• Tweet

• St John's College, Cambridge

TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Cambridge > St John's College, Cambridge

	Visit our discussion forum.
	St John's College
	Established:	1511
	University:	University of Cambridge
	Address:	St John's Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TP
	Telephone:	01223 338600
	Website:	http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/
	Student Union/JCR website:	http://www.sjcjcr.com/
	Admittance:	Men and women

Introduction

St John's Main Gate

St John's College, (informally known as 'John's' or more fully as 'The College of Saint John the Evangelist of the University of Cambridge') is one of the largest colleges of the University of Cambridge, and the third largest in terms of membership after Homerton College and the neighbouring Trinity College. The institution owes its foundation to Henry VII's mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, whose actions led to the opening of the college in 1511. Her likeness hangs in St John's Hall, and her devices (the portcullis and flower) adorn the college's main gate.

St John's is the second richest of the Oxbridge colleges and lays claim to some of the finest architecture in Cambridge, most notably the picturesque Bridge of Sighs, its fine Tudor Second Court (purported to be the finest example of its kind in England), and its magnificent Chapel, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott (the spire of which can be seen from throughout the town).

The College caters for around 550 undergraduates and 330 postgraduates at any one time, and admits both men and women. Like many other of the larger Cambridge colleges, its position on the Tompkins Table fluctuates from year to year. In recent years St John's has ranked between 4th and 20th, and maintains an envious academic reputation, as well as being famed for the calibre of its sporting students.

Student Statistics

• Total Undergraduates in 2007-8 = 587 (353 men + 234 women)
• Total Undergraduates in 2006-7 = 588 (348 men + 240 women)
• Students admitted to their current course in Oct 07: 197 (117 men + 80 women)
• Students admitted to their current course in Oct 06: 198 (122 men + 76 women)

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

St John's Application Statistics per subject See Appplication Statistics

St John's has a relatively low proportion of state school students (38% of acceptances in 2007, 48% in 2006 source)

History

Second court; arguably the finest of its kind in Oxford or Cambridge

St John's College Chapel at Night

Despite claiming its foundation to Lady Margaret Beaufort, it was Saint John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester who carried through her instruction, founding the college on the site of a pre-existing hospital dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist. First Court has undergone heavily alteration since its original construction, the most obvious of these being the demolition of the Elizabethan chapel, the foundations of which are clearly visible to the right of the main pathway. The current chapel, superbly designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, contains relics of the preivious chapel.

Location

St John's College - The Backs

St John's is very central. It is one of the few colleges to span the Cam and has its own fleet of punts for use of college members. On very close inspection (and from a punt!) it is possible to make out the fact that one side of the bridge is more ornate than the other.

John's has a large area of playing fields more or less behind the college and therefore more or less in central Cambridge. These playing fields are shared by St John's College School. The school was founded to provide an education to boys in the famous choir.

St John's college is very close to West Road where a number of University Departments are based.

Accommodation

New Court - forming arguably Cambridge's most recognised Neo-Gothic skyline

The Bridge of Sighs, which links Third Court to New Court

John's accommodation is generally excellent, with a few minor (but noticeable) blemishes. First Years are housed in the Cripps Building - at worst a grade 2 listed 1960s edition in Portland Limestone, at best a triumph of modernist architecture. Personally, I think it's one of the more tasteful of the modern buildings in Cambridge; it's shielded from view most of the time, built in such a way that nobody living in it has to see it, and the interior design is superb. Apparently it even won an award. Supposedly. Rooms come in shared, single and set varieties, the last of which have dividing walls which give the illusion of a much larger space. Generally those who end up with the larger rooms host the parties, those with the smaller rooms migrate as necessary.

Second Years are allocated room by lot; many inhabit New Court, linked to the rest of the university by the Wren Bridge (aka the Kitchen Bridge), which is is arguably the most beautiful of Cambridge's Neo-Gothic buildings; it was built 1817 and is known affectionately as the 'Wedding Cake' due to its elaborate crowning features. The New Court is about as close to 'Harry Potter' as Cambridge gets. Some students share a set of rooms, like a small flat. The advantages are the architecture and proximity.

Third and Fourth Year Students have a choice of numerous accommodation sorts. Some live in Cripps (Cripps is hideous, but the rooms themselves always seem okay), others in the wondrous inner college courts whilst some remain in New Court. A balotting system is employed in the case of oversubscription.

