Ask a Cambridge Student!

I'm in Y12 studying A-Levels Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and Further Maths (projected 4 A*s). Considering giving Cambridge a shot, because why not! I'm looking to apply for medicine, and if I change my mind within the next few months, natural sciences or mathematics. Any college recommendations? Here's what I'm looking for: a friendly college, very very friendly, I kind of want to avoid the colleges with a snooty reputation (though I know reputation isn't necessary true for everyone at a certain college). Centrally located, though off the tourist track. Lovely green spaces and gardens, I don't mind if it's on or off the river. Somewhat decent accommodation, not asking for much, but colleges with a good number of ensuites and offer accommodation for all 3 yrs (or 6 for medicine) would be lovely. A lovely library, since I love studying in libraries and I focus far better in one. And of course, very VERY beautiful architecture in the college. Good food would be nice too (sorry that's quite a lot). Any suggestions? I've narrowed my choices down to Christ's, Corpus, Downing, Emma, Jesus, King's, Pembroke, and Peterhouse.

Hey there, That's the same ideology I had! Since you've already narrowed down your choices and have clear criteria, I'll go through each of them here. Nothing wrong with knowing what you want! I'd say all colleges are friendly, to start. I've never been to a different college and felt unwelcome or otherwise met with unfriendly people/porters/staff, but some colleges (by virtue of being smaller, or admissions statistics concerning state/private school students) might have a different feel to them. From your list, I imagine Peterhouse is the one that'd be considered the more posh/clique-y college, but that's just because it's small and has a reputation, haha. I've been to Peterhouse and was welcomed warmly, so I wouldn't put too much weight on this criterion! Downing's got a bit of a reputation for more conservative students, but I know it's a very mixed college, and it's also a very social space, so that balances it out. King's still upholds its reputation for a left-leaning student body. Jesus is a bit outside the very city centre, whilst King's kind of is the tourist track, depending on the entrance, haha. Christ's is very centrally located, but it is right by the shopping areas, so that might be a bit too busy - keep in mind that all colleges tend to be quiet(er) once you're actually on the grounds, though. Corpus, Pembroke, and Peterhouse are all close to each other and probably meet your wishes here best as they're between both the humanities and STEM sites and on a road that leads right into the city centre, but far out enough that it's not bustling the moment you exit the college grounds. Emma and Downing are also very centrally located, but Emma's a bit further up, so has a lot of pedestrian traffic, with Downing being about the same (they're both on the road leading from the station into the centre). Downing's a bit more convenient than Emma as it backs up onto Downing site, however. Downing also keeps its gates open for tourists during the day, so if you're looking for a college shut away from tourists, that might not be your thing. Green spaces will depend on your personal tastes, but from your list, Pembroke, Corpus, and Jesus are ones I hear a lot of good about (and I agree, the gardens are lovely). Downing has a lot of green, too, but it's more open paddocks and trees than full gardens. Regarding accommodation, I believe Downing and King's are still known for good accommodation, and I've heard good things about Jesus, too. Pembroke and Corpus don't have many en-suites, but, like Emma, they have fair accommodation. I think Peterhouse would be the one with the 'worst' accommodations on your list, here. Libraries will depend on personal taste, but King's, Christ's, and Corpus have beautiful libraries (in my humble opinion). Downing's is also open 24/7.

I’m currently stuck between Fitz and Newnham. Fitz has a fairly good direct offer rate and a smaller pool of applicants that may help me stand out more. The problem is while I know being from an independent/state school isn’t a deal breaker, it makes me slightly nervous to intentionally apply to a college has one of the highest state school intakes (as a private school candidate). I’m also not too sold on Fitz architecture or the distance from the law faculty, though my parents tell me not to get too hung up on aesthetics when applying and I should consider which college gives me the best chances. 

I really really like Newnham. The gardens and architecture look so pretty, the library looks fantastic and it’s a short distance away from the law faculty. However, while it’s a tier 3, it has a fairly big pool of applicants (comparable to tier 2s) and almost never draws from the pool when it comes to law. The offer rates make me so nervous (5/58 for one year) and I’m worried about lowering my chances of standing out (since it has a bigger pool of applicants) just cuz I like the aesthetics of the college. 

