The Official Cambridge Applicants for 2025 Entry Thread

The University of Cambridge 2025 Entry Thread

For Cambridge applicants applying in 2024 for 2025 entry and 2026 deferred entry.

Parents, you are free to comment on this thread to provide words of encouragement and guidance to the applicants, but you also have your own thread for parental debates -> https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6325348

Here are a few suggested opening questions, but ask whatever you want regarding Cambridge.

1) What A Levels are you doing (or other eligible qualifications)?
2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?
3) What grades did you get/are you predicted to get at GCSE?
4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
6) What are you doing to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?
8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?

NOTE: Unless posting about something particularly sensitive, you are generally expected to post on this thread with your username rather than anonymous, as it makes it easier for contributors to provide guidance to help you through your journey.

A tracking form has been created so that you can see when offers/interviews are being given out.

Link to this year's form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfc7ZwuuzWd6tpujtc6xbhC7CH1MF0RodnlEgqtb-Am9LMTHw/viewform?usp=sharing
Please be aware you will need your TSR user ID to complete the form. If you don't know how to find this, click here.

2025 form responses:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I0ev_ZIJFVEBgxm8-hGjZzNqCBCs4V8KcH6pfWA8LWA/edit?usp=sharing

Note: All data you share is at your own risk, the forms and resources linked here are not controlled by The Student Room Group Ltd. If you have any issues, please tag a member of the Universities Volunteer team (in purple and cyan at the bottom of this page). For more information please click here.

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 1

Saracen's Fez

OP

Volunteer Section Leader

20

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

1) I am taking A Levels in English Literature, History and Classical Civilisation and I am looking to take an EPQ in the summer.
2) I am interested in taking an English degree.
3) 99998888764 (don’t know if these are good enough)
4) I live the atmosphere of Cambridge and think the supervision approach suits me as a learner.
5) I would need to sit the CELAT if offered an interview. I would probably look at practice questions online and advice from revision websites.
6) I have been listening to various podcasts, watching documentaries, attending webinars, reading books on literary theory, watching in depth videos on literary criticism, and researching in more depth specific areas of interest within English to me.
7) I am interested in going into a law conversion after my English degree and then specialising in an area of law.
8) I am undecided between Homerton and Girton college.

Reply 3

kaxxxxc2

13

heyy! i applied for the 2024 cycle to clare for english lit but got pooled and given a deferred offer for 2025 to wolfson as it’s a mature college and i’m not 21 until next year. excited to meet all the 2025 applicants! good luck<3

Reply 4

chance vibesn't

13

1) i'm doing the french international baccalaureate, so not an A Level system, but my main subjects are English, Philosophy, History, Geopolitics, and Art
2) i want to apply to English! it's a very well-rounded course at Cambridge imo and the topic itself js rly fascinates me in all its aspects, i love the insight into the author's mind and the connection you feel to them when you understand their hidden messages. i like to understand things and make them clear in my mind and studying English helps me sort all that out.
3) English Language and English Literature IGCSEs, A*A*, and if we get into the DNBI (taken in year 10, french IGCSE equivalent) i got 839/900 overall
4) i like the campus and the general vibe a lot more and no one can convince me this is a bad reason to pick a uni, i js want to feel comfortable. to me cambridge is a place where i can meet like-minded people in a setting i fell in love with when i was very young
5) i'll have to sit CELAT, so that'll be fun. around that time i'll do the usual: read more, analyse less superficially when i read, and ofc practice papers (taking notes of what i did well and less well each time to consciously get better). just regular preparation ^-^ (<- this mf is terrified)
6) my school is french and they want the good students to go to french unis, so i can't expect any help from them. we reached out to an agency, so i hope i can handle the extra workload, cus my school hours are intense (8:30 to 5 or 6 pm) :b aside from that, i've been having a look at the recommended supercurricular reading and asking questions to a lot of alumni from my school who went to cambridge, which i've found really helpful. mostly they've given me reading recommendations (immensely appreciated always) and talking to them just reassured me that if they could make it, then so can i
7) i'll see where it gets me, maybe further studies, maybe publishing or journalism, honestly what i'd love about having a degree from such a good uni is the wide range of opportunities.
8) i have it narrowed down to three (corpus christi, homerton, and st catharine's) but i'll figure one out by the time i send my application out

Reply 5

Anonymous #2

Hii! I am planning on applying to Vet Med and their admission test has been changed to Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) for the 2025 cycle. Does anyone know where resources can be found to prepare for the test, e.g. exercise/samples/past papers?
Thank you!

