Offer-holders: which Cambridge college did you apply to and why?
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
This thread is part of the 2025 offer-holders' Cuppers competition – if you're an offer-holder and would like to play along, see the thread for more details!
Reply 1
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
I applied to Churchill for Law purely based off the vibes I got at the open day. They were super down-to-earth and transparent. Oh, and their accommodation is so beautiful!
Talking to the admissions tutor was what convinced me to apply - he told me that Churchill was a very STEM-heavy college, so I would fit in with my A levels.
Other factors:
•
They were not central, which was really important to me as a chronic introvert
•
They had some of the cheapest accommodation at Cambridge (and their rooms are massive and so pretty as well!)
•
They had the highest percentage of state-school students out of all the Cambridge colleges (this could change for next year ofc)
•
No gowns!
•
Very small cohort for Law
•
The largest grounds and dining hall
Reply 2
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
This thread is part of the 2025 offer-holders' Cuppers competition – if you're an offer-holder and would like to play along, see the thread for more details!
Reply 3
Reply 4
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
This thread is part of the 2025 offer-holders' Cuppers competition – if you're an offer-holder and would like to play along, see the thread for more details!
I applied to Girton for English because I was looking for a quiet place, with a tight knit community. It was the open day that confirmed Girton as the right college for me. Everyone was friendly and the gardens were so serene. It also has a good cohort of people taking the English Tripos, which is a bonus.
I found the people on the open day was the thing to tip the scales in favour of Girton. Everyone from porters, to students, to admissions tutors, were so friendly and open. Everyone was passionate about the college and their subjects too. They remembered who I was when they saw me at the Sidgwick Site and they also wanted to make sure I enjoyed my day. I found the level of care to be really kind and I knew it was two environment I wanted.
Other factors:
• I like the fact that it’s it in the city centre. It means I can be somewhere quiet and without tourism. It also means if I need a break from the whole world I have a place to escape too. The gardens are to die for.
• Victorian accommodation was a selling point. My favourite era of history to learn about (for some unknown reason) is the Victorian era so I quite like the idea that I get to live in that environment. Second year is much more modern but it does mean en-suites, small double beds and great modern facilities. I get the best of both worlds.
• I also love the history of the college. It’s steeped in activism and pioneering education for women. The Great Hall is the second largest in all of Oxbridge and its paintings are all of women who pioneered University level education for women in both Cambridge and the UK.
Reply 5
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
This thread is part of the 2025 offer-holders' Cuppers competition – if you're an offer-holder and would like to play along, see the thread for more details!
I applied to Homerton for Engineering because it to be really welcoming, both when I had a tour around it and when I stayed for a residential. They seemed very conscious of the pretentious reputation of Cambridge and trying to reduce that barrier for people. They seem to value diversity and environmental issues, and generally seemed more liberal politically than some of the older, more central colleges. Gowns aren't required, and they have a more modern dining hall to avoid using the more overbearing one.
They also have a large amount of green space (with grass you can walk on!), including an orchard, a bee hive, and a meadow-like area. This made it seem less claustrophobic than the more central colleges with less space, as there's space to walk around outdoors without entering the city and having to face the general public.
Size of college wasn't something that I cared too much about, but being an introvert, I didn't want to go to a small college, like Corpus Christi, where everyone knows everyone, as that seems overwhelming. I looked at engineering cohort sizes for different colleges. Homerton, being one of the largest colleges, had one of the largest engineering cohorts, which encouraged me to apply to them as I thought that may make it easier to build community.
I also thought it would be good as an engineering student as it is within easy walking distance of the engineering department. While Cambridge has a lot of cycle lanes, the idea of applying to a hill college and having to cycle if I didn't want to walk nearly two miles everyday was quite stressful so going to a college that wouldn't require that suited me better.
The accommodation is relatively cheap, and pretty good quality. Most of it is ensuite, and due to the less central location, it is set back from the street, so you don't get the issue of traffic noise that you may get with more central colleges.
