Cambridge University

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Since it's in the UK, there's no info about Cambridge U on collegeboard, US News, anywhere except for their website, which seems almost, foreign, to me. . . . (lol). </p>

<p>Anyway, what can people tell me about it? How does it compare to the Ivy League? I'm assuming that they don't use the SAT, so is there a UK equivalent to gauge applicants? Would a lower middle class person be able to afford it? In the US, you can basically go to any top school you're accepted due to their extensive financial aid, but I doubt that's true for internationals to UK. </p>

<p>Also, who would win in a resume fight? A Harvard graduate or a Cambridge graduate?</p>

<p>I don't suppose anyone here has actually gone to Cambridge, but if they have, I'd also really appreciate non-academic information such as campus life.</p>

2

<p>I suggest you start by looking at:</p>

<p>The</a> application process
Applying</a> from overseas
Admissions</a> tests and written work</p>

<p>In terms of prestige, I'd say Cambridge/Oxford generally are seen at as about equal to, or more likely above, Harvard. But I'm far from an expert in the area and could be wrong.</p>

3

<p>I have looked at those pages, but it's still unclear how they would evaluate me as an international applicant, since I don't have any IB or "A" or "A2" classes; don't even really know what the latter two are; barely know what the first one is either. I also can't tell if I would actually have to go there to be interviewed or take the TSA, which, based on the sample 10 questions, I found really easy.</p>

4

<p>hey i can prob. help, i applied to and was accepted to oxford this year. give me some stats for u, true they mostly look at ib and a levels but aps are also acceptable. i got in on aps. the most important thing for the british unis is that you can make it clear you are passionate about the subject u plan on studying as u will only be studying that for 4 years. as to interviews at cambridge, my friend applied and was asked to do a phone interview, he got rejected, and yes as to the TSA there are often tests u take to better judge u in comparison to other applicants</p>

5

<p>For the original poster, I found this info on a Cambridge website regarding US applicants:</p>

<p>"Candidates should be aware of a possible mismatch between the broad liberal arts curriculum of the North American High School and the specialist emphasis of British degree courses. Very few students enter a Cambridge College directly from a US High School. The Cambridge Colleges admit about 3000 students each year; last year only six of these offers were made to US citizens, conditional on SAT and Advanced Placement scores. Entry to Cambridge is at least as competitive as for Harvard, Yale etc and we would expect two or three APs in addition to a combined SAT score of at least 1300."</p>

<p>
[quote]
How does it compare to the Ivy League?

[/quote]

It's hard to make direct comparisons because Oxbridge is so much different, and older, than the Ivy League. However, there's no question that it's an excellent school and easily as good as any Ivy League school.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I'm assuming that they don't use the SAT, so is there a UK equivalent to gauge applicants?

[/quote]

They don't use the SAT for UK applicants (they have their own much more rigorous and specialized tests), but they get applicants from all over the world and thus do know how to look at SAT scores and US transcripts. Also, unlike most US admissions interviews (which are generally 'fit' interviews) Cambridge admissions interviews are academically rigorous exam like interviews (in addition to the standard 'fit' type questions). </p>

<p>
[quote]
Would a lower middle class person be able to afford it?

[/quote]

This could be an issue. UK students get most of the tuition costs covered by the government, but foreign and non-EU students often have to foot the whole bill. There are some potential funding sources available though so don't give up hope. </p>

<p>
[quote]
In the US, you can basically go to any top school you're accepted due to their extensive financial aid, but I doubt that's true for internationals to UK.

[/quote]

That's far from universally true in the US, although for some schools that's the case. For undergraduate there is limited funding for foreign undergraduate students, but a lot more for foreign graduate students (see below). </p>

<p>
[quote]
Also, who would win in a resume fight? A Harvard graduate or a Cambridge graduate?

[/quote]

I'd say at worst it's a draw... Cambridge is considered at least on par with the Ivy League if not better in some circles. However, if it's an American the Cambridge degree means they have some decent international experience too and that would certainly win in a resume fight (assuming the other person lacks that). </p>

<p>
[quote]
I don't suppose anyone here has actually gone to Cambridge, but if they have, I'd also really appreciate non-academic information such as campus life.

