

2007
12,614 applications
3,208 offer acceptances


But in 2008 Oxford had 15000+ applicants.
Greatleysteg
I said more general aptitude, not more aptitude in general. :wink: And I stand by that. I think Cambridge students are very specialised.

Nice subtle distinction there. :smile: And from what I've seen the courses in the first year are quite broad. For instance, in Economics we have compulsory Politics and History papers. Then there's the whole thing with Natural Sciences compared to straight Biology, Physics or Chemistry.

Adhavan
Id say if youre strong on paper you may have a better chance at oxford, however if youre weaker on paper but have a lot of passion for your course choice (/can blag and bs) then maybe cambridges admissions process will favour you

Surely if anything it's the other way round as Cambridge request more information on paper?

RichE
But in 2008 Oxford had 15000+ applicants.

If I remember correctly Cambridge had a large increase in applicants this year as well (14-17%?).
I reckon for PPE Oxford is harder and NatSci/Maths Cambridge is harder, purely from the excellenece each university has in that area.
Reply 63
Avatar for etp
etp
11
alex_hk90
Surely if anything it's the other way round as Cambridge request more information on paper?


I guess Cambridge give the interview a large weighting though, as I'm awful on paper yet still received an offer!
alex_hk90

Surely if anything it's the other way round as Cambridge request more information on paper?


But what exactly does this 'more information consist of'? It essentially boils down to just class sizes and UMS (none of the other stuff really constitutes a deciding factor - and come to think of it neither do these 2).
Reply 65
Avatar for duke5
duke5
politicaleconomist
a girl at my school got into oxford for PPE, with 3C's 2D's at AS.


Doubt it.
Adhavan
But what exactly does this 'more information consist of'? It essentially boils down to just class sizes and UMS (none of the other stuff really constitutes a deciding factor - and come to think of it neither do these 2).


did you just say that UMS doesn't matter? :P
SouthernFreerider
did you just say that UMS doesn't matter? :P


no - but then again i don't see them making much of an impact

The interview is undoubtedly the single most important part of the process, in the sense that a person with a poor academic profile and an amazing interview still has a good chance whereas a person with an amazing academic profile but a poor interview has very little chance of getting in (and when i say poor interview i mean the interviewer thought it was poor - not the candidate)
Adhavan
no - but then again i don't see them making much of an impact

The interview is undoubtedly the single most important part of the process, in the sense that a person with a poor academic profile and an amazing interview still has a good chance whereas a person with an amazing academic profile but a poor interview has very little chance of getting in (and when i say poor interview i mean the interviewer thought it was poor - not the candidate)

Obviously it varies from college to college, but I always got the impression that they had pretty much decided who they wanted before the interviews, and only a spectacularly good (or otherwise) performance would change that.
Windsprite
Oxford seems scary and hostile :|

Couldn't disagree more. Everyone I met on the open day and at interview were really friendly and approachable.

In response to the OP, I would say no. They are equally difficult to get into. Arguably some courses are more challenging to get into than others, namely medicine.
definately cambridge is harder to get into for economics because it doesnt have this ppe rubbish
alex_hk90
Obviously it varies from college to college, but I always got the impression that they had pretty much decided who they wanted before the interviews, and only a spectacularly good (or otherwise) performance would change that.


I thought so too - but that begs the question why so many people get rejected when their counterparts with equivalent or lower grades get in (assuming that each candidate did pretty well at interview)
Reply 72
Avatar for Gesar
Gesar
1
Hellll no Cambridge isn't easier to get into.

Ever heard of STEP?!
Adhavan
no - but then again i don't see them making much of an impact

The interview is undoubtedly the single most important part of the process, in the sense that a person with a poor academic profile and an amazing interview still has a good chance whereas a person with an amazing academic profile but a poor interview has very little chance of getting in (and when i say poor interview i mean the interviewer thought it was poor - not the candidate)


there is absolutely no evidence for this.
Gesar
Hellll no Cambridge isn't easier to get into.

Ever heard of STEP?!


im taking it in 4 months :P

thats only for maths though.

every oxbridge maths applicants knows that oxford maths is the pussy out option :smile: hehe.
SouthernFreerider
there is absolutely no evidence for this.


What evidence do you want? lol
mathematics91
definately cambridge is harder to get into for economics because it doesnt have this ppe rubbish


Wtf? What's that supposed to mean?

Cambridge Economics is much less competitive than Oxford's Economics & Management, which is arguably the most competitive course at Oxford.
River Hippo
Wtf? What's that supposed to mean?

Cambridge Economics is much less competitive than Oxford's Economics & Management, which is arguably the most competitive course at Oxford.


In that case well done on the offer :smile:
thats because oxford dont look at AS results, just percentage of a*s at gcse
Reply 79
Avatar for Gesar
Gesar
1
SouthernFreerider
im taking it in 4 months :P

thats only for maths though.

every oxbridge maths applicants knows that oxford maths is the pussy out option :smile: hehe.


I know :p: And the consensus of my maths teachers is that Warwick us better than Oxford for maths, yet they still apply to Oxford for the prestige rather than the course :frown:

Anyway - good luck in step! What college?

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