Reply 6
Reply 7
But some other reasons are:
*Access to the Bridge of Sighs (the most beautiful bridge in my opinion)
*Gorgeous library
*Loadsss of green space and literally overlooking the river Cam
*One of the richest colleges, so loads of facilities and funding available for grants and scholarships
*May ball: looks absolutely insane and was once ranked as the 7th best party in the world by The Times magazine
*Rivalry with Trinity makes for fun sports competitions
*Cinema (need I say more? 😂)
*Really really central - I didn't want to catch a bus to lectures
*Newly refurbished cafe and bar
*Large college so bigger community to meet people
*Discounted punting
*Accomodation is guaranteed throughout undergrad studies (important when the medical course is 6 years lol)
*One of the Fellows is director of Cancer Research UK in Cambridge (!)
*Famous alumni like Dirac, Wordsworth, Hobbs and Herschel
*It's just GORGEOUS
Reply 8
One was because I made the mistake of going off of stats the year before. I applied to Magdalene for Engineering in 2023 and got rejected. This time round I made sure to go for a college I wanted. Theres a website called whichcambridgecollege that lets you filter through the colleges based on facilities, size, accomodation and whatnot. I chose Homerton specifically for 2 main reasons. Reason 1 was a 24 hour library, I spent my A-Levels revising mostly late at night and so needed somewhere that I could go any time of the day to study. Plus, I found working at the library meant I could just go to my bed and scroll my phone so it added a bit of discipline. The second reason was a weights gym lol.
But if you want to find the right college for go on whatcambridgecollege and select what you would like.
Reply 9
When I visited the college at a school outreach event, Selwyn had a really lovely vibe, it has very pretty gardens and a mixture of beautiful older buildings and some more modern buildings and all of the academics I met were lovely.
Positives that make me happy to have applied there:
•
mixture of traditional and modern (eg you have to wear gowns at formals but seem to have a more modern outlook)
•
They have solar panels
•
The gardens are beautiful in spring and the buildings in Old Court have ivy growing up the walls
•
They have an Anatomage Table (for medic and vet people)
•
the Director of Studies for vet med is so lovely and was so nice during my interview
•
Good location (next to Sidgwick site for humanities but also sort of inbetween downing site and the west Cambridge site)
•
They do in-person interviews (big positive for me but maybe not for everyone? - I think they did interview online for international students)
•
It's close to the centre of Cambridge but relatively tucked away so no tourists (yay!)
•
not a self-catering college so you have to eat in the hall for proper meals (each gyp (kitchen-esque room) has a sink, microwave oven, kettle, toaster, hob and fridge) Although I will say that the food was nice when I stayed there for the interviews - I guess this could also be a pro for some people!
•
All first year accommodation is ensuite which makes it slightly pricier - this definitely depends on the person as to whether this is a pro or a con tho
Reply 10
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
This thread is part of the 2025 offer-holders' Cuppers competition – if you're an offer-holder and would like to play along, see the thread for more details!
I applied to St Catherine’s (known as Catz) for ComSci, for many reasons!
Firstly, Catz is probably one of the most friendliest colleges in Cam. You’ll def feel at home at Catz!
Catz also has an open court (most colleges have a closed one) and I personally liked that better (I’m sure you will like it as well)
Lastly, ComSci related but Catz is one of the ten colleges within the KuDoS system (https://kudos.chu.cam.ac.uk), and having more resources is better, especially when you’re at Cambridge! Also the talks look fun
See you there at catz!
Reply 11
My main reasons for doing an open app are:
a) not really having a preference at all regarding the colleges, I'm the type of person who would be happy anywhere and I was willing to let fate dictate the next 3 years of my life haha.
b) I was advised to do an open app by my uni counsellor at school - as I'm an international student, very very few students in our school have gotten into Oxbridge in previous years and they all did open apps to "increase their chances" - whether or not this is true I have no idea, but as I didn't have a preference I went with that strategy anyways.
