cambridge admissions

7/28/2019 Cambridge Admissions

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Applying to Cambridge from Canada



Contents

• What we have to offer

• The admissions process

• What we are looking for

• Choosing a College

• The Blyth Cambridge Commonwealth Trust

Scholarships



Key Facts & Figures

• ~12,000 full-time undergraduate students

– from over 90 different countries

– male:female ratio is 54:46

• 15,389 applications for 3,274 places (2010-11)



Superb facilities:• Accommodation

• Libraries

• IT• Language Unit

• Museums, gardens

• Recreational facilities: drama, music, sports etc.• Unparalleled levels of student support

What We Have To Offer 1



• Top-rated teaching

by

• Lecturers at the forefront of their field

in

• A unique system featuring extensive small group

teaching




• Challenging, stimulating courses…

• In a range of more traditional arts, science and

social science subjects…

• Which tend to start very broad and narrow in focuseach year …

• And are predominantly assessed by terminal

examinations




The University & The Colleges

Role of the University

• Lectures

• Seminars / classes / practicals

• Field trips / language courses

• Examinations

Role of the Colleges

• Supervisions

• Directors of Studies

• Personal Tutors

• Undergraduate admissions



Student Life

• College community

• College and University societies

• Sport at every level

• Music and drama

• Nightlife

• Cambridge University Students

Union(CUSU)



• 15 October deadline

• Open application or choose a College

• Interviews

• Submission of written work

• Tests – at interview or in advance

Making An Application To Cambridge



• 29 Colleges admit undergraduates

• 4 Colleges admit only mature (age 21+) students

• 3 Colleges admit only women

• Most Colleges admit for all subjects but there are

exceptions – see Prospectus or website

Colleges



• An online applicationwww.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/copa.html

• The primary source of information

• Details of academic record

• The personal statement

• Completed application has to be submitted by 15

October

The Cambridge Overseas Application



• A back-up source of information for us

• A necessary part of the process

• The school/college reference

• Completed UCAS application has to be submitted by

15 October

The UCAS Application



• A student can apply to a particular College or makean Open application

• If they make an Open application, their application is

allocated by computer to a College – the algorithmaims to spread applications evenly across the

Colleges

Open Applications



• Saves the student the bother of choosing aCollege

• Evens out the assessment/interviewing load for us

• Makes no difference to their chances of getting aplace at Cambridge

Making An Open Application



Apply by October 15to UCAS

Interview(normally in December)

Decision(early in January)

Admissions Process 1



Decision

(early in January)

Offer

Yes

Pool Sorry

No




• To sell applicants squeezed out by thecompetition to other Colleges

• To allow reconsideration of applicants where

indicators disagree• To allow moderation – comparison of applicants

across Colleges before offers are made

Reasons For Pooling



Offer

Yes

Pool

SorryPool interview

(early in January)

Yes

No

No




• Academic record to date

• Predicted future results

• Personal statement

• School/college reference

• Written work if submitted

• Test result if taken

• Performance at interview

Information For Selection



Students who

• Can most benefit from what we have to offer,

whatever their background

• Enjoy a challenge

• Are academically able

• Have very real enthusiasm for their chosen course

What We Are Looking For 1



• A sound knowledge base and confidence in a rangeof skills, with the potential to go beyond the school

syllabus and to use this knowledge in unfamiliar situations

• A wider engagement in the subject, expressed

through an interest in new ideas and an enthusiasmfor reading round the subject

• Self-discipline, self-motivation and commitment

What We Are Looking For 2



• Each Cambridge course has different requirements,which are all detailed in the Prospectus and on our

website

• The Science courses tend to be more prescriptive

than the Humanities/Social Science courses

• Requirements are expressed in terms of A Levels,but alternative educational systems are acceptable

provided the required subjects represent the mainfocus of study

Knowledge Base



• Thinking Skills – tested at interview and/or through aThinking Skills Assessment

– Problem solving

– Understanding argument

– Data analysis and inference

• Research / Communication / Extended

Argumentation Skills – usually assessed by

reviewing and discussing at interview school essaysor project work

Skills Base



• The majority of applicants are called for interview

• Interviews usually take place in December

• Interviews are conducted by the Colleges

• In some subjects applicants may be interviewed by

more than one College

• Interviews will also be conducted in Toronto in late

November/early December

The Interview Process 1



• Applicants have 1, 2 or 3 interviews, each lasting20-45 minutes

• Most common format is two interviewers per interview

• Interviews are conducted by lecturers and are

predominantly academic and subject-focused

The Interview Process 2



• Genuine passion for the subject chosen

• Appropriateness of the course chosen

• Enthusiasm for complex and challenging ideas

• Clarity of thought and analytical ability

What We Are Looking For At Interview 1



• Intellectual flexibility

• Technical skills and knowledge, as appropriate

• Where appropriate, vocational or professional

commitment

• Where appropriate, budding interpersonal skills

What We Are Looking For At Interview 2



• Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) – Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

