Improve your application to Cambridge

There are many different things you can do before you apply to Cambridge to improve your chances of being offered a place on an undergraduate course.

What we look for when you apply

You need to meet the entry requirements for the course at the College you're applying to.

Check entry requirements for your course. In your UCAS personal statement and at interview you’ll need to show that you:

have your own thoughts and opinions, critical thinking and analytical skills
can consider different points of view and arguments
are curious about the world and open to new ideas
feel confident that you‘ve picked an area of study that’s right for you
are passionate and enthusiastic about your subject

How to make your application stand out

Before you apply to Cambridge, you should explore the subject that you’re interested in beyond what you’ve learnt at school, sixth form or college.

Some suggestions of the things you could do:

read books about your subject, specialist magazines and journals. You can do this by checking the suggested reading for the course you’re interested in. You'll find these in the next section on this page
browse websites related to your subject. Our department websites are a good place to start
visit museums, exhibitions and galleries
watch films and documentaries
listen to podcasts
attend seminars and lectures, online or in person
volunteer, or get some work experience that's relevant to your course
take part in academic competitions or projects

We call these types of activities super-curricular activities. Super-curricular is different to extra-curricular.

You can explore as many of these options as you like. Some may be more or less relevant depending on the course you're applying to.

Extra-curricular activities are activities or interests you do outside of school that are unrelated to your chosen subject, such as playing sports or an instrument.