10 things I learnt at Cambridge's Open Day, choosing a student recruitment agent, knowing your predicted grades, and the essentials of doing great work.
😊 Welcome
Once again, this week we lead with two very different articles.
Firstly, following my visit to the University of Oxford earlier in the summer, a friend suggested we meet up at the University of Cambridge Open Day. This week I give you the run down on my top 10 learnings from that Open Day.
Secondly, we have part 3 of our “Help me, it’s all getting a bit complicated…” trilogy. This time we look at what to look out for if you choose to apply through a student recruitment agent.
In addition, we look at the importance of knowing your predicted grades, and we learn the essentials of doing great work!
✍️ Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Cambridge Open Day
A few days after I’d been to the University of Oxford Open Day I had a message from a long-standing friend that he’d be attending the University of Cambridge Open Day with his son the following week. Did I want to meet up?
I thought for at least half a second before replying a very positive “yes”. After seeing Oxford, what better than to see their nearest and dearest rival on equal terms. And of course to catch up with an old friend who I hadn't seen for a couple of years (you know who you are!)
As with Oxford, I’ve visited on many occasions, and I’ve known their current Director of Recruitment and Admissions for many years. But aside from King’s College chapel, I’ve never been right inside any of the colleges to see what life might actually be like for the students there.
So off we went, on a beautifully sunny day to visit the University of Cambridge!
✍️ “Help me, it’s all getting a bit complicated! - Part 3”
AKA... Applying through a Student Recruitment Agent
Last week we looked at how you might go about choosing an Independent Education Counsellor.
This week, we look at student recruitment agents. Sometimes it might not be obvious to you, as an applicant, who are independent education counsellors, and who are agents. Sometimes you might find the same company is offering both. But we need to be clear, the business models are quite different, and this matters.
💡 Did You Know?
It's really important that you know what your predicted grades are when you make your final UCAS choices. They are critical if you are to make an informed list of five choices, including ambitious, realistic and safe options.
However, never push your teachers or school to give you unrealistically high predicted grades.
This can backfire on you as you could end up make unrealistically ambitious applications, resulting in offers you can't achieve.
Some universities even vary their offers, giving higher conditions to those with better predictions.
📢 Quote of the week
"It's essential to work on something you're deeply interested in. Interest will drive you to work harder than mere diligence ever could. The three most powerful motives are curiosity, delight, and the desire to do something impressive. Sometimes they converge, and that combination is the most powerful of all."
Paul Graham, Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist
Wise words about the key ingredients for truly great work.
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
🎯 In case you missed it: Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Oxford Open Day
📅 Next week: What to look out for at university open days.
