Advice on applying to Imperial College

[Andeh]

Hey

Basically, I want to check out my current situation and if I stand ANY chance of getting into Imperial College. (It's my dream)

GCSE results: 5A*s 2As 3Bs

AS Grades: Chemistry (A) Maths (A) Physics (A) German (B)

I have just started my A level year in school. However, due to VERY bad careers advice (long story) I have to take AS Biology this year and drop A level German. Therefore this year I am doing 3 A levels and AS Bio, and at the end of next year, in total, I will have 5 AS levels but only 3 A levels.=(

Done the UKCAT: 613 average. Very disappointing. Was only able to do preparation the day before the test. no joke =( I was looking for 650+.

During the summer, I worked in a country in Guatemala, at a public hospital for 4 weeks. IT WAS AMAZING. I worked in the cancer unit for a week, the ICU for 3 days and the rest of the time was in the Emergency room. The biggest surprise was the amount of practical work I was allowed to do (and I'm only 17!!!!!!!lol). I took blood from patients, set up IV's, inserted Gastro Nasal tubes, set up electrocardiograms etc. There was more, but I would make this TOO long for anybody reading...

Worked in a local NHS hospital for 3 days, while nowhere near as good as my other work exp I now have seen two very different healthcare systems for myself.

Volunteered at a school for students with severe learning disabilities one day a week through my AS year.

Attended the PreMed information course at Imperial College.

I am a cross country runner, footballer and table tennis player. I have also recently done my PADI license which allows me to scuba dive all around the world.

In school, I am the Prefect for careers. (have to help teacher, give guidance etc.)

Taking the BMAT in november. :S Heard that it is VERY difficult!! (What is a score I should be aiming for?)


So now that you have all my info (and my life story lol), do I stand ANY chance of getting into Imperial? Any help you guys can offer? Tell the truth please, I would rather hear the truth at this stage than hear something that is sugar coated(applying in like 3 weeks!!)

[moonshine]

Yes u do have a chance.

My UKCAT was similar to yours and i got rejected from the 3 other UKCAT unis. Fact... only 2 of them said it was because of my UKCAT: Queen Mary and East Anglia. I didn't think it was that preparable [ i was an eejat ]

BMAT i got 18.7. You can't aim really for a score, i think it just depends on how the 'competition' does. You're called for interview in order of your BMAT score i think.

Work experience: great..write about what you learnt. and how it reinforced your ambition to study medicine.

'only 3 a levels' thats all they ask for...why work harder than u need to? i did 4 AS', got 4 As and then continued with 3.

Good luck..if you don't get it in its just ONE of the 4..if you don't apply you will regret it.

T

[agneishd]

a-level wise you'll be fine anyway

[Snowflake]

From what I have gathered, anything that is around 16-17 in the BMAT is okay for IC (but of coruse, the higher the better) and they will ask you (on most occassions) for interviews, provided that you have good PS, references and are capable of achieving their standard of AAAc.

I think you have a good chance of getting in, just go for it, IC isn't too picky (someone I know is doing maths with stats for finance there and she thinks IC is pretty friendly). Applying for medicine involves luck and risks anyway, so why not just give it a go? Don't let anything stop your dream. =).

Good luck with everything!

[Andeh]

Yes u do have a chance.

My UKCAT was similar to yours and i got rejected from the 3 other UKCAT unis. Fact... only 2 of them said it was because of my UKCAT: Queen Mary and East Anglia. I didn't think it was that preparable [ i was an eejat ]

BMAT i got 18.7. You can't aim really for a score, i think it just depends on how the 'competition' does. You're called for interview in order of your BMAT score i think.

Work experience: great..write about what you learnt. and how it reinforced your ambition to study medicine.

'only 3 a levels' thats all they ask for...why work harder than u need to? i did 4 AS', got 4 As and then continued with 3.

Good luck..if you don't get it in its just ONE of the 4..if you don't apply you will regret it.

T

Thanks for the replies guys. I see that both you and agneishd have got into IC. What kind of things did both of you to get in? Such as extra curricular activities/ volunteer work? Did both of you excel at the interviews?

I just want to know the level of competition I will be up against... lol

[agneishd]

normal stuff like clubs in school, the odd bit of volunteer work here and there, and I was normal at interview (got laughed at for table tennis hobby)

[Andeh]

(got laughed at for table tennis hobby)

Really?!?! Would they laugh at table tennis? XD It's awesome!

Maybe I better leave it out though =S

[agneishd]

Really?!?! Would they laugh at table tennis? XD It's awesome!

Maybe I better leave it out though =S

i think they liked it really

[moonshine]

i think they just like if your personality shines through at interview rather than how much you know about medicine..cos thats why u want to study it ..u want to leaaaaarn.

so yeah..extre curricular i do a lot of south indian music, school council, house capt.

i brought up how i sometimes pretend i'm doing a cookery show when i cook. everyone at skl ripped the piss out of that but whatevs...i got in =)

jus smile, be polite and yourself and if they like you're in basically..other interviews i've heard about sound much much worse.

[agneishd]

i brought up how i sometimes pretend i'm doing a cookery show when i cook. everyone at skl ripped the piss out of that but whatevs...i got in =)

ah yeh, I do that too, on the couple of occasions I've cooked