How likely am I to get into Cambridge as an American?

KingDward · April 20

I'm currently an American HS student. I have/am going to take 18 AP tests. I have gotten 5s on all of my ap tests so far from sophomore year in calc bc, chem, and world. I am extremely confident in getting 5s on all of my 8 ap classes this year, I have taken the math 2, chem, bio, and physics subject tests and scored 800 on all of them. I have a 36 ACT score. I also have lab experience and research at a university bio lab where I may have my name published as a contributor in a published paper. Unfortunately, while my gpa is high, I have recieved a single c in calc bc. Considering all of this, what are my chances?

PurpleTitan · April 20

What are you looking to study?

You'd have to decide that before you apply.

KingDward · April 20

Hi, sorry I missed this, I'm planning on studying biology

PurpleTitan · April 20

And what is the game plan even if you get a bachelor's in Natural Sciences at Cambridge?

KingDward · April 20

The ideal situation is that I'm able to return to the US and pursue an MD-PHD degree, my end goal is doctor/professor. I'm hoping to qualify for schools such as Johns Hopkins

PurpleTitan · April 20

For getting an MD, going anywhere but the US or Canada for undergrad is not recommended. Have you looked at US pre-med requirements? I'm pretty certain you can't meet them through Cambridge.

Why Cambridge?

KingDward · April 20

Thanks for the advice, I'll look more into the pre-med requirements. I still hope to attend Cambridge given its leading status in biology. I also believe that my transcript is more suited for British universities, while I will probably achieve a gpa of 4.4 and 3.8, I had a few b's and one c in sophmore year, all in extremely difficult APs though. I understand that Cambridge looks only at ap test scores and other test scores along with looking for applicants who have already decided on a major. Given these circumstances, I believe that my transcript is most suited for British Universities

PurpleTitan · April 20

Well, the thing is, what are you looking for? When it comes to lab and research resources and faculty, some of the US publics match Oxbridge/Ivies. For aiming for an MD/PhD program, a good honors program may help you reach your goal.

What state are you in?

KingDward · April 20

I attend a top public school in California

Twoin18 · April 20

Have you looked at the course content? Cambridge don't offer biology, only natural sciences (you choose either chem/bio or phys/chem). Oxford do offer single subject sciences.

Yes you'd have a strong application, but Oxbridge is not a good choice for US pre-meds. It is a good choice if your objective is to do a research PhD in sciences and become an academic or industry researcher. So saying your objective is "doctor/professor" is not very helpful.

PurpleTitan · April 20

They you'd have a lot of terrific public options as well. Have you calculated your UC GPA?

KingDward · April 20

Thanks for all the advice guys, my gpa would put me at the top of my school considering that I'm taking all APs this year and I have A's in all of them, that being said, I still have a C and a few B's plaguing my 3rd quarter sophomore year as explained above. While my gpa could technically allow me to qualify for almost every school in California, I still have that C that sticks out. To clarify my earlier response, my main goal is to be able to become a professor leading a team of scientists as the PI. From what I know, many colleges offer dual MD PHD programs which makes the process of becoming a professor easier. At the end of the day, the MD is optional, it is a means to an end for me, as long as I can get a position as an associate/assistant/legit professor. Oxford and Cambridge are interchangeable to me, both are great schools, but Cambridge is ranked higher for bio sciences and has a higher acceptance rate.

Conformist1688 · April 20

They’re really not interchangeable in an important way. Aat Oxford you would just do biology, at Cambridge you would have to do Natural Sciences, meaning at least one more science subject in depth. take A close look at the websites of the respective universities and departments to get a clearer picture of how the degrees are structured.

higher acceptance rates are a bit illusory. They just reflect numbers of applicants per place, rather than the actual difficulty of getting in.

KingDward · April 20

Thank you so much for the advice! I was originally a bit confused about what it meant by Natural Sciences, me not having someone to consult just thought it meant that I would have to choose one of several science classes. Knowing this, I would probably now lean more toward Oxford. Thanks guys.

Twoin18 · April 20

The full description of all the required and optional courses is on the website, because there is far less flexibility than in the US. You need to understand and be comfortable with the list of courses you would be taking. So for example don't expect to have the choice of taking computational biology before the third or fourth year.

There are incredibly detailed admission statistics, example entrance tests and all sorts of other information on the website. You should read it.

VickiSoCal · April 20

A pre med student would be more able to take all the required pre-med claaases.in a natsci program than in straight biology at Oxford. But it would still be difficult.

How likely am I to get into Cambridge as an American?

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