Step-by-Step Guide</p>
<p>Open Application or not?</p>
<p>First, you must decide whether to make an open application. An open application is where you do not choose a college; instead, you are assigned to one by the admissions board. Allocation is often to “less popular” colleges; this does not make them bad colleges, simply colleges which have fewer applicants than others in the current cycle of applications.</p>
<p>You may decide to make an open application if you really don’t mind what your college life will be like. However, college life is such a great and unique aspect of Oxbridge that it’s well worth using the choice given to you. If there are any colleges you know you really don’t want to be at (for example, if you are female but would rather not attend a single-sex college), you would be advised to choose another college at random rather than risk being assigned to somewhere you would rather avoid. Making an open application will not disadvantage you, so don’t be afraid to take this route if you feel it is best for you.</p>
<p>If you decide not to make an open application, the next step is to narrow down the list of thirty-one colleges to a shortlist of ‘possibles’. One way to do this would be to write out a list of all the colleges and begin to cross them off according to whatever criteria are important to you.</p>
<p>Eliminate by College Type</p>
<p>A minority of colleges do not admit certain groups of students:
Women only: Murray Edwards (formerly New Hall), Newnham, Lucy Cavendish
Mature students (over 21 at matriculation) only: Clare Hall, Darwin, Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund’s, Wolfson
Graduates only: Clare Hall, Darwin</p>
<p>Eliminate by Course Availability</p>
<p>Some colleges do not provide all courses offered by the university; cross off those which do not provide your course.</p>
<p>To find out which colleges offer your course, see the comprehensive list at [oxbridgecolleges.com[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Eliminate by Admission Criteria</p>
<p>The colleges all have different admissions criteria for the subjects which they offer. In addition to the information provided by your UCAS application, some colleges will request some sample work and some will require candidates to sit a test at interview (Cambridge tries to interview all candidates whom they feel have a realistic chance of being offered a place). Reading the admission criteria (link below) may help you cross off colleges if there are any admissions criteria you aren’t comfortable with, or even highlight colleges whose criteria particularly appeal to you. If you feel that you are right for a place at Cambridge, it makes sense to give the admissions tutors as much evidence for this as possible.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/tests.html]Cambridge”>Study at Cambridge | University of Cambridge]Cambridge</a> Admission Criteria](<a href=“http://www.oxbridgecolleges.com/main.php]oxbridgecolleges.com[/url”>http://www.oxbridgecolleges.com/main.php)</p>
<p>Visiting Colleges</p>
<p>You may, on visiting a college, have an instinctive feeling that it is or isn’t right for you. Visit colleges if you can; it will probably substantially reduce your list. If you are unable to attend an open day, it is still possible to get a feel for a college by visiting at another time, although you may be restricted in terms of which areas you can explore. Visiting a college is also a good opportunity to ask questions. Each college has its own printed prospectus, which will provide more detailed information than its entry in the University prospectus.</p>
<p>Eliminate by Location</p>
<p>You’d be surprised by how lazy (or energetic) you can become as a student. If walking distances to lectures sounds problematic, you may want to eliminate colleges based on location. Bear in mind a lot of people cycle around Cambridge - so unless you’re really unsteady on a bike, consider cycling distance and walking distance.</p>
<p>[Map</a> of Cambridge](<a href=“Map of the University of Cambridge”>Map of the University of Cambridge)</p>
<p>Location is also a good indicator of how old/pretty the buildings look. Colleges in the city centres are usually the old looking colleges, whereas more modern colleges are usually a short walk out of town.</p>
<p>Don’t be put off by “out of the way” colleges. Just because you can’t see King’s College chapel from the grounds doesn’t mean it doesn’t have advantages such as being near a supermarket, which can end up being a huge bonus! For example, Sidney Sussex has a well respected advantage when it comes to this, being across the road from Sainsbury’s. There are also branches of Tesco and Asda slightly outside the town centre for those who want to save a few quid!</p>
<p>Eliminate by Facilities</p>
<p>At this stage it becomes useful to point out the Alternative Prospectus provided by students are each university. Just go to the university websites and search for “Alternative Prospectus” and you’ll find students’ takes on their own colleges (good and bad points). This allows you to eliminate colleges which don’t have a particular facility (such as provision for sports or music). If you’re unsure, contact the college directly for clarification.</p>
<p>Pick the One You Like Most</p>
<p>By this point, most people should have a shortlist of no more than five colleges. I cannot stress enough how important it is now to just pick the one you like most. Stop thinking about other factors such as reputation for courses or what other students think of the college; just pick the college you like most. If your gut feeling about a college is that you’d fit in there, you are probably right.</p>
<p>Remember that it doesn’t matter what your college reputation is for a particular subject; in the end you’re lectured by the university, not the college. It’s far more important to enjoy the company and surroundings than to worry about being at “the best college for…”.