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Forums - General Discussion - I got a Cambridge offer

ultima said:
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Here, after one graduates from high-school, they can apply for a university, provided their average is high enough. The average is calculated by taking 1 math mark, 1 English mark, and 3 elective marks (all grade 12 level, of course). The electives are subdivided into 2 categories (sciences and arts, I think), and at least 1 mark from each category must be used (so they won't take 3 science marks, even if they're your highest). The marks that will be chosen are the ones that satisfy the above conditions and give you the highest possible average. Each university has their own minimum required average (usually 75-80%).

After you apply for a university (this is done before your final high-school year ends if you're not taking a year off), you'll receive a letter if you're accepted. This is conditional, however, as you must pass all of the mandatory classes, have a minimum of 24 credits, and maintain a satisfactory average by the end of the year. If the above conditions are met, then you go to university. A bachelor's degree can be acquired in 4 years, after which you may continue with post-graduate studies if you wish.

Is E considered a passing grade? Asking because you must get a 50% to pass here (60% for engineering classes).

I'm thinking of studying physics or math. Those are the areas I'm really good at and I find them really interesting. I don't understand your question though...

OK, thanks.

E is technically a pass, yes, but in the eyes of universities, employers and the students themselves C and above is what is considered worthwhile.

The average offer is something like 3 B grades. Some A-levels are considered harder than others though.

My question was essentially what topics are covered in the highest-level courses at your high-schools, in Physics or Maths. For example, my Physics this year is Momentum, Electric/Gravitational Field Theory, Simple Harmonic Motion, Thermodynamics and Nuclear Instability.



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Soleron said:
ultima said:
...

Here, after one graduates from high-school, they can apply for a university, provided their average is high enough. The average is calculated by taking 1 math mark, 1 English mark, and 3 elective marks (all grade 12 level, of course). The electives are subdivided into 2 categories (sciences and arts, I think), and at least 1 mark from each category must be used (so they won't take 3 science marks, even if they're your highest). The marks that will be chosen are the ones that satisfy the above conditions and give you the highest possible average. Each university has their own minimum required average (usually 75-80%).

After you apply for a university (this is done before your final high-school year ends if you're not taking a year off), you'll receive a letter if you're accepted. This is conditional, however, as you must pass all of the mandatory classes, have a minimum of 24 credits, and maintain a satisfactory average by the end of the year. If the above conditions are met, then you go to university. A bachelor's degree can be acquired in 4 years, after which you may continue with post-graduate studies if you wish.

Is E considered a passing grade? Asking because you must get a 50% to pass here (60% for engineering classes).

I'm thinking of studying physics or math. Those are the areas I'm really good at and I find them really interesting. I don't understand your question though...

OK, thanks.

E is technically a pass, yes, but in the eyes of universities, employers and the students themselves C and above is what is considered worthwhile.

The average offer is something like 3 B grades. Some A-levels are considered harder than others though.

My question was essentially what topics are covered in the highest-level courses at your high-schools, in Physics or Maths. For example, my Physics this year is Momentum, Electric/Gravitational Field Theory, Simple Harmonic Motion, Thermodynamics and Nuclear Instability.

Grade 12 Physics covers Newton's laws, kinematics, energy and energy conversions, momentum, waves, electric circuits and Kirchoff's circuit laws, and nuclear decays. Highest level math course is Calculus, which covers much of differential calculus, and offers an introduction to integral calculus. Before Calculus, there are 3 30 level math classes, that cover many many things (not in great detail), such as systems of equations, matrices, probability, counting, geometry, logic, conics, etc.



           

Yeah, ultima, our maths courses go a little beyond that (especially Further Maths) with more of integration, complex numbers, and matrices.



Soleron said:
Yeah, ultima, our maths courses go a little beyond that (especially Further Maths) with more of integration, complex numbers, and matrices.

Well our textbooks were local, it could be different in other provinces, but we didn't go into detail with those topics. But then again, we didn't go into detail with any of the topics. For example, we were given logarithms and all of the formulae, but never given the proofs to them. Many students seem to have trouble with their maths here, so that could be the reason. LOL, the average midterm mark for my first university math (Calculus I, which is differential calculus) was around 40%, and I though it was dead easy.

So did you actually apply to Cambridge or get scouted out?



           

CONGRAAAAAATS!!

So far I have had 2 interviews for medicine (nottingham & leicester) should find out if I have offers or not in march

waiting for interviews from UCL & Imperial College London (for medicine)

1 offer from University College London (UCL) for biomedical sciences......its conditional -- AAA, Their book said ABB was gonna be the offer but they have obviously become cocky after the new world rankings placed them 4th even ahead of oxford, the woman on the open day said "Due to high demand & our newfound strong worldwide position we feel giving offers AAA will benefit us as we will get the best students".....RIDICULOUS imho as they were then lying in their prospectus!

Biomedical sciences is my "insurance" option just in case I get rejected for medicine everywhere


so far soooo good!!!!!