However, I did have the opportunity to visit Cambridge and live in Emma's accom for a couple of days when I went there for my in-person interview, and I am so so happy that I was allocated there! Here are a few personal observations:
Loved:
•
The beauty of the college - the architecture, nature, buildings, etc in the college were lovely (I ran out of phone storage in 3 days - that should tell you enough!) The accom I was allocated to was nicer than my own room back home and so so comfortable. I ate in the dining hall and it was very Hogwarts-esque too Also - I saw ducks!!! In the lake!!! +++points for me. I took long walks before/after my interviews to clear my head and I truly felt at home there.
•
Location - it's right smack in city centre, right down the road from Sainsbury's Local, across the street from various cafes and a mall - everything I could possibly need is within walking distance, which is perfect for me because I'm horrible at navigation and am likely to get lost a lot.
•
Food - Emma's a catered college and I got a few free meals with my accom. Breakfast was lovely, with good coffee and a wide selection of pastries (couldn't eat much though because of the nerves for my interview). While I was worried about lunch options as I don't eat beef, there were plenty of chicken-based and vegetarian options that were good as well! The food was totally survivable for 3 years and comes with no risk of me burning the college down in an attempt to cook for myself...
•
People - arguably the biggest plus point for me, Emma truly earns its name as the friendliest college! One of my biggest fears as a (not exactly well-to-do) international student was feeling out of place or alienated (at best) from the people in my college, but I didn't experience a single moment of that during my time there. The first-years who were coordinating interviews and showing us around were so friendly and chatty, and so were the porters/staff. I felt like I fit right in!
Didn't love so much:
•
It's relatively far from the Law faculty - about a 20 minute walk. This isn't much of a problem for me though as I don't mind a walk and am typically an early riser, so there's no real panic of being late for lectures etc.
•
In-person interviews - while I'm grateful that my family managed to support flying all the way to the UK for the interviews, it was definitely a significant cost to scrape together on short notice (I got the email about 2 weeks before I had to be there). International students - this is definitely something to consider!
Hope this helps! I am ultimately very very happy to have received an offer from Emma and I know I'll love it there - I genuinely can't wait for October (may be a bit optimistic considering it's a conditional offer but oh well :P)
Reply 12
•
The college looks insane, literally like a castle, both inside and out
•
It's right on the river, so easy punting access
•
There's some new modern (en-suite) accommodation for first years which looks v nice
•
It's got quite a big HSPS community, and the fellows have all done research I'm really interested in
•
It's a decently big college, which is great for meeting more people
•
The most central college and a decent distance to Sidgwick Site etc.
•
It's got a very liberal reputation and seems welcoming, informal, and very outspoken
•
Nightlife - the Bunker!
I suppose the only downside for me is the tourists, really, but I think there are quite a few restrictions in place (like they have to pay to get in?). I really hope I make my offer!
Reply 13
•
i’m from ni, their link area, so i thought i was more likely to meet more fellow irish people there
•
i emailed a bunch of colleges for help with financial support, and while some basically told me to go do one, corpus sent a very long, helpful email in response
•
all the contact i had with them when making my decision portrayed them as very friendly and accommodating, as opposed to other colleges which felt more cold/detached. i was proven right about this during my interview, which didn’t feel overly gruelling or harsh but more like a fun and intellectually stimulating conversation with academics who share my interests!
•
aesthetics — i am very shallow and was very dead set on going to a pretty college, and corpus is imo one of the most beautiful
•
theatre scene — i’ve toyed with the idea of getting into theatre once i go to university and corpus is the only college with its only student theatre space
•
the amount of history there as it’s one of the oldest colleges
•
it being so small makes it feel like more of a close-knit community
•
very central location
•
traditional which i liked but they do have some more modern and liberal aspects eg in the summer you’re allowed to sit on the grass
Reply 14
•
Central college - I applied for Medicine, and I wanted to be close to the Downing Site (where lectures are held) and all of the things going on in the town centre!
