It may be that you are the first in your family to apply to university, you attend a school or college which does not provide much information or support for Cambridge applications, or you feel for any reason that you don't have access to good / accurate advice. Please don't be put off - it is your academic potential that is important, not how much you already know about Cambridge.
If people around you don't know much about university applications or Cambridge specifically, don't worry because we provide the information you need directly. If you're doing well at school and you want an exciting and challenging university education, then you are exactly the kind of student who should find out more about the opportunities that are available to you.
We encourage all candidates to take an active approach to researching courses, developing academic skills and interests during sixth form, and taking responsibility for their applications. We help you to do this by providing detailed, accurate and up-to-date information on this website, and by answering further questions by email or in person, if you are able to visit. In taking a proactive approach, you will develop important skills in the process of researching courses, liaising with university staff, preparing to achieve the high grades needed for entry, and working independently to develop subject skills and interests on your own initiative. This work is all part of making the transition from sixth form to university-level study. As well as making sure that your university choices are well informed and that your application is as competitive as you can make it, you should notice a difference in what you get out of your studies - all this will help when you start studying at university!
All our courses have an academic rather than a vocational emphasis. It is therefore important to check that the qualifications you are taking in sixth form give you the preparation you need to make a competitive application. If you are not taking A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, or another of the qualifications listed on the entrance requirements page, please email us for more information. You should also check that you are taking a suitable combination of subjects. There is general advice on the pages below as well as the individual subject pages on this site.
We encourage you to take time to read about the application process, as there are some key differences between applying to Cambridge and applying to other Universities. Most importantly, the application deadline for Cambridge is several months earlier than most UK universities, and you will have very little time between returning to school in September of Year 13 and submitting your application. It is essential to be aware of the application timetable so that you can meet the deadline at each stage of the process.
A visit to Cambridge is not essential for making an informed application, but it may give you a chance to get a feel for the College and the University, and a better sense of both the social and intellectual aspects of student life here. Many of our current students tell us that their visit to the College was when King's became real for them, when they decided that this is an environment they would thrive in, and when studying here became an achievable goal in their eyes. People generally feel a lot more comfortable about making their application after spending some time in College / at Cambridge.
Both the College and the University have a number of Open Days throughout the year which are designed for applicants for specific subjects, or for applicants from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. If the dates of specific events don't work for you, please do email undergraduate.admissions@kings.cam.ac.uk or slo@kings.cam.ac.uk to arrange a visit, or don't - many students make a successful application without ever having set foot in Cambridge.
King's also takes part in a number of Access and Outreach initiatives, such as Summer Schools and Shadowing Schemes, which you may be eligible to participate in. You can find out more information via the link below.
If you've chosen a course, it will be worthwhile paying particular attention to the relevant subject page, as these give specific advice about how to develop your interests and make a strong application. It may also be worth reading a few of the detailed Student Perspectives written by current or recent students at King's, which will help you to get a sense of what the place is really like.
