Cambridge Decisions 2021 - info and FAQ

With thanks to @Doones for the idea for this post, here's all the info you need for Cambridge Decision Day 2021.

All applicants will hear the outcome of their application by email before the end of the day on Monday 25th January. If you have not heard by Tuesday 26th, please contact your college. Some colleges will send emails to all applicant and then follow up with a letter for offer holders, but most will send everything by email this year.

Please make sure that your college has up to date contact details for you and that Cambridge emails are not getting caught by spam filters. This can sometimes happen with school emails. If you're in any doubt, send your college an alternative email address.

Please remember to check your spam and junk boxes too - sometimes emails from other colleges end up there!

FAQs

If you have questions you would like to ask about what will happen on 25th, please read these first.

When will I hear?
Emails can arrive any time after 9am. Colleges will do their best to get them to you by 5pm. I can't be any more precise than that, I'm afraid.

I haven't heard yet - does that mean I've been rejected?
No. There is absolutely no correlation between times and outcomes. Every college will send in a different order, depending on what they are able to do first, or what they wish to prioritise. Someone else hearing that they have an offer from X college (for the same subject or a different one) doesn't mean you don't have an offer from Y college.

I cannot stress this enough. Not hearing by a certain time does not mean you've been rejected.

I haven't heard yet - what should I do?
Hang on and wait. If you haven't heard by Tuesday morning, contact the college that interviewed you.

Please do not call or email colleges on Monday if you can help it. It slows down how quickly we're able to send things to you. Often there's only one person working on this and we can only deal with one thing at a time. Most staff are working from home, so there's no guarantee calls will get through.

Why is my college taking so long? Why has my friend heard but not me?
Please be patient. We like to double check things to make sure we're not making mistakes. We think this is better than rushing things out but getting it wrong.

This year, several colleges have staff members (sometimes the only Admissions officer) who have children who are at home and need supervising/home schooling. This can't be helped. They are doing their absolute best to get emails out to you.

What are my offer conditions? When will I hear my offer conditions?
Some colleges email offer holders with all their information in one go (Peterhouse does this) and others send the decision first and the follow up with the conditions and extras later in the day or the following day.
Put simply, if they're not in your letter, I don't know what your conditions will be.

When will Track update?/Why hasn't Track updated yet?
Our decisions do not go to UCAS immediately. We send them after decisions have been communicated to you, so Track will update a few days after you hear from us.

I have been pooled, but I don't like my new college. Can I swap?
It's incredibly unlikely. Before you start worrying, check out their websites and social media. Almost all students end up loving their college, whether it's the one they'd have chosen or not.

How do I get feedback?
Email the college that interviewed you if you did not get an offer. If there's something you really want to know, be specific. Feedback is usually sent to the UCAS referee if you're still at school, so you need to tell us if you don't want that to happen.

When will I get feedback?
Academics are busy people, so it can take until the end of March or beginning of April for us to send it. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten!

How should I react to the news?
However you want. There is really no right way to do it. It's ok to feel elated, sad, surprised, numb, nothing. It's ok to cry with joy, sadness, relief. It's your moment. You don't owe it to anyone to feel or react in a particular way.

Having said this, there are things not to do. Don't rub your success/someone else's lack of an offer in their face. Don't be unbearably smug. Don't be mean to people. Don't blame other people. Every year there are students who are unsure whether they would like to take up their offer. That's ok. Take some time and think about it. You don't need to rush into things. If you've missed out, don't criticise people who might not take up places. They haven't taken anything from you.

One thing I cannot emphasise enough is that if it's all getting a bit too much, step back. Take some time away from your screen and from other people. You are not obliged to be on here. If you feel yourself getting angry at other people, your college, the universe, step back. Take a deep breath and think before you post. If necessary, wait 24 hours and see if you still feel the same.

One final thing to remember is that you should be incredibly proud of yourself for getting this far. You've done really well and you're clearly strong academically. This is not the be all and end all. It's ok to feel sad for a bit, but I'd really recommend trying to be positive and thinking about where you can go next. Remember, this is a diversion, not a dead end.

Please do not let rejection tomorrow define your life - you are amazing

You will flourish elsewhere and have a brilliant career ...

You will be the same wonderful person you are today - put it behind you and reach for the stars another way.

To those who get an offer - do not crow - how you respond will say a lot about your character.

All the best to everyone

Aw Muttley, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me! Albeit, indirectly, but I’m taking it :’)

I mean it - Oxbridge is built up so much by certain posters than people think they are 'failures' ... really makes me angry - it's Oxbrdige's loss, not theirs.

well just shows their point is just weak af