CAMBRIDGE: UNCOVERING THE MYTHS!

CONTENTS

• Breaking down myths about Cambridge– 6 myths

• What life as a university student is like

• How to apply to university

CAMBRIDGE’S HISTORY

• Founded 1209 by academics fleeing from Oxford

• Originally religious education, then science and maths

• Oldest College founded 1284, newest in 1977

• Over 800 years old – lots of myths!

“It’s Hogwarts!”

MYTH 1:

WHAT IS A COLLEGE?

• Where students live• Smaller communities

within the University• Some teaching

happens there– Supervisions

• Much more similar than they are different!– Communal facilities:

cafeteria, library, chapel, gym, playing fields

29 Undergraduate Colleges2 All-female Colleges

MYTH 2:

“Everyone just works all the time”

SOCIAL LIFE IN CAMBRIDGE

• Clubs & Societies– Different levels with

College and Uni socs– Over 700!

• College JCRs, CUSU• Nightlife!• Cambridge as a city

– Cinemas, theatres– Music venues etc– Sports facilities

SOME EXAMPLES OF SOCIETIES!

MYTH 3:

“Everyone’s a genius”

MYTH 4:

“It’s more expensivethan other unis”

HOW STUDENT FINANCE WORKS

Things you pay back:• Tuition fee loan

– Covers all your tuition fees

• Maintenance loan– To go towards rent,

food, travel etc

• Both available to all UK students

Things you don’t!• Maintenance grant

– Depends on your household income

• Cambridge bursary– Matches your

government maintenance grant

• Hardship grants• These are grants – you

don’t have to pay them back!

MYTH 5:

“Everyone’s posh”

APPLYING TO CAMBRIDGE

• Over 60% of students are from state schools• Everyone applies through UCAS– Same application goes to all your choices– You apply to a specific College

• Deadline for Cambridge, Oxford, medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry: 15th October

• Deadline for everything else: 15th January• Cambridge SAQ (Supplementary Application

Questionnaire)

MYTH 6:

“Interviews are weird

and scary”

SOME FACTS ABOUT INTERVIEWS!

• About 80% invited to interview• Only one part of the admissions

process• Questions relevant to your course– Personal statement – don’t say anything

you aren’t prepared to talk about!

• No trick questions!– No juggling, no secret handshake, no

philosophical jargon• (Unless you’ve applied to study Philosophy…?)

HOW TO CHOOSE…

• A course:– Has to be the right one for you– Can you spend 3 years studying it?

• A university:– Everyone’s choices different– Near home / away from home?

• A college:– Find one you like! (Architecture, location,

friendly students, good gym, nice gardens…)

WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR

• Cambridge:– Good academic track record

• Will look at GCSEs, but more at AS grades/UMS• Equivalent qualifications also OK!

– Passionate about your subject• Extra-curricular reading, other activities

• Other unis:– Also interested in extra-curricular activities

etc, so include on personal statement!

WHAT NEXT?

Find out more!

University prospectus:www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate

Alternative Prospectus:www.applytocambridge.com

UCAS:www.ucas.com Email me!

access@cusu.cam.ac.uk

Come on an Open

Day!