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Join The Student Room TodayBe part of the UK's largest and fastest growing student community. It's free to join and a lot of fun - Get inspired, express your ideas, interact and share King's College, CambridgeFrom The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Cambridge > King's College, Cambridge
Student Statistics
Source: The Reporter Special Issue: Student Numbers 07-08 King's Application Statistics See College applications and admissions statistics King's Application Statistics per subject See Appplication Statistics King's has one of the highest proportions of students from state schools (76% of UK acceptances for 2008 entry (source)). This is due to the high proportion of applications from the state sector, though, and students from private schools stand the same chance of getting in. Once you're studying at King's, nobody cares what kind of school you went to! LocationKing's is about as central as you can get! It's right in the middle of the university town on one of the most stunning streets, King's Parade. It is right next to the Senate House and near Great St Mary's Church (the university church), the market square and St Catharine's and Corpus Christi Colleges. The back part of King's is on the river Cam so you see people punting under King's bridge. King's shares this part of the river, called 'the Backs' with Clare, Trinity Hall, Trinity, St. Johns and Magdalene. The location is fantastic for most subjects as you can get to lectures quickly and enjoy the maximum precious minutes in bed in the morning!!!
(All distances measured with Gmaps pedometer) AccommodationKing's will provide you with accommodation for the full 3 or 4 years of your undergraduate course. This is a real advantage over many other colleges in which you have to rent privately if you do a fourth year. Not only will King's accommodation save you the faff involved in renting privately, it also means you'll be living centrally and most importantly it saves you a lot of money. The rent is cheaper than renting privately and most students opt for a short contract meaning that they only pay for accommodation during term time when they're actually living in King's - you don't have to pay rent during the vacations. First year
Keynes is set right in the centre of college with staircases opening onto the bar and hall etc. Its en suite and the vast majority of first years live here (especially as market hostel is out of action this year) so while it does not have a literal sense of community, probably due to not having a common room unlike the hostels but its closeness to the bar makes up for that as our bar functions as a JCR so theres always people around you know (and beer to drink too!) If you opt for something cheaper or with a longer contract (so that you can stay longer in the vacations) then you'll be either in a hostel over the road (Market Hostel or Spalding Hostel) or five to ten minutes walk away (Tennis Court Road).
Second and third years have more choice- many live in Garden Hostel (big rooms over the road from King's, see images here and here) or the new extension to it (en-suite with balconies and great kitchens, aptly called New Garden Hostel, image here), others live in college (A-staircase, Webbs Court) without en-suite or back in Keynes building (but on the top floor, which has great rooms with two floors). There is also accommodation available in two other hostels just across the road- Spalding Hostel (which is shared with the graduate students) and St. Edward's Passage which has en suite facilities but lacks a laundry room. Lots of third years get to stay in Bodley's court (see images here, here, here and here) in the massive old rooms by the river. I think the rooms with fireplaces tend to be occupied by fellows, though you can get a similar room in your third year- Bodley's court that I mentioned above-(don't think they have fire places, but they are old and nice, often with a bedroom and a sitting room to yourself). I'd definitely recommend King's in terms of accommodation. Unless you're really unlucky on the ballot (everyone is ranked randomly in order of who chooses their room first in second year, and it is reversed in third year), you could potentially live in en-suite for all three years...or even en-suite for two years and then have a room by the river in third year. Prices vary according to the facilities, but you can get some OK rooms quite cheaply.
FoodThe canteen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except at the weekend when breakfast and lunch are replaced by brunch from 11am to 1.30pm. The hall is large and Hogwarts-ish though quite dimly lit. Most students either eat in the hall or take their food through to the bar. In the summer there's a coutyard by the canteen with wooden tables and chairs and parasols which is quite a pleasant place to eat if you want to be outside or you can take your food down by the river. A sample menu at King's Monday Lunch - soup of the day - Roast Pork Carvery with Apple Sauce - Fish Patties with Lemon & Chive Mayonnaise - Austrian Goulash with Sour Cream - Vegetarian 1:Mushrooms au Gratin - Vegetarian 2:Chickpea Tagine - vegetables - potatoes/rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Dinner - Soup of the Day - Lamb Jalfreza - Jumbo Hot Dog with Cheese - Vegetarian:Lentils, Courgettes, Mushrooms, Onions & Peppers (Vegan) - vegetables - potatoes/rice - salad bar - deserts (uaually at least 4 options) - fruit Tuesday Lunch - Soup of the day - Roast Beef Carvery, Yorkshire Pudding & Horseradish Sauce - Chicken Supreme with Fresh Herbs - Lemon Sole Goujons - Vegetarian 1:Spicy Black-Eyed Beans - Vegetarian 2:Rice Stuffed Mushrooms (Vegan) - vegetables - potatoes/ rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Dinner - Soup of the day - Turkey Escalope with Ham & Melting