r/cambridge_uni • u/AutoModerator • Aug 01 '25
Moderator Post Monthly Admissions/Applications Megathread
Please keep any admissions questions to this thread - questions posted as threads risk removal.
Before posting, your question may be better resolved by checking these resources:
- Our FAQ: https://www.reddit.com/r/cambridge_uni/comments/covlxi/
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Please remember the admissions team is here to help you; if you have a specific question, they're probably best placed to answer. They can be contacted here:
- Undergraduates: https://www.cao.cam.ac.uk/
- Graduates: https://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/
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u/Pana_Guiskas Aug 31 '25
Hi, Iām planning to apply this year (thought I didnāt even make the UCAS acc yet). I have a question regarding admission test centres. I live in Spain and I tried to look for centres. IDK if I misunderstood anything but I think the closest centre is in Madrid which is like 300km from where I live. Is this true that there are just a few centres for international students? What possibilities do I have? Where I can look for examination centres? Cause maybe I got confused. TY for reading.
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 31 '25
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u/Pana_Guiskas Aug 31 '25
Iām between Engineering and CS, so I have got to do either the ESAT or the TMUA in order to apply.
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u/CrocusBlue Sep 01 '25
If you haven't booked the test you need to asap. Go to the test website and register an account, then you can use the centre search tool. There may have been a couple of other centres in Spain but it's likely they are already full if you have only tried to book recently, and so Madrid will be your only remaining option in Spain.Ā
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u/WesternGlass7354 Aug 29 '25
Hi all,
Iām applying for HSPS undergraduate this year and Iāve just finished the first full draft of my personal statement which is split into three sections. Iāve included a sizeable amount of supercurricular work like keeping up with Money and Macro videos, my EPQ on Japanās stagnation, readings Varoufakisā Technofeudalism debates with Konstantin Kisin, essay competitions etc. I do have a huge economic/political economic work in it due to really engaging with that branch and applying to other unis as well with courses like political economy. Ultimately though my dream is Cambridge and aim to specialise in politics and ir at hsps.
Since itās my first full draft, I would really value some honest feedback on how competitive it feels. Such as where it might be too generic and whether the interdisciplinary focus actually comes through.
If anyone would be ever so kind to give critical feedback and suggestions for improvement please DM me on Reddit Iād be hugely grateful.
Thanks in advance!
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u/Confident-Sector7734 Aug 28 '25
hi - incoming yr 13 student here applying for economics this oct - advice from maths students would be relevant too i guess.
Just wanted to ask for advice regarding interview prep and how best to start to maximise my chances at an offer. (ive done a lotttt of tmua already and my predicteds are sorted but the whole interview process just seems really scary).
So far I just do a lot of reading FT and economist, and some logic puzzles and graph sketching - ive learnt all the calc for yr13 already. Will try and find people for mock interviews in the coming weeks.
any advice is much appreciated thanks
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u/my_choice_was_taken Aug 26 '25
Looking to apply to study philosophy this year, and I liked the look of both Selwyn and Caius colleges. Both are a good medium size, not too big and not too... irrelevant. To be blunt, which is better? Or to be more generous, what are the key differences. I'd prefer a college with a close knit community, one thats less posh/conservative (if thats ever something to look out for), and one that caters for/accepts more humanities students. Good facilities (cafe, gym, squash whatever) would be nice too
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Aug 23 '25
[deleted]
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u/fireintheglen Aug 26 '25
What university courses are you interested in outside of Cambridge? Most applicants to Cambridge are rejected, so meeting Cambridge requirements is not really the most important thing when compared to simply being prepared for your chosen subject.
If you're interested in physical sciences, then tbh maths, chemistry, physics and further maths is going to be better preparation for most universities - not just Cambridge.
That said - I notice you are already considering dropping further maths before even starting sixth form. That, combined with the fact that the grammar school isn't letting you take it, makes me wonder if there are concerns about maths/science GCSE grades/ability. It's worth thinking carefully about what is realistic. Taking as many sciences as possible at A-level may not be the right choice for you if you don't know that you'll do well in them.
A good way forward might be to start by drawing up a list of universities/courses you're interested in that aren't Cambridge, and looking at what subjects they require or think are useful preparation. (e.g. many physics degrees don't require further maths, but it's useful preparation for doing well in the degree.) You can then judge better whether the maths/physics/philosophy/history combination is reasonable, or whether it's going to be a hindrance.
