Dr Andrew Spencer
Acting Admissions Tutor
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
29 Undergraduate Colleges
Focus of your life at Cambridge
◦ meals and accommodation
◦ supervisions
◦ social life: sports and societies
◦ academic and pastoral care



20% of successful applicants
are made offers by a different
College to the one to which
they originally applied
Open Applications:
competitive applicants have
equal chance of success
Colleges have more in
common than they have
differences




Most important decision (more
important than which
university)
Careful consideration of
content of degree
No joint honours degrees
Assessment
Choose
course
and
College
UCAS
application
(Extenuating
Circumstances
form)
Result of
applicatio
n
Choose ‘firm’
and
‘insurance’
choices
Submit by
15 October
Interview
(mid
December)
Exam
results/
confirmation
Complete
online
SAQ
Written
work/ tests
Start
universit
y
Admissions decisions are
based on:
 A level (or equivalent)
grades and subject
combinations
 AS grades and unit marks
 GCSE grades
 School/college reference
 Personal statement
 Submitted work (where
requested)
 Test results (where
applicable)
 Interview performance
Unlike Oxford testing is not a
significant part of selecting whom
we interview
•Pre-interview tests in Medicine and
Veterinary medicine (BMAT). Some
colleges will ask for TSA in some
subjects (check university website).
•BUT we do use tests at the time of
interview as part of the selection
process.
•Some of these are university-wide
tests (Cambridge Law Test,
Philosophy Logic Test), while
colleges often use tests in particular
subjects (again, check the university
website to see what colleges ask for)
•





c.70-80 per cent of candidates are
interviewed. Decisions about interviewing
usually made on the basis of AS UMS
performance.
Usually all on one day in early December.
Usually all in one college.
Candidate usually have two interview
(sometimes three) and it is usual for there to
be two academics in each interview.
Interviews last between 20 and 45 minutes,
most frequently 25-30 minutes.
•
Conducted by subject specialists
•
Problem-solving scenarios and discussion
•
Interactive tests of:
Interest
Aptitude
Core knowledge and technical skills
‘Teachability’





Some colleges are oversubscribed in particular
subjects in particular years, others are
undersubscribed – the Pool helps to ensure that
strong candidates do not miss out
Data sharing between colleges before, during and
after interview period.
Colleges make one of three decisions about each
application: 1) Direct offer; 2) rejection; 3) Pool
Pool takes place in early January and allows colleges
with spaces to fill up their places.
Three possible outcomes for candidates in the Pool:
1) Direct offer from a new college (BUT sometimes
from original college); 2) interview at another
college/s; 3) no offer and therefore unsuccessful
application.
Students who:
•
•
•
•
•
Can most benefit from what we
have to offer, whatever their
background
Enjoy a challenge and are
academically highly able
Have a sound knowledge base and
a range of skills, with the potential
to go beyond the syllabus and use
this knowledge in unfamiliar
situations
Have wider engagement in the
subject, expressed through an
interest in new ideas and an
enthusiasm for ‘reading’ round the
subject
Have self-discipline, selfmotivation and commitment
Usual offers at Cambridge









For Science course (Computer Science, Engineering,
Maths, Medicine, Natural Sciences and Veterinary
Medicine) A*A*A at A level
For all other courses A*AA at A Level
40-42 points, incl bonus, in IB and 776 in Higher Level
papers
Also accept applicants with range of other qualifications
STEP for Mathematics (typically, grade 1 and 1 in STEP II
and III)
Extended Projects are not included in offers
Occasional variation in offers in particular circumstances
Christ’s College - Arts & Humanities AS ave (2012 entry):
93.62 per cent. Sciences AS ave (2012 entry): 94.71 per
cent.
Christ’s College – Arts & Humanities (2012 entry)
achieved average of 2.3 A*s. Science (2012 entry)
achieved an average of 3.46 A*s.