I did consider Magdalene. (Kind of funny that they are a tier 2 but have less law applicants on average and a better offer rate than Newnham haha) but I quickly dismissed it because of how a lot of competitive international applicants apply there due to scholarships

My second worry is about my grades. I do think I’m doing solidly academically now, but I didn’t sit GCSEs as an international student, and my country has no equivalent qualifications for GCSEs (we don’t sit public school exams when 16), so I’m worried that might disadvantage me when applying as I would hold no achieved grades when applying (don’t do AS). I’ll have to submit a transcript and while my academics are way better now, they weren’t exactly stellar two years ago, I have like two Cs among As (though it’s worth noting that the country I’m from has a harsh curriculum) 

Any advice about college selection would be greatly appreciated (or maybe some recs for other colleges I can consider?) and I’m so sorry for yapping so much, got carried away :(( 

Hey,

I believe Homerton remains the cheapest college rent-wise. Other colleges with lower median rent include Magdalene, Peterhouse, and Sidney Sussex, but I'm not entirely sure if that's the case for the upcoming academic year.

It’s a bit exacerbated by how Magdalene is sometimes stereotyped as a conservative college: I’ve seen a handful of testimonies of racism etc, so I just wanted to ask. Thanks and sorry for the second question!

Hey, No worries, that's what I'm here for! I would say that, by and large, the Cambridge student body is accepting of trans students. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, and I won't say I've never heard students (or folks in the city generally) express transphobic views, but it has been very rare. There are loads of societies, student groups/movements, and social circles aimed at LGBTQ+ students, and within other societies (the ones I've been in, anyway), I have only seen minority students be welcomed. The university itself, being traditionalist, is going to have (mostly) conservative colleges. Whilst some colleges are more explicitly so, it will mainly manifest through things like student support - some colleges have gender expression funds, some don't. Some fly the flag for Pride Month, others don't, so on and so forth. I've not heard of a college being systemically antagonistic towards minority groups. Of course, the experience you'll get in a college is very much defined by who you're surrounded with - this goes for both very conservative and less conservative colleges. There will be accepting and non-accepting folks in every college, and Magdalene is no exception to this, regardless of its reputation as a more conservative college. I believe all colleges do have LGBTQ+ welfare officers, and the college nurses should not cause any problems - I've not heard of anyone who encountered trans- or homophobia at the hands of their college nurses.

I applied to Magdalene, but now I’m looking at Downing’s literary zine and literary networking opportunities and I’m more than a bit jealous haha. Will there be similar creative/career opportunities at Magdalene or Cambridge as a whole, or do some colleges just provide more than others?

Hey,

Your grades do meet the typical offer set for candidates, but as with any Oxbridge application, grades alone are unlikely to secure your place. Instead, your performance at the interview(s), personal statement, tutor or teacher references, written work, and any extenuating circumstances will also be taken into account. I don't think it's necessary to question whether a certain grade will make it more likely/unlikely to get in because students come from all kinds of backgrounds, and all met their offer and/or were otherwise academically capable students, just as you are. I don't think Cambridge places too much emphasis on the EPQ (or at least not the grades in themselves), because they know that not every school is capable of providing this, but if this is relevant to your prospective subject, they might go into detail about it at the interview (they did with mine!). As for your written work, I recommend submitting the work you feel most confident in. It certainly doesn't have to be perfect, but it's important that those who read it can get a clear sense of your style, thinking, and analytical skills. It's worth noting that Homerton, on their website, does not specify that they don't want to receive source-based essays for HSPS, but they do explicitly mention this for other subjects, such as History, so it should be fine to submit a source-based essay.