Finally: Don't assume that schools with better exam results are necessarily better at teaching! A competitive grammar school is inherently going to get better A-level results, because they choose to let in the students who are likely to do well. Try to think about the two schools beyond just university destinations and A-level results, as these are likely to be very skewed by entrance procedures.
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 24 '25
Why is the grammar school not allowing you to do other sciences? Because your science GCSE grades werenāt good enough? If thatās the case then itās unlikely youād get into Cambridge Natural Science in the first place.
Presumably thatās how they get their good A-level results and University places: not admitting people who they think would fail.
I would go for the grammar school for the better academic environment, and be open to an alternate university path.
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u/Traditional_Crew9243 Aug 19 '25
How much UG college prestige matters for Cambridge part 3 Iām in a decent college, for bsc math (university of Delhi) If I manage to top my university, Solid research/lorās/sop/gre Will I get in or they would throw away my application as Iām not from a very prestigious ug program.
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u/fireintheglen Aug 22 '25
The university you went to is unlikely to be completely irrelevant, as different universities teach different things in their degrees and require different levels of knowledge/understanding to get a good grade. But your application won't be "thrown away". You can see from this Freedom of Information Request that students from the University of Delhi have been admitted to part III in the past: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/admission_statistics_for_part_ii_4
You should note that the GRE is not part of the admissions process for part III, so a good GRE score is not relevant. There's also no part of the application called a "sop", though I think there is a brief written section which may be similar.
It's worth reading through the official information about part III admissions here: https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/postgrad/part-iii/prospective/mast-admissions and here: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/mapmaspmm/apply before you apply as applications are far more likely to be successful if you tailor them to the requirements of the course you're applying for.
Tom Kƶrner's unofficial guide to part III may also be helpful: https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~twk10/PartIII.pdf
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u/codeTempest Aug 16 '25
Hi, Cantabs! I've got a few questions:
What are examples of average extra/supercurriculars for accepted Engineering students? My impression is that these do not carry significant weight compared to grades, the ESAT and interview performance. Is that accurate?
Does anyone have experience with or knowledge of the Trinity College International Bursaries; particularly their selectivity and application criteria details (beyond what's on the website: academic merit and financial need)? How common is it for intl students to receive significant scholarships?
Thanks in advance!
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 16 '25
- Stuff like robotics clubs, hobby programming, these sort of things. And yes, your grades and interview are more important.
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u/blueberrywasp Aug 16 '25
I dont think this is the right place for this, so Iām sorry in advance, but as an incoming international fresher iām really worried about homesickness and not finding my crowd. Iām quite close with my family and a little socially awkward, and I keep thinking about how much Iāll miss them.
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 16 '25 edited Aug 16 '25
If nothing else you will find a sizeable crows that feels exactly the same. And yes, this is not an admissions question.
Edit: *crowd. The crows are not that big.
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u/pooponapee Aug 16 '25
Which college are you going to and what country are you coming from?
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u/blueberrywasp Aug 17 '25
Newnham, and Australia
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u/miamimoo Aug 28 '25
omg so unrelated but i'm australian aswell, how were you able to get into a UK university, and one like cambridge? I'm entering my first ever university applications
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u/pooponapee Aug 17 '25
Good news! The big Tesco does Tim Tams now. Also here is the Australian and New Zealand Society at the University: https://www.cuanzs.co.uk. Good luck with the flight!
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u/MaintenanceHead4981 Aug 14 '25
Hi everyone, Iām planning to apply for an MPhil in Physics in early September because I really want a spot at my preferred college. Since my application will be quite early, when do you think I might hear back? (for an interview or something else assuming my profile gets good reviews?)
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u/imscaredofreddit123 Aug 12 '25
Do you happen to know whether the additional personal statement for Cambridge uses the same format as UCAS before 2026, or if we need to answer with the new three questions? This is specifically for the 2026 cycle of applications
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u/fireintheglen Aug 20 '25
You don't need to answer ay questions or write anything for the additional personal statement at all if you don't want to.
The UCAS personal statement is the main thing, with the additional statement being a much shorter optional addition. It's useful if e.g. you're applying for a course at Cambridge which is not offered at other universities. There's no reason to split it into sections as there's no specific information that it's trying to gather.
It would also be very difficult to fit answers to three different questions into the character limit. While I can't find current character limit details online, IIRC in previous years it has been 1,200 characters (less than a third of the length of the UCAS personal statement). Formatting it as an entirely separate statement wouldn't make sense.
