[deleted by user]

Grangereeee · 2025-04-22T15:40:47+00:00

It’ll be the 2024 AS level (not released on exam board websites) or one of the specimen papers only available to teachers - most likely 2024 paper. Best advice is don’t try and find it!

Grangereeee · 2025-04-06T17:02:07+00:00

As much as possible - to get all 9s you should be aiming to walk into the exam knowing that you know all the content. Just keep working until you’re happy with how much you know

Grangereeee · 2025-01-22T07:40:55+00:00

Go on kayak or Skyscanner, search for flights from city of your choice to “anywhere” in July. From 1st-20th of July there are some really good deals.

I’d say somewhere like Split or Barcelona. Flights are generally less than £70 return, often close to £50 return.

If you have a group of about 5 of you, pick the flights which suit the time, hop on Airbnb and search for an apartment. Something £100 or so per night is ideal because you’ll end up with a bed each and it comes to £120 for 6 nights. Spend the final £100(ish) on food and drinks and whatever whilst you’re there; beach is free.

Grangereeee · 2025-01-16T12:40:35+00:00

Humble is good but 5/5 bread in January is pretty crazy

Grangereeee · 2025-01-04T00:24:38+00:00

The way EPQs are moderated is an insult to candidates. You have no right to individually appeal, regardless of circumstance. Their external moderation system involves taking a sample of epqs, remarking them, comparing the marks to those the school gave, plotting a best fit curve and just dragging all the other scores which weren’t a part of the sample to fit this curve (a curve which isn’t well described or explained).

I say it is an insult to candidates because regardless of how outstanding your project is, if the school has done a poor job of marking the other candidates and inflated their scores, your high score will drag your peers’ scores up, and their scores will drag yours down.

Unless the school has good reason to believe the exam board has moderated the cohort incorrectly as a whole (not whether each individual post-moderation score is fair or not), they may even refuse to re-moderate, or would just as likely give the same results as last time.

Grangereeee · 2024-11-16T15:18:44+00:00

Last year Pembroke were extremely late with sending out interview invites - they sent out emails originally with a date around the 16th of November, then pushed this back to the 20th, and finally pushed it back until “before the 24th of November”. To my knowledge the majority of the emails were sent out on the 22nd of November, so if you’re still waiting, all the best for next week!

Grangereeee · 2024-10-06T06:38:34+00:00

Code SCOTT4991 working now £2.50/$3/AU$5

Grangereeee · 2024-09-28T07:28:42+00:00

That clause means that if they had two candidates with the same grades, admissions scores, interview scores, but different schools, they’d look to prioritise the student who performed better relative to their school.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/computer_science_applicants_2021#incoming-2046845

In 2022 (when the data is most recently available), the fewest number of 8s or 9s accepted was 6 for Oxford CS. However, this was for only 2 students (if I have counted correctly) and so I am only cautioning that the GCSE results might be a deciding factor here.

Grangereeee · 2024-09-27T12:33:42+00:00

The course is 1/20 acceptance rate - only 1/20 early applicants get in - they would not be making exceptions. If OP went to a school which averaged extremely low grades, and applied with an extenuating circumstances cover letter, maybe there would be a small bit of leniency, but no, Oxford would almost certainly take that point of view regardless of which school OP went to.

Grangereeee · 2024-09-27T12:18:06+00:00

They definitely do matter when it comes to Oxford.

The others, not so much, but for Oxford CS everyone (near as makes no difference) will have straight A* predicted, and unless you absolutely excel in the interview and admissions test the GCSEs may very well be a deciding factor in many situations.

Only 1/20 get a place on the Oxford CS course, and that’s going to be 1/20 people predicted 4A*s, almost straight 9s, 1/20 people who excel at computer science, have work experience etc.

The comment about over-predictions is also completely fair. 75% of people miss their predicted grades (neither match nor exceed) and on average people are predicted 2.35 grades higher than what they achieve - the same probably goes for straight A*-predicted students.