•
Mid size - I wasn't really sure if I wanted a big college or a smaller one, so I chose the one in the middle! On open days they seemed to have a close-knit community
•
Free laundry - Enough said 😆
•
Aesthetic - It was gorgeous! The front court (with sort of greek pillars architecture) is the only part that has grass you cannot walk on. Behind it is a big garden (which you can walk on!), a small river/lake going through it with loads of ducks! Lots of pretty trees and flowers, it honestly felt like a calm park in the middle of the college, which I loved. Apparently in the summer they have picnics on the grass and the ducks try and steal their food
•
Accomodation - There's a couple of blocks. You have one courtyard which is very cute with some greenery and more of the traditional living in the college walls sort of vibe. They have some new modern buildings too which will have more availability for things like ensuites etc.
•
Reputation - I mean Cambridge is Cambridge, but within the colleges they have league of how well each college does that year. Emmanuel is usually in the higher end
•
Food - Catered mainly
•
Overall vibe - Traditional but not too over the top. Everyone seemed friendly and pretty down to earth. Some tourists but not loads (like Kings etc). Seemed like a nice place to unwind.
Good luck future applicant!
Reply 15
Reply 16
Current offer-holders: help them out! Which college did you choose to apply to, and how did you reach that decision? Or did you make an open application?
This thread is part of the 2025 offer-holders' Cuppers competition – if you're an offer-holder and would like to play along, see the thread for more details!
i applied to emmanuel because for me, it just exuded calmness and "old cambridge" beauty without being massively imposing, and while it's large it appears friendly.
•
went on an open day and ONLY visited emma and was awestruck at how it fit (almost) all my criteria
•
very central and close to lots of shops and right near spoons 😉 (this was not a reason i promise)
•
really gorgeous architecture, front court, chapel, hall, library, and grounds, with great views
•
has a reputation for being really friendly, "work hard and play hard", but always ranks highly academically
•
the ducks!! and the pool
•
everyone there was absolutely lovely
some stuff i wasn't a huge fan of:
•
the fact it's mostly catered and doesn't have the greatest cooking facilities: now i'm not the best or most frequent chef, but i would've liked the option for the (limited) meals i can cook
•
not super close to the social sciences faculty
Spoiler
Thank you all for posting so far!
Don't forget to go and sign up in the Cuppers competition (details here in the OP) to count your reply as part of your college's competition entry!
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Official: University of Cambridge A101 Applicant and Offer Holder thread 2025 Entry
- University of Oxford applicants' thread for 2027 entry
- Cambridge AMES 2025 applicants
- Trinity College Cambridge 2025 applicants
- Robinson College Cambridge 2025 applicants
- Liverpool veterinary school: offer holders thread 2025
- Cambridge UG offer-holders' Cuppers competition: win prizes for you and your college!
- Cambridge Vet Offer 2026
- Cambridge Postgraduate Offer Holders (2026 Entry)
- Successful Cambridge Resit Application
- Oxford St John's Offer Holders 2026
- applying to Cambridge
- MPhil/Postgrad Economics Oxford 2024
- Reapplication to Cambridge
- University of Cambridge offer-holders' thread for 2026 entry
- ASNC Applicants for 2024 entry?
- Magdalene College Cambridge 2025 applicants
- Selwyn College Cambridge 2025 applicants
- Corpus Christi College Cambridge 2026 applicants
- whats the cambridge medicine winter pool waiting list (not august pool)
Last reply 2 weeks ago
University of Cambridge applicants' thread for 2026 entry249
458
Last reply 3 months ago
Cambridge - Computer Science application and college?Last reply 4 months ago
University of Cambridge offer-holders' thread for 2025 entry186
353
How The Student Room is moderated
To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.
