Cambridge college choice - tactical

[eggsbenedict23]

Is there any point looking at admission statistics for Cambridge colleges to see where is more likely to get in?

Is it worth choosing colleges tactically or does the pooling system eliminate this need?

My idea is that for Economics Trinity and Kings would be very very popular choices.

On google maps, it's showing as an 8 minute walk from Fitzwilliam to the CMS (Maths dept).
I think he is capable of doing that a few times a day even if it is a bit hilly.
We probably will get a bike for him.
I was just curious as to what reputation Fitzwilliam had ... particularly from past students.

At the moment probably Cambridge, UCL, Warwick, Durham and one from Manchester/Bath/Bristol.
Any thoughts on those selections?
He won't apply for Imperial cos' he doesn't have time to stuDy the MAT exam as well as STEP.

@Disloyal , I wouldn’t recommend looking for a second hand bike when your DD arrives in Cambridge if there’s any chance of bringing one with you. That’s what many other students will be trying to do. They are probably less expensive at home, too.

(There may be schemes in certain colleges where you can to buy bikes left by graduated students, but I don’t know about that. Presumably colleges will advertise that in advance to their first years.)

Unfortunately there is a lot of bike theft in Cambridge, and you don’t want to inadvertently be buying a stolen one.

There’s a private group on Facebook called Official Stolen Bikes in Cambridge which aims to reunite bikes with their original owners and draw attention to the thieves. There are other FB groups, too, and the number of reported incidents can make theft seem inevitable.

However, my neighbour works with the police in a field related to bike theft. She tells me that levels of bike theft in Cambridge are not increasing, (but doesn’t deny that they are high) and that it’s a good idea to register your bike (and other valuables) with Immobilise . It’s free.

There’s also the Bike Register. There will probably be free sessions in Cambridge to get signed up for that.

It’s often said that the oldest, tattiest bikes don’t get stolen, but they do. Making your bike distinctive can help, as can using two locks of different types.

Colleges often have places where students’ bikes can be locked away together, especially over the long summer break.

Speaking of colleges. What's the relationship like with the sister college at "the other place"?

Her brother is at Cambridge and says the buses are terrible. I would prefer her to get the bus really.

@Disloyal I wouldn’t recommend the buses, either, but be aware that the routes for the U(niversity) bus are changing on 2 October. I haven’t been able to find the exact details online but it ought to mean the ones to Girton are more frequent, albeit from a low base

Oh that is good news, the U bus is going to all the way to Girton now, NoNoNoNotMe!

https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/universal-bus-service-to-go-electric-with-extended-route#:~:text=The%20new%20contract%20will%20provide,and%20the%20Faculty%20of%20Education.

The point of the pool is that colleges who didn't get good enough applicants might be able to get someone better out of the pool, because the college that they originally applied to might have had too many very good applicants. The pool is for the university so they can get the best students overall, regardless of college applications. It's not to benefit students. Universities are out for themselves and that involves getting the best students.

That’s true, but not very often. There are none into town after 0806 and none back to Girton before 6pm. See timetable here.

There should be 2 an hour from October 2nd, IIRC.

I couldn’t ride a bike before I first got to Cambridge and walked everywhere. It was fine as it is flat. I learnt to ride in Cambridge in my second year when I lived in a college house. I did ride a bike after a small amount of alcohol, and in the small hours of the morning etc, usually with friends. As a driver in Cambridge I am super aware of cyclists and language students are much much worse than new undergraduates. But children from age about 2 or 3 cycle, and there are numerous disabled cyclists in town.

One thing to be aware of is that even if your college is close to your faculty your supervisions may take place at other colleges, especially in 2nd and 3rd years when you tend to specialise more. So eg if you pick a college close to Sidgwick because your subject is taught there you can still end up having supervisions at Jesus or Downing for example.

First I've heard of such a thing.

Re cycling - my dd hadn't cycled on roads at all before she went, so she did a sort of adult proficiency training thing - can't remember if it was a half or full day. Then during freshers she taught the girl who became her best friend now to ride so it turned out very beneficial! She rode (or walked in bad weather) from Murray edwards to the engineering dept no bother - the 'hill colleges' really aren't that far from the centre and the hill, it's a pleasant walk.

@ErrolTheDragon see here.

I know little about it, but think the amount of contact varies between colleges. Joint events with JCRs and sports groups once a term or less are reasonably common - as far as I know.

@SilkyStuff

You say DS is deciding between Bath, Bristol and Manchester for his fifth slot.

As a former RG STEM admissions tutor, it is striking to me that Bath and Manchester are his only choices with standard offers of

A star A A.

I haven’t RTFT but I am sure his PGs are very high. Nevertheless exams do go pear shaped in for the most unpredictable pupils. The Insurance choice isn’t meant to be the second favourite; it’s meant to be a reasonably sure thing. Ideally I would like to see everyone who doesn’t already have an A star achieved choose an AAA or lower, but in reality most predicted A star in FM are very good bets for A star in Maths

So Bath and Manchester are both good Insurance choices. Bristol has no advantage over Durham and UCL. Bath and Manchester are very different places: campus vs city, completely different vibes, etc. DS is likely to feel one or the other suits him better. Good luck to him

@poetryandwine thanks. That's interesting.
I should have probably said that he's already done maths at the end of year 12 and got A*.
He's predicted A* in the other 3 subjects Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

That helps a lot@SilkyStuff ! A star A is probably feasible on a bad, not terrible, day

I bought my bike from the bike man market stall when I arrived. They had loads. It was
a vintage one and basically indestructible although iirc I got some deal where it included repairs as I remember them changing my inner tube for me. Just don’t bring a valuable one as bike theft is about the most common crime in Cambridge, and you have to paint your registry number onto the frame so you can’t be too precious about it.

There’s also a second hand bike shop near one of the main punting places. Was rammed full of cheap bikes.

@SilkyStuff My DD is about to start Y2 maths at C - in one of the hill colleges. I don't want to name which one. Part of her choice of college was about proxity to the CMS building. She does go there to work but all her lectures have been in the centre of C and will be at least until Y3. She has been quite happy walking to lectures with her friends. She's has not been interested in getting a bike so far....

Thanks @cosmiccat that's good to know

That is really helpful. I like the idea of a cheap vintage bike. I will let her know. Thanks very much indeed.
And a decent bike lock will be crucial.

Did some googling some Cambridge colleges used STEP for economics in the past. I assume it's no longer the case

Check out the current admissions offers, OP.

The only way to be sure about specific subject/other requirements is to check both the course subject and college websites, and if in doubt the applicant should contact the relevant admissions tutors. What pertained last year may not now, no one on MN (bar one or two academics who occasionally post) will have more accurate current info than is available to you and your DC.

They may have stepped it up since my day (imagine, things changing over 30 years!) but I never knew there was such a thing as a sister college until mine held an alumni event in it. It remains the only one I’ve ever gone to as it turned out that it was DH’s college and he liked the idea of taking me to a formal hall there. He had no idea either.

Wait so your college held an alumni event now at their own college... but chose the sister college at the other place?