Changing colleges between undergrad and postgrad?

Just a silly musing as a non Oxbridge student - as thread title:

Do Oxbridge students ever start in one college for their undergrad, then change to a different one if they continue to say, PhD? I don't really get the college system, but I know there are postgrad only colleges, so would you ever want or even be able to "swap" to one of them after getting your undergrad after being accepted for a PhD (or in the process of, I'm a little fuzzy on the application procedures)?

I imagine it might be nice if your original college is very undergrad centric, although I don't know to what degree, if any, this occurs. Also I assume postgrads don't live in the colleges anyway?

Reply 1

username1865079

Original post by the artful lounger

In case of Cambridge, Yes.
While undergraduate admission is conducted by each college (= you apply to a college you like) and you become a member of the college who accepted you, that relationship ends when you graduate. If you want to do postgrad, you apply to the department who decide if they accept you or not. After they do, your application is sent to some colleges to consider if they accepts you as their member. You can tell the department two colleges you prefer so one of them can be the college you were undergrad at but there's no guarantee they'll accept you. You can see the details here.
http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/how-do-i-apply/college-membership

In reality most people I know who did undergrad and postgrad at Cambridge tend to do both in the same college but not all of them. But, as explained above, admissions for undergrad and postgrad are completely separate/individual things, it's not like you progress from undergrad to postgrad in one college nor 'switching' from one college to another in the process.

The college provide the accommodation for most of postgrads at Cambridge, too, either on the college site or the college house outside. (Probably not at Oxford)

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

*pitseleh*

College-swapping does happen at Oxford, but most of the people I know who stayed on did their Masters and DPhil at their undergrad college. In terms of accommodation, at least some of the Oxford colleges have accommodation earmarked for grads (my college had a whole whole residential building that was for grads only), but a lot of people choose to live out.