Cambridge from the Inside

Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr. Marcus Tomalin, explain everything you need to know about Admissions Assessments!

A list of topic discussions can be found below:

More info on Admissions Assessments can be found in the link below:

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/admission-tests
00:00 Introductions00:30 What are Admissions Assessments? Are they different from Admissions Tests?02:40 Does the requirement for an Admissions Assessment change depending on which college you apply to?04:00 Do all subjects require an Admissions Assessment?05:00 How do you register for an Admissions Assessment?07:00 Do you have to pay to take an Admissions Assessment?09:00 Do Admissions Assessments take place before or after we decide who to interview?11:00 How do we use the Admissions Assessment when deciding who to make offers to?14:40 Why do students need to take Admissions Assessments?17:00 STEP — for Maths applicants20:00 Where do Admissions Assessments take place?22:50 How should you prepare for Admissions Assessments?24:30 What is Critical Thinking? Can there be two answers in a multiple-choice question?

Stay tuned to hear Rhiannon, PhD student at Trinity Hall, share everything you need to know about studying Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtics studies at Cambridge!

A full list of discussion points can be found below.

00:00 Introductions

00:30 What is ASNC? (Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic)

01:00 Is ASNC a course where students study languages, history, or literature?

04:15 What advice do you have for someone choosing between ASNC and History?

06:30 Course structure — how are ASNC students taught?09:20 What overlaps are there between Theology/Religion and ASNC?

10:10 Which departments can you borrow papers from for ASNC?

12:00 Paganism in the ASNC course

13:10 What made you choose to study ASNC?15:00 The Icelandic sagas

18:10 Differences and similarities between Classics and ASNC

20:00 How are ASNC students taught?

22:10 What is palaeography?

24:50 Rhiannon’s Master’s degree: Árni Magnússon collection of Icelandic manuscripts

29:50 Rhiannon’s PhD: The Liturgical Book in Medieval Iceland, c.1000–c.1550

32:00 Travel opportunities and conferences for academics

35:10 Do you think more people would apply for ASNC if they knew about it beforehand?

Stay tuned to hear Marcus, our Director of Admissions, discuss whether Cambridge has a bias towards school types.

Our 'How will we assess your application?' podcast where Marcus and Siam go through lots of hypothetical situations, can be found in the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn4e8XTcgOw

A list of topic discussions can be found below:

00:00 Introductions

01:30 Does the University of Cambridge have a preference between state school and private school applications?

02:00 What are state/maintained schools and independent/private schools?

05:10 How we don’t generalise applicants based on the school they’ve attended

09:40 What are the different types of state/maintained schools?

10:30 What are grammar schools?

13:45 What are sixth form colleges, and how are they different from grammar schools and comprehensive schools?

15:00 How has the number of applications from independent vs. maintained sector schools to Cambridge changed over time?

18:10 Where to find the Cambridge Admissions Statistics Reports for each academic year

23:00 Some people think that Cambridge is an elitist institution — is that true? Where does that idea come from?2

29:00 Why has there been an increase in the proportion of students admitted to Cambridge from state/maintained schools?

37:20 If 94% of students in the UK attend state/maintained schools, why is the proportion of state/maintained students at Cambridge below 94%?

49:00 Marcus on students he’s taught and their backgrounds

53:30 Could an applicant make a strong application to Cambridge solely using the podcast as their research?56:30 Why does the ratio of maintained vs. independent school acceptances differ between colleges?

01:01:30 Why does the ratio of maintained vs. independent school acceptances differ between subjects?01:07:30 On cultural capital

01:12:30 Do all students who come from maintained schools come from comprehensive schools?

01:19:30 In an ideal world, would there be a correlation between school type and acceptance rate?

01:22:00 What advice do you have for students who feel discouraged when looking at the admissions data?01:25:50 What Marcus’ school was like and his application to CambridgeFind the relevant webpages for the

University of Cambridge and University of Oxford admissions statistics below:https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/before/application-statistics#:~:text=View%20application%20and%20admission%20statistics%20about%20people%20who,and%20learn%20about%20acceptance%20rates%20for%20undergraduate%20courses.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics

Stay tuned to hear Dr Rebecca Dell, share everything you need to know about studying Geography at Cambridge. A full list of discussion points can be found below.

Dr Rebecca Dell is a glaciologist based at the Scott Polar Research Institute within the Department of Geography, and a Director of Studies in Geography at Trinity Hall. Her work focusses on the stability of Antarctic ice shelves. Rebecca uses remote sensing and machine learning to investigate ice-shelf stability, and works to improve and develop methods that automate more traditional techniques. In addition to this, Rebecca has two seasons of Antarctic Fieldwork experience, where she worked deep field on George VI Ice Shelf.

