Ada Apa dengan Cambridge (AADC)

Buyung Alfian Noris Sudrajat

MPhil Candidate in Education, Globalisation and International Development, Faculty of Education, Downing College

Handy Lukito
MBA Candidate, Judge Business School, Hughes Hall College

Dewi Safitri
PhD Candidate, Department of Pharmacology, Hughes Hall College
Outline

• Why Cambridge and what is collegiate system?

• Postgraduate Study at Cambridge
• Applying to Cambridge
• Fees and Finance
• Living in Cambridge
• Tips and Tricks
• PhD Opportunities
Why Cambridge?

• in the Complete and Guardian University Guides 2020.

#1

• Cambridge is one of the top five universities most often targeted by Britain’s leading graduate employers (The Graduate
Market in 2020).
Top 5

Top • for academic and employer reputation (QS World University Rankings 2020).

10

• countries represented among undergraduates and postgraduates.

140+
Collegiate System

• The University is a confederation of 6 Schools, 150

Faculties, Departments and 31 Colleges
• Colleges are governed by their own statutes and
regulations, but are integral to the make-up of the
University.
• Each student will become a member of one college
Collegiate System

Role of the University and Colleges

Postgraduate Study in Cambridge

• 342 programmes (Course Directory -

https://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses )
• 197 Master’s,
• 110 Doctoral (PhD & EdD)
• 34 diploma/certificate
• Type of study programme:
• Master’s
• Taught in 9-12 months
• Research in 12-24 months
• Combination in 10-24 months depending on the programme
• Doctoral
• Most of PhDs in 3-4 years FT and 5-7 years PT
• EdD and other doctoral degrees vary between in 5-7 years PT only
Applying to Cambridge – Requirements

• General requirement: • Choosing a supervisor:

• personal statement;
• transcripts
• 1st class (1:1) = GPA 3.7
• Upper second class (2:1)= GPA 3.5;
• English language test
• IELTS 7.5, >= 7.0 each skill
• TOEFL IBT 110, >= 25 each skill
• 2 academic references.
• Specific to course:
• research proposal;
• GMAT/GRE (business related major);
• Very important especially for master’s
by research and doctoral programme
• Find out their research area,
publications, affiliations, facilities, etc.
• Contact them prior applying
• course specific assignment
• Interview
Applying to Cambridge – Process

• Application usually will be opened in early September

• There two application deadlines:
• Programme deadline – depending on each programme
• Funding deadline – usually early December/January
• Applicant will be invited for an interview (opt) within 3 months, and informed the
decision: offered a place (conditional LoA)/rejected
• Programme offer will be informed in late March at the latest then followed with
College offer and possible scholarship to be considered or applied
• All process will be done and can be monitored through Applicant Portal -
https://apply.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applicant/login
Admissions Tips + FAQ in Instagram @ppi.cambridge (Follow us!)
Fees and Finance

• University Composition Fee + Maintenance

• UCF: £24 - 31k/year – 4th year UCF of PhD is waived
• Maintenance: min. £14,5k/year
• Life science research student must pay ‘bench fee’
• Some programme might require
internships/placement/fieldwork
• You will never be able to pay tuition fee from part time work.
• Full-time taught students are not allowed to work at all
• Research students can only work maximum of 10 hrs/week
Scholarships

Below are some scholarships available to Indonesian students:

• LPDP
• Chevening (only Master’s)
• Jardine Foundation
• Gates Cambridge
• Harding Scholars Program
• Cambridge International Scholarship
• Scholarships managed by Cambridge Trust
• Individual charity or company
Scholarship Information List - Please check each website for more info

University-wide funding search https://www.student-funding.cam.ac.uk/12

Graduate Funding Competition https://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding/gra

duate-funding-competition

Cambridge Trust scholarship search https://www.cambridgetrust.org/scholarships

Chevening scholarship https://www.chevening.org/scholarship/indonesia

Jardine scholarship https://www.jardines.com/en/community/foundation.html

Gates Cambridge scholarship https://www.gatescambridge.org/

Harding scholarship http://www.hardingscholars.fund.cam.ac.uk/

Scholarships – Timeline
Living in Cambridge

• 50-70 minutes by train from London

• A small university town with many historical
buildings
• A bit colder but less rain than London
• There are a lot of Asian/Halal restaurants and
shops
• A lot of churches (every college has a chapel) and
2 mosques
Living in Cambridge – Activities

