Where will a
Cambridge
qualification
take you?
 November 2013
Cambridge Assessment structure
Global Recognition
 Widespread recognition for A/AS Levels and IGCSE
DESTINATION: UK
Higher education in the UK
 Undergraduate
Bachelor (BSc, BA, BEng) – 3 years
Integrated Masters (MSci, MEng) – 4 yrs,
Medicine, Dentistry, Architecture 5+yrs
 Postgraduate
Master (MSc, MA, MRes) – 1 year
Doctorate (PhD) – 3 years
 Characterized by subject focused degrees rather than Liberal
Arts modal
UK University Admissions
 Cambridge International AS
and A Levels qualifications
are recognised by all
universities in the UK
 Competitive courses require
at least 3 good A Levels
 Universities often expect 4 AS
Levels, with 3 taken on to A2.
 IGCSE/O Level accepted as
direct equivalent of UK
GCSE, especially English and
Maths
Subject Selection & Informed Choices
 Many courses have
specific subject and
grade requirements
 Students should
research into suitable
subject choices early
 Russell Group ‘Informed Choices’ guide for info on subject
combinations: http://russellgroup.org/InformedChoiceslatest.pdf
UK Admissions Systems
 Centralised system - UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions
Service)
 Applications generally open 1 September – 15 January annually
 http://www.ucas.com/students/wheretostart/nonukstudents/
 UK nationals studying overseas may be classed as international
students.
Imperial College London
 Global reputation for science, engineering, medicine and
entrepreneurship
 Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013/14:
-3rd in Europe
-10th in World
 Tackling climate change, energy futures and global health
 Attracting high achievers:
-14 Nobel Laureates
-2 Fields Medallists
-73 Fellows of the Royal Society
-73
International Applications
 62% of Imperial Students from outside the UK
 Online UCAS application
 Predicted grades
 Qualifications already taken, e.g. iGCSEs/O-Levels
 Personal statement
 Reference
 BMAT (Medicine & Biomedicine), MAT (Mathematics)
 English Language, e.g. IELTS, TOEFL, CPE, iGCSE/O-Level English
 15th January deadline (15th October for Medicine)
 International students assessed equally to
Home/EU (NB restricted Medicine places)
Imperial Entry Requirements
 A-levels range from AAAb to A*A*A/A*AAA
 For Cambridge Pre-U D2 will replace A* in the standard ALevel offer, D3 will replace A
 Subjects normally specified
E.g. Biomedical Engineering: A* in A-level Mathematics, A in
Physics, and A in one other A-level subject, preferably Further
Mathematics, Chemistry or Biology
 A-levels most widely accepted qualification
and specialised knowledge essential for
Imperial courses
DESTINATION: FRANCE
France
ENIC-NARIC France: CIEP - Centre international d'études
pédagogiques
Students seeking to study ‘first cycle’ or undergraduate degrees in
France:
 Must hold a qualification which is equivalent to the French
baccalauréat - A levels are considered comparable to the French
baccalauréat.
 Offer a minimum of 2 A levels - generally what is required to
access higher education - AS levels may also be taken into
account in university admission.
 Demonstrate proficiency in the French language (CEFR B2 Level
minimum)
 Can apply through an online admission process called ‘Admission
post-bac’ (APB): admission-postbac.fr
France- general information
 4th most popular destination for international students: More
than 278,000 students
 World-renowned schools in social sciences, sciences and
economics and business
 Top schools provide special admissions procedures for
international students
 English-language education more prevalent than you think
 Distinction between public universities and so-called
GrandesEcoles
Background of ScPo
 “Among
the grandest of grandes ecoles” (The Economist)
 Founded in 1871
 One of the foremost social sciences universities in the world
 Highly selective but also highly diverse
 Continental Europe’s largest Humanities and Social
Sciences library
 Nearly 50% of student body is international
 Interdisciplinary curriculum with regional focus
 Leading innovation in higher education in France :
Undergraduate dual degree diplomas with top
universities: Columbia, UBC and UCL
 Pioneer in providing all English tracks to non-French
speakers
How ScPo deals with international
applicants
 Specific admissions procedure for students applying from
outside France:
On-line application procedure followed by interview for
pre-selected applicants
Independent of French APB university admissions
procedure
Holistic evaluation: Academic excellence, motivation, and
profile
Personal contact, open doors days and more…
General requirements for Cambridge
students
 For Sciences Po and the joint degree with UCL, European Social and
Political Studies Dual BA degree through UCAS:
• 3 A-level subjects: at minimum grades of A*AA to include an A grade
in French or Spanish if one of these is to be studied as the major
language;
• An A level in a humanities or social science subject (or Mathematics)
is normally a requirement;
• An A* grade in Mathematics is required for the full Economics
specialism, if chosen;
• A pass in a fourth subject at AS level or equivalent is also required.
