How to Apply
In order to apply to study here, you must submit an application via UCAS by mid October in the year before you plan to start university (for October 2024 entry, you must apply by 16th October 2023). All Cambridge applicants are then required to submit another form called My Cambridge Application (a link to this will be sent to all applicants after they have applied through UCAS). Read a clear overview of How to Apply on the University website.
On this page you'll find tips from our Admissions Office to help you prepare an application and know what to expect at the interview.
Dr Michael Sutherland, Admissions Tutor for the College, unpacks the admissions process and explains what we're looking for in a competitive applicant
- Timetable and Deadlines
-
Dates and deadlines can vary year-to-year, so please check back here in summer 2023 for updated deadlines for 2024 entry. To give you an idea, you can look at the dates and deadlines from the last admissions cycle but please bear in mind that these might change for 2024.
- The Personal Statement
-
The UCAS personal statement is your chance to tell us (and other universities): why you? What makes you a good candidate for a place in your chosen subject? Why do you want to study it?
At Cambridge we’re keen to hear how you pursue your interest in the subject – not just in class but independently too. This could involve: extra reading, attending lectures (including online lectures) and academic competitions, such as the UKMT for mathematics. Tell us about these kinds of ‘super-curricular’ activities throughout your personal statement. Any competitive university is more interested in these than in extracurricular pursuits such as sports, music or drama. For students applying to medicine, it's useful to reflect on what you've learnt and experienced during relevant work experience, voluntary work or shadowing placements. We realise that it may be hard for you to arrange this in light of the pandemic, but the medical school has put together a resource to offer some guidance on the situation.
If you’re applying for different courses at different universities, you might find it hard to tailor your UCAS personal statement accordingly. Don’t worry – after you submit your UCAS application, you also complete a Cambridge-specific additional questionnaire called 'My Cambridge Application'. This includes space for an additional personal statement if you’d like to write specifically about the Cambridge course.
For more tips on writing your personal statement, have a watch of our personal statement focused admissions workshop, recorded in June 2021.
- Submitting Written Work
-
For some courses, particularly arts and humanities subjects, you may need to submit written work during the application process. We usually ask for one or two marked essays, written as part of your schoolwork rather than especially for Cambridge admissions, and ideally written recently.
We ask for written work so we can see how you write and formulate an argument, and also how well you’ve been taught – which is why we ask for it to be marked. Often an interviewer will ask questions about this work, so it’s a good idea to keep copies and re-read them before the interview to refresh your memory.
Look at the Submitting Written Work page to see last year's requirements, but remember that these requirements may vary a bit year-to-year.
- Admission Assessments
-
Assessments requiring pre-registration
The following subjects require you to pre-register in order to take them: Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Natural Science. Find out more about registering for these assessments on the pre-registration assessment pages of the University website.
College registered assessments
The following subjects require you to take a College registered assessment: Archaeology, Architecture, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Languages assessment if applicant is applying to study a European language), Classics (3-year), Classics (4-year), History and Modern Languages (Languages element only), History of Art, Linguistics, Music, Modern and Medieval Languages, Philosophy, Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion.
You do not need to register separately for these assessments. If you are invited for an interview, we will give full details of the assessment that you will be required to take.
To find out more about admissions assessments see www.cam.ac.uk/assessment
- Preparatory Study for Interview
-
Some applicants are asked to study a piece of writing or a set of problems in advance, to then be discussed at interview. This could be an article or essay for History, a translation for Modern & Medieval Languages or a set of questions for Physics or Mathematics. These readings aren't part of a test or exam – they simply act as a starting point for discussions in the interviews. You will be given a set amount of time before each interview to complete the reading and prepare for your interview. If you require extra time for this, please be in touch with the Admissions Office in the first instance.
- The Interviews
-
The interviews are a great opportunity for you to show us your ability, aptitude and interest for your chosen subject.
At Corpus we interview around 75-80% of candidates, mostly in the first half of December. Where possible, we try to give you at least two weeks notice before the date of you interview.
Some subjects conduct two 20-25 minute interviews per candidate, and some subjects conduct one 45 minute interview per candidate. There are typically two or three interviewers present in each interview.
What do the interviews involve?
The interviews are like mini-supervisions (College-based teaching sessions). Interviewers look to see how you’re likely to respond to this style of teaching.
The type of interview varies depending on the subject. For example, in a maths or science interview, you should expect to do some writing such as solving equations or sketching curves. For a humanities subject, you’re likely to be given a text for discussion during the interview.
Please remember the process is less about ‘getting the right answer’ (there may not even be one) and much more about showing how you can work towards a solution to an unfamiliar concept or problem.
This video from the Cambridge Admissions Office gives you a great sense of how we usually conduct admissions interviews.
Tips for getting ready for interview
- Carefully re-read your personal statement and any written work you have submitted.
- Think in detail about the course at Cambridge. What about it attracts you and matches your aptitudes and interests?
- Revise what you have already studied and try to read and further develop your interest in the subject.
- Be prepared to talk about academic work you’ve completed in the last year or two.
- Expect to be asked focused and challenging questions, which reflect the style of teaching and learning at Cambridge.
- Want to find out more?
-
Take a look at answers to frequently asked questions and browse our media collection for insights from academics and the Admissions Team at the College. We have also curated a number of resources to help you through the application process. If you have a question and can't find the answer within our website, please be in touch with the Admissions Coordinator.