Cambridge SAQ help

[LadyPeterWimsey]

Just going through DS's SAQ tonight, and realised that we don't know whether to do the extra personal statement section or the why I want to study this course section or just leave them blank. DS, traumatised by a UCAS personal statement debacle, just wants to leave them, but I think it would be good to say something, although I'm not sure why.

Any wise words or experience on this?

Have you looked at the Cambridge forum on 'the student room' website? You'll probably find other applicants and current students sharing info about the SAQ.

Thanks - will check there.

It's your dc's chance to spell out why he wants to go to Cambridge and study that particular course... beyond the PS which has to serve for all his choices. He can expand on his particular enthusiasms and interests in his chosen subject beyond what there's room for on his UCAS form - and will give his interviewers (if he's invited) something to go on when asking him questions...
Leaving it blank is a wasted opportunity!

His UCAS form PS was pretty specific about his interests - it was fairly directed towards a Cmbridge interview - and he doesn't want to write 'I want to go to Cambridge because of the breadth of the course and the supervision system', which is true, but only what they already know.

I suspect it might be a wasted opportunity but even I don't know what else he could write.

Just enormously relieved there wasn't an SAQ, or anything much beyond the 9 lines on the UCCA form in my day.

DD2 left hers blank - she reckoned that everything they needed to know about her was in her PS, and her extenuating circumstances letter from the school. Will let you know in a few weeks if that was sensible or not .

All the best for your DD!

So far it seems that it really is only for information you haven't got elsewhere - if you are applying for a slightly different course at Cambridge than elsewhere, or if there is something distinctive about the Cambridge course or experience beyond the obvious that you want to mention. Any other reasons?

Bumping...

not my own personal experience, but someone at my dd's school applied to do engineering at Cambridge and got an offer. He didn't put anything extra on his saq. Its difficult to know what to do I agree. But as you said, there's no point in stating the obvious. I think that the saq is there for you to state anything extra which would have been missed out on the ucas form as it wouldnt have been relevant to other universities. So if there was extra reading or projects done that you didnt have space to include in your ucas form then the saq would be used.

Thanks, tropical fish. I'm sure you are right.

Of course, then I worry that he should have loads of extra stuff to put on the form...

LadyPeter, the advice my DD was given chimes with your summary: that there is no point adding anything for the sake of filling in the box; that it is mostly for those applying to a course at Cambridge that is different to the courses they are applying to at other unis (Land Economy for instance?). My DD applied for languages; she had nothing particular to add to her PS so was told it was better to leave it blank. (She has just started her second year.)

The Student Room has a long Q&A thread where you can ask one of the college admissions tutors for advice - he said that about half of students fill it the additional PS, and unless you have something original to say then it's fine to leave it blank. Everyone will say that the supervision system appeals to them and that the Cambridge course is exactly the one they want to do.

Thanks so much, that seems to fit in with what DS is saying, so he must have been listening in the Admissions Q and A he went to!

LadyPeter DS1 it blank when he (successfully) applied

Thanks, boys.

Blank it is which is a relief because his PS was absolute agony for all of us.