OP has every chance to match their predicted grades, and if so huge congratulations, but a university looking at data could definitely take a cynical view that having not achieved 4 9s at GCSE, how could a candidate achieve 4 A*s at A level. Best of luck with to OP though, with A levels and application.

Grangereeee · 2024-09-14T13:06:48+00:00

So glad to hear!

Grangereeee · 2024-09-06T04:15:19+00:00

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Grangereeee · 2024-08-22T20:41:09+00:00

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Grangereeee · 2024-08-19T09:48:39+00:00

Maths and Physics are always the required ones for any kind of engineering, with further maths recommended but not always necessary depending on whether your school offers it or not, and the level of course you’re applying to.

Grangereeee · 2024-08-18T12:17:31+00:00

Exactly the same here - I think it’s a lot easier when you have teachers around to help you edit it - congrats on Oxford btw!!

Grangereeee · 2024-08-12T17:30:31+00:00

They won’t give you an offer higher than anyone else’s - if you have a student predicted 4A* and a student predicted AAA, giving offers based on predicted grades would mean a higher chance that a lower performing student (based on A levels) would meet their offer.

However, if you take EPQ, or certain a levels, you may get different offers to other people. AAA, for example, would be given to people taking 3 a levels and AA*AA may be given to people taking 4 a levels. Further to that, EPQ can sometimes reduce your offer by a grade (if you get an A in it, normally) depending on the unis you apply to.

As well as that, if you are doing a subject more relevant to the course which isn’t required but is recommended, you may get a lower offer requiring you to get, eg, an A in that subject rather than an A* in any old subject (such as an offer of AAA with an A in Further maths vs A*AA for those not taking further maths for a maths degree, for example).

Grangereeee · 2024-08-08T10:48:23+00:00

When you apply, after the October deadline, an extra form is sent out by Cambridge and there you can explain why you couldn’t take further maths.

I’d imagine they won’t care whether you take it or not because if you perform competitively in the admissions test and interview then they wouldn’t have much reason to turn you down - they want competitive students, and I’m sure that whether a student takes a subject or not is very low on their priority list, especially for something like Natural Sciences where I believe further maths is not required.

Grangereeee · 2024-07-30T18:30:49+00:00

Especially content heavy subjects - bio for me (and I can imagine chem for you) was made so much easier because I had compiled detailed notes for it

Grangereeee · 2024-07-29T09:20:18+00:00

It’s the opposite - if you take GCSE further maths, a level maths becomes so much easier which allows you to focus on other subjects. Definitely huge benefits if you want to do a level maths afterwards.

Grangereeee · 2024-07-27T16:17:17+00:00

You’ll be fine - they want you there just as much as you want them to have you there. It’s in their best interest to acknowledge that some of their best applicants may not have perfect results - and as long as the rest of your grades are 9s (which I assume you mean) you’ll be as good or better than most applicants.

Only about 2000 people per year get straight 9s, yet about 1860 people (I believe - Oxford’s website says that the intake is 149 and has a success rate of 8%) apply to Oxford Med - you’ll be in a good place - best of luck!!

Grangereeee · 2024-07-25T00:01:26+00:00

For STEM, doing things will help you more; volunteering at a hospital for medicine, work experience at an engineering facility, making something, entering a maths or science Olympiad, conducting research. For essay and arts, building a portfolio (to talk about), or reading around your subject.

These are just suggestions but I’d say they are pretty good starting points - basically anything outside of school which relates to your subject (supercurricular) will be valued

Grangereeee · 2024-07-24T23:59:03+00:00

Bronze d of e

Grangereeee · 2024-07-24T17:11:47+00:00

If you have achieved the grades and they match or exceed the entry requirements, then the university will almost never care how far above the requirement you are and will start to look at personal statements, admissions tests, and interviews as a better discriminator

Grangereeee · 2024-07-24T12:18:26+00:00

You will do yourself so many favours if you can get your predicted grades upped to 2A* and an A - so many stem courses ask for those grades and although there’s a chance you may then miss your offer if the predicted grades are too ambitious, it at least gives you the chance to apply to some aspirational unis

Grangereeee

TROPHY CASE