Cambridge from the Inside

Cambridge from the Inside

By Trinity Hall, University of CambridgeEducation
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Cambridge from the Inside episodes

  • How will we assess your application?

    Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr. Marcus Tomalin, explain everything you need to know about how we assess applications, including an analysis of several hypothetical cases!

    02:10 What pieces of information do we look at when assessing applicants?

    04:50 We say we assess applications holistically—what does "holistic" actually mean?
    05:50 Who assesses the applications?
    10:20 Explaining the Winter Pool
    13:20 What’s the most important part of the application?
    17:40 Hypothetical case: Part 1
    20:10 Predicted grades compared to final grades
    20:40 Hypothetical case: Part 2
    22:25 Trying to wing the Cambridge admissions process
    24:10 Hypothetical case: Part 3
    30:10 Siam’s predicted grades
    33:10 Hypothetical case: Part 4
    37:00 Differences between humanities and sciences in admissions assessments
    41:40 What is contextualisation/contextualising applications?
    50:25 What’s the difference between contextualisation and positive discrimination?
    55:00 Hypothetical case: Part 5
    58:40 So, is there any difference between holistic assessment and contextualisation?


    1 hr 4 min
  • Studying Architecture: What's It Like?

    Stay tuned to hear Sam, a 3rd-year student, share everything you need to know about studying Architecture at Cambridge! A full list of discussion points can be found below.

    00:00 Introductions
    00:30 What actually is Architecture?
    02:00 What’s the difference between Architecture and Engineering?
    04:00 How multidisciplinary is Architecture?
    06:00 Sam’s future plans after her undergraduate degree
    06:30 Who is Architecture for?
    09:30 Follow what you enjoy first and foremost
    10:30 Why did you choose Architecture?
    12:40 Did many people apply to Architecture from your school?
    17:10 What’s the course structure for Architecture?
    21:00 How are you examined/assessed in Architecture?
    23:30 How are you taught in Architecture? Explaining supervisions and tutorials in Architecture
    34:45 What is the "Starchitect"?
    38:00 How is the role of the Architect ever-changing?
    44:00 Sam talking about her dissertation in Architecture
    58:50 How Sam has blended Poetry and Architecture
    01:04:00 Sam’s work experience
    01:10:00 The current culture amongst Architects

    1 hr 16 min
  • Winter Pool and Admissions

    Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr Marcus Tomalin, explain everything you need to know about the Winter Pool - Cambridge's redistribution mechanism for providing offers to applicants.

    22 min
  • First Term Experiences I

    Stay tuned to hear Neve, a first-year Human, Social, and Political Sciences student, discuss how her first term has been, whether Cambridge has met her expectations, the apprehensions she had before applying, and what she’s looking forward to next term.00:0000:30 How has your first term been so far? 03:00 How has first term been like lined up to your expectations? 06:30 What societies/events have you been doing during your term? 09:20 Concerns with applying beforehand11:30 Have the students met your prior expectations?15:30 What does a typical day look like for a HSPS student? 24:00 What are HSPS supervisions like? 28:00 Imposter Syndrome32:20 What kinds of topics have you been learning about in HSPS? 38:00 Did you ever consider PPE at Oxford? 40:30 Should I apply to Cambridge for its prestige? 45:20 How have you found the city Cambridge?

    55 min
  • Admissions FAQs Part 3

    In this episode, Part 3 of our Admissions FAQs series, Siam and Marcus will go over the most frequently asked questions prospective students have about the Cambridge admissions process and what life is like at Cambridge.
    Stay tuned if you want to learn more about the following questions:
    00:00
    01:10 What is deferred entry?
    03:50 Gap years, reapplications, and post-A-Level applications
    13:50 If I’m applying to Cambridge a second time, should I apply to a different college?
    18:00 Are gap years a good or bad idea?
    25:50 What is a foundation year? Does Cambridge offer one?
    32:00 Is Cambridge an affordable city for students? What financial support does the university provide?
    38:10 How does the collegiate system provide pastoral care for students?
    41:00 Can you get a part-time job while studying at Cambridge?
    43:20 What happens if you need a job to help with living costs while studying at Cambridge?
    46:20 Which university is better: Cambridge or Oxford?

