How we make a decision on your application

We give applicants lots of opportunities to show us their strengths and potential. We consider each application individually, using all of the following information:

• academic record
• school/college reference
• personal statement
• any submitted written work
• how well you do in your written admissions assessment
• contextual data and any extenuating circumstances
• performance at interview (if interviewed)

All applications are assessed by the Cambridge Colleges. College Admissions Tutors consider all the information available together before making any decisions.

Each part of the application is important, but we are most interested in your academic ability, as shown in your most recent and relevant performance. Each applicant is different. The parts of an application where an applicant shows their potential can vary.

We don't consider any part of your application on its own. For example, how well you do in your admissions test is not the only factor that determines the outcome of your application. In subjects with a pre-registration admissions test, performance in that test is important so you should prepare accordingly.

Colleges make decisions about applications at different rates and applicants to different Colleges will not receive updates at the same time. If someone you know has heard back from their College but you have not heard from yours, this does not mean your application was unsuccessful.

What happens if your College is impressed by your application but doesn’t have a place for you

We want to make sure that the best applicants each year are offered a place, no matter which College they originally applied to or were allocated to.

Your application will be assessed by the College you applied to in your UCAS application, or by the College you were allocated to if you selected the open option.

Your College may be impressed by your application but not have a place for you. If this is the case, they may put your application forward to be considered by other Colleges as well. Colleges would rather admit a strong applicant that applied to another College, than a weaker applicant who applied to them directly or was allocated to them.

To do this, we follow processes (known at Cambridge as ‘pools’) where Colleges can:

1. look at applications that were assessed by another College first
2. consider these applicants for courses where they have places left
3. make offers to the best applicants

This means that you may get an offer from a College that you didn’t originally apply to. Find out what happens and when below.

What happens if Cambridge makes you an offer

Once we’ve assessed your application, you may be offered a place. Find out more about what to do when you are told the outcome of your application to Cambridge.

If you're made an offer by a College you didn't apply to, you should carefully consider whether you are happy to accept a place at that alternative College. You may want to visit or contact the College before you make your decision.