Anyone else's DC applied to Imperial? Any news?

[kitnkaboodle]

I've posted this on other boards, so apologies! But I literally only know of @Panicmode1's DS who has heard back. I have both my DSs applying there this cycle for Mechanical Engineering. DS2 did online test in November, DS1 doing it this week as only applied there just before January deadline. No word whatsoever yet for DS2. Anybody else waiting for Imperial?

DS applied for computer science early January. He received an invite to sit the online entrance test within a couple of weeks, but hasn't heard anything since.

My DS1 did the online Imperial test for Mechanical Engineering this morning. They had the (seemingly inevitable) technical glitches. The back button wasn't working, so you couldn't revisit an answer and, if you skipped forward through the paper (as they are sometimes told ... read all the questions first!) you couldn't go back and do ANY of them. DS not too fazed by this. It cost him one question that he skipped, but they sent profuse apologies afterwards and he emailed them re his missing answer, so who know!
.... and this from the country's top technical uni!

Oh dear! Hopefully it won’t matter too much. I think the online tests just confirm you are up to scratch, then they spend ages looking at the personal statements and tutor references, and most of the decision is based on those.

I hope so as my DS's statement is perhaps the best part of his application (especially after today ...)
I'd make sure your own DS is prepared for all eventualities and warn him not to freak out if something goes wrong from Imperial's side! They sent everyone forms to fill in after this morning so they could fill in details of their difficulties. DS is OK about it, but it's still a bit crap!

I read somewhere else that the Physics test was such a disaster they have decided to scrap it and not use it at all.

To their credit, they have offered today's engineering candidates two more chances to sit the test in the coming weeks. They had that sorted out by the end of the day. That seems in stark contrast to the cock-up over the online BMAT (do I have that right?? Online exam for Medicine candidates) that got technical glitches two years running with no chance to set it right. Here's hoping that Imperial now have the technical nouse between them not to mess up the 'resits'.

"then they spend ages looking at the personal statements"

I've seen several oxbridge college admissions staff say that personal statements are barely looked at.
In any course where the university sets or uses a supplementary admissions test, this will be heavily weighted. So, to a lesser extent, will predicted grades, and exams taken to date (eg GCSE/AS).

Personal statements are mainly looked at for extenuating circumstances, e.g. explaining that uncharacteristically poor GCSE grades were caused by ill health or bereavement.

@extrastrongmints That has seemed to be the case up to now. However, this year Manchester for example is rejecting applicants with 2 A* plus A predictions for courses with AAA entry requirements because “their personal statements are not strong enough”.

DS applied in October and didn’t sit a specific test just for imperial as he sat the MAT for Oxford. He doesn’t think he will get an offer but wish they’d make a decision soon. Still waiting on St Andrews and Edinburgh too, he has an offer from Warwick. All for maths apart from Warwick he applied for MORSE

Yes @Darbs76 I have a second DS who applied in October and did online test back then. Have heard nothing regarding his application despite searching junk folders etc. Glad to see some other Imperial applicants emerging! I was starting to feel lonely!

@extrastrongmints that may be true of Oxbridge but it doesn’t necessarily follow for Imperial. It’s possible to view the statistics for the computer science entry tests and it’s very interesting- even if you get 100% in the online admissions test, in the latest published year only 1/3 get invited to interview. Yes, that drops off for much lower scores (but not massively), but they must be using some other measures to decide to invite. Imperial provide very detailed videos on how to write a pertinent personal statements (telling you what they want to see and what’s not relevant), so I can’t believe they don’t look at them.

(By the way, good luck to all your DCs applying to Imperial…. I went there in the late ‘90s and it really is the best place in the world! I loved every minute of it )

[quote Watsername]@extrastrongmints that may be true of Oxbridge but it doesn’t necessarily follow for Imperial. It’s possible to view the statistics for the computer science entry tests and it’s very interesting- even if you get 100% in the online admissions test, in the latest published year only 1/3 get invited to interview. Yes, that drops off for much lower scores (but not massively), but they must be using some other measures to decide to invite. Imperial provide very detailed videos on how to write a pertinent personal statements (telling you what they want to see and what’s not relevant), so I can’t believe they don’t look at them.[/quote]
RE: computer science the data is here:
FOI request
FOI data
This shows that for 2020/21 the probabilities of offers being made vs CS subject test score were:
score offer %
< 60 : ~0%
60-70 : 10%
70-80 : 26%
80-90 : 37%
90-100 : 51%
i.e. a very strong variation in offer rate vs test score
So I don't think your claim that "in the online admissions test, in the latest published year only 1/3 get invited to interview. Yes, that drops off for much lower scores (but not massively), " is true: it's over 50% acceptance for those with the highest scores and does drop off - massively - to 0% for those scoring under 60.

There's a similar situation in Maths: according to data released by Imperial, over three quarters of those who received offers in 2020/21 placed in the top quartile of applicants by MAT score. Other FOI requests eg this one also show strong variation with predicted/already attained A level grades:
5 A* -> 75% chance of an offer
4 A* -> 68% chance of an offer
3 A* -> 44% chance of an offer
AAA ->29% chance of an offer
A*AA -> negligible chance of an offer
This suggests that maths interview shortlisting is mostly done by MAT score and predicted/attained grades.

Also waiting on Imperial for computer science.

Can you find out what the score was on the test, then?

No, I don’t think you ever get told the score you got.

Ah OK. Where else has your lad applied? We've heard from Southampton and QMUL but not Bath or King's.

Offers from Nottingham and Lancaster, but waiting on Imperial, UCL and Durham.

OK I feel it's normal then. Thanks!

I have two DSs both applying this year. Between them have heard from Southampton and Exeter but not Imperial, Bristol or Bath

Some unis are notoriously late in sending out offers. I am not expecting to hear from UCL or Durham til end of March. Might hear sooner from Imperial if invited to interview.

Good luck to all x

DS applied for mechanical engineering in the autumn (oxbridge deadline) and took his test shortly after. He had an interview two weeks ago that had lots of technical gliches and they told him he would hear by the end of March.

He heard today! Brutal offer but an acceptance. These poor kids stuck in this grade inflation limbo.

ds got an offer from Imperial a while ago - maybe even before Christmas 🤔 but that's for maths so maybe that department is just quicker off the mark

Ah well done to him @TupilaLilium

DS1, who did the test 3 weeks ago has heard nothing at all. DS2, who did test in November, has had an interview. I'm guessing a rejection for DS1 and an offer for DS2. Maybe we'll find out today too 😬

Good luck to your DS @kitnkaboodle.

We are gently suggesting Bristol might be a better choice. I think it is a better culture fit for DS (he's a laid back vegan), the offer is easily met so less stress between now and August, and the loans are so much less out of London. We'll see. He is going to go visit a friend at Imperial in a few weeks and we'll take it from there.