BTw soleron 5 people from my school got into cambridge this year (down from 6 last year).



All hail the KING, Andrespetmonkey

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darthdevidem01 said:

CONGRAAAAAATS!!

So far I have had 2 interviews for medicine (nottingham & leicester) should find out if I have offers or not in march

waiting for interviews from UCL & Imperial College London (for medicine)

1 offer from University College London (UCL) for biomedical sciences......its conditional -- AAA, Their book said ABB was gonna be the offer but they have obviously become cocky after the new world rankings placed them 4th even ahead of oxford, the woman on the open day said "Due to high demand & our newfound strong worldwide position we feel giving offers AAA will benefit us as we will get the best students".....RIDICULOUS imho as they were then lying in their prospectus!

Biomedical sciences is my "insurance" option just in case I get rejected for medicine everywhere


so far soooo good!!!!!

BTw soleron 5 people from my school got into cambridge this year (down from 6 last year).

Medicine's a good course, hope you get offers. One person I know has a medicine offer (Cardiff), a few more are waiting to find out.

Similar numbers of people from my school too, for Oxbridge - 5 offers, 3 pooled.

UCL is a respected university; even if they made ABB offers it's on the basis that you're good enough to get 3 As anyway. Most people who do a 4 Medicine/1 Biomed split should be predicted that anyway. They're not better than Oxford though.



ultima said:
Soleron said:
...

Well our textbooks were local, it could be different in other provinces, but we didn't go into detail with those topics. But then again, we didn't go into detail with any of the topics. For example, we were given logarithms and all of the formulae, but never given the proofs to them. Many students seem to have trouble with their maths here, so that could be the reason. LOL, the average midterm mark for my first university math (Calculus I, which is differential calculus) was around 40%, and I though it was dead easy.

So did you actually apply to Cambridge or get scouted out?

It's your ability, not the high school course, that should limit your achievement. When I spent 3 years in an American school it was taught at the lowest level, I couldn't cope with the boredom.

Here we don't get 'scouted' (you mean universities contact you first?), we all apply through a online national university application service.



Soleron said:
darthdevidem01 said:

CONGRAAAAAATS!!

So far I have had 2 interviews for medicine (nottingham & leicester) should find out if I have offers or not in march

waiting for interviews from UCL & Imperial College London (for medicine)

1 offer from University College London (UCL) for biomedical sciences......its conditional -- AAA, Their book said ABB was gonna be the offer but they have obviously become cocky after the new world rankings placed them 4th even ahead of oxford, the woman on the open day said "Due to high demand & our newfound strong worldwide position we feel giving offers AAA will benefit us as we will get the best students".....RIDICULOUS imho as they were then lying in their prospectus!

Biomedical sciences is my "insurance" option just in case I get rejected for medicine everywhere


so far soooo good!!!!!

BTw soleron 5 people from my school got into cambridge this year (down from 6 last year).

Medicine's a good course, hope you get offers. One person I know has a medicine offer (Cardiff), a few more are waiting to find out.

Similar numbers of people from my school too, for Oxbridge - 5 offers, 3 pooled.

UCL is a respected university; even if they made ABB offers it's on the basis that you're good enough to get 3 As anyway. Most people who do a 4 Medicine/1 Biomed split should be predicted that anyway. They're not better than Oxford though.

I hope so too

we had 10 applying to cambridge (no-one to oxford as no-ones gotten into oxford from our school since the last 10 years), 5 got in, none pooled (quite surprising)

1 BIG upset, I am shocked one person who I thought would get in like 99% DIDN'T get it!! Really shocked

I didn't think they were better than oxford, but these are the world rankings used each year, here is the link for the 2009 one

http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/results

2009 rank School Name Country

1 HARVARD University United States
2 University of CAMBRIDGE United Kingdom
3 YALE University United States
4 UCL (University College London) United Kingdom
5= IMPERIAL College London United Kingdom
5= University of OXFORD United Kingdom
7 University of CHICAGO United States
8 PRINCETON University United States
9 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (m... United States
10 California Institute of Technology (calt... United States

shows that they are......she used these on that day...actually this was a topic in our school a few months ago, some teachers said oxford saw its biggest drop ever or something, although after centuries of being in the top 3, a year going down to 5th is nothing to panic about imho

London is apparently very costly though, I haven't even looked at the cost aspect, do you get university accomodation for all your years?



All hail the KING, Andrespetmonkey

Nice, onlny got one offer back so far UCL AAA, waiting for LSE



darthdevidem01, Oxford and Cambridge are equal in all respects. Pay no attention to the league table, they are run almost identically. The reasons to pick one over the other are limited to how the course works and whether you like the 'atmosphere'. I preferred NatSci to straight Physics, hence Cambridge.

London is extremely expensive; I wanted to apply to Imperial but couldn't afford it without getting a job while at uni which is not really an option if I want to do my best. London universities don't really do accomodation for more than the first year; Cambridge and Oxford are the only ones I know that (sometimes) offer accommodation for all four years.