The Big 'Which Cambridge College?' Thread

Need some help. Last minute college decision.

I'm undecided between Emma and Caius, and that's the last thing I need to do for my UCAS app before I send it.

The only thing turning me off Emma is the non-ensuite rooms for first years and though I know thats a pretty stupid criteria, it's an important one for me. And the only thing turning me off Caius is the food reputation. Small things I know but I need some help in making that choice!

What I like about Caius is the dining hall and the interviews (the fact that there are two plus a general one). What I like about Emma is the reputation and the central site. and the ducks


Any advice ASAP please?!?!

Need some help. Last minute college decision.

I'm undecided between Emma and Caius, and that's the last thing I need to do for my UCAS app before I send it.

The only thing turning me off Emma is the non-ensuite rooms for first years and though I know thats a pretty stupid criteria, it's an important one for me. And the only thing turning me off Caius is the food reputation. Small things I know but I need some help in making that choice!

What I like about Caius is the dining hall and the interviews (the fact that there are two plus a general one). What I like about Emma is the reputation and the central site. and the ducks


Any advice ASAP please?!?!

For what's it's worth, as a Caian, the food and the whole hall system is a lot more annoying than not having an ensuite room (and I say this as someone who had an ensuite in first year for medical reasons but didn't in her second year. And I coped.)

What subject are you applying for?

Caius food isn't as bad as is sometimes thought - I've been to Formal quite a few times and it's generally been OK.

Really? As a Caian, you think the food isn't worth it?
Don't know, I know that the SHB accommodation is hotel-standard (correct me if i'm wrong) and thats something that appealed to me. I don't want to have to share bathrooms with others.

I'm applying for chemical engineering via Natural Sciences, and I put Emma as my college and sent my app to my referee but he can send it back if I want to change my choice.

Ah ok, it's that some of the things i've read on TSR have been quite off-putting. Incidentally can I ask how you chose your college/whether you're happy with your choice?

Ah ok, it's that some of the things i've read on TSR have been quite off-putting. Incidentally can I ask how you chose your college/whether you're happy with your choice?

I did it primarily via a process of elimination:
- eliminate all-female and/or all-mature colleges (obviously )
- eliminate colleges that I considered too far from the centre (i.e. Girton, Homerton, Fitz, Churchill), or too far from the faculty (lectures)
- eliminate colleges that I considered too small or too large, both in terms of grounds and number of (undergraduate) students
- eliminate colleges that I considered consistently performed badly (below 10th) in the Tompkins table
- eliminate colleges that did not have an internal DoS for Economics
- eliminate colleges that had a poor performance for Economics in the year before I was applying (by looking at the class lists for that year outside Senate House)
This left me with Emma and Pembroke, so I booked open days for both, but Pembroke's was first (in the Easter holidays) and it was just amazing so I was pretty much decided by the time I went to the Emma open day (which was in the morning of the University open day and didn't match it).

Ok, Caius is a lovely college and there are loads of good reasons to choose it (including SHB ) but the food/hall system isn't great. If you don't have any special dietary requirement and don't mind the fairly frequent weird dishes, then you should be ok, but choice for vegetarians (like me) and other special diets is baaaaaaad. I also don't like the lack of flexibility (worse now they're introducing a booking system) and the food is overpriced. HOWEVER, I wouldn't make the food a deciding factor.

And SHB is indeed hotel-standard, but only half of the first years live there, and it's very unlikely that you'll get an ensuite room in subsequent years.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Which would you say is better out of St John's or Trinity?

lol big rivals! Trinity has a larger endowment from what I know.

No one college is "better" I reckon, although there seems to be a fair amount of banter when it comes to John's!

Trinity were 2nd in the Tompkins table this year, whereas St John's were down in 20th! Though, I'm not sure how useful these tables are tbh

My bad choice of words. I should have rephrased to how would one decide between the two as in many respects they seem very similar: large, grand, prestigious, beautiful etc.

Trinity has the fountain which I think is the best piece of garden ornament (if you can call it that lol) of any Oxbridge college and St John's attracts me because of its Bridge of Sighs and the reputation of the May Ball. I really want to apply to both but I know they're so competetive so what would I need to do to really strengthen my application and stake a claim to either one? And which one to put first Trinity of St John's?

Right ok thanks, i just narrowed mine to Caius and Emma and I think i might just stick with Emma we'll see. Just one last question if you don't mind: The TSA, did you have to sit it, do they place much weight on it? And what is a "good" score/what was yours if I may ask?

If I'm not mistaken, you don't necessarily have to be a John's student to go to their May Ball (don't quote me on that though!)

If I'm not mistaken, you don't necessarily have to be a John's student to go to their May Ball (don't quote me on that though!)

As for tips for application, I'm probably not the best person to ask in all fairness. I take it you'll be applying for grad-entry? I have very little knowledge about that but I guess most colleges look for the same kind of things...hard-working, intelligent individual with a genuine passion for their subject.

My bad choice of words. I should have rephrased to how would one decide between the two as in many respects they seem very similar: large, grand, prestigious, beautiful etc.

Trinity has the fountain which I think is the best piece of garden ornament (if you can call it that lol) of any Oxbridge college and St John's attracts me because of its Bridge of Sighs and the reputation of the May Ball. I really want to apply to both but I know they're so competetive so what would I need to do to really strengthen my application and stake a claim to either one? And which one to put first Trinity of St John's?

Which college has the most artsy, eccentric crowd? And which is the best to choose if you are passionate about acting, directing and film?

Whatever college you're in, you can join CineCam, the Practical Film-Making Society or Cam*Era, as well as the ADC, Footlights etc, so I wouldn't think college choice makes a huge difference there. As for the type of people, it's going to vary year on year and each college will have artsy people in it (obviously) but in general Homerton is known for being very outgoing and the ADC is supposedly an extension of the college! They also have HATS (Homerton Amateur Dramatic Society), but then again there is also GADS (Girton), CADS (Christ's) and DDS (Downing) for your performing needs


Sorry if that wasn't particularly helpful! I'll tell you more about the college 'crowds' in about a weeks time if you like

I did the TSA, but I don't know how much weight was put on it. I never asked for my score but I remember I got 44/50 on the practice one (though I should've probably done better as I did that in between playing TimeSplitters with my brothers on the PS2 and didn't bother to check through it after but that's beside the point ).