Choosing a Cambridge College

One key aspect which separates an Oxbridge application from most other UK universities is the choice of college. The college you are offered a place for will be a big part of your university experience. However, how do you pick between colleges when you don’t know what it’s like to study there? Taking the time to research various different aspects of each college is an important part of making this decision. Below is our rundown of the elements we recommend you consider when making this decision.

Does your college offer your subject?

This is the most important factor to consider, since you won’t be able to apply to a college if it doesn’t offer the subject you want to study. You can check this by heading to the college or department website for your particular year of application, since this can change between application cycles. Furthermore, if you’re going to apply for joint honours, then make sure you’ve double checked which colleges offer that particular combination.

What are the tutors like?

A good way of narrowing down your college selection list is to look into the tutors resident at the college. On most courses, a lot of your teaching will take place in the college, so these will end up being the tutors taking your supervisions or tutorials. Researching tutors on the college/department webpage and attending open days to talk about them will help you identify if their areas of research and interests align with yours as you would like them to. However, do remember that for a lot of students your teaching will occur cross-colleges, so you shouldn’t base your college selection solely on the college’s teaching faculty.

Is anyone else from your school applying for the same subject?

Although it’s highly likely that your school or college will already have something in place to make sure this doesn’t happen, it’s always worth double checking that there aren’t too many students from your school all applying to the same college for the same subject. Whilst colleges don’t have hard rules or quotas on how many students to accept from a certain school, tutors are often looking to assemble a group of students with diverse backgrounds, interests, and influences, and students from the same school tend to have been taught in a similar manner, meaning that colleges are likely to only accept one.

What’s the most important thing to you?

While we can give you a long list of things you should look out for, or our top aspects to consider, ultimately you need to consider which things mean the most to you as an individual; there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to this. While in many ways, colleges can appear to be very similar, there are significant differences between them. For example, if you have your heart set on Girton because you like the idea of an on-site swimming pool, be prepared to enjoy your swimming before taking a 40-minute walk to your lecture in the morning. Similarly, if you really want to live in the centre of everything, be prepared for the accompanying rush of tourists if you choose to do so!

Can you picture yourself living there for the next few years? Do you like it on an academic and personal level? Whilst it is important to remember that your choice of college does not limit your social experience at Cambridge, colleges do often have different things to offer their students, whether that be a central location, on-campus undergraduate housing, an in-college theatre, or a close-knit student body. It can be easy to get drawn in to looking at application statistics and picking a college that you don’t really like the look of because you think that it will mean you have more chance of getting an offer. However, knowing that you’re excited to attend the college you’ve applied to may help you in interviews and with your application in general - Since you’ll be interviewed by tutors at your chosen college (unless you’re applying through an open application), showing an interest in the college itself, including the research produced by tutors belonging to that college, will demonstrate your passion and commitment as a potential student.

What is the college pooling system?

‘Pooling’ is a system through which the Cambridge colleges share applicants who have not been offered a place at their chosen college (perhaps because they have run out of room) but whom are very strong applicants. This allows for situations in which lots of strong applicants in a certain subject have applied to the same group of colleges, where it would seem unfair to turn very strong applicants away simply due to their college choice. Somewhere between 20% and 30% of successful Oxbridge candidates are placed at a college they did not apply to, so it is very common and certainly not an indication of your college not being interested in you.

Which colleges specialise in my interests?

Finally, when thinking about your college choice, it is important to consider which colleges cater to your specialist interests. Below is an overview of which colleges are renowned for their rowing, sport, drama or politics societies to help you to narrow down your college choices:

ROWING: Downing, Gonville and Caius, Jesus (Cambridge), Magdalene (Cambridge), Pembroke, St John’s.

SPORT: St Catharine’s, St John’s.

DRAMA: Corpus Christi, Homerton, Pembroke.

POLITICS: Emmanuel, Kings, Murray Edwards, Peterhouse, Trinity.

MUSIC: Clare, Emmanuel, Fitzwilliam, King’s, Queens’, Selwyn, St John’s, Trinity.
Whilst these special interests are certainly worth considering, it is also worth bearing in mind that a great deal of university societies are cross-college, so it is not the be all and end all for your interest in, say, drama if you do not end up in one of the above-mentioned colleges.

College Snapshots

Below is a rundown of all the Cambridge colleges with a quick snapshot of some of the headline facts, figures, and general vibe of each college. We’re not suggesting that you base your college choice off this, but it could be a useful place from which to start considering where you might be most interested in studying.

Christ’s:
Founded: 1448
Size: large (450 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Friendly, supportive, central, welcoming, green
It might not be for you if… You like old buildings – New Court has sixties architecture.

Churchill:
Founded: 1960
Size: large (450 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Friendly, informal, recreational, open, sporty
It might not be for you if… You’re looking for ancient splendour – the architecture is not in the traditional style of Cambridge.