Cheese - Jamaican Jerk Beef with Green Chilli - Vegetarian:Cannelloni Verdi - vegetables - potatoes/rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Wednesday Lunch - Soup of the day - Roast Turkey Carvery with Orange & Cranberry Sauce - Salmon with Butter Sauce - Sausage & Leek Hash - Vegetarian 1:Chinese Vegetable Rice - Vegetarian 2:Fritatta - vegetables - potatoes/rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Dinner - Soup of the day - Teriaki Chicken Thighs with Zucchini - Creamy Asparagus & Fettucini with Lamb - Vegetarian:Cheese & Onion Pasty - vegetables - potatoes/rice - salad bar - deserts (uaually at least 4 options) - fruit Thursday Lunch - Soup of the Day - Roast Lamb Carvery with Mint Sauce - Shepherds Pie - Thai Green Fish Curry - Vegetarian 1:Vegetarian Quarter Pounder & Sauteed Onions - Vegetarian 2:Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni - vegetables - Potatoes/Rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Dinner - Soup of the Day - Homemade Blue Cheese, Bacon & Leek Tart - Hot Salmon & Dill Pasta - Vegetarian:Pasta with Courgettes,Green Pesto & Parmesan - vegetables - Potatoes/Rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Friday Lunch - Soup of the Day - Roast Gammon Carvery with Parsley Sauce - Sustainable Fish in Batter - Tartare Sauce - Saffron Rice with Chicken & Peppers - Vegetarian 1:Tortellini Formaggio - Vegetarian 2:Vegetable Dahl - vegetables - Potatoes/Rice - salad bar - desert (uaually at least 4 options) - fruit Dinner - Soup of the Day - Marinated Lamb & Red Onion Kebab with Mint Yogurt - Escalope of Pork with Pear & Ginger Sauce - Vegetarian:Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie (Vegan) - vegetables - Potatoes/Rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Saturday Brunch (from 11.00 to 1.30) - Assorted Cereals - Muffin - Slice Fried Bread - Slice (Green/Smoked) Bacon - Portion Baked Beans - Slice Black Pudding - Fried Egg - Mushrooms - Sausage - Two Vegetarian Sausages - (Two Halves) Fresh Tomatoes - Portion Fried Potatoes/Hash Browns - salad bar Dinner - Soup of the Day - Scampi & Tartare Sauce - Pork Vindaloo - Vegetarian:Spiced Lentils with Squash - vegetables - Potatoes/Rice - salad bar - deserts (uaually at least 4 options) - fruit Sunday Brunch (11.30am – 1.30pm) - Assorted Cereals - Muffin - Slice Fried Bread - Slice (Green/Smoked) Bacon - Portion Baked Beans - Slice Black Pudding - Fried Egg - Scrambled Egg - Sausage - Two Vegetarian Sausages - (Two Halves) Fresh Tomatoes - Portion Fried Potatoes/Hash Browns - salad bar Dinner - Soup of the Day - Chilli Garlic Lamb & Noodle Stir-Fry - Smoked Haddock Kedgree - Vegetarian: Vegetable Kiev - vegetables - Potatoes/Rice - salad bar - deserts (usually at least 4 options) - fruit Formal Hall:
Social SpacesThe large college bar is the main space for students to gather and relax in on a day to day basis. The adjacent coffee bar is also very popular with sofas and free wifi. There's always a great atmosphere in the bar and coffee shop. They're very well used and provide a good place to come back to after a long day in the labs or the library. King's is a real community and you'll always find people you know to have a chat or play pool with. There are daily newspapers for you to browse too if you like. In the summer it's really nice to go out on the grass too (with or without your books!). Some people think of King's as quite austere because you're not allowed to walk on the grass on the two big main lawns. That's just to keep it looking pretty though and once you're at King's you find that there is plenty of grass you can go on. The grass outside Bodley's court is free for students to use and if you go over the road (where you might live if you're in Garden Hostel or the New Garden Hostel) there's a huge and beautiful fellows' garden which students can use at any time. Finally, did you know that King's has it's own night club? This is the cellar bar in the basement of Keynes which is used for regular dance and music events. You can get involved in the DJ-ing if you like too!  Library and ComputingKings has a 24/7 main library on the ground floor and the Rowe Music Library (the most important music collection in Cambridge) above it. The library holds some 130,000 volumes and is spread over a sequence of rooms providing lots of pleasant hideaways to work in with views of the gardens. If you need a book which is not part of the collection then the librarians will order it for you. Similarly the library provides multiple copies of the popular textbooks etc. There is also an Archive Centre with college archives and collections of personal papers including those of former King's members E. M. Forster, Edmund Leach (anthropologist) and John Maynard Keynes (economist). Computing facilities are excellent with room connections to the university network (high speed broadband) and the Turing Computer Room available for use by undergraduates 24/7. Graduate students use the computer room in the Graduate suite. Room Connections: A student says: I haven't had a problem [with the bandwidth allowance] and I'm on the internet loads. I've received a few emails telling me off for leaving Spotify on all day, or for downloading something from iplayer (they don't seem to have a problem if you stream it directly, but if you download it they do) but apart from that no problems. It's rare they'll email you about it, and even though they've had to email me a few times nothing has come of it. Academic PerformanceKing's ranking in the Tompkins Table (which ranks 29 colleges by their Tripos exam results): 19th (2008), 18th (2007), 17th (2006), 10th (2005), 20th (2004), 16th (2003), 14th (2002), 21st (2001), 20th (2000). AtmosphereThere is always loads going on in college and the college attracts a lot of university talks and society events as well as the regular King's