Which Cambridge colleges stick to the standard offer for STEM applicants?

[RatherBeOnVacation]

DD is applying to Cambridge to study a STEM subject (not maths) so the standard offer is two A stars and an A. She’s predicted 4 A stars.

She has read that some colleges make much higher offers, quite often the offer is your predicted grades. Whilst she’s hoping for the best, an offer of 4 A stars would seem exceptionally daunting and there’s always potential for something to go horribly wrong.

Does anyone know of any colleges that only give out the standard offer, or more importantly, colleges that consistently go over the standard offer?

They all give out their standard offer. V v rarely do they ask for more (usually retake candidates).

I’ve never heard of it, although it may happen. If they don’t want a candidate they can just not make an offer.

Where has she read that colleges do that - was it a reliable source?

DS’s college gave him an offer that was higher than the “typical” offer for his course. He subsequently discovered that everyone on his course at his college had the same higher offer. I don’t Cambridge uses the term “standard” offer. I have only seen “typical” offer.

I think it’s impossible to tell. Even the colleges don’t seem to know.
Ds had a 2Astar 2A offer for a course that was 2Astar 1A. At the offer holder meeting a parent asked what would happen if they got 3A star 1B. The college person running the meeting said offers were never made on more than 3 A levels. When clearly a number of our children had 4 A level offers, judging by the muttering among the audience.
He knew one boy from school who did get a 4A star offer, although I don’t know which college. He was quite arrogant so maybe in the interview they just thought this will sort you out (he made the offer but it was quite stressful I think)

Offers can also be linked to how well you interview, and your educational background - someone from a struggling comp is more likely to get the standard offer than another candidate at a public school. I know at least some colleges don't give everyone the same offer, so it's not really possible to select that way.

@MayBall There’s some chat on The Student Room and Reddit and also some higher offers on Chat University which started the digging.

The Cambridge website itself now refers to the grades as a “minimum” offer and it may well be higher.

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/before/entry-requirements

Just wondering if some colleges had more of a reputation for it than others.

Have you tried trawling through "what do they know" for the colleges she's interested in? For example, there's this one for a few colleges from 2023.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/2023_entry_physical_natural_scie_2

Otherwise you can glean some info by going to each college website and attending college webinars. Each college is a law unto itself and things do change from one year to the next.

Is it NatSci? because a few colleges say on their website that their offer is usually 3 A stars.

I had one DC at a very academic school and 4 A star offers were not uncommon in STEM, whereas they were unknown at my other DC's school which had less of an Oxbridge track record, so I do think context comes into it.

Thank you. I agree that I’ve seen reference on colleges’ websites and videos etc, and the university’s website, to a ‘typical’ and also the ‘minimum’ offer rather than a standard one.

This page , about applications for Natural Sciences: Physical Sciences and this one for Natural Sciences: Biological Sciences list the colleges which usually set the minimum offer requirement (A star, A star, A) and those which may set additional requirements. On this page it gives some reasons why they might be set. That page also links to other courses’ requirements.

@Notanorthener No, it’s engineering. At an independent school but the last time anyone went to Oxbridge was five years ago. Not an academic school at all. For example, no Oxbridge / medicine prep classes put on. Wonderful supportive staff but if two or three apply in a year then that’s a lot!!

Not sure if it’s changed recently but with. DD’s friends it was the STEP Maths that was brutal. BFF got 4 A stars but was ill on STEP exam day and didn’t perform well so she didn’t get in.

It’s about 10 years ago now but one of my daughter’s friends had an offer of 4 x A* for engineering from Kings. She “only” got 3, with an A for further maths, but fortunately they let her in anyway.

As a system insider, I am pretty sure offers can only relate to 3 A levels

DS's offer (NatSci) only mentioned three A-level grades but there was an implied fourth high grade (Maths).

• A star in Further Maths
• A star / A in Physics and Chemistry (in either order)

I'm not willing to name the college as he is still there as a postgraduate.

It's a mystery.

My DC has a minimum offer, A star A star A for NatSci from Trinity. One of their friends has A star A star A star A, and another has A star A star AA for the same course from different colleges.

For engineering, my DC's friend has got A star A star A from Trinity.

All are predicted 4 A stars.

You need to look on each college website and they’ll say what their offer usually is for engineering. It’s tedious but doesn’t take that long to look through them all and make a note of it.

Some will require STEP and some won’t (I know Peterhouse asks for STEP, I think most don’t?). Some will also say that of the two Astars, one will have to be in further maths and the other in eg physics or chemistry, which is a way of asking for 3 Astars by stealth as it’s going to be more unlikely to get Astar FM but A in maths.

The university’s website gives information about which colleges ‘usually set offers at the minimum offer level’ and which ‘often make a higher offer’ for Engineering.

edit: go to “Entry requirements”

@MayBall Yes!!!!!!! Thank you so much. I had been looking for that as I recalled reading it somewhere and then couldn’t find it 😂😂😂. The four colleges she’s interested in are on that list and she’s going to ask the question at the upcoming open day too.

She is predicted 4a*. So should not be daunted.
However she still needs a back up what if dont get oxbridge offer option

@cestlavielife She has a great set of options on her list and whilst Cambridge is top she’s working on a more “in it to win it” basis as opposed to all eggs in one basket. So many young people with qualifications coming out of their ears don’t get offers and anyone even thinking of applying needs to be realistic of chances.

My ds did engineering at one of the colleges listed as normally giving standard offer and as I said up thread his was a 4 a level offer. He was a 4 a star prediction at independent school. He got predictions so easily made his offer. I’ve no idea where his fellow engineers went to school but think most had similar offers.
But he graduated a couple of years ago so maybe they have changed rules since then

Unless it's further maths AFAIK

Definitely some colleges make higher offers. We didnt know this and DS got an offer from St John's which was 3 x A star for subject tht was typically 1 star and 2 A.
So he didnt make his offer in the end. If I'd known I'd have pushed him towards other colleges.
The colleges at the higher end of the results tables tend to demand higher offers because they want to stay up there as I understand

@RaisedVegBeds A four A-level offer would be fine if it’s two A stars and two As. Just trying to avoid a four A star offer (even if it’s by backdoor with FM at A star) if possible!

No, I've seen 4 A level offers for Geography and History of Art (!) at Cambridge, it's not just when FM is in play. And not just a "keep up the 4th A level" - one was 2 A stars and 2 As with the A stars in specific subjects.

At an Oxford masterclass day for one STEM subject this year, the access officer said that they may ask for you to continue with your 4th A level if they think it is relevant to the course. I have never seen a 4 A level offer from Oxford in the wild, but she definitely said it was a possibility.

Not specifically relevant to this thread, but this is why I urge caution when completing the UCAS form. Once you've put 4 A levels on that you are potentially on the hook to achieve 4, even if others offering only 3 get 3 A level offers for the same course.

Not true for Cambridge

Just fyi in case people nitpick, I am have never corn across an actual 4 A star offer but they do, as you say, give “back door “ owns by requiring an a star in FM, which in effect menas the single maths comes free, from their point of view.