 ScPo are looking for a minimum of D3 in three Principal subjects
 ScPo looks for grades + personality + curiosity + courage and motivation
in prospective applicants.
Language requirements
 English Track programs
• CAE Cambridge Certificate Advanced English B level
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
• TOEFL (IBT) 100
• IELTS 6.5
• Exemptions apply ….
 French programs
• At least B2 level
Experience with Cambridge students:
 Students from the UK and Asia mainly : High achievers
 19% of UK testing students in joint Sciences Po – UCL
program come from the UK and approximately 25% tested
with Cambridge
 For Sciences Po : Less than 2-3% of all international
applicants
 40% from the UK
 33% from Singapore
 Rest from Asia and Africa
DESTINATION: USA
USA University Admissions
 Over 460 universities officially recognise
Cambridge qualifications for entry
 5 Grade Cs in IGCSE/O Level meet
minimum freshman level entry
requirements for some colleges &
universities (including Maths and English)
 A Levels or Cambridge Pre-U Principal
Subjects are required for competitive
universities such as Yale, MIT and Harvard
 Advanced credit is available for A Levels
and Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects in
most universities
 Advanced credit is available for AS Levels
in some universities
US Admissions Systems
 Application procedures vary:
 Common Application (https://www.commonapp.com), with A Levels
specifically included from August 2013
 Supporting documentation and full high school transcript from school
– extremely important
 Individual application forms or supplements to the Common
Application for each university
 Deadlines vary:
 Usually mid-December to mid-January; 1-15 November for early
decisions
Tips and Hints
 Useful source of information for applications to study in the
USA http://www.fulbright.org.uk/study-in-the-usa/undergraduatestudy/applying/common-application/tips-and-hints
Destination USA materials
 http://www.cie.org.uk/usa/recognition/
 http://www.cie.org.uk/cambridge-for/universities-andcolleges/
Example recognition statements
 Yale University:
‘Cambridge International A Levels are recognised for
matriculation purposes. Credit awarded for Grades A or B.
Students enrolled in A Level programs may use completed A
Level results as a substitute for the SAT II Subject Tests on a
one for one basis. Yale only gives credit for A Levels once they
are approved by the student’s academic advisor.’
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology:
‘Cambridge International A Levels are recognised for
matriculation purposes. Between 9 and 12 credit units are
awarded to A Levels at grade A or B in Biology, Chemistry,
Mathematics, Physics, Humanities and Social Sciences.’
Columbia University
Required components of the application
•
The Common Application and The Columbia Writing Supplement to the
Common Application
•
Secondary School Report
o An official high school transcript from all high schools attended
o One high school counselor’s recommendation and school profile
•
Two Teacher Recommendations
(if applying to Columbia Engineering, one recommendation must be from a
math or science teacher)
•Required Standardized Testing
o SAT and two SAT Subject Test scores (for Engineering applicants, you
must submit a Math and Biology, Physics or Chemistry)
or
o the ACT Assessment Plus Writing
Required components of the application
(cont.)
•
English proficiency examination score
• TOEFL - A minimum score of 600 (paper-based test) or 100 iBT
• IELTS - A minimum score of 7.0 is necessary for admission to
Columbia.
• If you have a 650 on the Critical Reasoning or Writing sections of the
SAT, you are exempt from taking an English proficiency examination.
Supplementary materials for Science, Engineering, Creative and
Performing Arts (http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/firstyear/supplementary-materials)
http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/first-year
Columbia College (Liberal Arts School)
Students with grades of A or B on British Advanced Level examinations are
granted 6 points of credit for each if the examinations were taken in disciplines
offered as undergraduate programs at Columbia College up to a maximum of
16 points total advanced standing credit. The appropriate transcript should be
submitted to the Center for Student Advising, 403 Lerner.
Columbia Engineering- Liberal Arts Credits
Pending review by the appropriate department at Columbia, students with
grades of A or B on British Advanced Level examinations are granted 6 points
of credit if the examinations were taken in disciplines offered as undergraduate
programs at Columbia College. The appropriate transcript should be submitted
to the Center for Student Advising, 403 Lerner.