Reply 6

logan38

7

Hi,
applying for Natural Sciences - taking Physics, Maths, FM and Chemistry for A-level and hoping for good predicted grades. Have not had change to visit Cambridge yet - are the subject masterclasses good? No idea of colleges or whether to make an application to spec college or not, so have a lot of research to do...

Reply 7

hicweondksc

11

What are the most LGBTQ+ friendly colleges?

Reply 8

Wired_1800

20

Original post by hicweondksc

What are the most LGBTQ+ friendly colleges?

Trinity, Magdalene, St John’s, Jesus and Peterhouse.

Reply 9

username6545879

0

1

Original post by Wired_1800

Trinity, Magdalene, St John’s, Jesus and Peterhouse.

Are there any colleges that are considered to not be LGBTQ+ friendly?

Reply 10

Wired_1800

20

Original post by Charley_Colch

Are there any colleges that are considered to not be LGBTQ+ friendly?

None. It would be a scandal for a college to be publicly known to be anti-LGBTQIA+

My suggestion is to apply to where you want and don't worry about it.

Reply 11

alice237

4

Original post by logan38

Hi,
applying for Natural Sciences - taking Physics, Maths, FM and Chemistry for A-level and hoping for good predicted grades. Have not had change to visit Cambridge yet - are the subject masterclasses good? No idea of colleges or whether to make an application to spec college or not, so have a lot of research to do...

I did an online subject masterclass for MML last week, and I found it really interesting. It was a really good opportunity to ask any questions you have too.

Reply 12

alice237

4

Original post by Saracen's Fez

The University of Cambridge 2025 Entry Thread

For Cambridge applicants applying in 2024 for 2025 entry and 2026 deferred entry.

Parents, you are free to comment on this thread to provide words of encouragement and guidance to the applicants, but you also have your own thread for parental debates -> https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6325348

Here are a few suggested opening questions, but ask whatever you want regarding Cambridge.

1) What A Levels are you doing (or other eligible qualifications)?
2) What course at Cambridge do you have your eyes on? And why?
3) What grades did you get/are you predicted to get at GCSE?
4) Why Cambridge specifically? and why not Oxford?
5) Which admissions tests do you have to sit, and when will you start preparing for them?
6) What are you doing to help your studies and potentially your application to Cambridge?
7) What do you want to do with your degree from Cambridge?
8) Have you decided which college you're applying to?

NOTE: Unless posting about something particularly sensitive, you are generally expected to post on this thread with your username rather than anonymous, as it makes it easier for contributors to provide guidance to help you through your journey.

Note: All data you share is at your own risk, the forms and resources linked here are not controlled by The Student Room Group Ltd. If you have any issues, please tag a member of the Universities Volunteer team (in purple and cyan at the bottom of this page). For more information please click here.

Hi, I'm doing History, Biology and German, and I want to apply for History and Modern Languages, mainly because I can't decide which subject I like more!
At GCSE I got 999988888 and Lvl2dist* (BTEC music)

I've picked Cambridge because the modern languages courses are slightly less literature based than at Oxford, and I wanted to do a wider range of skills.

I am currently trying to find some extra reading to do for both History and German, so if anyone has any recommendations that would be very helpful! Other than that, for German I've been listening to music, watching TV/Films and reading the news in German. For history I've taken part in some parallel histories debates that my school has offered to try and get some new perspectives on different historical events/figures.

I'm pretty sure I have to sit the HAA as I'm applying to St Johns, as well as the modern languages entrance test, to prepare I am going to do practice papers, as well watching youtube videos and asking advice from my teachers.

I don't know what I want to do with my degree yet.

As I have already mentioned, I am going to apply to St Johns atm, this could all change though after the open day lol

Reply 13

Saracen's Fez

OP

Volunteer Section Leader

20

Original post by alice237

Hi, I'm doing History, Biology and German, and I want to apply for History and Modern Languages, mainly because I can't decide which subject I like more!
At GCSE I got 999988888 and Lvl2dist* (BTEC music)

I've picked Cambridge because the modern languages courses are slightly less literature based than at Oxford, and I wanted to do a wider range of skills.

