How do I apply for an Organ Scholarship?

It should be noted that Organ Scholarship applicants should wait until they have the results of their Organ Trial before submitting their UCAS application. However, a draft version of a candidate's UCAS Personal Statement is required as part of the application process.

Applications for Organ Scholarships should be accompanied by both an academic reference and a declaration of musical ability. Both academic and musical referees are required to send their reference to the applicant's first-choice College as an email attachment by 11 September 2023. The two references should describe the applicant's academic and musical abilities respectively and, in the case of the latter, their fitness to hold an Organ Scholarship. Applicants must provide both of their referees with a completed  Reference Cover Sheet which should then be attached to all references.

You will be considered for Organ Scholarships according to the order of preference submitted on your application form. You may apply for as many College places as you wish. If a College is advertising both for entry in 2024 and for deferred entry in 2025, you may apply for both, and there is no requirement for you to put these two places consecutively. You are advised to put down every College place for which you would be prepared to accept an offer. In the past, successful applicants have typically listed at least eight to ten Colleges.

If you are unable to submit a final version of your UCAS personal statement and/or references with your application form, a working draft can be submitted initially. If this is your intention, please make it clear and ensure that the final version is sent to the appropriate College as soon as possible to enable the College to make their assessment at the Organ Trials which take place towards the end of September.

Please note that the Colleges will not continue to consider your application for an award if they judge that you are below the appropriate academic standard for normal admission. If your previous academic record is not competitive, and there are no mitigating circumstances, you may be excluded from consideration before the final stage of the competition. If you are uncertain whether or not to pursue your application, you should consult the Admissions Tutor of your first preference College who will be able to offer you advice.

Once the results of the Organ Trials are known, UCAS applications should be submitted by the usual deadline of 16 October. When the UCAS application has been received by the University, this triggers an automated email directing the candidate to complete the main round additional information form ('My Cambridge Application').