What personal statement will get you an interview? (Cambridge admissions officer explains)
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- čas přidán 1. 09. 2022
- Many prospective applicants ask me what makes a good personal statement in their university application. Speaking as one of the officers who get to select the best applicants from the pile, in my opinion they are overthinking it. Here is some honest advice that I hope will be helpful.
Getting into Cambridge to do computer science (featuring many other people your age):
• How to get admitted to...
My home page:
frank.stajano.com
Hey Frank, hope you are doing exceptionally well, really appreciate the advice you are sharing here.
I'm y12, and I'm worried how much my igcses will influence my Cambridge application, my predicted grades for my A-lelels are A's and A*'s currently. And igcse weren't that good because I'm an international student.
Thank you a lot for your advice!
Hey Frank, i'm currently in year 12 and looking to study at a top university in the field of mathematics because i really enjoy the satisfaction of solving problems in more than 1 way (usually given in the mark scheme) and expanding my maths knowledge through different fields varying from calculus to linear algebra. However, my school doesn't offer Olympiad's or UKMT challenges so do you have any recommendations? Many thanks.
Hi Frank!
I enjoyed the video, as usual. I just wanted to ask one question for your personal opinion.
If I am applying for Computer Science, can I still talk about a maths book which I really enjoyed, or do I have to explicitly link it to Computer Science specifically somehow.
An example could be "Bridging the Gap to University Mathematics" - would Admissions Officers appreciate me mentioning something like this?
It's absolutely fine to say something about a maths book you enjoyed, if this helps the reader get insights into what makes you tick and what intelligent connections you've made. But observe that you can't assume that the admissions officer reading your application will know your favourite book, so it's best to keep your statement self-contained, as opposed to writing something that only makes sense to someone who has also read the book. On an unrelated note, I would suggest maintaining a level of professionalism and politeness in correspondence and not address an admission officer by first name as if it were your playground pal. I hope this helps.
Hi Mr Stajano,
Am I right in assuming that talking about my projects in the statement is the best way to show my enthusiasm for computer science? I was also wondering about how I should approach talking about academic reading. I have looked at specific aspects of the text-to-image stable diffusion, identified an area that has poor performance and then read a paper that adresses this issue. Am I correct in thinking that this is a good approach for showing that I understand what being an undergraduate is like? Especially if I follow it up with a computer vision project I am currently doing.
Thank you so much.
Your projects are your showcase. Your enthusiasm is great but enthusiasm is cheap---everybody who applies has it, or they wouldn't apply. The distinguisher is what have you actually ACHIEVED, driven by that enthusiasm. Tell us about that.
czcams.com/video/k6SH5b8sKng/video.html
Hi Frank,
Thank you for the video and sharing the importance of considering the perspective of the gatekeeper. I agree that truly exceptional people will have their talents recognized, while others' chances of getting in depend on how poorly the gate is constructed. It's very difficult to fake exceptional ability, and it's also unethical. Instead of trying to be someone they're not, people should ask how they can become who they aspire to be and determine the most efficient way to do so. Many believe that the most effective method is to pass the gate, unlocking new environments and opportunities they would otherwise not have access to. This creates a classic chicken-and-egg problem, akin to needing experience to find work but requiring work to gain experience. This problem is perhaps unsolvable, but I'd love to know your take on it. Perhaps you've already covered this subject, and you could point me to some resources. Stumbling across this channel was an absolute gem. Please keep sharing.
I answered you here : czcams.com/video/n6_91ZH2iHg/video.html
Thank you for this! In the personal statement, would reccomend mentioning more on programming projects than critically analysing a couple of areas of computer science? In addition, may I ask, what score in the TMUA is required to get invited to an interview?
If you have written code that does something interesting and useful, it's certainly worth talking about, mentioning how many lines of code and in what language. If "critically analysing" is a few paragraphs of "I am passionate about AI and machine learning because of X", then it's not worth very much because every other applicant also says it. On the other hand, if you've published your critical analysis somewhere (quite uncommon, and certainly not expected), then it might be worth mentioning that. As for the TMUA, there is no requirement for a minimum score. It's more a tool for us to compare everyone on the same scale, despite the candidates having attended very different school systems from all possible countries in the world.
Best wishes and I hope this is of some help.
@@FrankStajanoExplains Thank you so much for this detailed response! Really appreciate it
Thank you very much for the information, Mr Stajano.
If I may ask, given that a person has already achieved their A Levels and exceeded the minimum entry requirements for the course, but for some reason the TMUA does not go as well, could that severely affect the candidate or do grades hold a greater weight?
You are welcome. I can't speak for everyone else but here at Trinity if a candidate had excellent A levels but a less brilliant TMUA this would not deter us from inviting them to interview.
@@FrankStajanoExplains Thank you for your response.
I also have a question about the personal statement, if that's ok.
Would personal projects be better for showing the passion for the subject rather than say a maths competition?
These projects may be about computer vision, OOP, AI, etc.
Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your time.
@@FrankStajanoExplains This is a question from a friend of mine.
If my predicted grades fall under the entry requirements but I perform very well on the TMUA, would there still be a chance for getting an interview?
I hope this is not taking much of your time professor, we really appreciate your help.
@YassineKJ You are overthinking it... List all the great things you have done, without thinking about "what's better".
@@yassinekj4159 For an authoritative answer on this you should really speak to the admissions office of the college you're applying to. My understanding is that the word "requirement" indicates a necessary condition.
why does it hurt my ears, is there something wrong with sound quality?
even on my computer audio it sounds wrong
same
5:43 "And it's particularly grating if it's a native English speaker"
...isn't it?
@@FrankStajanoExplains I really enjoyed your video. I'm re-watching it now, with my daughter : )