• Living in College is like living in Hogwarts houses in a much

bigger scale and mix of undergraduate, postgraduate, and
fellow
• Formal dinner, academic and networking events
• There are a lot of clubs/societies both in College and
University level
• Academic, the Arts, sports, faith-based,
nationality-based
• Choir, rowing, Cambridge Union Society (parliamentary
debate)
• Unique: K-Pop, A Society of Ice and Fire, Quidditch
Club
Tips and Tricks

Many distractions and choices

Overloaded daily information

Challenges Rigorous academic style

Difficulty in setting your schedule properly

Culture shift
 Tips and Tricks

How to overcome the challenges?

1. Know your objective and stay focus to achieve it

2. Set your priority right
3. Time management
4. Make use of networking opportunities
5. Try to adapt
6. Stay healthy!
Tips and Tricks

STRONG BE CONCISE AND ACTIVE VOICE VS

OPENING CLEAR PASSIVE VOICE
Essay Tips

STAY RELEVANT ESSAY

COMPOSITION
 Tips and Tricks - Strong opening

What is strong opening?

How do you can create a strong opening?

✔Fact/Data, followed by problems that you’re trying to solve

✔Analogy
Example: Bra Essay
✔Fact about yourself
Example: Pasta Essay
Tips and Tricks - Strong opening
Tips and Tricks - Strong opening
Tips and Tricks – Be concise

I work at XXX, which is owned by a tycoon named ABCDE…..

Remember that you need to write a lot of things in limited number of words!
Tips and Tricks - Active Voice VS Passive Voice

The cat is being chased by the dog

The dog is chasing the cat

The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on the budget.
It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed on the budget by
Congress.
Tips and Tricks - Stay Relevant

Do not write something that is not related to your application

Example: Comparing your current job with other jobs, etc.

Remember that you need to write a lot of things in limited number of words!
Tips and Tricks - Composition

• 20 % past
• 30 % present
• 50 % future
Tips and Tricks - Prioritization Matrix
PhD opportunities

MD/PhD
• Preparation PhD through lab-based research
PhD through social science research
• Registration
For PhD:
• Advertised positions (http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/?category=6)
• Post-registration • Proposed your own research
How do you find research ideas?

❑ Pursuing your studies ≉ trend-setter

❑ What do you want to achieve?

❑ Gain information about your supervisor and the research fields

he/she is working on
▪ ncbi/pubmed
▪ Twitter
▪ Researchgate
▪ Department website, etc

❑ Gives yourself time to do this but set up clear timeline is always

helpful!
PhD opportunities – registration

Personal Statement Essay

o ~ branding o Research topic/ area of academic of interest
Previous studies and what you have done as
o Concise, clear, 1 page A4 o

preparation
o Be yourself o What do you expect from continuing your study?
o Why do you apply for selected department?

Research Proposal
o

o
Your ideas
Aligned with your prospective supervisor’s
Funding
field
o Scientific writing
 Principles of Good Research Proposal

Paper Report CONTENTS: STRUCTURE:

❑ Clear statement of research aims ❑ Background/introduction
Scientific ~ research question
Writing ❑ Research
❑ What is your research about? questions/objectives
❑ Methodology should be ❑ Methodology
Research proposal appropriate to research questions ❑ Timeline ~ Gantt chart
❑ Ethical issues ❑ Ethical clearance (if any)
Clarity
Simple ❑ Dissemination ❑ Citation in-text and
Well ordered Bibliography

Flowery embellishments Ideas

Outline Doing the writing Keep revising
Sort-resort-sort-resort
Communicate your ideas
Zeiger, M. 1999 https://www.productplan.com/glossary/gantt-chart/
After being accepted

❑ CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for

Studies) Statement

❑ ATAS (Academic Technology Approval

Scheme)

❑ Conditional offer from college ~

accommodation

❑ Visa