Frequently asked questions about the University of Cambridge Open Days.
The purpose of the Cambridge Open Days
The Open Days are intended to give prospective students the opportunity to find out more about studying and living at the University of Cambridge. The Open Days are an in-person event which takes place in Cambridge.
Who the Open Days are 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 before submitting their application for 2025 entry.
The Colleges 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 (or equivalent) students and prospective mature students (aged 21 or over) who are thinking of applying to Cambridge in October 2025 for entry in 2026, or deferred entry in 2027. We are unable to accommodate younger students at these events. However, you would be very welcome to attend one of our Open Days when you are in Year 12.
If you are an international student who will be considering applying to Cambridge in the next three 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 Day is for prospective undergraduate applicants only. You would be very welcome to attend our Virtual Postgraduate Open Days later this year. To receive updates about our Virtual Postgraduate Open Days, alongside other events which may be of interest, please sign up to our Postgraduate Newsletter.
If you would like to find out more about postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge, please visit the University’s Postgraduate Admissions website and the Course Directory.
How to book your place at the Open Days
Booking is essential. You will need to register 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 – this is also where you can check the details of your booking, such as which day you have booked, 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/talks/taster lectures, except for veterinary medicine. If you select veterinary medicine as a subject of interest on the main booking form, you will receive specific information about booking a subject session closer to the Open Day. You do not need to book for any other specific session. However, we would strongly recommend that you arrive at all sessions in advance of the advertised start time as space may be limited.
Accessing the programme
The programme will be available on our website closer to the Open Day. It will be emailed to everyone who has registered once it has been published.
Registering on the day
Instead of visiting a central registration point, you can simply check in online yourself via your ticket 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 around the city 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 clicking the button in 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 Days for students in Y12 (or equivalent).
Although we understand some teachers would like to bring their whole class for aspiration-raising, the Open Days are 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, 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 at CAOevents@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Finding your way around
There will be maps available for you to use on the day – these will be available from the info points at all of the major sites, but not Colleges. The programme will be available online throughout the Open Days.
Finding out more about your subject
All the undergraduate subject departments will be represented at the Open Day, with most offering an information stand, course presentations and sample lectures. Some departments will also offer tours and demonstrations. Further details will be provided in the programme.
Parents and Guests joining sessions
Where there is space parents/guests may join sessions; however, please be aware that student attendance in talks and taster sessions is prioritised. This may mean that if a session is extremely busy we may limit attendance to prospective students only.
Deciding which Colleges to go to
We would advise you to explore the Colleges websites and the Virtual Tour in advance to consider which Colleges might be relevant for you. You may wish to consider what facilities are important to you, what location might suit you best and the accommodation options available at different Colleges. We would generally advise 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 of the locations you need to visit on the Open Day when planning your day.
Visting Colleges on the Open Day
All the 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 you should check in advance that the Colleges you are interested in offer the subject you want to study.
Travelling between Colleges
During the Open Day 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 – for more information on this, please see our information page about travelling around Cambridge. Additionally there will be a shuttle bus running to Girton College throughout the Open Days from West Road, near the Music Faculty on the Sidgwick Site.
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 – for example you may wish to bring an umbrella and raincoat if it is due to rain, a hat and additional sun cream if it is due to be very sunny. We would advise that you bring 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 food trucks and cafes open at some of our sites.
Clubs and Societies
To find out more about clubs and societies you should visit the College information stand in the Student Services Centre.
If you can’t attend the Open Day
We will be holding another Open Day in September which will primarily focus on the Colleges. The next full University Open Days will then 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 (e.g., courses, entry requirements, the application process and more) 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.
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. Cambridge Tourist Information can provide details of accommodation in the city (www.visitcambridge.org).
Luggage storage options
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 (www.visitcambridge.org).
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.