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How did you choose your college to apply to at Cambridge?

I'm going to apply there for engineering, and there are so many colleges I can't see where to start looking. I know I could make an open application, but it makes sense to pick the one that looks the best. Any advice appreciated.

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Reply 1
Original post by james813
I'm going to apply there for engineering, and there are so many colleges I can't see where to start looking. I know I could make an open application, but it makes sense to pick the one that looks the best. Any advice appreciated.


There's a whole thread for this :smile:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=634021

Also http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/colleges/choosing-a-college
Especially the "How NOT to choose a College" bit :wink:
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 2
thanks jneill, I should've done a search first!
Reply 4
Thanks again. I never realised you needed a PhD in Statistics just to understand the admissions tables. It's making me think of choosing Oxford instead!
Reply 5
Original post by james813
Thanks again. I never realised you needed a PhD in Statistics just to understand the admissions tables. It's making me think of choosing Oxford instead!


No nononoo nooooo

Don't do that!

:smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 6
I chose King's 'cause it was central and looked like Hogwarts.
Hey! If you have the opportunity, get to Cambridge and have a look around yourself. Whether you can or not though, do check out applytocambridge.com - it's the alternative prospectus written by the students themselves and it has pages for every college on there! There is also the #CambTweet project on twitter - there are accounts for most subjects with the students running them spread across a range of colleges, to whom you can tweet questions any time. :smile:
Original post by Zacken
I chose King's 'cause it was central and looked like Hogwarts.


Interesting...........
Which Hogwarts are you talking about?

:tongue:
Reply 9
Original post by vincrows
Interesting...........
Which Hogwarts are you talking about?

:tongue:


Is there more than one? :tongue:

Don't knock down my unreasonable expectation of King's. :lol:
Original post by Zacken
Is there more than one? :tongue:

Don't knock down my unreasonable expectation of King's. :lol:


I sincerely hope you'll be able to discover much more important King's quality than (alleged) similarity to Hogwarts while you're there..:biggrin:
Reply 11
Original post by vincrows
I sincerely hope you'll be able to discover much more important King's quality than (alleged) similarity to Hogwarts while you're there..:biggrin:


I'm already beaming at their online sample menus, they look fantastic!
Original post by Zacken
I'm already beaming at their online sample menus, they look fantastic!


Right...................................I'm so glad to hear that.










If you wanted to go to a college that's more 'like Hogwarts', you SHOULD have chosen a college that doesn't shun gowns, and King's is the only one that does!!!
:tongue:
Reply 13
Original post by vincrows
Right...................................I'm so glad to hear that.


If you wanted to go to a college that's more 'like Hogwarts', you SHOULD have chosen a college that doesn't shun gowns, and King's is the only one that does!!!
:tongue:


Right, yeah, I didn't know that prior to applying. :tongue: oh well, at least my newly purchased suit will actually show instead of being covered up by a gown! :tongue:
Original post by Zacken
Right, yeah, I didn't know that prior to applying. :tongue: oh well, at least my newly purchased suit will actually show instead of being covered up by a gown! :tongue:


Didn't you?
Oh well, suppose you can wear something link this instead for formals......

http://www.costumekingdom.com/p-17849-che-guevara-beret-hat.aspx
Reply 15
Original post by vincrows
Didn't you?
Oh well, suppose you can wear something link this instead for formals......

http://www.costumekingdom.com/p-17849-che-guevara-beret-hat.aspx



Not really, I should have done more research. I was initially set on Pembroke but changed my mind to King's a few minutes before submitting the SAQ and UCAS form on the 14th of October. :lol:

Oh gosh, what even is that costume. :rofl:

I'll still have to wear gowns if I want to attend other colleges events that require gowns, right? That's enough for me. :-)
Original post by james813
I'm going to apply there for engineering, and there are so many colleges I can't see where to start looking. I know I could make an open application, but it makes sense to pick the one that looks the best. Any advice appreciated.


You can find out the previous 5 years' numbers of people for a specific course at a specific college here:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

(and it's versus number applied)

Hope it comes in handy! ^.^
Reply 17
Original post by ValerieKR
You can find out the previous 5 years' numbers of people for a specific course at a specific college here:
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/statistics

(and it's versus number applied)

Hope it comes in handy! ^.^


But don't use that info to try to select an "easy" college. Admissions doesn't work like that.

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Original post by jneill
But don't use that info to try to select an "easy" college. Admissions doesn't work like that.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Yeah - more for a social perspective.

(Don't rely on (even to a moderate extent) but don't completely disregard the applied vs accepted either - the colleges tend to have a rough number of people they accept for a particular subject and if it's 100 normally applying and 4 accepted vs 40 normally applying and 4 accepted with all other factors being equal I know which I'd apply to.)
(edited 7 years ago)
I'm just putting in an Open application. I get the feeling that the differences are minor between colleges, but I'm not the most decisive of people anyway.

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