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Name Dont Nembhard Subject Chemical Engineering College Churchill College Cambridge Entry Grades A Physics A Maths A Chemistry Entrance Exam Engineering Aptitude Test On Monday 13th October 2014 i finally submitted my UCas application and began to brace myself for the response. Later that day i received a link to a website containing Physics and Maths questions for the potential interviews and exams from the admissions Officer at Churchill College Cambridge. waiting on the responses was not as nerve racking as i had expected as the admissions Officer sent multiple emails containing advice and tips while adding an emoticon now and again which i found quite amusing. On wednesday 12th november 2014 i received an invitation to interview for Chemical engineering at Churchill College. The excitement upon receiving this invitation gave me the motivation to practise as many questions as possible and prepare thoroughly for the day. On Friday 5th december 2014 i headed to Churchill College by car. The two hour journey was not as relaxing as i wanted it to be as the doubts rushed through my head the closer i got to the university. Upon arrival i was guided towards the reception desk where i waited on the first of my two interviews. during this time i got to speak to a student at the university and was able to learn a lot about Churchill College and its informal atmosphere. Both interviews had a structure where the interviewers would give me challenging questions and i would work through them responding to help provided in the process. My first interview was about electricity which was my weakness. The interview began with a joke by one of the two interviewers which alleviated my nerves. during the first interview there were questions that i found very difficult but the interviewers werent there to patronise but to provide help too and with their guidance the difficult questions were quite approachable. My second interview was based on Maths and Chemistry where i was able to show my extensive knowledge of the Chemical engineering profession. after my second interview i was given an engineering aptitude Test based on Physics and Mathematics. The Mathematics section was quite enjoyable and i was able to answer most of the questions by taking a logical approach. Then the physics section began. it consisted of a page of information with questions embedded into it. This was the most difficult part of the day. Overall my experience at Cambridge University was one to remember and with the receipt of a conditional offer i am greatly motivated to exceed the offer that i have been given. For those who are contemplating whether to apply or not i recommend that you apply as you will only get one chance to experience it for yourself. Some important things t 6 Prizegiving and awards For centuries Oxford and Cambridge have been and continue to be seen as the reserves of rich privately educated students whose wealthy parents have passed through private education and Oxbridge meaning that these students have always felt a sense of inalienable entitlement to the university places of their choosing. Fortunately things have begun to change and Oxford and Cambridge have both taken greater responsibility for widening access and attracting a more diverse intake. as a result of this there are a number of programmes designed to attract non-traditional candidates. indeed many students at Hgs stand a good chance of being selected for interviews because on top of intelligence and academic success most students meet the positive discrimination criteria of being ethnic minorities coming from low and middle income families and being state educated. despite these positive developments the old stereotypes persist and it can still be incredibly intimidating to apply because whilst one may have an impeccable academic profile there can still be a fear of not being the Oxbridge type. Therefore weve decided to put together a students guide to the application process because whilst theres a wealth of online information it is often impersonal and confusing. PERSONAL STATEMENT whilst its true that you should somewhat tailor your application to Oxbridge you must also keep in mind that the same personal statement will be seen by your other universities so try and strike a balance and dont spend a paragraph talking about your undying love for the Oxbridge system Oxbridge receive thousands of applications each year meaning that you have to show yourself to be worthy of the place. when writing you must consider what makes you better than your competitors and to show this you must demonstrate a raw passion for your subject outside of school through books youve read activities with which youve been involved and issues within that subject that particularly interest you. Because Oxbridge is so academically intense they care less about unrelated extra-curricular activities and more about interest in and experience of the subject. CHOOSING A COLLEGE For many students ourselves included the Oxbridge Collegiate system is entirely bafing and it can be quite difficult to make a choice so weve put together a list of some things that youd like to consider when making a college choice A Guide to Oxbridge Applications