The Student Room Group

Will Cambridge ever bring back in-person postgraduate open days again?

Before Covid, Cambridge often held a postgraduate open day in the autumn where applicants could visit the university in person and attend events there. I think 2019 was the last time. Obviously during the early years of Covid this open day became virtual and online only, which was necessary at the time, and I'm not criticising that at all. However, even though undergraduate open days are now being held in-person again, the postgraduate open day is still online only (this year it will be on 7 November). Does anyone know why this is, and if there is a chance it will change in future? I would understand if all open days (both UG and PG) were virtual, but UG being in person means the PG decision can't be for Covid reasons.

I noticed there are other universities who have made their PG open days online only too, so it's not like Cambridge is the only one, but there are also many who do still have PG open days where you can visit in person, so it's not like online-only is just the standard way all universities do this now, it varies a lot. I just wondered what the reasons were in Cambridge's case for keeping it virtual. It feels like a lost opportunity for applicants to not have the chance to attend an open day and experience the place themselves. I'm not saying the university don't have their reasons for this, it's just never been clarified why the open day is still virtual when it did use to be held in person in the past.
Original post by Anonymous
Before Covid, Cambridge often held a postgraduate open day in the autumn where applicants could visit the university in person and attend events there. I think 2019 was the last time. Obviously during the early years of Covid this open day became virtual and online only, which was necessary at the time, and I'm not criticising that at all. However, even though undergraduate open days are now being held in-person again, the postgraduate open day is still online only (this year it will be on 7 November). Does anyone know why this is, and if there is a chance it will change in future? I would understand if all open days (both UG and PG) were virtual, but UG being in person means the PG decision can't be for Covid reasons.
I noticed there are other universities who have made their PG open days online only too, so it's not like Cambridge is the only one, but there are also many who do still have PG open days where you can visit in person, so it's not like online-only is just the standard way all universities do this now, it varies a lot. I just wondered what the reasons were in Cambridge's case for keeping it virtual. It feels like a lost opportunity for applicants to not have the chance to attend an open day and experience the place themselves. I'm not saying the university don't have their reasons for this, it's just never been clarified why the open day is still virtual when it did use to be held in person in the past.

I suspect they've realised it's just not efficient/sustainable. Such a very high proportion of PG applicants are overseas, then it is only reasonable to provide online resources. Once they've done that, there's no capacity to also run in-person events. Most Colleges seem to have physical visit days where you can presumably walk around, meet current students, see the facilities etc.
You can visit in person. They are running a series of open day visits for PG in Late September. Not all colleges are participating.https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/openday
(edited 1 month ago)

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