13 SEPT
Our next Cambridge Open Day will be 13 September 2024.
Frequently asked questions about the University of Cambridge Open Days.
Find out if the Open Day is right for you
The purpose of the Cambridge Open Days
The Open Day is intended to give prospective students the opportunity to find out more about studying and living at the University of Cambridge. The Open Day is an in-person event which takes place in Cambridge. We are not offering an online or hybrid Open Day this year.
Who the Open Days are for
The Open Day in September has a primary focus on helping applicants finalise their College choice, and is aimed at Year 12 and Year 13 (or equivalent) and mature applicants.
Find out if you are in the right age group to attend the Open Day
The Open Day is for Year 12 and 13 (or equivalent) students and mature students (aged 21 or over).
We are unable to accommodate younger students at these events. However, you are very welcome to attend when you are in Year 12.
If you are an international student considering applying to Cambridge in the next 3 years and would like to visit, please email CAOevents@admin.cam.ac.uk for more information.
Postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge
The Cambridge Open Days are for prospective undergraduate applicants only.
Students interested in postgraduate study are welcome to attend our Virtual Postgraduate Open Day later in the year.
To receive updates about Postgraduate Open Days and other events which may be of interest, please sign up to our Postgraduate Newsletter.
For more information about postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge, visit our Postgraduate Study website and the Course Directory.
Booking and registration
How to book your place at the Open Days
Booking is essential via the online booking form.
Please note that each prospective applicant can bring a maximum of one guest with them to the Open Day.
Once registered, you will receive a booking confirmation via email. In the email, you can check the details of your booking and amend your booking if you wish.
We will also send you more information in the lead up to the Open Day.
Booking individual sessions/talks/taster lectures
You do not need to book for individual sessions, you can arrive at the times stated in the programme, which will be released online closer to the Open Day.
Accessing the programme
The programme will be available closer to the Open Day, we will email everyone who has registered for the Open Day once the programme is online.
Registering on the day
Instead of visiting a central registration point, you can simply check in online yourself when you arrive in Cambridge.
There is no in-person registration point during the Open Days, so you can start your day wherever you like. There will be information point gazebos at the New Museums Site where you can check in if you’re not able to do it yourself, and you can also ask questions about navigating the city and the Open Day at the information points.
Amending or cancelling your booking
You can amend your original booking by accessing your ticket through your confirmation email.
If you have any difficulties, please contact us at CAOEvents@admin.cam.ac.uk.
If you can’t find your booking confirmation email
Please start by checking your junk mail.If you are still having trouble finding your booking confirmation email, please get in touch with us at CAOEvents@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Teachers/HE Advisers bringing a group of students
We are happy to welcome school groups to our Open Day for students in Y12 and 13 (or equivalent).
Although we understand some teachers would like to bring their whole class for aspiration-raising, the Open Day is very popular. To ensure the health and safety of our visitors, we politely request that group size is restricted to likely applicants only. For aspiration-raising activity throughout the academic year, we recommend contacting the Link College for your area.
Please note, that to capture all the information we need, both yourself and your students must make individual bookings via our website.
If you are intending to bring a group of students and you require coach or minibus parking, please let us know at CAOevents@admin.cam.ac.uk
Attending the Open Day
Finding your way around
On the day, you can get maps from:
- Park and Ride locations
- New Museums Site
- Colleges
The programme (TBC) will also be available online throughout the Open Days.
Finding out more about your subject
This Open Day focuses on the Colleges, so there won’t be any subject departments activity. However, some Colleges may offer some subject related activities, such as drop in sessions with Directors of Studies. Please see the programme (TBC), once released, for more information.
Deciding which Colleges to go to
We advise you to explore College websites and the Virtual Tour in advance to help you decide which Colleges you might like to visit.
Consider what facilities are important to you, what location might suit you best and the accommodation options available at different Colleges.
We suggest visiting a maximum of 5 Colleges during the Open Day.
Many prospective students find it useful to visit a range of Colleges – a mixture of older and newer Colleges – to get a feel for the differences between them.
Make sure to consider the time it will take you to travel between each location you want to visit when planning your day.
Visting Colleges on the Open Day
All undergraduate Colleges will be open for you to drop in and look around during the Open Day.
The programme will include exact timings and activities at each College.
Please remember that no particular College is ‘better’ for specific subjects. However, not all Colleges offer all subjects so do check beforehand that the Colleges you are interested in offer the subject you want to study.
Travelling between Colleges
During the Open Days, there are a number of options for travelling between Colleges.
Many Colleges are close together and are easy to get between on foot.
Alternatively, you may wish to use the city bus services. See our information page about travelling around Cambridge for details.
Dogs and the Open Day
Only assistance dogs are allowed at this event.
Young children and the Open Days
Children and siblings can attend the Open Day with you if included as your guests. Please keep in mind that these are long days with lots of talks and walking around, which isn't ideal for very young children.
What to wear and what to bring with you
There is no dress code for the Open Days. We advise that you wear practical clothes and comfortable shoes.
Make sure to check the weather report in advance and prepare accordingly. You may wish to bring an umbrella and raincoat if it is due to rain or a hat and sun cream if it is due to be very sunny.
We advise bringing a refillable water bottle with you.
Eating and drinking
Many of our sites are located in the city centre where there are lots of great options for eating and drinking. There will also be cafes open at some of our sites.
Clubs and Societies
To find out more about clubs and societies you should visit the Student Union and Sports Service information stands in the Student Services Centre.
If you can’t attend the Open Day
The next full University Open Days will be in summer 2025.
Most Colleges and some departments offer a variety of Open Days and other events throughout the year, at which you can have almost any question about undergraduate studies answered. Further details are available on the Open Days and Events pages of our website.
Please note that you will need to book in advance for some of these events, and not all of them are open to parents/supporters.
Travelling to Cambridge
Getting to Cambridge
Due to limited parking options in and around the city of Cambridge, we strongly recommend that you travel to Cambridge via train or bus.
If you decide to drive to Cambridge, you should use city’s Park and Ride (P&R) services to travel into the city. As we are expecting the Open Day to be busy, the P&R sites may fill up early in the day; as a result, please allow plenty of time to travel in case your intended P&R site is full.
For travelling around the city, we advise you to travel by public transport or walking. Many of the sites in the city centre will take between 10-20 minutes to walk between – we would recommend planning out your day so you know where you’re going and how long it will take to travel between each location.
For further details about travelling to and within Cambridge, please see our travel information page.
Once you arrive in Cambridge, detailed maps will be available on the day to help you navigate the city.
Overnight accommodation
We are unable to provide or arrange accommodation for visitors. Some Colleges may be able to offer accommodation – please contact them directly for further information. If you are a school group looking for accommodation, we would recommend contacting your College Area Link first. Cambridge Tourist Information can provide details of accommodation in the city (01223 791 500; www.visitcambridge.org).
Luggage storage options
We are unable to store luggage for you.
Information for disabled guests and those with access requirements
Parking
Disabled parking is available in the city’s car parks and on some streets. Please check in advance with the Cambridge Tourist Information Centre or visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/parking.
Access
You may find it helpful to review the ADRC’s online Building Access Guide ahead of your visit.
Please get in touch to let us know about any specific ways we can support you. You can contact us via: caoevents@admin.cam.ac.uk
Webinars
Warm-up Webinars
We will not be running a full programme of Warm-Up Webinars as we did in July, however there will be a webinar about how to plan for a Cambridge Open Day on Tuesday 3 September at 5pm. You can sign up for it using the Open Day booking form.
Watching or re-watching webinar recordings
If you missed the Warm-up Webinars in July, or you would like to watch them again, you can access the recordings on the website.