Chance a US Junior for UCambridge Maths?

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>So I just found out today you can apply to University of Cambridge in England and then defer a year if you're accepted, meaning I can apply while I'm still a junior, possibly get accepted, but not attend until I've completed high school (class of 2013).</p>

<p>Cambridge doesn't buy into the holistic admissions crap as much as US Universities, so it's a bit more "merit" based when it comes to admissions. Also, you have to pick your major when you apply, I'm picking Mathematics. They might give an admissions test or interview for entrance, but I saw some of their problems and they didn't look too hard (think mid-harder level AMC + AIME with Calculus). I don't want to go to Canada or Cambridge for an interview though...</p>

<p>GPA (Unweighted) - 3.99
Rank - N/A
SAT - N/A, hope this won't hurt me.
SAT Subject Tests - Math 2: 800
PSAT - 212 (Sophomore)
AP scores:
AP Calculus BC - 5
AP Statistics - 5
AP Computer Science A - 5
AP Spanish Language - 4</p>

<p>Coursework:
9th Grade:
English 9
History 9
AP Calculus BC
Physics
Spanish 3
Orchestra</p>

<p>9th Grade/10th Grade Summer:
Linear Algebra (at local UC)</p>

<p>10th Grade:
English 10
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science A
AP Spanish Language
Chemistry
Orchestra
Multivariable Calculus (1st semester, at local community college)</p>

<p>11th Grade (this year):
AP English Language and Composition
AP Chemistry
AP Biology
AP World History
Orchestra
Independent Study in Math (1st semester, Spivak's Calculus + assortments of number theory, linear algebra, and other math)
Real Analysis (2nd semester, at local UC)</p>

<p>12th Grade (expected):
AP English Literature and Composition
AP Physics B (School doesn't offer C)
AP US History
Orchestra
Introduction to Algorithms and Data Structures (1st semester, at local community college)
Ordinary Differential Equations (1st semester, at local community college)
Putnam Seminar? (1st semester, at local UC)
Abstract Algebra (2nd semester, at local UC)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars/Summer Activities</p>

<p>-Linear Algebra class at local UC, 2010</p>

<p>-Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, 2011</p>

<p>-Contest Math... USAMO qualifier this year (132 AMC 12A + 9 AIME)</p>

<p>-Programming (2 years)... games + Project Euler + open ended research stuff with Mathematica</p>

<p>-Violin (11 years)
-Concertmaster of school orchestra (5 years and counting)
-Local youth symphony (8 years and counting, concertmaster last year)
-Winner of youth symphony concerto competition two years ago
-Partaking in a few chamber groups, won local awards
-recipient of local prestigious scholarship</p>

<p>There's more extracurriculars, but they won't really give a ____ in light of their admissions criteria. I should probably have not even bothered mentioning violin.</p>

<p>Essay/Personal Statement: Should be good once I start and finish it.</p>

<p>Other:
State: CA
Ethnicity: Who cares? They don't practice affirmative action. Suck it, Harvard.
Income: 100K+... though they don't give aid to internationals generally, especially not US citizens.</p>

<p>Where I plan on applying to next year:
UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Caltech (top choice), UChicago, Yale, Princeton, Harvard, MIT</p>

2

<p>

You must take the STEP test before you apply. It’s in June each year. The people I know who were successful for math had at least a 1 in STEP II and III. Yes, they will give you questions to solve during the interview, if you get to that stage.</p>

<p>

You don’t have a choice if they ask you.</p>

3

<p>I love how you bash American unis in this post :D</p>

<p>like 082349 said, you have to do STEP and do the interview where they ask you too</p>

<p>just don’t get overconfident. Cambridge is very hard to get into</p>

4

<p>Although you can apply as a junior and then defer the place, it will be really hard to get in, I’m not even sure if they accept people before they’re on thier final year of high school. You might want to check that.
Even if they will accept you, you’ll be judged against the same criteria as those a year above you, making it very hard to get in. I guess you do get a second chance if they reject you though.</p>