Cambridge rejects 5,000 top students

Cambridge University rejected well over 5,000 students who scored three grade As at A-level last year.

Competition to get into the prestigious institution was much tougher than the previous year, with 7 per cent more applications for 4 per cent fewer places, according to figures published today.

Cambridge slightly increased the proportion of state school students it accepted, from 55 per cent in 2003 to 56 per cent last year.

Dr Geoff Parks, Cambridge admissions director, said: "It is very gratifying that so many talented-young people aspire to study here and we only wish we could accept more of them."

Overall, the proportion of successful applicants who scored three As at A-level - excluding general studies - rose from 91 per cent to 93 per cent in 2004.

And 5,325 candidates who failed to get places at Cambridge then went on to gain three A-grades in their exams last summer, the university said. This was up from 4,966 in 2003. Cambridge took on 3 per cent more women - making up 52 per cent of those accepted in 2004, compared with 49 per cent in 2003.

Dr Parks said: "Cambridge Colleges spend many hours assessing each application to try to ensure that we're admitting those with the greatest intellectual potential at university level, rather than just automatically selecting those with the most A-levels to their name."

The figures covered students who applied to Cambridge for courses starting in October 2004 or for deferred entry in October 2005.