A few clarifications.

I just thought I would make a few clarifications to my previous post, I should have talked about colleges.

Before colleges though, let's answer a few questions that my dear readers have with regards to CAP. Typically, whenever you apply for scholarships, schools, etc you fill out your results in that format as shown below. English, Mother Tongue, Math Major, Math Major with Honours, etc. So, Q & A:
1. Are honours modules, etc counted towards your overall CAP? Do we get extra credit for taking Higher Chinese instead of Chinese?
No. Our school does not weight our CAP.

2. Why does my CAP below show a blank for Major with Honours Chem?
At the point of submission (which was September), I hadnt done a single chem hons module (since they were in semester 2) but I completed 1 bio hons module, which was BL6401 Functions and Adaptations, so yes, I got an A- in that - hence the 4.5 CAP. You will see a more complete profile for the US universities because the school year was done by the time my application was submitted.

3. Must you put in your CAP for humanities?
I dont know. All my humanities modules were in history and lit, so it made sense for me to put them there. However on most applications the proper thing to put is your subject CAP for "humanities", not "history" or "lit" unless that's your major.

4. How accurate is your information?
Well, I try to make it accurate but obviously the college counselling office will be more accurate than me. With regards to CAP, I think things might change for subsequent batches and you will probably be given a briefing in time to come. In the meantime try to do well in your major modules (probably only English left isnt it) and your honours modules as well so that you dont regret it when the time comes.

Now for the rest of the information.
1. So what's this college thing in Cambridge and Oxford? Arent they colleges themselves?
Cambridge and Oxford are universities. From how I see it, college is a term for undergraduate education, and university is a term for undergraduate and graduate studies. So because Camb and Oxford are so big, they have individual colleges within the university - think of them as "houses" like in the Harry Potter movie. So you have your "house", you study there, you live there, but ultimately you are from Cambridge.

Each college has its own uniqueness. Cambridge has a site which lists down the websites of all the colleges. A few are reserved for graduate school, a few are female only, a few (like Homerton) are further away from the main campus. There is no ranking for Cambridge colleges (even though Trinity is widely regarded as the 'best' for science) but there is one for Oxford, known as the Norrington Table: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norrington_Table

2. Eeeek, only 5 out of 20+!
Well there were a few who applied to Cambridge medicine which is VERY HARD to get in, typically they accept only about, 10+ internationals? So I think all the people who applied medicine from our school to Cambridge were among those who were rejected. Then we had 5 people ranked top 10 from our batch who all applied to the same college, Trinity. Trinity is very popular for people doing sciences because they produce a lot of Nobel laureates, and that means more competition. Cambridge has 20+ colleges, ideally you would try to apply to a college that no one wants to apply to because you would stand out better - instead of competing with other qualified people in your batch - one of the reasons why I chose Homerton. In any case, even though Cambridge says on their website that you arent disadvantaged because you are applying to a college where others from your school are applying there, I wouldnt try for Trinity unless I am dead confident about my chances.

If you want to know, out of the 6 people who applied to Trinity, 3 were rejected, 1 was pooled, and I dont know what happened to to the last 2 people.

3. Pooled?
Ah, pooled. Let's just say for instance that I am a very qualified applicant, but not qualified enough to make it into, say Trinity. But Trinity thinks that I am good enough for other colleges. I will then be 'pooled', and after all the other colleges have taken others in, they will look at qualified people in the 'pooled' pile and possibly take me in. So pooled means you have a chance of admission, just not in the college you applied for.

Post any more questions you might have and I will try to answer them.