I’ve submitted the extra Cambridge application but am now stressing about the written work that I need to submit. I’m applying for English at Pembroke so need 2 pieces. I was thinking of submitting my poetry NEA and possibly one of my tragedy essays from my mocks but neither of my essays have much feedback on them because I performed well and I’m worried that will be an issue. I also do English Language and my teacher told me that I should submit something from that subject to show a wider range of skills. Any advice? Thank you!

Hey, that's lovely to hear.

As far as I know, the submitted work for English serves mainly to assess your writing style/skill, and your analytical and critical thinking. If you believe your NEA and mock displays that best, it should be fine. I've heard some people say that they do not look for perfect essays, and so as long as your essay is one of your original works (perhaps one that hasn't been edited too much), you should be fine to submit it - they'll make up their own mind about it, anyways. The important part is that they get a clear idea of who you are when it comes to writing.

I would recommend picking essays you believe best display your skills - of course, if you have an English Language essay you're very confident in, it's worth considering submitting it. However, if you feel more confident in your coursework and mock essays, it shouldn't be detrimental - essay skills do carry over (somewhat) to other subjects, and if they're curious, the interview gives them every opportunity to explore your thinking in that subject more if they want to.

Be comfortable with the work you're submitting, and check whether your two options are ones that best illustrate your writing, thinking, methodology, and quality. If your NEA and mock essay do a better job of that, you might want to submit those. If there's an English Language essay that does this just as well, it might be worth using that one, but I don't believe putting one in there just to have more breadth if it's not as illustrative as the other essays will make or break an application.

Hey there!

Thank you so much for your message, it's much appreciated (and very kind of you). Not to worry about this question, I'm sure plenty of people have wanted to ask this!

Personally, as I do not come from the quintessential 'Oxbridge background,' I kept my hopes fairly low before I'd even applied. In fact, it was only after my teachers' recommending I do so that I put down Cambridge as an option at all. I imagine if you come from a background where Oxford/Cambridge attendance is more commonplace, the pressure to succeed might be different, as living up to expectations like that can be a whole different ordeal.

It was because of this that I also made sure to never hold Cambridge to the esteem that I saw a lot of other applicants doing - some people who apply have made it their life's goal to get in, others have been dreaming of it since before their GCSEs, etc., and the difference in mentality here can help or hinder. I made sure to tell myself that my other options also had solid programmes, great campuses and people to meet, so on and so forth. I think this is what helped me a lot during this time of the year - remembering that Cambridge isn't everything and that, ultimately, the opportunity to even apply for further education (and be given the recommendation I was by my teachers!) meant more to me than being able to say 'hey, I got into xyz place!' University is what you make of it, regardless of the prestige or ranking it has.

Of course, being more on the pessimistic side I never assumed I was even going to get shortlisted for interview, but I remember at the time that distancing myself from it as much as possible until results came in was best for me. I did not talk much about it with my teachers, did not bring it up with friends much, told my parent's that it's out of my hands now, and avoided (by all costs) the spiral into what-ifs or old forums on TSR and the like. You've done all you can, and that is enough, regardless of the outcome. Students get accepted and rejected for varying reasons, and so (for me) accepting that the outcome is out of my hands (because, at this point in time, you have no way of knowing!) helped. I'd say assuming rejection or acceptance at this time will only set people up for both present and future stress because, after all, we're not interviewers or admissions tutors! To this day, I cannot imagine what they thought of me during interview, or why they ultimately decided to give me the offer, but I did something right whilst I had assumed the very opposite the whole time. Try and distance yourself from assumptions if you can!

Other than that, I'd say just prioritise your health, hobbies, friends, and so on. We had mocks coming up this time of year, and being able to focus on that helped in distancing myself from Cambridge. Someone I knew drove themselves mad thinking they had to get X grade to 'meet their offer for Cambs if they got one,' but realising this is an unproductive mindset will help. Instead, just make sure to appreciate what you have now, because those things will not change whether you are rejected or not.

It's a horrible waiting game, and it's certainly an exhausting process, but a university admittance or rejection will never be the end of the road. Regardless of your plans, goals, etc., even if you go on to a different uni, you will have plenty of opportunities if you decide to take them - someone I knew at A-Level is now happier at a different university than they ever thought they'd be at Cambridge!

