APPLYING TO CAMBRIDGE and other competitive universities Steve Watts Arts Admissions Tutor, Homerton College, Chair of University of Cambridge Admissions Forum

Questions asked How does a student gain admission to Cambridge; What level of academic qualifications are required to gain admission; What type of subjects are provided by the university; Keep these in mind as I go through the presentation, remind me if I don’t quite answer the questions

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT CAMBRIDGE? Collegiate Full range of largely academic courses. We offer mainly non-vocational subjects (except Medicine and Vet Medicine) Exceptional access to senior academics via small-group teaching: the ‘supervision’ Intensive courses: contact-time and provision of feedback Excellent career opportunities (employers want skills) Accommodation and social facilities Low student living costs

SELECTION CRITERIA A-level (or equivalent) grades/predictions and subject combinations AS/A unit marks (in Cambridge we ask for the UMS marks for each AS module) GCSE grades Contextual data Test results UCAS school/college reference UCAS personal statement Submitted work (where requested) Interview performance And we are looking for first class promise across these criteria

GETTING IT RIGHT Right subject Good track-record in exams Excellent organisation Consistently good UCAS reference (matches achievements) Strong UCAS personal statement shows super-curricular engagement And in the interviews good subject knowledge, at finger tips strong analytical ability, synoptic ability and clarity of thought willingness to re-think ideas in the face of contrary evidence

KEYS TO SUCCESS IN COMPETITIVE UNIVERSITIES: THE FOUR ‘R’s Right subject Excellent examination results Read and think – critically and analytically Revise - to embed learning and especially in advance of interview

The Offer Standard offer for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at A levelA*AA Standard offer for all Sciences and Maths (except PBS) at A levelA*A*A Average successful applicant has 2.7 A*s at A level Average successful applicant has 6+ A*s at GCSE High grades necessary but not sufficient!

Chiefly a starting point for interviews Write with integrity Be selective, critical and analytical Cover: Your interest in your course Relevant subjects you have studied Academic engagement outside the curriculum o Reading o Other wider exploration o Relevant work experience Extra-curricular activities do not figure in our considerations Personal statements

Typically minutes Conducted by subject specialists Problem-solving scenarios and discussion Interactive tests of: Interest Aptitude Core knowledge and technical skills Capacity to learn from mistakes and to listen in discussion Interviews: format

Interview tips #1 Ask the interviewers to rephrase or clarify if you don’t understand something Be yourself, explain your thought process and ask for help if you need it The interviews are designed to stretch you intellectually – not to catch you out or make you feel stupid Don’t pretend to know something if you don’t – but have a go at working it out: “We haven’t covered this at school, so I’m not sure, but I guess it works a bit like this…”

Interview tips #2 Think aloud, so interviewers can understand your thoughts and engage with them. Don’t be dogmatic and unwilling to consider new ideas… …but don’t be afraid to defend your ideas and have a strong (reasoned!) opinion

Interview tips #3 Don’t be afraid to challenge the premise of the question Interrogate the terms of the question – “if we define ‘political’ like this…” Questions are not meant to trick you – but there may be no ‘right’ answer and you need to think creatively If you need a definition, a formula or a value for a calculation – ask!

Interview tips #4 Don’t parrot back pre-rehearsed answers! The interviewer wants to get to know you – how you think, what you’re interested in – don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Listen to the question and answer the question you’ve been asked – not the one you were hoping to be asked!

HELP! What level of support could parents/guardians provide for students aspiring to gain admission to your university. All we ask is encouragement to do as well as possible in examinations and to show that wider, super-curricular engagement that indicates commitment to the subject itself. We can help with resources. Does the university offers any special or sponsorship schemes for students from less privilege background. We work closely with schools according to Colleges’ area links and via Summer schools, visits to us and from us. We have active schemes to encourage application from the BAME community, and from areas of low participation in Higher Education. We have extensive and generous bursaries, and more….

And when you have a place and have met your offer? Support for all students Tutorial Financial Academic Counselling The best retention rate amongst UK universities

Questions? And check out the following web pages: The larger Cambridge website has amazing series of connections to help make your application competitive. Try: And (even of your school isn’t part of HE+)