On Thursday 07 February 2002 03:03, 'Frank Shute' wrote:
Today you need 5 grade As at 'A' level, grade 8 piano and a gold Duke of Edinburgh award just to get a sniff of the place. (I exaggerate, but only slightly---I had lunch with an geography don at St Catharine's a couple of months ago who confessed in hushed tones she had let someone in with a 'B' once.)
Margaret Thatcher is a St Catherine's alumnus and she went to a state school and her father was a grocer.
I had a student get in with BCD - offered two E's from an interview and probably decided it then didn't matter too much. Recently interviewed an Oxford grad for a job who had similar A level grades - but this was from a while ago.
Along with Imperial, Oxford and Cambridge have produced the Most Nobel laureates of any British universities. I'd say that would be something to be proud of.
Thought it was more than the rest of Europe put together ;-)
Once you've pissed your pants address yourself to this:
Year A: x % pass exam B Year A + 20: x + 10 % pass exam B
Hence, a greater percentage have passed. So the exam is easier to pass for *whatever* reason.
No, the students might be better prepared. In fact in all liklihood it could be a combination of these. You said maths wasn't your strong point and I think the deductive logic bits are showing the cracks :-) Rather more people can run a mile in under 4 mins these days than in 1955. Its just as difficult a task now - ok the tracks might make it a little easier, but in general there are more good runners. Regards, -- IanL