The Mature Colleges - My Current Dilemma

My initial instinct was Hughes hall, and so I sent my UCAS application off the other day with Hughes hall as my choice. Since then, however, I've come across some disheartening reviews which have left me anxious and doubtful of my choice. I've repeatedly read that Wolfson is the "best" of the three, but it is very aesthetically unpleasing to me and the location puts me off. St. Edmunds seems alright, but it's hard to really discern the true differences between them.

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Unless there is some special rule for the late application mature applicants, you can't change your College choice once it is entered on UCAS, The University tend to be extremely firm on this, and only serious conditions such as a disability a College can't deal with is sufficient reason to change (unless they re-allocate you).

Hello,

I'm a 26 year old applicant hoping to study history at Cambridge. As I missed the October deadline, and would likely be pooled to a mature college anyway, I've been deliberating quite obsessively on which to apply to.

My initial instinct was Hughes hall, and so I sent my UCAS application off the other day with Hughes hall as my choice. Since then, however, I've come across some disheartening reviews which have left me anxious and doubtful of my choice. I've repeatedly read that Wolfson is the "best" of the three, but it is very aesthetically unpleasing to me and the location puts me off. St. Edmunds seems alright, but it's hard to really discern the true differences between them.

I know as I already applied to Hughes I should perhaps leave it, but I want to make the best choice and make an informed decision. I only sent it off because the deadline for other unis was yesterday (I also applied to Kings, LSE, and UCL) but one can substitute a choice within a week, so I could choose one of the other two if need be.

If by some miracle I got into Cambridge, I would hope to be at a college worthwhile and not of disreputable esteem. I know I shouldn't care, but it's a lot of money to invest in an education. I know ultimately that ones degree and the faculty is with the department and not the college, but I just want to make the best choice I can with be best information available.

If it's of any help, I'm American although I have lived in the U.K. Previously, and have worked as a session musician and museum professional (history museums) since being out of education. I studied for a foundation course in music and graduated in 2011, living in the U.K. Till 2013. I truly wish all the colleges were seen as equal and this wouldn't stress me out, but it's hard as I have a close friend at kings college Cambridge and when I mentioned these colleges she sort of shot me a blank reaction

Thanks for any input!

Don't believe everything you read on internet.

Hello,

I'm a 26 year old applicant hoping to study history at Cambridge. As I missed the October deadline, and would likely be pooled to a mature college anyway, I've been deliberating quite obsessively on which to apply to.

My initial instinct was Hughes hall, and so I sent my UCAS application off the other day with Hughes hall as my choice. Since then, however, I've come across some disheartening reviews which have left me anxious and doubtful of my choice. I've repeatedly read that Wolfson is the "best" of the three, but it is very aesthetically unpleasing to me and the location puts me off. St. Edmunds seems alright, but it's hard to really discern the true differences between them.

I know as I already applied to Hughes I should perhaps leave it, but I want to make the best choice and make an informed decision. I only sent it off because the deadline for other unis was yesterday (I also applied to Kings, LSE, and UCL) but one can substitute a choice within a week, so I could choose one of the other two if need be.

If by some miracle I got into Cambridge, I would hope to be at a college worthwhile and not of disreputable esteem. I know I shouldn't care, but it's a lot of money to invest in an education. I know ultimately that ones degree and the faculty is with the department and not the college, but I just want to make the best choice I can with be best information available.

If it's of any help, I'm American although I have lived in the U.K. Previously, and have worked as a session musician and museum professional (history museums) since being out of education. I studied for a foundation course in music and graduated in 2011, living in the U.K. Till 2013. I truly wish all the colleges were seen as equal and this wouldn't stress me out, but it's hard as I have a close friend at kings college Cambridge and when I mentioned these colleges she sort of shot me a blank reaction

Thanks for any input!

Especially when some negative reps are posted by just 1 or 2 persistent people...



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As the former Admissions Tutor of a mature college (and now Admissions Tutor of a better-known college), I should reassure you that there is no such thing as a "disreputable" college. All colleges offer a world-class education, and all students graduate from the University of Cambridge. Hughes Hall has always been one of the most diverse and international colleges, and it is undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment, with two new Admissions Tutors and a renewed focus on Arts subjects. So if I were you, I'd ignore the postings of a handful of individuals on this forum, and go into things with an open mind.

I've never set foot in Cambridge, but I was allocated to Hughes Hall through an open application, and like you I've done research and seen the bad reviews you might be referring to before. From reading other people's responses, a majority of the complaints seem to have been made by one disgruntled student who was unhappy with something out of the college's control and dealt with it in the wrong manner. The complaints seemed exaggerated and were worded in an incoherent, rambling manner.

I've read words of reassurance that Hughes is rather a nice place to be, if only a little obscure in reputation but that's of small consequence to me. So far I've seen only praise for the food, accommodation, people and atmosphere there.

P. S. I agree, out of the mature colleges Hughes looks the prettiest to me Never actually seen them with my own eyes, though.

So stay with Hughes. No college is of "disreputable esteem".

I think the point might be that you can make changes to UCAS within a few days of applying. There's a 14 day window. But yeah I don't know if that also applies to college choice.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Yeah I could theoretically substitute the choice and re-input Cambridge with a different college, but at this point I'm not really sure that would be worthwhile. I need to read the internet less perhaps (with the exception of this forum)

Thank you very much! It's especially helpful to hear that from that from a fellow college. I hope I didn't sound at all like a snob or judgemental in my enquiry, it's just hard to get factual information via internet when some of it is solely from the college itself and then some are from disgruntled folk with their own vendetta against said college. I do have an open mind generally, I just like to get as much information as possible and be confident in my choices. I appreciate it!

Stay with the college YOU prefer. Don't forget there's always the chance you will get pooled elsewhere anyway. (Just to complicate things further )

Can one still be pooled even for the second admissions round? (the mature colleges have a second deadline of March 1st which only applies to them, which is what I applied for)

I don't have experience of the mature colleges so actually I don't know if they have another pool (that's a good question actually).

Tagging @Christ's Admissions for her expertise...

Yes, there is a March Round Pool (introduced in response to feedback on TSR two years ago - we do listen!)