ones. The centre of activity is the bar - a place you can go to at any time and always find someone to chat with. There's live music there two or three times a week too (ska bands, samba bands, jazz bands, rock bands, open mic nights- talent shows, basically- DJs). We also have a cellar bar and music venue which is very popular (basically a dark basement where DJs play once or twice a week...indie nights, cheese nights, a lot of DNB and house) At the end of Michaelmas and Lent term we have 'Mingles' in which most of the big rooms in college (bar, cellar bar, conference rooms) have different kinds of music playing which changes throughout the night. So you might have indie in the bar, dance music in the cellar, and then house in the conference rooms. I love the Mingles because of the music- if you hate a particular type of music you just go into a different room. One of our porters impersonates Elvis and sometimes we have live drumming and bands. Generally though, the main focus is on having a variety of DJs. King's Mingle is generally seen to be one of the best ents in Cambridge. In place of the Mingle at the end of Easter term, there is King's Affair, which is basically the Mingle on a bigger scale (I've not been to one yet as I'm only in the first year). King's Affair is King's (cheaper) alternative to posh May Balls, though obviously many people choose to go to May Balls as well as the affair. The only annoying thing about King's is the tourists with cameras.... PoliticsKing's is possibly the most liberal college. It has a reputation for being full of communists and has a hammer and sickle hanging in the bar refering to the college's revolutionary and activist heritage. Today King's students have all sorts of different political persuasions though - nobody cares which newspaper you choose to read in the bar. It's a good college to choose if you have any interest in politics because King's students tend to be very active in the university wide campaigns and charities - they take an interest in the world around them and get involved! The college is also used regularly for speaker events and demonstrations. For example the demonstration to close Guantanamo bay and the Amnesty cage and signature campaign outside King's. All this said, it's also fine if you are apathetic when it comes to politics! MusicWith such an amazing chapel, it's not surprising that King's has a particular reputation for music. The King's College Choir is made up of 16 child choristers and the college's student choral scholars. They get to sing all over the world and have CDs and live broadcasts from the Chapel. Scroll down to the Links section at the bottom of this page and you'll be able to see youtube clips of some choir performances. The choral scholars also form a separate group called the Collegium Regale which provides concerts and entertainment at dinners. As choral scholars, they get free singing lessons, lessons in Alexander technique and a piano in their room. In addition, there is a mixed voice choir called King's Voices which goes on a foreign tour each Easter as well as singing regularly in college. They're not as famous/prestigious as the King's College Choir or the Collegium Regale but they sing really well and have a great time doing it! King's DramaKing's has an active drama society called King's Drama. Most recent production: a new adaption of Festen. 5,7,& 9th May 2009 at 9.30pm in King's Hall. Summer, 1985. The patriarch of a rich, upper-class family is turning 60, and a testimonial dinner is thrown on his behalf. Friends, family and high-ranking politicians and government officials are invited. It is time for the first-born son, Christian, to propose a toast. He has prepared two speeches. One, in a blue envelope. The other in a green one. “Papa gets to choose.” And Papa makes the wrong choice... The King's Art CentreKing's has it's own art centre in A staircase! There's an exhibition gallery and a studio where art lessons are held. There's also a 'messy room' for, well, work with messy materials! Have a look at [this page] to see the sort of stuff that goes on there! SportsKing's doesn't have a reputation for sport but we have a go! There are mens' and women's football teams, netball, hockey, rowing, badminton, tennis, volleyball, ultimate frisbee and cricket. Sport is a great way to get to know people in different years and doing different subjects. You don't have to be of a fantastic standard for college level sport, either - just turn up and have a go. The advantage of college sport is that you get lots of games/matches without having to travel outside of Cambridge! Of course if you want to play more seriously/at a higher level or if your sport is less widely played you can join a university sports club too. King's shares a huge sports ground with Selwyn college. It's just 8 minutes' cycle away from the main site and has sports pitches, grass tennis courts and cricket nets. Students can also use the hard tennis courts at the King's College School if they like. The college has its own kayaks and punts which students can use on the river. King's AffairThe King's Affair is a huge party that happens every year in May week, after the exams. It's a lot cheaper and not as formal as the balls in most other colleges - some people wear fancy dress, others just turn up in jeans. It's also a lot cheaper to attend than most of the other college may balls. See the [2009 King's Affair website] for details. Facilities Overview
Student-eye viewLook up King's in the CUSU Alternative Prospectus King's has about 120 fellows. So there is approximately one fellow to every 3.3333333 students. This is one of the best fellow to student ratios of any Cambridge college. Links
King's grounds / buildings
King's Music
King's Sport King's Comedy King's Affair / Mingles
King's bar
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