Private tutoring for Cambridge Economics degree

[Sunnyside1900]

Hi there, my daughter wants to apply to Cambridge Economics degree this year and I was wondering if we should be looking for help outside of school? There are a lot of people advertising online which seems quite expensive and I was wondering whether anyone here has any recommendations? Thanks in advance for sharing your feedback.

Do you mean for general economics tutoring or help with the application/interview and selection process? How is she doing generally? I would be very wary of signing up £££ Oxbridge 'expert' help from tutoring agencies. Who exactly are the people working there and what are their credentials? why would they be better placed than your dd's school to advise?

Is what you are actually looking for is help with the maths STEP paper?

STEP isn't universally required for Economics at Cambridge, so it would be easier for her to apply to a college which doesn't require it than stressing about whether she might not pass, surely?

OP,

If your DD does require STEP, some tuition can make the difference and only some schools offer it. I see this as an equity issue for the U.K. The STEP materials from the C website are very good but can seem intimidating at first to even a good student who lacks confidence

Whether STEP or another concern, if I wanted tutoring for a Y12/13 DC, I would make contact with the nearest RG or equivalent university. I would look for either PhD students with proven teaching/tutoring records or a top UG who tutors (in the key subject, of course).

I would offer them either a substantial premium on the going rate, or offer to pay for planning and marking time. I would pay them to meet for an hour with DC to understand their goals and start mapping out a plan, then another hour to map out a rough plan of action. Then go to it - including the planning and marking time I mentioned above.

This person can help DC extract themes, analyse weaknesses, understand what comprises a complete but concise answer on an exam, etc. The last is a hard balance for pupils to find in isolation.

I am a former RG STEM admissions tutor

OP what kind of school does your child attend? If independent or selective it's likely there will be tuition available for a range of Oxbridge entrance exams. And prep for interviews. It's often build into the sixth form timetable. If a comp or sixth form college that is unlikely to be the case. So to level up the playing field id try to access some specific tuition.
If you mean A level tuition by the way, then your child probably shouldn't be considering Cambridge.

@poetryandwine

OP,

If your DD does require STEP, some tuition can make the difference and only some schools offer it. I see this as an equity issue for the U.K. The STEP materials from the C website are very good but can seem intimidating at first to even a good student who lacks confidence

Whether STEP or another concern, if I wanted tutoring for a Y12/13 DC, I would make contact with the nearest RG or equivalent university. I would look for either PhD students with proven teaching/tutoring records or a top UG who tutors (in the key subject, of course).

I would offer them either a substantial premium on the going rate, or offer to pay for planning and marking time. I would pay them to meet for an hour with DC to understand their goals and start mapping out a plan, then another hour to map out a rough plan of action. Then go to it - including the planning and marking time I mentioned above.

This person can help DC extract themes, analyse weaknesses, understand what comprises a complete but concise answer on an exam, etc. The last is a hard balance for pupils to find in isolation.

I am a former RG STEM admissions tutor

Thanks for your feedback! I am afraid I don’t know what RG stands for..

@KaptainKaveman

Do you mean for general economics tutoring or help with the application/interview and selection process? How is she doing generally? I would be very wary of signing up £££ Oxbridge 'expert' help from tutoring agencies. Who exactly are the people working there and what are their credentials? why would they be better placed than your dd's school to advise?

She is doing well at school, but the process seems so competitive. A quick online search revealed lots of tuition on offer, and we weren’t sure if the preparation through school would be enough?

@TeenPlusCat

Is what you are actually looking for is help with the maths STEP paper?

I don’t think STEP is a part of the assessment. ECAA and the interview.

Sorry, RG=Russell Group

Best wishes

@interferingma

OP what kind of school does your child attend? If independent or selective it's likely there will be tuition available for a range of Oxbridge entrance exams. And prep for interviews. It's often build into the sixth form timetable. If a comp or sixth form college that is unlikely to be the case. So to level up the playing field id try to access some specific tuition. If you mean A level tuition by the way, then your child probably shouldn't be considering Cambridge.

She goes to an independent school, so will check with school. Thanks for the feedback though.

One of my cousins passed STEP by using Cambridge International Revision Guides for A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics in addition to the online materials. He said it probably wouldn’t have mattered which board’s guides he used but that using them definitely helped him learn the content faster.

Competition for the leading quantitative economics courses: Cambridge, LSE, Warwick and UCL, is brutal. The advice DS received was to apply to all four and be happy to be offered one. He got three rejections but a place at LSE, despite a 4xA* prediction. He knew others who got Cambridge but not LSE. All four area well regarded by employers and will get you to the same place, so perhaps better to focus on four, not just one.

But that is if you want a very mathematical course. Otherwise there are plenty of alternative options. Durham, Bath, Oxford (E&M or PPE), St Andrews.

@Sunnyside1900 then you're probably sorted. Even at our (relatively cheap and loosely selective) local indie there's Wednesday afternoons set aside on the timetable for preparation/tutoring. Help is bought in.

@Sunnyside1900 - if it's the ECAA your DD is taking why do you think you need a tutor? I've had two take admissions tests (TSA and BMAT) and get places. Not sure what value a tutor would add?

Thank you to all for your advice and for taking the time to respond. I have written to the school to get some guidance regarding the process. Will see how they respond and will let my daughter decide. Best wishes to all!

Be aware that to some extent getting a place at Cambridge is down to luck. Of course you have to be at the required ability but there are more Cambridge-capable students than there are places. Let her give it her best shot but don't get over invested, other places, especially LSE, but also eg Warwick are pretty excellent too.