DESTINATION: CANADA
Canadian Higher Education System
 Universities offer 3-4 year programs leading to Degrees
 Colleges offer 1-2-3 year programs leading to Diplomas and may
offer 4 year technical Degrees
 4 year Bachelor’s degree are the norm. 3 year Degrees are
available at some schools but do not usually satisfy requirements
for professional or graduate degrees
 Admission is based primarily on academic performance. Most
programs will make decision on completed O Level/Exam results,
AS/A1 Exam results and Predicted grades for A/A2.
 Highly competitive or specialized programs may require additional
information (profile, statement, audition) which will be specified by
the school
Admission and transfer credit
 Most universities require 5 different subjects of which 2 or 3 must
be at A Level (the others at GCSE/IGCSE/O Level)
 Some will consider 2 AS Levels equivalent to 1 A Level
 Most give credit for A Levels (dependant on subject content and
program choice). Policies are institution specific
 Transfer Credits for A Levels may or may not satisfy program
prerequisites
McGill University
The minimum requirements are: three A-Levels with predicted and final grades of
B, B, C or better, or two A-level and two AS subjects with grades of B, B, C, C, or
better, or B, C, B, B, or better. However, many programs are more competitive and
require higher grades for GCSEs, AS and A-levels. A maximum of 30 credits of
advanced standing may be granted for final official A/AS Level results.
List of US and Canadian Higher Education institutions who
recognise Cambridge qualifications
University of Toronto: Admission Policy
Arts and Science, Music, Kinesiology, Architecture • At least five different IGCSE/GCSE/Ordinary Level academic subjects and three different Advanced Level subjects OR four different Advanced Subsidiary(AS) academic subjects being taken in the same year.
• 2 AS subjects may be considered equivalent to an A‐Level for admission.
• Prerequisites should be presented at Advanced/A2 or Advanced Subsidiary Level. Some programs may consider excellent IGCSE/GCSE/Ordinary Level results for fulfilling a prerequisite.
• Cambridge Pre‐U
The Cambridge International Pre‐U Certificate (3 Principal Subjects) or the full Cambridge International Pre‐U diploma including 3 Principal Subjects (or a combination of Advanced Level academic subjects and Principal Subjects), Global Perspectives and Independent Research Report (GPR).
Admission Policy and Transfer Credit
Engineering Admission
• Must have 3 A Level subjects. Must have A Level Math, Physics and 3rd Subject preferably Chemistry. If 3rd A Level not Chemistry must also have AS Chem.
Transfer Credits
• Arts and Science and Architecture will consider A Level subjects for credit. Subject by subject determination. Minimum final grade of “B”.
• Student may decline transfer credit and retake university level subject.
• Engineering, Music, Kinesiology : No transfer credit
English Proficiency
• TOEFL iBT 100 + 22 on Writing
• IELTS 6.5 with no band less than 6.0
• GCSE/IGCSE/GCE O’ Level English/English Language/English as a Second Language with minimum grade of “B”
• GCE A/AS/AICE Level English or English Language with minimum grade of “C”
• Cambridge English Language Assessment: CPE with minimum grade “C”
CAE with minimum grade “B”
DESTINATION: AUSTRALIA
Australian University Admissions
 Over 40 universities currently
officially recognise Cambridge
qualifications
 3 A Levels generally required
for admission
 Combination of Cambridge
International A and AS Levels
accepted in some states;
NSW accepts A Levels only
 IGCSE/ O Level accepted for
Foundation programmes.
Australian Admissions Systems
 International students generally apply directly to the
university of their choice
 Some universities will make offer based on predicted
grades/evidence from AS Level for international students.
 Tertiary Admissions Centres organised by state
 All Tertiary Admissions Centres have policies for admitting students
with Cambridge International A Levels
 All domestic applications and may assess applications from
international students
 Deadline is 30 September but applications are accepted until
December.
Things to consider
 Points criteria for entry – e.g.
A*=6, A=5 etc.
 New South Wales (Sydney)
and Victoria (Melbourne) are
generally the most popular
destinations
 Medicine requires an
entrance examination
 Scholarships/financial aid are
often available
 IELTS/TOEFL/CAE is a visa
requirement.
Recognitions Database
www.cie.org.uk/recognitionsearch
Recognitions Database
CIE Direct- verify students’ results online
Email: info@cie.org.uk to request a ‘University access to Cambridge
results online application form’
Learn more!
Getting in touch with
Cambridge is easy
Email us at
info@cie.org.uk
or telephone
+44 (0) 1223 553554
www.cie.org.uk