oxbridge admissions

> anonymous 35

Application

University: Cambridge

College (if made an open application, allocated college): Emmanuel (open application, allocated college)

Course: Medicine

Year in (not for!) which you applied: 2001

Final outcome: rejected

Applicant

Qualification: A-levels

When did you apply in terms of your qualification? pre-qualification

Are you a home/EU/overseas applicant? N/A

What is your country of origin? N/A

What type of school/college do/did you attend? FE College

GCSE or a similar equivalent taken: yes (9 A*,1 A,1 B)

A-levels

AS: Biology (NA at AS)

A2: Chemistry (NA at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: General Studies (NA at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Government and Politics (NA at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Mathematics (NA at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

A2: Physics (NA at AS; predicted A; gained NA at A2)

Other universities

Have you applied to other universities you consider very close, 'on par' or even better than oxbridge? (Ivies, Sorbonne, LSE..others for different subjects) N/A

Received offers from 3 other medical schools

Decisions about the application

For what reasons did you apply to Oxbridge?

An Oxbridge education provides more opportunities in later life, and also the chance to recieve top quality teaching from experts in their field.

How did you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?

Went to look at both; preferred the atmosphere and environment of Cambridge and the course structure.

Why did you choose this college/make an open application?

I liked the college when looking round. Medium sized college; very good reputation for Medicine (not that the others don't). Difficult decision as all colleges were excellent, but also a high ratio of applicants and I liked the challenge.

Preparation

Did your school/college give you any extra tuition or help prior to your interview or application? no

A mock interview and advice from previous students.

Do you have any advice for future applicants in terms of preparation?

Read the papers, make sure you know the science (especially if you don't take A level Biology like me). Be yourself on the day.

Interview

Did you have to sit any pre-interview exams (LNAT/BMAT/..)? yes

Yes the MVAT. Looked at a previous paper. Would advise applicants to prepare well for this and try and answer the questions under exam conditions.

Did you have to submit any written work prior to the interview? no

Did you have to take any exams as part of your interview(s)? no

How was/were in general your interview(s)?

2 Interviews, very informal on a sofa. Had a discussion with the interviewers rather than being asked direct questions.

What questions were you asked during your interview(s)?

About Medicine and the MVAT. Science questions about DNA and Genetics.

What did you wear to your interview(s), and why?

A suit, probably expected for all male applicants. Felt most suitably dressed in this.

Impressions

What was your general impression of the college that you applied to/any others you visited?

All excellent faclities, appear to be loaded!

If seen, please describe the college accommodation eg. size of rooms, facilities.

Best quality accomodation compared to other universities.

How was the food provided by the college?

Good

How did you find the tutors in the college?

Most friendly especially the director of studies. Interviers in science interview not as friendly.

Generally, what were the college students like (from what you saw of them)?

Excellent

Final stage

Please describe what happened when you received the letter/the call telling you whether you had a place or not.

At first I was disappointed, but soon get over it. Oxbridge is not the end of the world, but if you feel it is you can reapply next year. For Medicine I don't think it is all that superior to other universities.

Looking back

If you were to re-live that year of your life again, would you still apply?

Yes, interview was really interesting and good to see how the system operated. I could have been offered a place and Oxbridge are cheap universities to study in.

What advice do you have for potential applicants based on your experiences?

Don't expect it to be easy no matter how intelligent you are. Almost everyone who applies is excellently qualified and if you're not successful don't let it get to you.

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