I am currently trying to find some extra reading to do for both History and German, so if anyone has any recommendations that would be very helpful! Other than that, for German I've been listening to music, watching TV/Films and reading the news in German. For history I've taken part in some parallel histories debates that my school has offered to try and get some new perspectives on different historical events/figures.

I'm pretty sure I have to sit the HAA as I'm applying to St Johns, as well as the modern languages entrance test, to prepare I am going to do practice papers, as well watching youtube videos and asking advice from my teachers.

I don't know what I want to do with my degree yet.

As I have already mentioned, I am going to apply to St Johns atm, this could all change though after the open day lol

If you're looking for a less literature-centric course then you're definitely right looking at Cambridge over Oxford, and in particular the German department is more orientated towards that wider variety of skills – there are more non-literature options than in other languages, including a focus on hisotry (albeit maybe not to the same extent that there was when I was there).

That said, on the languages side, it may be helpful to read a couple of literary works and/or watch a couple of films outside of your A-level studies. You might want to focus on these in your PS, or you might want to focus more on the history element, if you think you're likely to be more interested in the history/thought side of German. In any case, it's good if you get an interview to have a couple of books you've read to talk about. :smile:

Reply 14

username6545879

0

1

Is there anything I can do to stand out when applying for English? I have listened to podcasts, watched documentaries, attended masterclasses, open day lectures and I have entered different competitions (does success in the competitions matter or can they still be mentioned)?

Reply 15

chance vibesn't

13

Original post by Charley_Colch

Is there anything I can do to stand out when applying for English? I have listened to podcasts, watched documentaries, attended masterclasses, open day lectures and I have entered different competitions (does success in the competitions matter or can they still be mentioned)?

i think you're good tbh you're making me feel a little underprepared T-T ig what matters is our motivation and passion so i dont think success in competitions matters that much. if u want to do more maybe go check out the list of recommended supercurricular reading on the website, it's got a lot of interesting stuff including literature anthologies etc, i think that could be a plus in both personal statement and interview and ofc just to feed ur personal interest ^-^ and ofc good luck for everything!

Reply 16

Maria303

13

Hi! Just wanted to come on here and say that I have received an offer to study natsci for 2024. If anyone would like any help/advice etc please send me a pm and I’ll be more than happy to give my support 😊

Reply 17

username6110703

0

11

Original post by Charley_Colch

Is there anything I can do to stand out when applying for English? I have listened to podcasts, watched documentaries, attended masterclasses, open day lectures and I have entered different competitions (does success in the competitions matter or can they still be mentioned)?

I do languages which is quite similar, just literature in other languages. The key is to present your own opinions of things - better to mention your own interesting opinion about a book or podcast, why you agree or disagree, what they made you think about, links you made between texts or podcasts and that sort of thing. You don’t want your personal statement/ whatever else the admissions people read to sound like a bibliography or a list from your Goodreads. You’re not going specifically for controversial opinions, nor provocative opinions, more just thoughts that show that you’re thinking about what you’re consuming, and not just reading to have read things.

Reply 18

kaxxxxc2

13

Original post by Charley_Colch

Is there anything I can do to stand out when applying for English? I have listened to podcasts, watched documentaries, attended masterclasses, open day lectures and I have entered different competitions (does success in the competitions matter or can they still be mentioned)?

hey! i have an offer for english for 2025 so i think i can offer some good advice. the most important thing is doing lots of wider reading, and looking at critical interpretations of texts from academics. try to push yourself by dabbling in some challenging texts that aren’t usually studied at a-level and then try to think of your own perceptive interpretations. when it comes to your personal statement in particular, you should demonstrate an academic journey. so if you read a specific book, what thoughts did that inspire? what did that remind you of? maybe that reminded you of an article you’d read before. following the article, maybe you sought out other non-fiction based on the same topic. then maybe that led you to review a time period which saw a high number of works on this topic.

your preparation so far sounds good, but it’s your interview that will give you a chance to stand out. and you still have a while until then x

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 19

Anonymous #3

Is 9988887665 good enough for cambridge? I thinking natsci or engineering

Physics - 9 (A*)
Mathematics - 8 (A*)
Further Mathematics - 8 (A*)
Chemistry - 8 (A*)
Computer Science - 8 (A*)
Biology - 7 (A)
Business - 9 (A*)
History - 8 (A*)
English Literature - 6 (B)
English Language - 6 (B)
Spanish - 5 (C)

Im doing Physics, Maths, Further maths and Economics for alevels

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