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St Catharine's College, Cambridge

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St Catharine's College
Established: 1473
University: University of Cambridge
Address: Trumpington Street, Cambridge. CB2 1RL
Telephone: 01223 338 300
Website: www.caths.cam.ac.uk
Student Union/JCR website: http://www.student.caths.cam.ac.uk/jcr/html/
Admittance: Undergraduates and Postgraduates (men and women)


Contents

Student Statistics

  • Total Undergraduates in 2007-8 = 467 (238 men + 229 women)
  • Total Undergraduates in 2006-7 = 462 (234 men + 228 women)
  • Students admitted to their current course in Oct 07: 153 (70 men + 83 women)
  • Students admitted to their current course in Oct 06: 149 (78 men + 71 women)

Source: The Reporter Special Issue: Student Numbers 07-08

St Catharine's Application Statistics See College applications and admissions statistics

St Catharine's Application Statistics per subject See Appplication Statistics

57% of St Catharine's acceptances in 2007 and 53% in 2006 were from state school students (source).

Location

Right in the middle of Cambridge, at the end of Kings Parade, wedged between Kings College, Queens College and Corpus Christi. It is within easy walking distance of most faculties -10-15 minutes walk from the Sidgwick site (Law, Languages, Classics, History, English...) and about 15 minutes from the Chemistry faculty.

Accommodation

In August after results come out you'll get to pick between 4 different price bands:

  • Small
  • Medium
  • Large
  • Ensuite (which are generally about medium-sized)

And then they allocate them as best they can according to preference - you don't find out what you've got (or exactly how much it'll cost for that matter) until you get there. Everyone is spread pretty evenly across college (except Main Court, which tends to be 3rd years because they're mostly sets of two rooms). You don't really have great choice where you end up. There's a lot of people in E and Goslin which are the main batches of ensuite rooms, and so those corridors are pretty sociable. On the other hand, i think the rooms in Sherlock Court are largely nicer because they're not 60s plain and boring (even though they aren't ensuite and are mostly (except M) smaller).

In conclusion, don't worry about it until you've got the grades, and even then there's not much you can do about it. I mean, I would wonder whether an ensuite was worth it for all the extra money - they're £300 a term more than mine and I've never had problems with sharing at all... Also bear in mind that although there are a couple of very small rooms in college, most of them that are in the small band are pretty comparable to most 1st-year uni hall rooms I've seen at other unis, it's just that medium and large rooms are ridiculously huuuge...

Social Spaces

Library and Computing

There are 2 libraries with a total of some 65,000 volumes. They are both open 24/7.

All rooms have broadband internet connections (costing £23 a term) and there are also 4 computer rooms.

Academic Performance

St Catherine's ranking in the Tompkins Table (which ranks colleges by their Tripos exam results): 11th (2008), 5th (2007), 3rd (2006), 1st (2005), 7th (2004), 11th (2003), 12th (2002), 18th (2001), 11th (2000).

Atmosphere

Facilities

Food is variable. I think it's alright, but I'm used to cooking for myself, and my food is significantly tastier... Having said that, it hasn't been great so far this term... But then again you don't get as much choice if you're vegetarian. Um, yeah, it's nothing to write home about, but it won't poison you... I wouldn't bother with hall at all, apart from the few times I just need to get something really quickly, but it's probably worth still using it now and again just because it's sooo sociable

  • Chapel with organ (image)
  • Cafeteria and Dining Hall
  • College bar with jukebox, pool table, table football and quiz machine.
  • New Library (24/7)
  • Sherlock Library (English and MML, 24/7)
  • 4 computer rooms with printing and some scanning facilities
  • Common Room with large TV and Sky
  • MCR (Graduate Common Room) with newspapers, TV, video and DVD, two computers to check email and a small kitchen.
  • Small theatre and concert auditorium
  • Music Practice Rooms
  • Sick bay and Nurse's clinic
  • Gym
  • Astroturf hockey pitch (at the sports' ground)
  • Badminton, Squash and Volleyball courts (at the sports' ground)


Washing machines and dryers exist but cost ridiculous amounts of money.

Cooking facilities in college amount to two hotplates and a microwave per corridor.

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