Clare:
Founded: 1326
Size: large (517 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Musical, informal, welcoming, popular, fun
It might not be for you if… You’re looking for a relaxed environment – its beauty is a little intimidating.

Corpus Christi:
Founded: 1352
Size: small (260 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Friendly, small, historic, convivial
It might not be for you if… You don’t like that the room ballot is academically weighted.

Downing:
Founded: 1800
Size: Medium (403 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Spacious, convenient, friendly, beautiful, supportive, sporty
It might not be for you if… You’ve got lots of friends at other colleges – you have to sign guests into the bar.

Emmanuel:
Founded: 1584
Size: large (500 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Fun, beautiful, central, open-minded, academic
It might not be for you if… You like cooking – there are limited facilities in college.

Fitzwilliam:
Founded: 1869 (full college status granted in 1966)
Size: large (475 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Relaxed, unpretentious, friendly, fun
It might not be for you if… You want to be central – Fitz is a little out of the way.

Girton:
Founded: 1869
Size: large (551 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Distant, sprawling, pleasant, close-knit, unpretentious, easy-going
It might not be for you if… You’re not into travelling – Girton is a bit of a trek from the centre of Cambridge.

Gonville & Caius:
Founded: 1348
Size: large (550 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Traditional, supportive, academic, energetic, sporty
It might not be for you if… You want flexibility at mealtimes – there is compulsory Hall most nights.

Homerton:
Founded: 1895 (full college status granted in 1976)
Size: Enormous (600 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Friendly, open, inventive, unpretentious, warm
It might not be for you if… You want to be centrally located.

Jesus:
Founded: 1496
Size: Large (489 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Friendly, historic, beautiful, secluded
It might not be for you if… You want to cook your own food – the kitchen fixed charge is expensive.

King’s:
Founded: 1441
Size: Medium (430 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Open, different, fun, impressive, accessible
It might not be for you if… You don’t like tourists.

Magdalene:
Founded: 1428 or 1542, depending on who you ask
Size: small (353 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Small, old, welcoming, close-knit, supportive
It might not be for you if… You want to keep yourself to yourself – the small community can mean gossip spreads like wildfire.

Murray Edwards:
Founded: 1954
Size: medium (360 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Modern, dynamic, inspiring, diverse, girly, low-key
It might not be for you if… Cycling uphill is an uphill struggle

Newnham:
Founded: 1871
Size: medium (398 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Sociable, safe, pretty, comfortable, peaceful, convenient, girly
It might not be for you if… You’re messy – there is no one to clean your room for you.

Pembroke:
Founded: 1347
Size: medium (442 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Friendly, relaxed, central, inclusive, beautiful
It might not be for you if… You’re hoping for a career in politics – the JCR is not politically active.

Peterhouse:
Founded: 1284
Size: small (260 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Intimate, close-knit, relaxed, supportive, old, quaint
It might not be for you if… You get claustrophobic – the small community can get too close for comfort.

Queens’:
Founded: 1448
Size: large (508 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Large, friendly, relaxed, sociable, extracurricular
It might not be for you if… You just want to relax – Queens’ students can be a little boisterous at times.

Robinson:
Founded: 1981
Size: medium (397 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Unpretentious, open, diverse, supportive, modern
It might not be for you if… You want to be surrounded by classical buildings – the modern architecture is not to everyone’s liking.

St Catharine’s:
Founded: 1473
Size: medium (436 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Open, supportive, engaging, central
It might not be for you if… You like to cook – the self-catering facilities are poor.

St John’s:
Founded: 1511
Size: enormous (658 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Big, beautiful, fun, grand, sporty, cosmopolitan
It might not be for you if… You’re a bit nervous about ‘the Oxbridge thing’ – it can get slightly overwhelming at times.

Selwyn:
Founded: 1882
Size: medium (380 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Sociable, close-knit, academic, supportive
It might not be for you if… You want to be in the centre of town – it’s a little way out.

Sidney Sussex:
Founded: 1596
Size: medium (380 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Central, friendly, cosy, close-knit
It might not be for you if… You want to follow in the footsteps of some prestigious alumni – Sidney is often overlooked in favour of more famous colleges.

Trinity:
Founded: 1546
Size: gigantic (730 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Grand, traditional, sociable, rich, impressive
It might not be for you if… You like your colleges cosy – it can be a little too imposing for some.

Trinity Hall:
Founded: 1350
Size: medium (382 undergraduates)
Words that best describe it: Idyllic, small, central, sociable, sporty
It might not be for you if… You want to be part of a big group – it can be a little too intimate at times.

So do your research and think about what really matters to you. Investigate the admissions statistics but take them with a hefty pinch of salt, and we wish you the best of luck with your decision!

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Choosing a Cambridge College