[/quote]

I haven't but a close friend has and they loved every second of it. As they once put it: </p>

<p>"When you walk around most older US universities you see lots of old and impressive buildings, but in reality they're not that old (150-200 years old at most) and just trying to emulate a much older building. If you go to Harvard you walk into Annenberg Hall and are impressed by the building but in essence it's just a modern attempt to copy the halls of Oxford and Cambridge. When at Cambridge it's the real deal... the buildings are actually as old as they look. I never got my head around the fact that some of the Unversity's buildings, still in use today, were built long before the New World was even discovered. "</p>

<p>Also although the University is, obviously, very academically oriented there's also an incredibly strong culture of extra-curricular activities and sports especially rowing (what we call crew) between the colleges. &lt;/p>

<p>Finally, if things don't work out at the undergraduate level financially speaking don't forget about graduate studies where there are often a lot more options (including funding options) for Americans to do a degree at Cambridge. Funding wise things like the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship, NIH-Cambridge Fellowship are some of the awards that would provide full funding for a Cambridge graduate course.</p>

6

<p>
[QUOTE]
I don't suppose anyone here has actually gone to Cambridge, but if they have, I'd also really appreciate non-academic information such as campus life.

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Well I have! I did Natural Sciences at New Hall (women's college).</p>

<p>I've posted on this extensively before, so search for my previous posts such as this one, in detail how to apply to Cambridge (note the CAF form is being abolished apparently. It was on the news in fact).</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/385027-applying-cambridge.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/385027-applying-cambridge.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Not to mention several threads with titles such as "The Official Cambridge Thread". </p>

<p>There is a similar board to this in the UK at
<a href="http://www"&gt;www&lt;/a>. the student room .co.uk
Remove the spaces and it will work. Direct links to it are not allowed on this borad, but I don;t know why. Unfortunately, you probably won't find many US applicants there but it may still give you an idea of what the application process is like.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
Anyway, what can people tell me about it? How does it compare to the Ivy League? I'm assuming that they don't use the SAT, so is there a UK equivalent to gauge applicants?

[/QUOTE]

Read the Cambridge website. Can you narrow the question? I am not about the re-type the entire site here! Do you know the basics about applying to the UK?
Early deadlines (20th Sept for Oxbridge applicants wanting to interview overseas),
You must apply to a specific subject and there is no switiching,
You can only apply to 6 schools, and only Oxford OR Cambride, not both
It's rare for US applicants to get in straight out of high school
Conditional offers
ECs totally irrelevant so don;t mention them
For Oxbridge you have to be interviewed
They couldn't care less about anything not related to your subject of study eg if you apply for English, AP calculus won't count in admissions.</p>

<p>It's much easier to get in as a study abroad student through a US school, than as an enrolled student.</p>

<p>This is a only very brief summary (see my other post linked above).</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
Would a lower middle class person be able to afford it?

[/QUOTE]

Well you'd have to pay full international fees. there is zero financial aid for overseas undergraduates.
Again, all this information is available within about 3 clicks.
Overseas</a> costs and fees</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
Also, who would win in a resume fight? A Harvard graduate or a Cambridge graduate?

[/QUOTE]

This is an impossible question. I very much doubt there is any employer who has a policy of rejecting any Harvard graduates in favour of Cambridges ones or vice versa. That would totally depend on the job concerned and the individual candidates. I'm sorry but no school "name" is going to guarentee you a job (or even an interview) ever (interestingly enough I find Americans WAY MORE IMPRESSED that I went to Cambridge than anyone in Europe. I guess it's just seen as more exotic. People in the UK are not that bothered most of the time, but they have probably met Oxbridge grads before and it's not that unusual to them).</p>

7

<p>Do they require SAT for non-US applicants?</p>

8

<p>im kind of tired of people thinking there are universities tied with Harvard in terms of prestige. There Is Not! Even in the States Harvard generally regarded as the most prestigious. Around the world, that is way more apparent. Cambridge is freaking awesome but not on Harvard level prestige... sheesh. People get it right!</p>

<p>Edit: Do not make the case... blah blah everyone knows Cambridge too... A homeless person in Bangladesh does not know Cambridge... but a lot of them do know Harvard....i've lived there... trust me.</p>

9

<p>They require SAT for students who have gone to international schools with an american curriculum no matter where in the world.</p>

10

<p>I love how people think that they can provide definitive on worldwide prestige. Don't even bother trying, because someone on this board will always find some evidence or reason to disprove your statement. I have found that in the US many laymen are more impressed with someone going to Oxbridge than Harvard simply because it's 1) foreign and thus 2) far less Americans attend Oxbridge than the Ivies.</p>

