The Student Room Group

King's College

After visiting Cambridge for the open days last week, I got the impression that King's College was a bit far left.

During our tour, and after reading the prospectus, I left with the impression that unless you:

a) attend an awful state school from which nobody usually applies to Oxbridge
b) Are lesbian, gay, trans or bisexual
or
c) Are "different"

you are less likely to get a place.

This is just my perception, and I know that all Cambridge colleges are keen to attract those students who may not have thought Cambridge was for them, but King's seemed a little obssesive. True? Or not?

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Although King's does have more state schoolers on average (can't say about LGBT, since I'm not there yet) not everyone is abnormal and/or conformist deficient! My head of sixth form told me not to apply to King's for your first reason, but I did and I got an offer despite being from a private/public school and being, as far as I know, a fairly average person.
Basically don't believe everything you hear, although it probably is slightly more left than some other colleges it doesn't mean that normal people can't get in.
In a mock interview with a teacher at my school (who went to Downing), he referred to King's as being for 'radical leftie weirdos' and at the end said I would 'fit in'. But I don't fulfil any of the options you stated. I go to a grammar school (state, but it's not rare for people to apply to Oxbridge by any means), am straight and I wouldn't call myself 'different'. Particularly.

I think because King's are traditionally one of the quite laidback colleges, admitting women quite early compared to some of the other colleges, encouraging applications from state school pupils and so on, most of the applications to King's are from state schoolers. Chances are, you were given a tour by somebody from a state school and they probably wanted to stress to those who were from state schools that they would fit in, in turn causing privately educated people to perhaps decide to not apply there. It's a vicious circle really. Basically, as dragons circle said, there will be people from public schools there and you don't have to be 'different' to get in. If you like it, apply. :smile:
Kings is, perhaps, famous for being left wing and hence they are conservatively keeping this more recent tradition alive. It seems like they've rejected quite a few of the Cambridge customs, for example no gowns, and having a non-formal "affair" rather than a may ball. They do have a hammer and sickle painted in their red bar (with much protest when it was removed, sufficent to have it re painted) and they recently got into hot water through their having a fund to throw a massive party when Margaret Thatcher pops her clogs.

Be that as it may, I've heard that in practice its not too left wing or state school dominated; its just the reputation that is kept up, rather than being completely true.
Reply 4
I walked into the bar at King's on Wednesday with my tour guide, and noted that on the wall, there was a red flag with a hammer and sickle painted on it. I asked my tour guide what that was all about. He mentioned quietly to me that King's was kinda left wing, and then quickly brushed it aside as a joke.

And then I crossed King's off my list of colleges.
Reply 5
Optimistic
I walked into the bar at King's on Wednesday with my tour guide, and noted that on the wall, there was a red flag with a hammer and sickle painted on it. I asked my tour guide what that was all about. He mentioned quietly to me that King's was kinda left wing, and then quickly brushed it aside as a joke.

And then I crossed King's off my list of colleges.

:biggrin:
Reply 6
Optimistic
I walked into the bar at King's on Wednesday with my tour guide, and noted that on the wall, there was a red flag with a hammer and sickle painted on it. I asked my tour guide what that was all about. He mentioned quietly to me that King's was kinda left wing, and then quickly brushed it aside as a joke.

And then I crossed King's off my list of colleges.

haha! I must have been the only person that didnt notice that flag:eek: Apparently there was also a room full of communist books but i didnt see that either.

To the OP
The first one applies to me.
i guess just like some college are known to be very right wing and have a higher number of public schooled students than state school King's is known as left wing, but for some reason puts off a lot more people than the right wing colleges. I honestly dont think you should cross it off your list just for that reason, its not as if you will be forced to contribute to left wing politics and im sure that in a college of (i dont know how many) hundreds of people you will find someone who has similar political views as you and/or has a similar background. Besides you never know- it might be fun to be around people you wouldnt normaly be around and confront ideas you dont like, might challenge your views. :wink:
Do (m)any other colleges have political affiliations?
Reply 8
Being at Kings now I would just like to say I hate all these stereotypes. People in freshers week found out I was at Kings....and then just sort of raised their eyebrows and turned away half the time :frown:

We're not all crazy thanks, and the hammer and sickle? Its not painted on the wall, its a painting and hence removeable. But hey, I guess you have to have some way of crossing colleges off your list so I wont have a go.

