Hey.
I am planning to apply to Cambridge to study computer science. I have some questions:
How tough is it for an American to get in?
I have heard that though meeting the minimum AP requirement is important, a lot depends on the interviews. Are the interviews very tough?
How prestige is a Cambridge admission as compared to HYPSM? I have travelled to many countries and outside the US, a cambridge admission is regarded as somewhat more prestigious than YPS and as prestigious as HM if not more.
My d is American but applied from France. I have described the process she went through, if you scroll my posts.
There is also a mother on here (one of the collegemoms, I think) whose son is doing comp sci at Oxford.
@alcibiade thanks for replying. Getting into ivies is tough because a large part of decisions process is luck. I don’t think its the same for Oxbridge. Getting into oxbridge is tough because of the rigor factor not luck factor right? Also, what about my 3rd question?
That is your opinion, to which you are entitled. I do not believe that there is any empirical evidence which shows a discernible difference between the uni mentioned.
@skieurope Sorry if i couldn’t present my point properly. The univs I mentioned are all regarded as equally prestigious but GETTING INTO Cambridge is regarded as more prestigious as it is perceived to be harder.
OK, thanks for clarifying. I think the point still stands, though. HYPMS acceptance rates are a third of Cambridge’s, although I don’t think that acceptance rate = prestige. More to the point, if you are choosing uni based upon prestige, you’re probably basing your decisions on the wrong reasons.
After your application is in, you have to be invited for an interview. They will hold the interview via Skype if you don’t travel to Cambridge. You will be interviewed by professors who will be your likely “tutors” should you be accepted. Thus, they have skin in the game: if they think you are smart but arrogant, etc.,and unteachable, you may not get in. You will have two sets of interviews with, usually, two professors in each interview. After the interviewing, you will then take a written one-hour/ 1 1/2 hour test in your declared subject. If you have ever wandered over the med school forum, you will note there the absolutely crucial nature of interviews. The candidates all have great stats and ECs, so the interview is the great differentiator. Finally, at Cambridge (or Oxford, for that matter) you apply directly to the “college” within the university. Your interview will be conducted by the tutors from that college (they may bring up someone else as well). If they like you but don’t have room, you will be placed in something known as the “Winter Pool,” where other colleges who didn’t fill all the places they have with candidates they felt acceptable will draw on and may offer you admission from the pool. It’s the Cambridge form of “waiting list.”
In sum: if you get an interview, you have a good shot. The key to a successful interview is to know your personal statement on your application in depth, as this is where the interview will start from and you better be able to explain every sentence, justify each opinion or experience, in succint detail. Also, you will likely get a “problem” to solve in the interview that even Stephen Hawking would be unlikely to solve – but that’s the point, they want to see where you would start and how you might think it through and this then creates the kind of tutor-tutee dialogue that the interviewers want to see. The quality of that dialogue (not any flip answers you might come up with) is what will get you in.
Finally, for those who look at pure application and admit stats and think that Cambridge or Oxford are less selective than HYPSM, etc., here is the way to look at it: (1) You can only apply to one elite school; (2) Your application will be rejected outright if you don’t have at least a 2100 combined SAT or a 33 ACT; and (3) Your application will be rejected outright unless you have at least "5"s on three APs related to the area you wish to study. The latter two conditions mean that lots fewer people apply because an effective hurdle has been created. For US schools, there are no hurdles. Apply with stinky stats and you can still get in if you play lacrosse or something. There are no athletic cases, development cases, faculty cases, etc. at Oxford or Cambridge. Do you think that Obama’s kids will not get into the Ivies (Brown takes tons of celebrities and celebrity kids) or specifically Harvard? Of course they will! But hardly any of the royal family in Great Britain goes to/gets into Cambridge or Oxford – they just cant get past the hurdle. The Queen just can’t call up the Cambridge Chancellor and say let my grandkids in. She wouldn’t even insult the Chancellor by making that call.
The US system is very different, and depends in many ways on the profile of the parent, not the kid.
I think it is meaningless when comparing the top 6 or so. Cam is always in that range, right at the top. The more important thing is whether or not the institution fits your learning style and preferences. Last time I saw my daughter, she had four essays to write in as many days and she loves that intensity, even if it is stressful and tiring. She also sings in a choir several times a week and acts. She also does only her subject, nothing outside as electives, which she also likes because she knew what she wanted to do at about 15, which is not the case for most undergrads in liberal arts colleges.
I do think there is luck involved in Oxbr admissions process, perhaps not as much as the Ivies, but still. Check out the Student’s Room, there is great stuff there.
@makennacompton and @alcibiade Thank you so so much for such elaborate answers. As it appears, the admission peocess is rigorous but interesting. I am of the belief that peer quality is the biggest resource for a student in any academic institution. From what I gather, I will have a much academically stronger cohort of peers at Cambridge than at HYPS. That said, the top 6 schools are all great. For CS, MIT, Cambridge, Stanford and UCB are the world leaders. Thank you again for the deep insights.
Another very KEY THING to remember when applying to Cambridge or Oxford is that the whole application has to in and done by the middle of October. Most American kids can’t get themselves in gear, much less their schools with the all-critical school recommendation (that has to say, “this kid is the best ever kid we have ever seen or will ever see and we are amazed at his brilliance and academic future” – really, not much less) by that early deadline. It stresses the school counselor out way too much.
Thank you. I shall keep that in mind. One more question just popped up in my mind. Americans are asked for 5 APs while the majority of British applicants entering Cambridge have 3-4 A levels. Will I be lagging behind them from the very beginning since A-levels are tougher and the syllabus is certainly much more vast than APs.
Americans don’t take A-levels. The Brits know that. So, they ask for APs, which are the closest thing Americans have to rigorous standardized exams like the A-Levels. APs are fine. On the other hand, Oxford and Cambridge don’t know much about the ACT, although they are trying to. If you really want a shot here, you should imagine yourself presenting with five "5"s on the APs, and they better be darn close to what you want to study – no Spanish, Math, Physics, Literature, etc. If you want to study science, you need to show up with APs like CalcAB, Bio, Physics, Stats, and Chemistry for example, no artsy stuff!! Well-roundedness is not a quality that Cambridge selects for or cares about,
Hi, question: if I was looking to study history of art at oxford, which APs would they consider related to the subject? There is an AP art history and AP european history in the US (both of which i am taking) but i cannot think of another AP which would be somewhat related
HOA only asks for at least 1 exam that requires essay writing, which include art history and history, so you are covered. Imo, Lit & Lang are good ones to add- they are very straight forward and need less prep than most. If you have a language that could be good also. I trust you have already read the HOA pages on the website thoroughly- there is a lot of info there! In particular, be aware that you have 2 submit 2 pieces of written work, one of which is a marked essay from one of the AP courses. Since you apply in October, you won’t have much time from autumn courses, so you might want to look for one from this academic year.
Hey, I don’t know if you’re looking at this anymore, but Jake Wright studies Computer Science at Cambridge and he does some really great vlogs on Youtube of his life there. You should check him out!