I’m getting stressed because the application deadline is approaching and I still haven’t decided on a College lol.

I want to study English, would prefer a balance of academics and socialising. Good and decently priced accommodation and food is important to me. Medium size and short distance from city centre would be ideal but not necessary. My current options are Jesus, Magdalene, Trinity Hall, Pembroke, St John’s. Any help narrowing these down or other suggestions? Thanks so much!

Hey,

No need to be worried! Choosing a college is really not that big of a deal, although it might seem like that whilst you're still applying.

Jesus and Pembroke might be the strongest contenders, as they match your criteria. Trinity Hall is a small college, and St John's is a large college, whilst Magdalene is a bit removed from the city centre. I know Pembroke also has decent food, and Jesus is a strong college for English.

Remember that, ultimately, students usually like (or love) their college regardless of whether they chose one impulsively, thought it over carefully, or were pooled later on - it'll sort itself out.

I've not heard of this - if you mean a combined degree, I doubt that's something the university offers (I certainly haven't met anyone who knows of a student who has done this). There are some combined programmes (MML and History, AMES and MML are two examples), but I'm not aware of anything like that.

Some students switch into Law later in their degrees, and that's not too abnormal.

A number of faculties do allow students to take their papers even if their tripos isn't part of that faculty - I believe Philosophy/Maths students can take some of each other's courses, MML and History, etc. If this is what you meant, it might be possible that there's an overlap in some papers, but these would be specified on your course syllabus.

It's important to note that 'reach' colleges are simply going to be those with more applicants - Caius might be a good match, as it has the traditional 'Cambridge' architecture that I assume you're looking for, and it's right by the city centre. St John's is also a match. Both colleges are strong in Law.

Other than these, Trinity Hall is reputable for Law and looks lovely, but because it's a smaller college, it's not as grand, so it might not be the architecture you're looking for. Likewise, Downing is a great college for Law applicants and is right in the city centre, but the architecture is more of a hit/miss, depending on your taste.

Emmanuel is in the city centre too, has some lovely architecture and great green spaces, if that's what you're after.

Hey,

If you're looking for a Tier 1 college, I don't think there's one that matches your preferences perfectly because they're all fairly medium- or large sized. That being said, King's might suit your taste. as I believe it's the smallest of them, and it's a stunning college. The accommodation varies, however, and so how equipped your kitchen is will depend (some rooms come with ovens and hobs, some don't).

If you're looking beyond Tier 1, Pembroke, Selwyn, Clare (and Newnham, as an honourable mention) might be worth looking into as well. They're all very beautiful and fairly old colleges with good food and, as far as I know, decent accommodation. Selwyn and Newnham are also right by the faculty, with Pembroke and Clare being closer to the city centre.

Hey! Sorry for the wait on this one.

Downing seems like a good match for you. Its facilities are great (well-equipped kitchens and good rooms), it's located right in the city centre, and it's a very open place, which makes socialising easy for the extroverted! It's easy to bring in mates from other colleges to hang out as well because the college grounds are open to anyone.

Aside from Downing, Jesus might be worth looking into further, as it's a lovely social college and takes in plenty of Maths students.

Hey there,

I do recommend thinking your choice of course over properly before applying because Maths and CompSci offer quite different material, and with the ever-changing job market, things are very unpredictable. That aside, I believe only Oxford requires the MAT, not Cambridge anymore.

As for colleges, Clare might be a good match. It's relatively social, the accommodation is quite good, and I've not heard anything bad about the food. Opinions on the colleges will depend on who you ask, but Selwyn's a nice place - just a bit more self-contained. I think it looks absolutely beautiful, and the grounds always feel peaceful. Selwyn's food can be quite nice, and all first-year students get ensuites, but I'm not sure about their overall kitchen facilities.

Another college you could consider is Jesus, which is known to be a very social college. I've heard the accommodation is nice and the food isn't bad either, but Jesus is located a bit further away than Clare would be.

Hello!