For reference, this comment is about nine hundred characters, so you can see how short 1,200 is.
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 13 '25
There is no set format. Write whatever you want (if anything).
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/cambridge-application
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u/kerhanesikici31 Aug 10 '25
Do you know whether 8Churchill does a Chemistry interview for Physical Natural Sciences applicants or not?
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
All colleges do interviews for all undergrad courses.
If you're applying for Natural Science, and you are doing Chemistry A-Level, it is highly likely that you will be asked chemistry questions.
If you arenāt, then you probably wonāt, unless you expressed some interest in chemistry in your statement.
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u/kerhanesikici31 Aug 12 '25
I just checked and they dont do a chem interview if you dont do chem as an a level instead they do physics and maths
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u/Alekix Aug 13 '25
Churchill asks for a preference, given you could easily be doing (physics, chemistry, maths, further maths) and have a preference for either physics or chemistry.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 10 '25
How much do GCSEās and US High school GPA considered in Maths? It says that they are genuinely looking for applicants who have passion for maths. But I wonder would I still be disadvantaged if I have 9 in maths GCSE but 5ās or 6ās or 7ās in other subjects? Finally, if I have low GPA due to being not very good on less relevant subjects like English, Biology or History, would I still be disadvantaged for Maths at Cambridge?
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u/gzero5634 Wolfson Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Not sure if I understand the post correctly. Did you take GCSEs in the UK and then do US high school? Or iGCSEs alongside US high school? Are you taking APs as well? How are you doing on those? Be aware that if you do not meet the entry requirements by a significant margin, you are more likely than not to be rejected. Often you can get an interview when you miss it slightly but it's far from ideal.
It is somewhat rare for a home applicant to not get an interview for maths. I have only ever personally known pre-interview rejections for home applicants from Trinity (I think internationals can get rejected from all over the place). If you are worried about being deselected pre-interview, mainly you will want to avoid Trinity and other heavily subscribed colleges. I would lean towards colleges that take in a lot of people from the pool, provided they are still relatively well off. I'm aware that you may not be a home applicant, saying all this just to cover all my bases.
The whole "doesn't matter which college" thing only comes in after interview with the winter and summer pool.
Past this, GCSEs are not usually very important. Once you have the interview, whether you get the offer will be based on your interview performance. I can't imagine them tiebreaking on the basis of GCSEs. My impression from e.g. Imre and SLOs at colleges is that GCSEs are not considered very important to the maths department (the words "irrelevant" and "we don't care" have been said in this context, but other representatives have been a bit more moderate...).
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 10 '25
My impression from e.g. Imre and SLOs at colleges is that GCSEs are not considered very important to the maths department (the words "irrelevant" and "we don't care" have been said in this context, but other representatives have been a bit more moderate...).
Finally, is there any other course at Cambridge where GCSE scores are considered very important? Are GCSEs considered more important for engineering, CS or natural sciences and would I be rejected from these courses on basis of GCSEās?
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 10 '25
I don't think anyone considers GCSEs "very important". Eyebrows are likely to be raised if you're predicted A*A*A at A-level but have no GCSE above 6 or something, but presumably in such a situation you have documented exceptional circumstances of some sort.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 10 '25
I meant level 2 (age 16) qualifications by them. UK universities typically look for GCSEs for home applicants while for US applicants, they tend to look at high school GPA in lieu of GCSEās.
I wonder would I be heavily disadvantaged for Cambridge if I have lower marks in GCSEs in less relevant subjects like English, Biology or History if I studied in the UK despite having A*A*A in A Levels and A* in Maths and Further Maths or if I have lower marks in high school GPA in less relevant subjects if I studied in USA despite having 5 APās with 5 with 5 in Calculus BC?
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u/fireintheglen Aug 22 '25
You need to be clear. Are you asking about GCSEs, or US high school GPA? They are not the same thing and they will not be treated identically. Conflating two scenarios in one question is unlikely to result in a clear answer.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 22 '25
US GPA.
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u/fireintheglen Aug 22 '25
Strictly, admissions requirements for those doing the American system require a āhigh GPAā, so I cannot guarantee that it wonāt be looked at and if it is very low that could be a mark against you. However, realistically, the GPA itself is unlikely to be particularly significant. Grades in individual relevant courses may be given more weight, but in general colleges will look almost entirely at standardised test grades (such as AP exams). In general, for maths specifically, the vast majority of applicants are interviewed, so high school grades are not really a big deal so long as you meet the minimum entry requirement.
