A Levels: Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths
My name is Rachel, I studied at Friesland all the way from year 7 to year 13 and I am now studying Engineering at Jesus College, Cambridge.
Cambridge first crossed my mind in year 11 when I was encouraged by my teachers to apply for a summer school. The residential was set up by the university to try and inspire children from state schools and low-income areas to apply. I spent 3 days living in Cambridge and attending classes with other people from similar backgrounds and I loved it.
They made it clear on this summer school that the most important thing for a potential applicant is to demonstrate their passion for their subject and their teachability, these were more important than the straight A* record you would expect. So in preparation for my application, I read around my subject and did work experience rather than focusing solely on my grades. Everyone who applies has a strong academic record, you need other subject specific activities that aren’t just GCSEs and A levels.
The interviews feel more like a conversation than an interrogation. I was given a sheet of problems and was asked to work through them out loud. Whenever I got stuck I could ask for help, and the interviewers would step in if they could see that I was going down the wrong path. I showed I was interested when they explained where I went wrong and I asked them questions about how they would have approached it.
Since I had my A levels lowered by the COVID grade assigning algorithm, I narrowly missed my offer, coming out with A*AAA when I needed A*A*AA, but the college emailed me to say they would like to confirm my place regardless. This is testament to the fact that you don’t need straight A*s to go to a top university, if you demonstrate your diligence and love for your subject, this matters much more. However my grades then went back to what they should have been anyway.
