Let's first look at the general conditions for admission to Cambridge. First of all, the university prefers applicants who have completed the A-Level program and passed final exams in four or five subjects studied in depth. You must provide all grades received in these disciplines, but they mainly focus on those in which you intend to further study at Cambridge. It is desirable that candidates have the highest grades – 'A'.
For example, of the applicants who entered Cambridge in 2005, 70% had the highest A-Level score of 360 points, i.e., 120 points for each of the three final exams taken at school. 95% of them received places at the university.
It is permissible to replace one of the exams with a document establishing that the candidate has received confirmation from an authorized organization of excellent knowledge of a particular subject (Advanced Extension Award - AEA). This would mean that the applicant not only passed a subject of advanced difficulty but also put in extra effort to study it and test their knowledge through an independent organization.
Therefore, the admissions committee will pay equal attention to an applicant who provides two 'A's, one 'B', and an AEA certificate instead of three 'A's in A-Level. Some colleges that are part of Cambridge even prefer candidates with an AEA.
Those who decide to apply to Cambridge for mathematics need to take an additional test besides the A-Level exams, called the 'Sixth Term Examination Papers in Mathematics' (STEP). The university believes that STEP scores can characterize a candidate better than A-Level exams. STEP is taken only by those aiming to study mathematics at the country's leading universities. In 2005, for example, 1,350 candidates took STEP.
However, each specialty taught at the university has specific requirements. These can be found on the university's website.
Applicants who have received secondary education in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and successfully passed exams (Scottish Advanced Highers, Welsh Advanced Diploma in the Welsh Baccalaureate, or Irish Leaving Certificate) can compete for a place at the university on equal terms.
Graduates of schools that teach International Baccalaureate (IB) programs have good chances of becoming first-year students at Cambridge University. On average, they need to score between 38 and 42 points out of a possible 45. The task is made easier by the fact that the IB course includes a mandatory section called 'Creativity, Action, Service' (CAS). Let's look in more detail at the components of this unusually important part of the educational work of IB schools.
'Creativity' – developing creative skills, for example, participating in school musical productions, theater performances, publishing a school newspaper or school website, etc.
'Action' – participation in school and regional sports events, group or individual sports.
'Service' – work for the benefit of society, for example, in a volunteer fire brigade, Red Cross branch, providing social services, active participation in school self-government bodies, training guide dogs, etc. (the list of activities is offered by each individual school).
Why is this part of the IB program so important for admission not only to Cambridge but also to other prestigious universities around the world? The fact is that Western society wants to see its citizens not only highly educated but also capable of contributing to its development, which is impossible without active participation in the country's public life. Therefore, graduates of Western secondary schools intending to conquer the heights of higher education may take a year after graduation to work as volunteers in various charitable organizations. This will add points when applying to elite universities worldwide.
Graduates of foreign secondary schools who have received a national certificate with good grades, for example, the French Baccalaureate, German Abitur, Italian Maturita, have a chance to enter Cambridge. This does not apply to applicants from former Soviet countries that still have the Soviet eleven-year secondary education system. They lack one year of study, which can be made up through a one-year foundation program. However, upon completion, chances of admission to Cambridge are extremely low.
In addition to excellent grades on the certificate, foreigners must provide a document confirming knowledge of English at a very high level (IELTS not lower than 7.0, preferably 7.5). All applicants need to provide recommendations from their educational institutions and so-called 'letters of intent', where they must convincingly explain what prompted them to apply specifically to Cambridge. They may be asked to write one or two additional essays on a specific topic.
But that's not all. After the applicant passes all stages of initial selection, they are invited for an interview. The questions asked during the interview may be provocative. For example, future doctors are asked: 'If you were faced with a choice – to kill one healthy person to transplant his organs to two others who are terminally ill, or to leave these two to die, what would you choose?'
Although the university, due to financial circumstances, is extremely interested in foreigners who substantially supplement its budget (for example, the number of foreign students accepted by the university in 2005 for the first year was 16.7%, and in 2004 – 13.4%), it does not soften admission requirements. Competition is fierce. Every year, approximately 14 thousand candidates compete for one of 3,400 places at Cambridge. Therefore, it will be difficult for those who have graduated from professional colleges and received certificates and diplomas (VCE, Applied A-Level, GNVQ, BTEC) to get into Cambridge University. The principle here is that one must start preparing for study at leading universities (i.e., building one's career) as early as possible.
Returning to undesirable subjects, I will quote information from Cambridge's website: 'An applicant must present results in two traditional academic subjects (including two subjects not on this list). For example, the combination "mathematics, history and business" may be suitable for a certain number of our disciplines. At the same time, the combination "history, business and media" usually cannot be considered acceptable, because it contains only one subject not on the provided list. Likewise, for applicants who have completed International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, the diploma must contain no more than one of the listed disciplines.'
Also, if a school student has not fully decided on a future specialty, the admissions committee recommends choosing a set of subjects for the A-level exams that would include: chemistry, English literature, history, mathematics, one modern language, and physics.
It should also be noted that, not entirely satisfied with the quality of A-Level final exams, from 2008 the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) is going to introduce new exams called Pre-U. The goal of Pre-U is to identify the most talented children capable of studying at the most prestigious universities in the UK. The new test system was developed jointly with well-known British boarding schools and universities that make up the 'Russell Group'. To pass Pre-U, school students need to study three subjects in depth over the last two years of school, take exams in them, and write an extended essay on a given topic. The new exams do not replace the old A-Levels system, and students can take both Pre-U and A-Levels, but when applying to first-division universities, preference will be given to those who pass the new test.
Along with Cambridge, the London School of Economics has posted its own set of subjects, more or less preferable for the university's admissions committee. 'Mathematics, French and economics' looks better than 'mathematics, French and business'. But examiners will react negatively to the combination 'mathematics, accounting and media'. The best appearance will be A-Level results with two academic subjects and only one subject from the list that includes: accounting, art and design, business, communication studies, dance, design and technology, drama/theatre studies, home economics, information and communications technology, law, media, sport.
Based on materials from the CMC 'Parta'.