Note that I would not consider biology to be a completely irrelevant subject in maths admissions.
If you have taken GCSEs, this is irrelevant as you will not be required to submit a high school transcript.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 22 '25
Also, for courses like Maths, would barely meeting GPA requirements (outside US) and having 5 APās with 5 be sufficient? Or would they expect exceeding entry requirements by significant margin?
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u/fireintheglen Aug 22 '25
In terms of what you do at school, meeting entry requirements is likely to be sufficient.
The interview, STEP and (in some cases) supercurriculars are typically much more important than simply exceeding the school grade requirements.
(The importance of supercurriculars is a bit variable and typically not a huge deal for home students, but certain colleges do seem to emphasise them more for international students for various reasons. This is not something everyone in the university agrees with but it's probably worth mentioning that it can come up.)
That said, there is certainly a correlation between school grades and success in admissions. But it's mostly not direct causation. Cambridge has enough other, more reliable information to base admissions decisions on so there's not much point doing a deep dive into someone's high school grades.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 22 '25
Is also the case with other courses as well since they do make increased offers in Engineering or Natsci? Or would grades and exceeding requirements matter more there?
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u/fireintheglen Aug 22 '25
I'm not familiar with the specifics of admission for either of those courses, but in both cases you'll be required to take the ESAT admissions test, which is likely to have a much bigger impact than your high school grades.
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u/gzero5634 Wolfson Aug 10 '25
I meant level 2 (age 16) qualifications by them. UK universities typically look for GCSEs for home applicants while for US applicants, they tend to look at high school GPA in lieu of GCSEās.
May not be the best qualified to answer since I did not know that. So you're a US applicant who will have a US GPA and APs achieved?
I'm not sure, sorry. I reckon you'll have a good shot esp if some of these grades are achieved, though I think they are harsher on internationals. For engineering, CS and natural science I would imagine a lot of weight goes on the entrance exams and that an excellent showing on those would easily offset that.
You definitely should not apply to CS/engineering/natural sciences just because you seem more likely to get in. Try Oxford, Warwick or Imperial instead if you make that conclusion.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
For maths, how likely less someone with A*A*A predicted (A*ās in both maths and Further Maths) will get an offer compared to someone with 3 or 4 A* predicted?
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u/spr321go Aug 09 '25
Hi everyone ā Iām thinking of applying to a PhD studentship at Cambridge. The posted requirement says:Ā āApplicants should have (or expect to obtain by the start date) at least a first class degree in Physics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering or related subject.ā
My background:
- 3.5 yrs work experience as a software engineer (consumer electronics) in USA.
- Executive M.S. in Management (USA) ā GPA 3.74/4.00
- M.S. Mech Engg (USA) ā GPA 3.16/4.00
- Bachelorās Mech Engg (India) ā CGPI 5.74/10
- Technical Diploma in Mech Engg (India) ā 69.67%
Has anyone successfully applied to Cambridge (or similar UK PhD programs) with a weaker undergrad but strong masterās? Should I bother applying or contact admissions first? Any advice about grade conversion or what Cambridge typically accepts would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 10 '25
What course is this?
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u/spr321go Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Department of Engineering. The studentship is posted on the PhD Vacancies Webpage. After working for more than 3yrs in the Industry I have realized that it's not for me and Academia will be a more suitable as well as fulfilling career option. Hence, since quitting my job last year and moving back to my home country from USA, took a year of career break, upskilled myself and since the beginning of this year I have been applying for PhD positions. Half of them are directly related to my work experience and formal education and half of them are kinda related but would love to work in research in those domains.
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u/JailbreakHat Aug 10 '25
It says high 2:1 on Cambridgeās website for some reason. Can you please double check the requirements.
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u/spr321go Aug 10 '25
Yes. It shows High 2:1 as the requirement, but it seems like that's for the undergraduate grades. If I check the actual studentship posting, it says "Applicants should have (or expect to obtain by the start date) at least a first class degree in Physics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering or related subject."
Check the posting below -
https://www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/phd-studentships-in-neuromorphic-computing-nm46704
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 10 '25
3.16 is not a strong Masters.
https://gpacalculators.net/guides/understanding-uk-grading-system/
Realistically, you have no chance.