    1 hr 2 min
  • History Interviews Explained

    00:00

    01:20 General advice for Cambridge interviews

    02:20 How are history school exams different from history interviews at Cambridge?
    04:20 What are history interviews like at Trinity Hall?
    07:20 What makes a good historian?
    14:05 How can students prepare for their history interviews?
    16:50 Does Cambridge look for a certain personality type in history interviews?
    18:20 Should I be extroverted or introverted during the interview? Should I be combative or discerning? Is there room for perfectionism in the interview?
    22:05 If a student comes from a school with low application rates to Cambridge, are they at a disadvantage in any way?
    24:50 Can the interviews provide a level playing field for two students with differing levels of cultural capital?
    25:50 Do you need to visit museums? How there’s evidence all around you
    28:50 If someone lacks confidence for their upcoming interviews, do you have any advice for them?
    32:50 Do history interviews emulate the supervisions students have?
    34:40 Critical thinking, history, and school exams
    38:20 How to stay motivated to excel in school exams
    43:50 Who belongs at Cambridge?
    46:50 How do we decide who to make offers to for history?
    48:20 How do different students approach the same exam question?
    50:40 Pedro’s research interests

    56 min
  • Law Admissions Advice

    Stay tuned as Dr Rachel Tolley explains everything you need to know about Cambridge Law interviews, the LNAT admissions test, and how Trinity Hall choose which Law students to give offers to.

    00:00
    02:00 What general advice do you have for candidates preparing for their Cambridge interviews?
    22:15 What are the Law interviews like at Trinity Hall?
    44:45 Top tips for performing well during Law interviews
    49:40 How should candidates prepare for Law interviews?
    56:50 How similar are Law interviews to Law supervisions?
    01:01:30 What is the LNAT, the admissions test for Law?
    01:02:30 Advice on how to prepare for the LNAT
    01:15:30 Tips for essay writing in the LNAT
    01:19:30 How do we decide who to make Law offers to?
    01:31:00 How can offer holders prepare for studying Law at Cambridge?

    1 hr 38 min
  • My History and Politics Interview

    Stay tuned to find out how Caitlin's, first year History & Politics student, interviews were like, what advice she has for upcoming students, and how her first term has been like at Cambridge!

    00:0001:10 Why did you choose to study History & Politics?
    04:00 Why did you choose HisPol over HSPS? (Human Social and Political Sciences)
    06:10 When did you start thinking about applying to Cambridge?
    08:20 How were you feeling before your interviews?
    12:10 How were your interviews?
    13:30 Did your written work or personal statement come up in interview?
    14:30 How did you prepare for your interviews?
    19:30 How was your politics interview?
    22:30 What to do when your argument is challenged during an interview?
    25:30 Do you have any advice for any upcoming HisPol applicants?
    26:40 What is historiography?

    32 min
  • Interviews: Top Tips

    Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr Marcus Tomalin, give his 5 top tips for how to approach your upcoming Cambridge interviews.
    01:00 Be yourself and believe in yourself
    03:00 Expect the unexpected
    05:45 Think carefully before answering
    09:00 Think out loud
    16:10 Try to enjoy it
    19:30 What happens if the interview doesn’t go well?

    26 min
  • Studying Philosophy at Cambridge

    Stay tuned as Dr. Neil Dewar, Philosophy Director of Studies at Trinity Hall, delves into what the Cambridge Philosophy course offers and what sets it apart from programs at other universities.
    00:00
    01:30 What do philosophy students learn about?
    03:30 What can you expect from a philosophy course at Cambridge?
    06:10 What’s the difference between analytic and continental philosophy?
    09:00 What kind of logic can you study in the philosophy course?
    09:50 Can you study continental philosophy at Cambridge?
    14:10 Does the Cambridge philosophy course equip you with the skills to explore other types of philosophy after university?
    15:20 What is the structure of the Cambridge philosophy course?
    17:55 What’s the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?
    21:10 Immanuel Kant and David Hume
    22:35 Why is Descartes’ Meditations a set text for first years?
    28:30 What are supervisions like for philosophy at Cambridge?
    38:30 What is mathematical logic, and what kinds of logic can you study at Cambridge?
    43:50 What to read to get into philosophy (super-curricular activities)
    52:45 How are students expected to approach their reading lists in philosophy?
    55:40 Advice for Cambridge philosophy interviews
    01:01:00 Neil talks about his academic background and research interests

    1 hr 9 min

About Cambridge from the Inside

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Cambridge from the Inside is a new podcast about Outreach and Admissions at the University of Cambridge, hosted by Trinity Hall. It discusses admissions advice and what life is like as a Cambridge…