11

<p>Trying to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge:</p>

<p>1) Roughly speaking, 'AS' and 'A2' are (externally-set) exams that UK students take respectively at the end of 12th and 13th grades (note that secondary school in Britain lasts one year longer than in the US, hence the "13th grade"). Your 'AS' and 'A2' grades ("marks") are combined to produce an overall 'A-Level' letter grade (A, B, C, etc.), which is used by the universities for admission purposes.</p>

<p>2) In particular, a Cambridge applicant is expected to have at least 3 A-level certificates with triple 'A' grades in subjects that are directly relevant to his/her intended university major. Many successful Cambridge applicants however have up to 4 or even 5 A-level certificates.</p>

<p>3) The IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma is an alternative secondary school qualification pursued by many Oxbridge applicants who live outside the United Kingdom. The IB diploma requires passing international exams in six different subjects, three of which must be at the so-called "higher level" (i.e. advanced). Each subject test is awarded a score between 1 (lowest) and 7 (highest). In addition, students may get up to 3 extra bonus points for a compulsory extended essay and a compulsory theory of knowledge class.</p>

<p>4) Cambridge normally expects candidates applying on the basis of an IB credential to have a minimum total IB score around 40 points (out of the maximum 45) with grades at least 7-6-6 in 3 higher level subjects that are directly relevant to the candidate's intended university major.</p>

<p>5) The standard American High School diploma and good SAT scores are not considered sufficient for Cambridge admission. US applicants who did not follow either a British A-level curriculum or an international IB curriculum must offer instead at least 3 Advanced Placement (AP) exams with grades 5-5-5, in 3 subjects that are directly relevant to the applicant's intended university major. Note that 3 APs is pretty much the minimum number, but at least four or five AP exams with grades 4 or 5 will probably increase your chances of admission.</p>

<p>6) The interview is compulsory for all UK applicants and is mostly of a technical nature, i.e. more like an oral exam (see further info on Cambridge interviews here).</p>

<p>7) Very few American students are admitted to Cambridge straight out of High School. The university is expensive for overseas (i.e. non-EU) students, but still less expensive than Harvard, Yale, or Princeton for example. The problem is that financial aid for foreign students is not normally available so, unless your family is wealthy, you may not be able to afford a Cambridge education as an American student.</p>

<p>8) Cambridge is normally regarded overseas as the world's second best university after Harvard. The university is strong in mathematics, natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology), engineering, economics, and humanities (English, history, classics, philosophy, etc.). You can also study medicine as an undergraduate subject at Cambridge (or most other UK universities for that matter), but the course lasts 6 years (including 3 years of clinical school). A 3-year undergraduate degree in law is also available, but an undergraduate law degree won't be enough to allow you to practice law in the UK (or in the US for that matter). </p>

<p>9) BTW, most Cambridge undergraduate degrees may be obtained in 3 years. Exceptions are engineering, which is always a 4-year course at Cambridge, and medicine, which, as I said before, requires six years of study. Four-year courses are available also in mathematics and natural sciences; most students who want to pursue a PhD degree now choose the 4-year option over the older 3-year courses. The fact that most undergraduate courses last 3 years help to reduce the total cost of attending Cambridge when compared to US universities.</p>

12

<p>"I have found that in the US many laymen are more impressed with someone going to Oxbridge than Harvard simply because it's 1) foreign and thus 2) far less Americans attend Oxbridge than the Ivies."</p>

<p>This was my point too, but backwards.. in England, it's more impressive to go to Harvard for the same reasons. More more English people attend Oxbridge than the Ivies.</p>

<p>That said, as levels of education go they're just about equal I think. But Oxbridge is much more difficult to get into. Sure, you have to do a Personal Statement (admissions essay) but in all honesty that won't even get read if your grades aren't top notch. And Ivy League financial aid is much better.. they say they're prepared to give the finaid because they want diversity and well rounded individuals, it's not necessarily about the scores, which is why the essay is so important. At Oxbridge, it's your grades that are important. And you might be eligible for financial aid here but that means a loan.. and when you're done with your degree you have so much debt it's unreal. Which is one of my reasons for applying to Ivies instead.</p>

<p>As others have mentioned you have to know exactly what you want to study though, because there's no changing.</p>

<p>If you want to go for it, though, good luck to you! :D</p>