Find more info on Becky's work below:https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/people/dell/

00:00 Introductions00:45 What kind of things do students learn about in a Geography degree?01:30 What kind of students is Geography for?04:00 What’s the difference between Human Geography and Physical Geography?06:50 Should prospective students think of Geography as a Humanities subject or a Science?10:30 Employability through Geography12:00 The Course Structure13:30 Geography Field Trip16:20 What is the Scott Polar Institute?18:20 Becky Dell’s Research21:45 How are Geography students taught?24:10 What are Geography Supervisions like?27:15 Living with Global Change module29:30 Differences between Physical Geography and Earth Sciences31:45 Choosing between Land Economy, Human, Social and Political Sciences, and Geography?33:35 What kind of Master’s degrees can students go on to after Geography?34:50 Becky’s Journey since her Undergraduate degree38:15 Careers after Geography

Stay tuned as Dr Stephen Plant, Director of Studies for Theology at Trinity Hall, delves into everything you need to know about studying Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge.A list of topic discussions can be found below:00:00 Simone Weil and Simone de Beauvoir — Behind the Scenes04:10 What is Theology?05:30 The flexibility of the Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion course12:05 Can you gain much from studying Theology if you’re an atheist?19:00 How the Theology course is similar to a Liberal Arts course27:30 Opportunities to learn languages in Theology31:45 What different pathways previous theologians have taken through the course32:45 What Theology graduates have gone on to do37:00 What is the course structure?38:00 Wanting students to respond to primary sources in their own way before being exposed to what other academics have said41:50 What kind of students apply to Theology44:30 What are supervisions like for Theology?49:30 Do students say original ideas never heard before in supervisions/in their essays?01:04:00 Wounds, Faith and Simone Weil01:07:00 Opportunities to study Continental Philosophy in the Theology course01:12:00 20th-century Christian theologian — Dietrich Bonhoeffer01:14:10 Charity third-year paper01:17:40 If you were to do the undergraduate degree again, which modules would you choose?01:21:45 Stephen’s current research01:24:30 20th-century Christian theologian — Karl Barth01:28:30 Why is the faculty named ‘Divinity Faculty’?Dr Stephen Plant has worked at Trinity Hall since 2010, but has taught theology in Cambridge since 2001. He is also Dean and Chaplain of the College.He lectures on theology and on ethics in the Faculty of Divinity, is a member of the Faculty Board and the Degree Committee, and Chair of Examiners for the Bth. He has written and edited several books including Bonhoeffer (Bloomsbury, 2004), The SPCK Introduction to Simone Weil (SPCK 2007), Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Letters to London (with Toni Burrowes-Cromwell, SPCK, 2013), and Taking Stock of Bonhoeffer (Ashgate, 2014). He is currently compiling a book on theology and international development for the Ashgate Press. His research interests include modern Protestant theology, political theology and international development. From 2007-13, he edited the influential journal Theology for SPCK/SAGE.As Director of Studies, Dr Plant is responsible for choosing the best supervisors to work with theology students at Trinity Hall, depending on the papers that they choose and for guiding and supporting their studies.

Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr Marcus Tomalin, explain everything you need to know about Post–A Level Applications. A list of topic discussions can be found below:00:00 Introductions02:05 What to do if you’ve got A Level results that are much better than you expected?11:15 How many applicants miss their offer?13:30 How do we compare applicants who are applying post–A Level with students applying with predicted grades?14:40 Are there risks in withdrawing from a confirmed place at another university? Can you apply to Cambridge while enrolled at another university?20:05 Siam’s reapplication journey22:05 What is the August Reconsideration Pool?25:20 If a student is making a reapplication, should they apply to a different college from the first time?27:40 How are gap years viewed by admissions tutors?31:50 How often do students study elsewhere and then do their postgrad at Cambridge?For more information for transferring to Cambridge from another UK university - find more info in the link below:https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/before/entry-requirements

Stay tuned to hear our Director of Admissions, Dr Marcus Tomalin, explain everything you need to know about the Summer Pool and the August Reconsideration Pool. A list of topic discussions can be found below:00:00 Introductions00:40 What to do if you’ve missed your offer03:30 What is the Summer Pool?09:45 What is the August Reconsideration Pool?14:15 How will students know if they are in the Summer Pool?14:55 How do the pools work — what does the selection process look like for admissions tutors?18:00 When will all the decisions be made?20:00 What if you are waiting for a remark?22:45 Why does the Summer Pool exist?24:00 Explaining the eligibility criteria for the August Reconsideration PoolTo find out more about both the Summer Pool and the August Reconsideration Pool - more info can be found in the links below: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/after/reconsideration-eligibility#:~:text=The%20August%20Reconsideration%20Pool%20is%20open%20to%20UK,widening%20participation%20criteria%20%28A%2C%20B%20and%20C%20below%29.https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/after/application-decisions

