Given that Cambridge applications (and the supplement) are due in a few months time, I thought that I will share what I wrote in my supplement and what I did. You can get a copy of the cambridge supplement in the college counsellor's office (it was there the last time I went to school).
If you need it for reference now, you can view it at http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/forms/coaf.pdf.
So as always, I will do a runthrough component by component. I assume most of you are doing natural sciences at Cambridge? Again I will bold the responses that I filled up. (Cambridge does not have "chemistry", "biology" by itself per se, they are all under a category called natural science where you specialize in these fields in your 3rd year. Oxford however has such subjects, that's why some people go to Oxford for science instead - they know that they want to do , for eg chemistry for 3 or 4 years and they dont want to do anything else)
Personal: Self explanatory.
Proposed course at Cambridge: Natural Sciences
Further subject details: Biological or Physical if that's what you wanted
College: Homerton College
Address: Self explanatory
Interview: Would I be considered for interview overseas? Yes
Would I be available in November/December for interview? Yes
Are there any aspects of the course at Cambridge that attracted me to apply there? Talk about why you want to go to Cambridge. Unfortunately I cant remember what I wrote in this box and I dont have the soft copy.
Year of entry, have I applied to Cambridge before... deferment (for the NS boys)
Career plans: Talk about what you would like to become. I spoke about working for the Singapore government.
Fees and funding: All rather easy to fill until "sources of funding". If you are aiming for a scholarship, write "Local scholarships".
Skipping all the self explanatory parts again...
About how many students were in your class this year and last year? Fill up the subject and write the number of people in your cohort. For level, I think (please check, I am not sure) I wrote "NUS High School Diploma.
Please outline briefly the MAIN areas/topics you have already covered in each of your AS level and A level/IB (or equivalent) subjects:
Aha for this part, under subject, write the subjects (yes, like math, english, etc). For level, write "NUS High School Diploma". For areas/topics covered, fill up as many module titles as you can in the boxes and then write "please see attached" or "please see transcript" since you have to attach your school grades anyway.
Can your school or college provide extra lessons, or other help if needed, to support preparation for Cambridge applicants? No
English language qualification: None for me
Qualifications completed: My APS and O level grades for HCl and Cl. And any NUS modules that you have completed
Qualifications not yet completed: I think you can fill in the NUS modules that you are taking here.
SAT results: Fill in your SAT grades, dont superscore, just fill in all the grades that you had from the times that you took.
Modular A/AS units taken: Dont apply to us.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Enclose, with this application form, a copy of your personal statement as prepared for your UCAS application. If there is anything additional to this statement, particularly relevant to your application to Cambridge, please write this in the box below.
Yes I filled this up (optional almost always means compulsory, leave empty at your own peril). I wrote about why Cambridge was a good fit for me.
Reference: Get your referee to fill this up for you.
Okay now to highlight some important instructions from the COAF:
Those who wish to be considered for interviews overseas must submit the COAF to be received in Cambridge between 1 June and the final date of 20 September. The COAF must be signed by you and your referee, and accompanied by a copy of your personal
statement as prepared for the UCAS application, a copy of the reference prepared for the UCAS application, and a copy of the email you receive confirming payment of your application fee (see below).
The completed Cambridge Overseas Application Form should be accompanied by an application fee of £55. You can pay the application fee using our debit/credit card online payment system. For further details consult www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/howtopay/ or contact CAO. Your application will not be considered unless payment is received.
For payment, you can either pay online (check out http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/howtopay/) or you can apply for a bank draft, which was what I did before they allowed payment online. If you apply for a bank draft, do note the name of the college and address before you make a trip to the bank.
After all that is done, you can submit your form to your respective colleges by mail. Singapore Post (speedpost) costs about $2 and takes about 1 week for delivery, if you are a last minute straggler you can opt for the faster Speedpost service which is more expensive, or you can opt for UPS or FedEx.
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