• Cambridge Law Test (CLT)

• Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP)

• Mathematics

• Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) (not all

colleges set this)

– Computer Science, Economics, Engineering,Natural Sciences

Additional Exams/Tests



• Demonstrate spare capacity

• Evidence of time management skills

• For some subjects, can reflect genuine enthusiasm

for that subject

• Can show something about an approach to life

Extra Curricular Activities 1



• We do not favour all-rounders

• We do not value some activities above others

• Excellence in an extra curricular activity will never

compensate for lower academic potential

Extra Curricular Activities 2

H W U P l S



• To confirm appropriateness of chosen subject andcourse

• To confirm commitment and organisation

• As an embarkation-point for discussion at interview

• To find out about– Subject focus– Reading and other wider exploration

– Work experience

– Extra-curricular activities/positions of responsibility– Honesty

How We Use Personal Statements



R f 1



• The school/college reference is helpful because ittells us about an applicant’s abilities and potential

• Comments from subject specialists that showevidence of intellectual flexibility and curiosity,

analytic ability, logical reasoning and the ability to

learn quickly are most useful

• It is helpful if remarks about academic performance

and potential are made as specific as possible

References 1

R f 2



The following are particularly helpful:

• Comments from subject teachers indicating a rank

order in class or a comparison with current or previous applicants

• Where an applicant has underachieved in the past,

reasons why this might have happened

• Any health or personal circumstances that might

affect performance at interview

References 2

References 3



The following are particularly helpful (continued):

• Evidence of a willingness to explore and discuss

ideas outside the confines of the subject syllabus, if applying for a subject studied at school

• Evidence of steps taken to find out about the subject,

for a non-school subject

References 3

Levels Of Conditional Offer



Candidates would usually be expected to offer:• EITHER IB (full diploma or just three Higher Level subjects). Full

diploma typical offer is 40 or 41+ points (including bonus points) and

776 in HL subjects; HL only offer is likely to be 776 or 777

•

OR Advanced Placement Tests, in which a typical offer asks for 5s inrelevant subjects or a range of subjects

And

• Performance in the High School Diploma that places the student

within the top 2% of their cohort

Levels Of Conditional Offer

Choosing A College 1



• Colleges are much more alike than they are different

• Whatever their College, the lectures a student goes

to and the coursework and exams they do will beexactly the same

• Almost all Cambridge students recommend their

own College





• All subjects have moderation procedures to ensurethat the best applicants across the University are

admitted

• Our statistics show that the chance of being

admitted to Cambridge is independent of Collegechoice

• Choosing a College to try to maximise chance of

successful application is pointless





Factors an applicant might consider:

• Age, size or location

• Provision of accommodation

• Provision of sporting, musical or drama facilities

• Provision for other recreational interests

• The types (mature, women only) of students admitted


Blyth CCT Scholarships 1



• Canadian citizens or permanent residents in their graduating year at high school or university are

eligible

• 4 scholarships available – one tenable at Pembroke

College, three tenable at any College

• For any subject except Medicine and VeterinaryMedicine





• Awarded on the basis of merit and need

• Need doesnt mean no money , just not enough

• Candidates should have shown academic excellence,

intellectual depth, personal integrity and successbeyond their studies

• Scholarship covers full tuition fees for three years,travel costs and a full living allowance


Blyth CCT Scholarships: Timeline



• 15 October: application deadline• Short-listing process

• Late Nov: interviews for short-listed candidates inToronto

• Early-mid Jan: outcomes announced

Blyth CCT Scholarships: Timeline

2013-14 Fee Levels & Costs



• University fee:– Most subjects: £13,662 pa

– Maths £15,237 pa

– Architecture, Geography & Music: £17,880 pa

– Experimental sciences: £20,790 pa

– Medicine & Veterinary Medicine: £33,069 pa

• College fee: ~£5,750 pa

• Living costs: ~£8,850 pa

2013 14 Fee Levels & Costs



Any Questions?

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