Stay tuned as Marcus and Siam discuss a recent update made to the new UCAS personal statement.Our full podcast on The New Personal Statement can be found below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rM-4pCKTgkA list of topic discussions can be found below:00:00 Introductions02:00 What is the update? 03:00 How the personal statement is assessed?04:00 What to include in each of the three sections of the new personal statement05:30 Question 1 of the personal statement09:30 Why Cambridge places emphasis on super-curricular activities10:20 Question 2 of the personal statement11:30 Question 3 of the personal statement15:30 Making sure to include everything you want to in your personal statement16:30 University of Cambridge’s advice on the new personal statement format17:50 How often does someone not receive an offer due to their personal statement?20:00 Admissions podcasts we’ve done so farUCAS guidance on The New Personal Statement can be found below:https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/writing-your-personal-statement/the-new-personal-statement-for-2026University of Cambridge guidance on The New Personal Statement can be found below:https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/ucas-personal-statementOur previous podcast on Personal Statements can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHMWWxkZIDgOur short video on the My Cambridge Application can be found here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W2Vml6yvHE

Stay tuned as Dr Michael Sutherland, Senior Tutor at Trinity Hall, explores what the Natural Sciences course at Cambridge offers to students curious about Physics.Learn more about Dr Sutherland and he's research in the link below: https://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/profile/dr/Check out other podcast on the Natural Sciences - Studying Chemistry at Cambridge - link is below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2OWbCb1xy0Check out another podcast on the Natural Sciences - Studying Biology at Cambridge - link is below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47gn6oZaJXAA list of topic discussions can be found below too:00:00 Introductions00:15 If I want to study Physics at Cambridge, how do I go about that?01:45 Are Biological Natural Sciences and Physical Natural Sciences two different courses?02:50 Support from academics when making module choices within Natural Sciences03:30 What are the entry requirements for Physical Natural Sciences?04:20 What set of A levels would make for a strong application?05:20 Are there any advantages to having four A levels instead of three?07:10 Is there an admissions test for Physical Natural Sciences? If so, can you tell us what kind of questions are on it?08:50 Are there past papers for the admissions test? What’s the best way to prepare for them?10:10 In the first year, there are several physics-related subjects — Physics, Materials Science, and Earth Sciences. For anyone who doesn’t know — what are Materials Science and Earth Sciences?13:50 For the second-year modules, what’s the difference between Physics A and Physics B?16:15 Course structure for Natural Sciences18:45 What are the benefits of studying Natural Sciences compared to studying straight Physics elsewhere?21:00 Overlap between Biology and Physics22:10 Have you seen many students who start off studying Physics but then end up doing something else?23:50 What’s the difference between Physics and Engineering? And do you have any advice for students deciding between the two?25:00 What’s the difference between Physics and Maths? And do you have any advice for students deciding between the two?27:45 Michael’s research interests

Stay tuned as Professor James Keeler, Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, explores what the Natural Sciences course at Cambridge offers to students curious about Chemistry.Learn more about Professor Keeler in the link below: https://www.ch.cam.ac.uk/person/jhk10Check out our other podcast on the Natural Sciences - Studying Biology at Cambridge - link is below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47gn6oZaJXAA list of topic discussions can be found below too:00:00 Introductions02:20 If someone wants to study Chemistry at Cambridge, how do they go about that?03:30 What modules do chemists tend to take in Natural Sciences?06:00 The flexibility that Natural Sciences offers07:40 The overlap between Chemistry and Materials Science09:30 What are the differences between Inorganic, Organic, and Physical Chemistry?11:50 What’s the difference between Chemistry A and Chemistry B in second year?14:30 Can you take Chemistry in third year if you didn’t take both Chemistry A and Chemistry B in your second year?16:30 What is the fourth year like for Chemistry?19:50 How are chemists taught?23:30 What would students miss out on without the supervisions?25:50 What are supervisions like in Chemistry?26:20 Do students have multiple academics teaching them Chemistry?29:50 Would you know less Chemistry by studying Natural Sciences compared to someone who’s done a straight Chemistry course?30:30 What advice do you have for someone choosing between Natural Sciences at Cambridge and Chemistry at Oxford?35:30 What advantages are there in studying Chemistry in the Natural Sciences course at Cambridge?39:20 Does Natural Sciences prepare you well for research?40:30 What A levels are good preparation for studying Chemistry at university?