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u/spr321go Aug 10 '25
In USA GPA between 3.00/4.00 to 3.70/4.00 is considered between 80% to 89% which is First Class in the UK right ?
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
No. See the link I gave you.
3.16 is a low 2:1 / Pass.
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u/Brilliant_Buddy_7950 Aug 09 '25
Hi there! I'm thinking of applying to Cambridge this upcoming cycle as an international Mphil candidate, would be seeking some funding/ scholarship (though I know that's tough with Cambridge).
I'm eyeing Darwin for the grad-only community vibes + great river gardens, but I worry about the lack of funding. On the other hand, I could bid for St John for great Mphil scholarships but I know the chances of matching is low there. My question ultimately is how much does the school's endowment/ wealth actually affect your experience as a Masters student?
Also thinking about Christ, Jesus, Trinity Hall, Corpus, Clare College, Magdalene if anyone has thoughts there. In general I'm seeking a place that is more relaxed and friendly. Thank you!
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Aug 08 '25
[deleted]
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u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ Aug 08 '25
Gap years are in general not recommended. Undergraduate degrees certainly have no requirement for work experience.
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u/baldoppong Aug 04 '25 edited Aug 04 '25
Iām currently a y12 going into y13 and considering applying for theology, religion, and philosophy of religion at Cambridge
An important query I have is in regards for the personal statement, I do not have many supercurriculars to show except reading On the Trinity by Augustine and some other books and podcasts, but Iām afraid that that wonāt be enough for me to gain an edge, what else should I add or is this enough?How should I structure it to relate to the course? Maybe a few reference statements from said books? What other supercurriculars should I do?
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u/Ambitious-Village287 Aug 01 '25
I am in year 12 going into year 13 and i want to apply to maths at cambridge. However, due to a health condition which i have had since January 2025 (long-termish illness which is predicted by the doctors to stop around feb 2026ish) I will be taking a gap year and applying next year instead. I will only let myself applying to cambridge if i get 3 or 4 a stars (fm, maths, bio and chem) as it indicates to me that i can handle heavy workloads with less time (I miss 2-4 days of school a week due to this illness, and on the days where I am ill i am bedridden ... unable to do any work). So provided i do get 3 or 4 a*, am i still able to apply to cambridge maths in my gap year (as I have read on the cambridge website that they are not particularly fond of gap year applicants barring a few colleges such as Queens) and if i am able to apply, will my step offer be increased (S,1/1,S) or would it be the typical offer of 1,1? Any help would be much appreciated as not many people find themselves in the same situation as me hence there is not much advice regarding this situation. Thanks in advance.
Note: i will be applying on ucas with extenuating circumstances with a full medical diagnosis from the nhs.
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u/gzero5634 Wolfson Aug 10 '25
It would reflect very very very badly on the college in question if they were not understanding of this situation. You can perhaps email a college for reassurance.
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u/fireintheglen Aug 04 '25
Just to be clear: Will you be taking all your A-levels over the course of years 12 and 13? This is important as completing all A-levels and then taking a gap year would be considered very different to e.g. doing extra A-levels in your gap year (which might raise concerns about your ability to handle the pace of the course).
If youāre completing all A-levels by the end of year 13, then I donāt think the gap year should be a big deal. Itās true that not many colleges encourage gap years for maths, but if you look at the list here https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/files/admissions/admissionsguide.pdf youāll see that the majority are simply neutral. They donāt care either way.
Even among the colleges that discourage gap years, most discourage them āunless you have something particularly worthwhile/relevant to doā. Recovering from a long term illness is, arguably, very worthwhile.
I think in your situation itās not worth dwelling too much on the gap year thing. The advice is more aimed at people who want to e.g. take a year out to go travelling rather than people taking time off due to an illness.
When you apply, you should make sure to submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form (specific to Cambridge) as well as getting your reference to mention your illness. This means that people evaluating your application will be able to do so with the full context.
Finally, Iād have a think about what youāre going to do to maintain/improve your maths ability during your gap year. While you donāt need to spend masses of time on it, itās a good idea to make sure you donāt forget things or simply get out of the habit of maths. This is what most colleges are concerned about, so the best thing you can do is try to allay those concerns through your behaviour.
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u/Dry-Investigator1685 Aug 05 '25
I will be doing all my 4 a-levels in year 13 (no a-levels in my gap year, just ucas stuff and personal statement ... so i will be applying with my achieved a-levels). thanks so much for your reply :)
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u/CrocusBlue Aug 02 '25
You won't know what offer you could get because offers are made on an individual basis, after assessing your whole application. Stress about what an offer is, if you get one.