Hope to see some people at Kings in the autumn :smile:
Isn't there one painted on the wall in the red (well, redish...) bar thing downstairs? The one that's got horrible lighting and a DJ booth? I think i remember seeing it when I did some techieing down there.

Edit: in King's Cellars.
Reply 10
seaspray
After visiting Cambridge for the open days last week, I got the impression that King's College was a bit far left.

During our tour, and after reading the prospectus, I left with the impression that unless you:

a) attend an awful state school from which nobody usually applies to Oxbridge
b) Are lesbian, gay, trans or bisexual
or
c) Are "different"

you are less likely to get a place.

This is just my perception, and I know that all Cambridge colleges are keen to attract those students who may not have thought Cambridge was for them, but King's seemed a little obssesive. True? Or not?

We don't want your sort there anyway.
Visesh for KCSU Access Officer! :p:

Seriously, its areputation that the college has but is jokey and undeserved. Far left in Cambridge terms is just slightly less right-wing compared to other places...
zazu


Hope to see some people at Kings in the autumn :smile:

Im dying to be there this autumn- I dont care what these people are complaining about!!
seaspray
After visiting Cambridge for the open days last week, I got the impression that King's College was a bit far left.

During our tour, and after reading the prospectus, I left with the impression that unless you:

a) attend an awful state school from which nobody usually applies to Oxbridge
b) Are lesbian, gay, trans or bisexual
or
c) Are "different"

you are less likely to get a place.

This is just my perception, and I know that all Cambridge colleges are keen to attract those students who may not have thought Cambridge was for them, but King's seemed a little obssesive. True? Or not?

Actually i still cant let this go. How do the admission tutors know if your 'different'- what are the characteristics for being 'different' if everyone’s perception of what is different varies? And i dont remember on any form where they asked us to state our sexual orientation- and neither did it get mentioned at the interview. As for being left wing, the college doesn’t reject people on the basis of their political beliefs and the tutors aren’t even allowed to investigate this in the interview. I went for an SPS interview and what political party i supported or anything that personal didn’t even come up- because it isn’t relevant to how well you will do at the college.
The reason why Kings has such a high population of gays/lesbians/bi ..etc is because a greater number apply there- probably because it is less traditional than some of the other colleges and they may be more comfortable there. The same probably applies for people from state schools and those who are 'left wing' .

Anyway Good luck wherever you chose to apply.
Heh, I've been meaning to add the exact same point nooni made- that they can only now a) out of the three options.

Unless of course you make a pass at a same-sex interviewer. Hmm.
Reply 15
Its not really about what the admissions tutors think or do. I was talking to one of the fellows there and he said it was a reputation which has been maintained since what happened 30 years or so ago, so I think it goes something like this:

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/3125/krc3xd.jpg
Optimistic
Its not really about what the admissions tutors think or do. I was talking to one of the fellows there and he said it was a reputation which has been maintained since what happened 30 years or so ago, so I think it goes something like this:

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/3125/krc3xd.jpg

where did you get that from?
Looks like a joke to me- a greater number of those who are state educated/homosexual/left wing apply and so there will be a greater number of those with offers- it does not however mean that if you are at the same level (interview/grades/etc) with a homosexual you would get rejected because King's likes the 'different'.
Reply 17
is it worth applying to Kings because it is so politically active and left wing?
paterex
is it worth applying to Kings because it is so politically active and left wing?


Not simply for that reason...?

But if you are stuck between two colleges I guess that could (left) swing it for you. :rolleyes:
Reply 19
lol yeah of course! I reckon I might apply to study SPS at King's - worth a shot?