Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Cambridge Open Day

A few days after I’d been to the University of Oxford Open Day I had a message from a long-standing friend that he’d be attending the University of Cambridge Open Day with his son the following week. Did I want to meet up?

I thought for at least half a second before replying a very positive “yes”. After seeing Oxford, what better than to see their nearest and dearest rival on equal terms. And of course to catch up with an old friend who I hadn't seen for a couple of years (you know who you are!)

As with Oxford, I’ve visited on many occasions, and I’ve known their current Director of Recruitment and Admissions for many years. But aside from King’s College chapel, I’ve never been right inside any of the colleges to see what life might actually be like for the students there.

So off we went, on a beautifully sunny day to visit the University of Cambridge!

These are my top ten learnings.

(Note that some of these are inevitable comparisons with Oxford, so if you haven’t read it, you might like to read my Oxford Open Day article first!)

1. Some of the Colleges are absolutely stunning

I visited just four colleges (King’s, Trinity, St John’s and Jesus). These are all within a short walk of the city centre and each other. They were, without exception, stunning. If I’d been struck by the beauty and the privilege at Oxford, I was even more struck by it at Cambridge. Each college seemed to have buildings, a quad and a chapel that would have been the historic centre-piece of most major cities in the UK. I know not all the colleges are quite the same, but these four were all more than a bit special!

2. There was a little more talk of costs, and more obvious differences in room costs than at Oxford

Student ambassadors were more open about costs at Cambridge and there appeared to be more variation in accommodation prices than I picked up at Oxford. For example at St. John’s, rooms varied from around £1,700 per term up to £2,600. Quite a difference. After the event I decided to do a bit more research into these differences on line. I found similar variations at several colleges, but wow, they really don’t make it easy for you. You have to go to each college website separately. Each is laid out differently so it took much much longer than it should to find the information I was after.

3. There was also a little more talk of bursaries, and I was struck by the generosity of some of these

On several of the tours, the students talked very helpfully (and with some pride) about the extensive scholarships, bursaries and prizes available. These included everything from the main University Bursary Scheme, to college top-ups, choral scholarships, and full bursaries for students from particular backgrounds. As with accommodation, it is disappointingly hard to find information on the website, spread as it is, across all the different college websites.

What this means for you, is that because it’s so awkward, many students won’t bother - so if you do bother to go looking, there is a really good chance of finding something that will apply to you!

4. Their admissions team seemed far more open than I’d expected

I went along to the teacher and adviser session (as I had at Oxford), and I was really struck by how open they were. They were genuine about wanting to learn from the teachers and find out what was working and what wasn’t, to address frustrations, and to answer the difficult questions. An honest and open admissions team bodes very well for students applying in the future.

5. Their colleges seem to be furiously independent

On the less positive side, I picked up a distinct impression that each college has strong, independent views on how they want to do admissions. This meant that I had a little less trust in the idea that there would be fair and transparent admissions across the university. And while I know that the admissions leaders of the central university are very well connected with sector-wide good practice, I was less convinced that those responsible for college admissions were quite so well connected with the real world.

6. Some colleges will interview in person this year (but some will not)

This independence and different approach across different colleges can be evidenced by the fact that six colleges will interview their UK applicants in person this year, while the others will stick with the on-line interviews of recent years. You can have a look here to see which colleges will be doing what.

7. There is NO advantage to taking four A-levels over three

One thing that was made super-clear by their Head of Admissions for Colleges is that there is NO advantage to taking four A-levels, over three. So take the subjects that you will enjoy and will do well at. There is no need to do more and risk achieving less!

8. They have a new foundation course too

Like Oxford, Cambridge have also started a new foundation programme. It has 50 places available, and strict eligibility criteria, aimed at finding those who have had experiences that have negatively impacted on their education. It is a little narrower in its scope, covering only the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. But like the Oxford programme it is fully funded with progression guaranteed to those who complete the course to the required standard.

If you or anyone you know could benefit from this, please check out the Foundation year website.

9. Their student ambassadors were far more diverse than those at Oxford

When we went to Oxford, it seemed like 90% of the student ambassadors were white, middle-class women. I don’t think for a second that this means 90% of their students are the same, and they might say that you can only recruit the ambassadors who volunteer. but it felt like the university really wasn't trying to provide a variety of role models for visitors.

At Cambridge it felt completely different. There were student ambassadors from a whole variety of different backgrounds, countries and a good split of both genders. I’ve run countless student ambassador schemes over the years. It’s not easy to get a good, diverse balance of ambassadors, but it is important. So a big “well done!” to Cambridge on that!

10. This time, I had a clear favourite college

Of all the colleges I visited across both universities, I have to say my hands-down favourite was St John’s College Cambridge. We were greeted by a super-enthusiastic and knowledgeable student ambassador who gave us a terrific tour, full of wit, history, stories and the important practical stuff about being a student there. The restaurant, coffee shop and bar were just nicer, more modern and use-able than any we’d seen elsewhere. And the rooms were in a different league too, both the old, traditional rooms, and those in their (admittedly less attractive) 1970s halls. The icing on the cake was the wonderful green space they have on the far side of the Cam. Just a beautiful place to live and study. If I had my time again…

Please don’t take my word for it though. Everyone visiting will have their own individual favourite College, so go and see for yourself!

What next?

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like: Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Oxford Open Day.

Find out about the next Cambridge Open Day at: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/cambridge-open-days