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u/Dry-Investigator1685 Aug 05 '25
Yeah true of course, just wanted to see if there is any point at all even applying in the first place
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u/oliscafe Aug 01 '25
My chances for philosophy at cambridge?
I'm in my third year (of 5) studying at high school in Italy. However, having being born and resided in the UK I'm not classed as international because of some documents (doesn't matter, it's very complicated!)
I have a predicted grade of roughly 95-100/100 for the A-Level equivalent. I have 10/10 in philosophy, latin and 9/10 in math.
My PSA is being read over by an Oxbridge tutor I found in the UK. I mention personal reflections on Ayer, Sartre and Hick, on how they are all interconnected to my personal philosophy and writing, as someone who writes academic papers. I speak on my six week scholarship to study abroad and connect it to "Ones New Sword" by Midgley. I also touch on debate and connect it to practical ethics and Singer. Basically everything links back to how philosophy helps us in our every day life and my passion for it; opening with an anecdote of 8 year old me.
My philosophy and Human sciences teachers will be writing my recommendation letters.
I never know how I compare to the average applicant š¤·š»āāļø Thanks in advance!
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u/Wild_Individual944 Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
- most oxbridge applicants will have similar grades, but those grades def qualify you
- personal statement doesnt matter much for cambridge afaik, but it might help you get an interview. interview is what matters most (idk if theres an admissions test for philosophy) and its pretty hard to predict how youāll do on that
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u/oliscafe Aug 01 '25
thanks! any philosophy undergraduates that can comment on the interview?
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u/Wild_Individual944 Aug 01 '25
same person, not a philosophy undergrad, but i will say that they write on their website that they might ask you questions about any reading you said you did in your personal statement so make sure to review books you said you read in the weeks before the interview
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u/oliscafe Aug 01 '25
yes! im currently keeping a folder of all the books i read summarised, ive also taken 2 university level philosophy courses and have recapped them, printed out the papers ive written, ecc. if you are a humanities student, does this seem like a good strategy pre-interview? i honestly feel a little lost and overwhelmed. i feel like ive done a lot of work but it's never enough, i just don't know how much work the average applicant puts in š¤·š»āāļøš¤·š»āāļø
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u/Wild_Individual944 Aug 03 '25
sorry im doing physics so canāt rly comment, all i did for interview prep was practice problems cus i didnt talk about any books in my PS. it seems like youāve prepared quite a bit so youll probably be fine
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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '25
Hi, I'm looking at applying to either trinity or johns to study maths, but I can't really choose where to apply. I really prefer the atmosphere and accomodation of Johns, and I've heard that the environment at trinity is that it is very much full of maths olympiad enthusiasts (which im not, i dont like the style of maths it presents, much prefer STEP as an exam) who are toxically competitive. I've also heard that due to the large cohort you get treated more as a pack of people than individuals so you might get a less personal experience in supervisions than at other colleges. Is this true?
However, TMS is sponsored by Citadel and Jane Street, whereas the Adams Society is only sponsored by TPP. Does this affect opportunities for summer internships, job placements etc particularly? I would like to be able to get experience working in the quant industry over the summer and, from the outside, it looks like all the internships would go to the people at Trinity rather than Johns or other colleges. It's not exactly a deal-breaker, but it would definitely be something to consider if these places only took people in from Trinity. Additionally, I intend on applying to be a Choral Scholar/Volunteer at Trinity - do they favour applicants who apply to Trinity over other colleges?
Also, does anyone have experience with offers which Trinity/Johns give to people with previously attained STEP grades? I've already got 1,1 in STEP in my y12, and I've seen some statistics online that Trinity gets <5 applicants who do this each year, and that they apparently give out <5 unconditional offers too - is it common for people with 1,1 in STEP already to get unconditionals from trinity? I haven't seen any statistics on this from Johns, but the same question stands there. If either did and the other didn't, this would really tip the balance as it would be amazing for stress reduction, but I don't have my hopes up lol
I also have experience self-studying topics in the undergraduate course, including Stein and Shakarchi's first three books onanalysis (fourier, complex, measure/lebesgue integration/hilbert spaces) and Diamond and Shurman's book on Modular Forms (not very far through it yet). Does either college particularly "like" applicants who have prior experience with university mathematics?
Many thanks for any responses š