Are some Durham colleges easier to get into than others?

Surely, if they don't have a pooling system like Oxbridge?

If so, which colleges are harder to get into? Which colleges are easier to get into?

You don't apply directly to a college, you apply to the department and if you get accepted into the department then you're forwarded onto the college allocation process, whereby a computer will try and allocate students into colleges such that the student's preference is kept in mind but there is a balance in the subjects students are taking within that college.

Basically there can only be so many students from a particular department at one college, just to keep it balanced. Colleges do not consider which students they would like (i.e. by reading their personal statement), it is done by a computer at random.

That seems like a good system! When do you express your preference? Is it when applying on UCAS with the campus code?

Yep on UCAS. I think there is a specific campus code for each college or something, I don't remember it being very difficult to select a college to apply to. Make sure you choose carefully, if you choose an undersubscribed college as your preference then you're likely to get it. If you apply before December I think normally you'll get offers in January, and college allocation is in February/March

If I apply to an oversubscribed college, does that affect admissions chances? Surely if they only deal with allocation after admissions it makes no difference ?

Correct. It will have no affect at all on your application to the university itself - that is entirely a different process that happens before by the department.

It will however make it more likely that you'll be randomly allocated to a different college. There are a load of statistics you can view on the website and see which colleges are under and over subscribed, I recommend looking carefully at the under subscribed colleges as you'll be more likely to get into one of those if you put it as your preference

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I see. I really like Castle and Hatfield

Watch out if you apply to castle, as it is the most oversubscribed college and so you are most likely to be allocated to a different college when applying to this one. Also first years rarely live in the castle and if they do they share.


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I'm applying to Hatfield

where can you find out which colleges are over or under subscribed? I am thinking of Cuthberts (Parson's Field) or Bulter. Thanks

I'd like to say good choice but it's Hatfield 😜


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