Many of the rooms are very spacious, almost all are on site (a handful of second years have to live in college-owned accommodation located not far away), and there's a reasonable number of gyp rooms/bathrooms for the ones which aren't en-suite. En-suites definitely exist, though you most likely wouldn't get one to yourself until third year. The sharing thing is sort-of true - most people will share in second year at least, but it's not actually sharing a room - it's a set of two rooms, so you have your own bedroom/study but one of you will have to walk through the other's to get out usually. As for renovations, it's not all brand spanking new, but I wouldn't say it was falling apart. Rents are pretty high, compared with many other colleges, but so is the standard of accommodation.

Food

St John's College Hall

Formal Hall costs £7.48, including wine.

The head of catering holds a Michelin star, so the food is always superb.

Social Spaces

John's JCR is home to a widescreen TV, cheap pool-table and some of the comfiest sofas in Cambridge. Varsity magazine voted John's Bar best of all the Cambridge Colleges, and not without good reason. It sells cheap, plentiful alcohol and has a pleasant, pub-like atmosphere.

Academic Performance

St John's ranking in the Tompkins Table (which ranks colleges by their Tripos exam results): 14th (2009), 20th (2008), 19th (2007), 15th (2006), 12th (2005), 14th (2004), 13th (2003), 11th (2002), 4th (2001), 4th (2000).

Sports

St John's were declared the 4th sportiest college in Michealmas 2009 by The Tab. See The Tab article: The College Cup revealed

Computing

St John's College Library contains a Computer Room with PCs, Macs, Printers & Scanners

• Bandwidth limits: 150MB per hour and 2 GB per day
• P2P Software banned

Facilities

St John's (tastefully concealed) modern architectural offerings

St John's College Library

• Buttery (canteen) and dining hall
• College Bar
• Chapel (image)
• Health Centre with college nurse
• 24/7 College Library more than 105,000 books and journals
• Old Library - where the older manuscripts are kept
• 3 Computer rooms with comupters, scanners and printers
• JCR (Junior Combination Room, the Undergraduate Common Room)
• SBR (Samuel Butler Room, the Graduate Common Room)
• 4 Music Practice Rooms (including one with a Boston baby grand piano and another with 2 pianos). A Steinway piano in the New Music Room and a harpsichord in the Old Library are also available for advanced musicians to play.
• College Theatre
• Art Room
• Fitness centre - with a range of cardiovascular and individual resistance equipment
• Free Weights Area - with a multi-station resistance machine and free weights equipment
• Sports grounds adjacent to main site (with pitches for football, rugby, cricket, hockey and lacrosse)
• Tennis courts
• Badminton courts
• Squash courts
• College punts
• Boat House by the river (image)

St John's College Old Library

Links

• St John's Undergraduate Prospectus Entry
• Look up St John's in the Cambridge University Students' Union Alternative Prospectus
• St John's Graduate Prospectus Entry
• St John's Cambridge Graduate Union Alternative Prospectus Entry
• St John's Wikipedia Entry
• Youtube clip - St John's College and St John's College (2) and St John's College from a punt and Punting through St John's and first court and chapel and the Bridge of Sighs and Cloisters, lawn and river

Music

• Youtube clip - Choir of St John's College, Cambridge - O mysterium ineffabile.wmv and Fac ut Ardeat Cor Meum
• Youtube clip - St John's College Choir - Prepare ye the way (Wise) and Insanae Et Vanae Curae (Haydn) and Where Thou Reignest (Schubert) and Ave Maris Stella (Grieg) and Ave Verum (Mozart) and Ave Maria (Parsons) and Cantique de Jean Racine and English Choral and Away in a Manger and Come, thou long expected Jesus on Songs of Praises
• Youtube clip - About the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge
• Youtube clip - Gents of St John's perform When Santa got Stuck up the Chimney, Dec 08 and Away in a Manger and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

St John's May Ball

• Youtube clip - St John's May Ball 2009 - fireworks and fireworks 2 and Calvin Harris and Calvin Harris 2 and The Puppini Sisters and Gentlemen of St John's and St John's Ball 2009
• Youtube clip - St John's May Ball Fireworks 2007 and Part 2