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Cambridge colleges

If you did undergrad at cambridge at college 'x' do you have to be a member of that college when you apply for postgrad or can you change college membership to a different college in postgrad?
Similary if you did a masters at cambridge at college 'x' and then apply for a phd are you allowed to apply for membership to a different college to that of the college u were at during your masters?

thank you
Original post by wyann LT
If you did undergrad at cambridge at college 'x' do you have to be a member of that college when you apply for postgrad or can you change college membership to a different college in postgrad?
Similary if you did a masters at cambridge at college 'x' and then apply for a phd are you allowed to apply for membership to a different college to that of the college u were at during your masters?

thank you


You can apply for different colleges. I had a friend who did his undergrad at one college, masters at another and PhD at a third. If you want to stay at a college, I think you get priority as someone who's already a member, but you can certainly move if you want to.
I'm assuming you could change colleges because some colleges are exclusively postgraduate, and you wouldn't be on the same course so it makes sense that you could switch. I'm not sure though, Cambridge reject so I'll never be completely familiar 🤧
Reply 3
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wyann LT
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6
Original post by Peterhouse Admissions
You can apply for different colleges. I had a friend who did his undergrad at one college, masters at another and PhD at a third. If you want to stay at a college, I think you get priority as someone who's already a member, but you can certainly move if you want to.

Does this rule apply to every cambridge college or are there any colleges that do not accept students that have graduated from other colleges?
I am currently in liverpool med school and thinking of doing a masters at a college in cambridge and I just wanted to ask if I would be able to switch to a different colleges when I apply to do a phd at cambridge if I was not comfortable at the college I was at during my masters?

thanks
Original post by wyann LT
Does this rule apply to every cambridge college or are there any colleges that do not accept students that have graduated from other colleges?
I am currently in liverpool med school and thinking of doing a masters at a college in cambridge and I just wanted to ask if I would be able to switch to a different colleges when I apply to do a phd at cambridge if I was not comfortable at the college I was at during my masters?

thanks

There aren't any colleges that don't accept applications from non-members, no. Of course, if a college is over-subscribed, they may decide to give priority to existing members, as mentioned above, but it'd be extremely unusual for all new PhD students to be continuing members.

(I don't know whether this all applies to theological colleges (Ridley Hall, Wescott House etc.), but these are all a bit of a special case so probably not relevant here).

EDIT: I stand corrected, see below. Trinity and St John's do not allow students who matriculated at one Cambridge college to join them for a later degree.
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by wyann LT
Does this rule apply to every cambridge college or are there any colleges that do not accept students that have graduated from other colleges?
I am currently in liverpool med school and thinking of doing a masters at a college in cambridge and I just wanted to ask if I would be able to switch to a different colleges when I apply to do a phd at cambridge if I was not comfortable at the college I was at during my masters?

thanks

I'm not aware of any colleges operating this policy and I think it's quite unlikely. Having looked here, in the 'can I change my college preferences' section, they don't mention it and I am sure they would have to if one college didn't accept applications from students studying elsewhere.
Reply 6
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fais
15
Original post by Peterhouse Admissions
I'm not aware of any colleges operating this policy and I think it's quite unlikely. Having looked here, in the 'can I change my college preferences' section, they don't mention it and I am sure they would have to if one college didn't accept applications from students studying elsewhere.


Trinity, as an example, does not accept students that have matriculated from another College:

"It is the College’s practice not to accept applications from students who have matriculated at another College in Cambridge or who hold an offer from another College in Cambridge, except via particular Trinity graduate studentships."

So if OP did indeed get a Masters degree as a member of a College other than Trinity, they wouldn't be able to apply to Trinity for their PhD. [Technically, even if they didn't get the degree (e.g., started but dropped out/went to another university), they wouldn't be accepted to Trinity in a future application.]

At least that's how I read that policy -- happy to be corrected!
Reply 7
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wyann LT
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Original post by fais
Trinity, as an example, does not accept students that have matriculated from another College:

"It is the College’s practice not to accept applications from students who have matriculated at another College in Cambridge or who hold an offer from another College in Cambridge, except via particular Trinity graduate studentships."

So if OP did indeed get a Masters degree as a member of a College other than Trinity, they wouldn't be able to apply to Trinity for their PhD. [Technically, even if they didn't get the degree (e.g., started but dropped out/went to another university), they wouldn't be accepted to Trinity in a future application.]

At least that's how I read that policy -- happy to be corrected!

That's what I was thinking so I guess Trinity is the only college that does not accept students from other colleges?
Original post by fais
Trinity, as an example, does not accept students that have matriculated from another College:

"It is the College’s practice not to accept applications from students who have matriculated at another College in Cambridge or who hold an offer from another College in Cambridge, except via particular Trinity graduate studentships."

So if OP did indeed get a Masters degree as a member of a College other than Trinity, they wouldn't be able to apply to Trinity for their PhD. [Technically, even if they didn't get the degree (e.g., started but dropped out/went to another university), they wouldn't be accepted to Trinity in a future application.]

At least that's how I read that policy -- happy to be corrected!


Your interpretation may be correct. But I guess I would find such a policy to be very surprising. I wonder does it possibly mean that they don't accept students to "transfer to Trinity" who have already matriculated or started at another college?

I think your interpretation probably fits better though, mine is a bit of a stretch.
Original post by fais
Trinity, as an example, does not accept students that have matriculated from another College:

"It is the College’s practice not to accept applications from students who have matriculated at another College in Cambridge or who hold an offer from another College in Cambridge, except via particular Trinity graduate studentships."

So if OP did indeed get a Masters degree as a member of a College other than Trinity, they wouldn't be able to apply to Trinity for their PhD. [Technically, even if they didn't get the degree (e.g., started but dropped out/went to another university), they wouldn't be accepted to Trinity in a future application.]

At least that's how I read that policy -- happy to be corrected!


Original post by Chief Wiggum
Your interpretation may be correct. But I guess I would find such a policy to be very surprising. I wonder does it possibly mean that they don't accept students to "transfer to Trinity" who have already matriculated or started at another college?

I think your interpretation probably fits better though, mine is a bit of a stretch.


As discussed, Trinity doesn't accept continuing students that aren't already matriculated at Trinity, ie 'transfers', unless they win a Trinity scholarship. I don't think St Johns does either, though it may be less explicit that Trinity. Basically they don't want continuing students chasing the money! Think of the internal lobbying it would create if such moves were possible.
Reply 10
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wyann LT
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Original post by threeportdrift
As discussed, Trinity doesn't accept continuing students that aren't already matriculated at Trinity, ie 'transfers', unless they win a Trinity scholarship. I don't think St Johns does either, though it may be less explicit that Trinity. Basically they don't want continuing students chasing the money! Think of the internal lobbying it would create if such moves were possible.

So you are not allowed to apply to trinity even if you made a separate application for a phd (indicating trinity as first preferance) having done a masters at another cambridge college? but the only exception to this rule is if you win a trinity scholarship in which case you can change college membership from a different college to trinity?
Original post by wyann LT
So you are not allowed to apply to trinity even if you made a separate application for a phd (indicating trinity as first preferance) having done a masters at another cambridge college? but the only exception to this rule is if you win a trinity scholarship in which case you can change college membership from a different college to trinity?


As @fais quoted in post 7, although the source wasn't given. That was certainly the case a few years ago when I went Masters to PhD and iirc St Johns was the same.

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