Who are the Cambridge Open Days for?
The Open Days are aimed at prospective applicants from Year 12 and 13 (or equivalent) and mature applicants (aged 21 or over), together with their parents or supporters, to help them learn more about the University.
Do I need to book?
Yes – booking is essential. You will need to register via the online booking form. Please note that each prospective applicant can bring a maximum of two guests with them to the in-person Open Days.
Can I attend both days?
We ask that you only book onto one Open Day to give as many people as possible the opportunity to attend. Most event activity is the same on both days and most events will run between from 09:30 – 16:00 (UK time). We recommend attending sessions for the course you want to apply to and visiting 3-5 Colleges and you will have time to do this in one day.
A small number of activities may only be scheduled for one of the two days. Where this happens, this will be clearly stated in the title of the event.
How much will I be able to fit in to one day?
To ensure most people can attend course events, talks, tours and sample lectures have been arranged close together. This will either be towards the middle of the day, or with repeating morning and afternoon sessions.
Most attendees are able to visit 3-5 Colleges during the Open Day, so it’s a good idea to create a shortlist ahead of time. We highly recommend attending the ‘Choosing a College’ warm-up webinar and visiting individual College websites before arrival.
What activity is there relating to my course?
Each subject area is offering a mix of the following activity (although may not offer all options).
- Course presentations (In-person and Online)
- Sample Lectures (In-person and Online)
- Department Tours
For a full list of course activity, please refer to our Open Day Programme, which will be available in mid-June.
What can I expect if I visit a College?
The majority of Colleges will be open to visitors during the Open Days. Most Colleges are offering tours. Please check the Open Day Programme for full details on all activities taking place at each College.
How can I find out about student support available to me?
Student support services is a general term we use for everything from health and wellbeing, financial aid, accessibility and disability and student communities. More information is available on the Student Support website.
There will be a range of warm-up webinars, leading up to the in-person Open Days to provide information on these topics. You don’t need to attend the in-person days to watch this content, but you’ll still need to fill in the registration form. The warm-up webinars will remain available right up until the UCAS deadline in October.
During the in-person Open Days there will be information stands in the Student Services Centre where you can ask individual questions.
Will the activities be recorded?
In addition to the warm-up webinars, there will be a range of recorded activities available online, such as sample lectures and course presentations. These will remain available up until the UCAS deadline in October. You can also get a feel for the University and Colleges through the Virtual Tour.
Activities scheduled to occur in-person will not be recorded.
I’m not sure I want to apply to Cambridge. Can I still come to the Open Days?
The Open Days are aimed at students in Years 12 and 13 (or equivalent) and mature students. Students in Year 11 and below are not able to attend the Open Days.
Depending on how far through your studies you are, you might be trying to find out if Cambridge offers a course you like, getting a feel for the city, deciding whether to apply, or narrowing down your choice of College. The Open Days will help you to decide if Cambridge is right for you.
Parents and carers are also welcome as guests, accompanying a prospective applicant.
Can I attend if I’m interested in Postgraduate study?
The July and September Open Days are for undergraduate applicants only. The content won’t be relevant to prospective postgraduate applicants; however, we encourage you to attend the Postgraduate Open Days in October/November. Sign up to our postgraduate newsletter to be kept up to date.
If you are interested in postgraduate studies and intend to visit Cambridge in person, you may find it beneficial to arrange a meeting with specific departments or Colleges. More information is available on the Postgraduate Study website.
How can I get to Cambridge?
If possible, we recommend travelling into the city centre by public transport. For further details about travelling to Cambridge, please see our travel information page where you can find advice about arriving by car, bus, train and air. In particular, if you’re planning to drive to Cambridge, we strongly recommend that you use the city’s Park and Ride (P&R) services to travel into the city as parking in the city centre is limited and can be expensive.
Accessible parking: Information regarding accessible access to University buildings and the Colleges can be found on our building access guide page.
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
Where should I register on the day?
Instead of visiting a central registration point, you can simply self check in online 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. Many people start by visiting Colleges or by going to department sessions.
What support will be available for my disability?
We can make some general recommendations of how to make your visit to the Cambridge Open Days easier, but we also welcome you to let us know about any specific ways we can support you.
Contact us via: caoevents@admin.cam.ac.uk
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.
Will there be storage available (for luggage, coats etc.)?
For security reasons, there won’t be any storage facilities available to visitors - you must keep all your personal belongings with you.
If you are staying in Cambridge, we recommend asking your accommodation provider if their facilities include storage spaces for your luggage or belongings.
Where can I book accommodation?
For anyone who wants to stay in Cambridge before, during or after the Open Days there are a few options available to you. We cannot arrange accommodation for you, but the city centre is walkable and various options can be found on travel booking sites.
Some Colleges may be able to offer accommodation. Please contact the Colleges directly for further information.
Cambridge Tourist Information can also provide details of accommodation in the city (01223 791 500; www.visitcambridge.org).
I am a teacher; can I bring a group of students?
We are happy to welcome school groups to our Open Days for students in Y12 and Y13 (or equivalent).
Although we understand some teachers would like to bring their whole class for aspiration-raising, the Open Days are very popular. In order 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 in order to capture all the information we need, both yourself and your students must make individual bookings via our website, so that everyone receives their own ticket.
If you are intending to bring a group of students and you require coach parking, please let us know.
I am a parent; can I attend the Open Day without my child?
The Open Days are intended to provide further information to potential applicants. If your child is unable to attend, we kindly ask that you do not attend on their behalf and instead book on to the virtual version of the Open Day.
Most of the information and guidance is available online so your child will be able to get a good feel for Cambridge and about how to apply.
The Open Days are incredibly popular and where possible we try to keep the numbers down to improve health, safety and mobility on the day. The online activities will still be available to watch up until the October UCAS deadline.