Conditional offers for Oxbridge

<p>Hey, everyone--I'm a US student with a conditional offer to Cambridge for English. I guess I'm not entirely clear on the conditional offer protocol--I need 5s on three AP examinations that I'll be taking in May after I have to make a commitment to a school. What happens if one simply has an off day and bombs an exam, not fulfilling the requirements? And would an American university be willing to hold me a spot if I sent the deposit just in case the APs didn't work out?</p>

<p>^ If you don’t fulfill your conditional offer (get three 5’s), you lose your spot. Simple as that.</p>

<p>You’re allowed to deposit in the US if you take permission from Cambridge. They often don’t care, but you should let them know.</p>

<p>Cambridge knows if you don’t make the grades, you can’t go there, and you need to have a college to fall back to. </p>

<p>So for Cambridge there is no problem if you deposit in the US. THere is absolutely no need to ask for their permission.</p>

<p>Indeed Cambridge won’t care if you have applications elsewhere, regarding grades… If you don’t meet the requirements (even by a small amount) you probably will loose your place, that’s how it works for UK applicants.</p>

<p>Unless you have some kind of special circumstance (eg life threatening illness), you simply lose your place if you don’t make the conditions, and go elsewhere. This is the reason for “insurance” choices in the UCAS application system, but of course you are free to choose an UK school (and Cambridge won’t give a toss if you deposit at 50 other schools).</p>

<p>Thanks for the clarification, everyone. :)</p>

<p>chaitealatte, if you’re still here–what three exams did you have to get 5s on? And did you have any other 5s/APs before senior year?</p>

<p>chaitealatte, we walked this path. The hardest part is that your classmates in the US will be all set by April and for you everything will be hanging on the APs- no room for senioritis. If you didn’t apply to any other UK unis you can add them up to the 15th of this month- no extra fee, but they will all see your original Personal Statement. The posters above are correct: you are perfectly allowed (and expected) to have an ‘insurance’ school, so go ahead and put a deposit down on a US school if that is your preference. Equally the US schools allow for some shrink over the summer. </p>

<p>More importantly: CONGRATULATIONS! you are perfectly capable of getting the 5s you need (I’m guessing you already have quite a few), and you have done the hardest part: you have an offer. Just stay the course, stay focused and you can do it. And- it will be worth it. Good luck!</p>

<p>This thread is two years old and the OP long gone.</p>

<p>oops- my bad</p>