I Want to Try for Cambridge

Hello all,

I am gonna be a sophomore this year and I wanna shoot for something big. In 9th grade I took these classes:

IH Humanties (AP Human Geo + English)
IH Algebra 2
IH Biology
Orchestra
PE
IH Spanish 2

(IH means international honors which is pre-IB, they’re weighted the same as honors courses but AP/IB classes still have the highest value)

This year I’m gonna take:

IH Pre-Calc
IH Chemistry
IH Humanities 2 (AP World Hist + English)
IH Spanish 3
Either orchestra or SRD (honors scientific research and design – requires me to do science fair)
AP Euro

Btw, AP Euro is the only other AP sophomores are allowed to take other than Humanities (which is required in 9th and 10th grade for the IB program, and the Social Studies and English count as two separate grades). All the real IB stuff starts in 11th grade.

My first question is: Should I drop orchestra to do SRD which gives a higher GPA value, or should I continue orchestra. I’ve read a lot that taking the higher value class is more worth it than music because, unless I apply it a lot outside of school, just taking a music class doesn’t really show commitment. I am taking private violin lessons outside of school but that probably doesn’t show a lot either. My private teacher usually has 1-2 recitals per year, but that’s it.

My second thought: I want to shoot for something really big and since I’m in the IB program, I thought I would try for Oxford or Cambridge. I’ve heard one of the biggest things those colleges look for is a passion for the subject you’re applying for and that you’ve done something big with your passion. I really love computer science and I want to be able to create something cool that other people will use. I started teaching myself Ruby but I didn’t go too far and moved onto Swift. I’ve learned a lot about the language and I can make basic apps like To-Do Lists. I am going to work harder with Swift and will hopefully make a useful app or cool game that will be good enough to get into the app store throughout the rest of high school (hopefully soon!). Is that the kind of thing those world-class colleges are looking for? What more can I do to really showcase myself?

I also have a passion for astronomy/astrophysics, but I don’t know how I can do anything with that passion as there aren’t many activities available in my area that pertain to those subjects. I feel I can do more with Swift.

I am trying to take the highest level courses that I can take and I want to be able to do the most I can to get into Cambridge or Oxford for CS. All advice is appreciated!

P.S. As far as extra activities I did during the summer, I am volunteering at a hospital to get an experience and to get hours.

Cambridge for CS: IB 40-41 points, with 776 at Higher Level, including Math; SAT 2100 or ACT 32 + 5 scores of 5 on relevant APs, including Calc BC. Almost all colleges require a test before interview (the Thinking Skills Assessment) or a skill test at interview.

Oxford for CS: 39 points, including core points. Higher Level grades of 7 6 6 with the 7 in Maths. SAT 2100 + 3 AP scores of 5, to include Calc BC.Math Aptitude Test is required before interview short-listing.

Btw, Oxford is specific about computing background requirements:

There is a lot of detail about the courses on the websites, and they are more different than you might realize. Spend some time getting to know where they are similar and where they differ.

n.b…Oxford’s minimums for entry may look lower than Cambridge’s, but don’t mistake that for ‘easier’ to get into or a lesser program (in fact, it is usually ranked one higher than Cambridge).

@krvenkat, do you have specific reasons for wanting to apply to Oxford or Cambridge other than that you want to “shoot for something really big”? Are there specific reasons why you believe either school would be a good fit for you? Do you understand how the Oxbridge college and tutor system works, and do you have the maturity to be able to work more independently than you would at a U.S. school?

Oxbridge admissions don’t put much emphasis on ECs compared to top U.S. colleges. What is generally required is (1) meeting (or preferably exceeding) the standardized test requirements, especially in your subject of interest; and (2) brilliance in your proposed course of study. If you are going to study CS or astrophysics then how you do at math and science is much more important than other subject areas. My guess is that Science Research and Design would be more relevant than music to your future course of study at one of these schools.

I would take @collegemom3717’s advice and look into specifics at these programs. Make sure they are really for you.

For two reasons mainly: IB is generally looked the same as AP in the US, but it’s very well-liked internationally. Also, I’d really like to go to university in England.

Does Oxbridge look at well-roundedness as well? Because then I should keep orchestra because it shows musical skill.

I would defer to more knowledgeable people like @collegemom3717, but I don’t believe Oxbridge looks at well-roundedness as much as ability in subject.

Oxbridge accept AP scores from U.S. applicants, so it’s not as though IB is the only path for international applicants. And many U.S. schools are very receptive to IBD candidates, because they tend to have good time management, critical thinking, and writing skills which translate well to the next level.

Here are the Cambridge entry requirements:

http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/computer-science

Don’t forget that acceptance offers tend to be conditional on meeting the subject test scores, and 7-7-6 is the requirement for IB HL courses relating to the study subject (math and science). Some colleges may also require Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) in mathematics.

Oxford requires CS applicants to take a separate Maths Admission Test (MAT).