Applying for Geography or HSPS at Cambridge - any experiences please?

[silverstorms]

Could I ask if anyone might have any advice on applying for either of these courses please? DS is currently in L6. No predicted grades as yet (only a term in obviously). He’s studying Economics, Geography and Spanish, plus he’s doing an EPQ in a subject relevant to Economics / Geography / Politics.

We were quite surprised by his GCSE results last year as he got ten grade 9s. So, feeling a bit buoyed up by this, he had a foray onto the Cambridge website to look at course options.

There are two courses he might be interested in - HSPS or Geography. He would be interested in Economics too, but has not taken A-level maths which seems to be a requirement for Economics at degree level.

My question is - it states on the course info pages that for HSPS there are 7 applicants for every place, while for Geography, it’s 3 for every place. Does this mean, the odds of a place are better if you apply for Geography? Or am I missing something? Both courses require A*AA (which is the main issue of course - we realise it’s far more tricky to get top grades at A-level than GCSE)!

Also, how on earth do you decide what college to apply for? Are some colleges better for either of these courses (or easier to get into)?

Obviously, we’re at an very early stage in this process, so if anyone has any advice or insight they could share, it would be most appreciated.

He’s also looked at LSE and there’s some great courses there which seem easy to combine with a language too. Obviously, we’ll be looking at other unis too!

Many thanks.

The other thing is, he’s a bass singer and would like to keep this up by taking part in that side of uni life, eg. in the choirs or musicals, etc.

@silverstorms, I sang with the LSE Music Soc choir as an undergraduate there in the 80s and for over a decade after I graduated. At the time, we weren't exactly the London Symphony Chorus, but we had a lot of fun and worked with some 'proper' music people, such as Thomas Dausgaard (before he was famous, as they say).

Wondering whether the Music Soc still exists (I forgot to ask when I went back for an open day with DD a couple of years ago, but she isn't musical and didn't like LSE anyway), I had a look online and yes, it does - and still allows staff and former students to be members, which in my day made it unique in the SU.

Marching (attention thread divert alert) concerts are also sometimes advertised to alumnis. I think that there was one at Christmas, essentially a social occasion.

DS followed me to LSE, slightly to to chagrin of DH who enjoyed Oxford. DH was slighty surprised at the extent to which the student experience differed, though was content it suited DS, but then we were both surprised at how different again Bristol seems to be. I loved being able to follow in my father's footsteps. He used to take me out for the occasional lunch, and eventually settled on a carvery (at the Savoy perhaps, I dont remember, though we did the rounds of Sheekey's and other nice restaurants) where he would look on proudly as I went up for second then third helpings. Food at Passfield was grim.) DS was more modest in where he would go but it was still fun. I have lived in or near London all my life, but there are some areas that are still student London to me.

To be honest, if he got a room somewhere around Holborn way, he’d be in his element

Thanks again for all this because it’s helpful, even at this early stage, to work out what the the pros and cons might be.

He’s in a consort choir now that sometimes sing Evensong at St Paul’s and have done some overseas tours and I’ve been surprised at how he’s actually become quite interested in the music, but above all, it’s been a way to feel “part” of something at his school.

The courses at LSE do look as though they’d suit him and he’d meet so many like- minded people, I’m sure.

He’s only been to Cambridge once and that was when we took some American relatives. It was a boiling hot day and we did the whole punting thing of course. DS’ comment was, “it’s like a dream here... and they do actually have really good Thai food and bubble tea ..,,”

Thanks again!