Is Trinity College Cambridge harder to get into

If you don't get into trinity you get put into the "pool" where any other Cambridge university can pick you up and offer you a place

If you don't get into trinity you get put into the "pool" where any other Cambridge university can pick you up and offer you a place

Although isn't that only if you get to the interview stage, as trinity is more selective there is a larger risk that you won't meaning that you also wouldn't be put in the 'pool'.

I wouldn't imagine that Trinity is any more competitive than any other colleges for History (if it were Maths, perhaps, then this could be a different story) and I'm sure this can be verified on Cambridge's Admissions Statistics page, so if you are considering Cambridge then just apply to whichever college best fits your preferences.

Besides, as others have mentioned, the college you apply to doesn't really affect the chances of you getting in due to the pooling system.

Although isn't that only if you get to the interview stage, as trinity is more selective there is a larger risk that you won't meaning that you also wouldn't be put in the 'pool'.

Yes, I've heard that so I'm glad I'm not applying for math/sciences! My only other worry is that I go to a state sector college and I've heard Trinity Colleges takes most independent school students than other colleges.

They're not going to make any decisions on candidates based on where they attend school. It's likely that that's just the demographic who apply more to Trinity, or that they are better prepared for the assessments/interviews. (And the latter would apply to any college, so don't worry about it!)

Equally, if particular colleges have had to reject a lot of students, they will be looking on the pool. Hopefully even if not good enough for Trinity, I (or any others in this position) could be considered by other colleges. Also, is there not a summer and winter pool?

Hi, I am a year 12 student who is thinking of applying to Cambridge for History next year. After looking at all the colleges’ websites and going round a few myself, I’ve fallen in love with Trinity. However, I have been advised by family members not to apply there as it is, supposedly, a more competitive college and it is harder to get an offer.
Currently I have 8 A*s at GCSE (those include an 8 and a 9 for english lit and lang reformed gcses) and my initial predicted grades, from standardised assessments, are A*A*A.
Would applying to Trinity be a risk?

i reckon the biggest risk is you don't get in and end up somewhere like Girton or Churchill. If I were you I'd only apply to Trinity if I had like 5 AS levels/4 A levels minimum

If you've written about general relativity in your personal statement, try to know who Malcolm Perry is.
A physics applicant (who went on to get a double first etc) told me that this was his interviewer and he knew who he was!
But this is really rare though - I think he was just lucky and he applied a long time ago!

Hey, wait, what subj are you applying for?

I am taking my Latin Alevel a year early (along with English lit, History and French in year 13), but I am not sure how much that would be affected by other factors like personal statement and application tests, which I am more confident in, or whether Trinity is more focused on grades.