The Student Room Group

The Big 'Which Cambridge College?' Thread

Scroll to see replies

Reply 40
Hey!

I'm in my last year at school in Scotland, and am considering applying for Cambridge to do Maths (Maths with Physics in 1st year). I do a lot of running, love music and socialising.

I really don't have a clue about the whole college deal...

Not sure about doing an open application as I would prefer going to a mixed college and don't really want to risk going to an all-female one.

Which are, in your opinions, the best?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!
Reply 41
Hey.
I'd advise firstly reading what it says about the colleges on the cambridge website and in the cambridge alternative prospectus. Plus read what the various university guides have to say. But more importantly come to an open day. I appreciate you're in Scotland but it's really SO advantageous to do so. You don't get a real feel for the colleges until you actually visit them. From the prospectus i liked the sound of Emma, Clare and St Johns, but when I came to the open days I found that I preferred King's (where i eventually got my offer from) and Newnham. I really wasn't into the idea of going to an all-female college and only visited Newnham because it was convenient time-wise but then I was so impressed. You often just get a gut feeling about how you feel about a place and you can only experience that if you come in person. Plus you get a chance to meet the Directors of studies - i figured that if i was going to spend 3 years having supervisions with these ppl i might as well get an idea of what they were like and apply to a college where i felt i might get on with them.
Good luck! :smile:
You just need to come and have a look really, as beep says, get a feel for the place and where you think you'd be happy. Other than that, go through the prospectus and make a shortlist based one what size of college you'd want to be in, where it is located, and how you think it sounds based on that. Draw up a list, and I'm sure if you've any more questions there are people on this board from almost every college that can answer them.
However, to answer your question Catz is comfortably the best.
Reply 43
shunter7634 isnt bias OF COURSE lol :P
pick one that is close to your lectures.
beep!
shunter7634 isnt bias OF COURSE lol :P

Me, biased? Never...
Reply 46
jammy21
Perhaps Trinity is the way forward: they have a decent number of Classics undergraduates and are very wealthy (which is useful for book and travel grants). I do get the whiff of snobbery from the place though.


That just put me right OFF Trinity... (the first... the second I actually agree with, although not the way he talks about it. It's not like academia is THE only worthwile thing in life and anyone who's not suited to or not interested in it (edit: as a career.. of course you should be interested for your study :biggrin: ) is inferior or shouldn't apply to Cambridge. :s-smilie: )


On the other hand Pembroke and Clare sound really nice. Anyone have any special feelings about Fitzwilliam, Robinson, Caius?

Which college would you recommend for its music scene? Classical and/or Jazz?
Clare is renowned for its music, and it is very good from what I've heard. But at the end of the day, if you're any good at the activities you want to do, you are more likely to join a uni-wide team/society as it has the best people from all the colleges. Colleges *on the whole* tend to be a bit more relaxed about it all.
which college prefers medical applicants who have three sciences and maths? i know there are a few that ask for 3 sciences...but which college really likes an applicant to have all sciences?
Reply 49
"The following Colleges prefer applicants to have three science/mathematics subjects at A level: Christ’s, Jesus, Magdalene, Newnham, St John’s, and Trinity. In the case of Magdalene, this must also include A level Mathematics."
Is what the website says..
Not sure if that actually answers your question but best I could find..
Reply 50
Hey...

I'm an International student, hoping to get into Cambridge for law next year.

Which Cambridge colleges are better reputed, or are more sought after, for undergraduate law, and why??
Reply 51
I've heard Churchill does quite well in Law, with high grade requirements.

However, the College you go to doesn't especially matter too much. Teaching is largely by the faculty rather than the College in almost all cases, though often supervisions will be arranged within your College whenever this is possible, or so my Director of Studies tells me.
Reply 52
Does anyone know which college is renowned for what? like clare is for music..jesus for sport maybe?
Phil.Murray
Corpus has apparently come top of Tripos (or thereabouts) for the last few years. They have very good law fellows, including David Ibbetson.

Downing is meant to be quite good, but they take a lot of lawyers. Good fellows though: Virgo and Feldman.

I've also heard good things about Tit Hall.


do you mean they take a lot of people who want to be lawyers and is that a bad thing
Reply 54
Downing is most famous I believe
I have heard Downing is most famous meaning that it is also oversubscribed because alot of people apply to it but theres always the pool
Phil.Murray
Yes, and in my opinion, yes.


how?

surely, by the time you are applying you probably havn't decided on becoming a lawyer or not
Reply 57
Phil - Corpus takes a lot of lawyers...

Proportionately more so considering its small size.
Reply 58
Call me a cynic, but I don't think you should set your heart too firmly on one college. Even if you do get an offer, you could well be pooled to somewhere else and end up very disappointed, when in all reality most people end up loving the college they go to.

But....pick Sidney!
Downing is traditionally the "lawyers college". No reason how this reputation came about but it's fairly consistently the most applied to college for law. I hear Churchill's suppose to be pretty good law wise too. But it's butters.

Quick Reply