University of Cambridge Application Guide

You do not have to apply to Cambridge before you apply to the NIH-Cambridge program. Most students apply to University of Cambridge after being admitted to the graduate partnership program, although applying to Unversity of Cambridge before hand is always an option. Whenever you apply, here is some information to make your life easier.

University of Cambridge Application

As they say, "Apply early and often". Maybe not often, but definitely apply early. The Cambridge bureaucracy is thick and twisting so applications move slow and can and do get lost. Additionally, spaces in colleges can fill up quickly. Certainly apply as soon as you are admitted into the program, if not before. Start with the University of Cambridge graduate application. The application does have some complicated language (faculty = department), asks you to choice a college (see college selection below) and requires countless passport photos, but if you read the instructions carefully you should do fine.

Passport Photos

Not only does the University of Cambridge application require four passport photos, but you will need passport photos all the time over the next couple of months for visas and railcards. It is always useful to have at least four spare photos for unexpected uses. We recommend that you go and get a dozen or so passport photos at the beginning of the process just to make things easier.

College Selection Guide

University of Cambridge is made up of 31 colleges, each a small world unto itself. While there are many University wide events and activities, one's college serves as the core of residential and social life. Each of the colleges is slightly different, have different resources, living options and social dynamics. Choosing a college is an important part of the application and while it will have little effect on academics, it will shape your social life for the next four years. While not strict, colleges can be basically be divided into graduate colleges, women's colleges, colleges in town and colleges on the outskits of town. Here is a brief overview:

Guide to Colleges

This is a rough guide to all the Cambridge colleges. Once again, this is just our experience, for further information, see the college websites.

Graduate Colleges

Clare Hall	Slightly out of town but has a pool and a tennis court on site. In contrast with Clare College, Clare Hall is very quiet and great if you are looking to avoid contact with the undergraduates.
Darwin College	Gradutate college, great bar. That is all that really needs to be said about Darwin. Since it is a graduate college, things are a bit quieter, and with no undergrads the sports teams meet at practical hours (i.e. not in the afternoon). Darwin and Hughes are the more social of the graduate colleges and Darwin has the only college bar open until midnight everynight.
Hughes Hall	Located close to the gym, has good housing on site.
St. Edmund's College	A mature college, so while not all graduates, everyone is over 21. "St. Eds" is located a bit out of town. Has good housing on site and a student run bar which has been rumored to stay open as long as the clientele is willing to stay.
Wolfson College	Located a bit out of town, has the best graduate college parties (called "bops"). The formal halls are a bit expensive but worth it. Not a bad choice if you want a graduate college far away from town.

In Town

Christ's College	I don't know anything about this college. There is this crazy girl I live with who always wears a Christ's College boating jacket. I don't know why since she is a Darwin student. It is located right in the middle of town, which means a lot of tourists in the summer. According to Justin, the MCR (a.k.a. graduate union) has its own bar and the grad dinners are a great time.
Corpus Christi College	Located along Trumpington St., right in the thick of things. Across the street from Sam Smiley's, the best sandwich shop in Cambridge. It is a small and beautiful college.
Jesus College	Just off the main street in town. Has a lot of land and throws a great May Ball. Has good housing for grads.
King's College	Located right in the middle of town, has the picturesque chapel. A good place all around. Has a large undergraduate population which equates to a good bar and a lot of social activities throughout the term.
Downing College	Great location, right on Regent St. Has a lot of land and a good bar. I have heard housing for grads is a bit difficult to get but applying early enough should make this a non-issue.
Clare College	Located along the river. Small and beautiful. The college has its own punts, which is a plus when the weather is good. Also has a good bar/venue "Clare Cellars" so there is plenty going on in college.
Gonville and Caius College	Great location, great boat team? Located right in the center of town, Gonville and Caius, known as Caius (pronounced "KEYS", hey its England) for short, has a boat team that is always one of the best, I think (I am not so into boating).
Magdalene College	Upper crust. I don't know about the college finances, but the students at Magdalene (pronounced MAWD-lin) certainly seem well off, "public school kids" if you will (in England public = private and private = ... I don't get it, its England). For example, the double ticket for Magdalene may ball costs 320 pounds, the most pricy in all Cambridge: quite a price tag for one evening.
Pembroke College	I am severely biased towards Pembroke, but it is the most beautiful of the small colleges. It is the 3rd oldest (founded in 1347) and is right in the middle of town. In the summer, it is one of the only colleges to allow people to sit along the edge of the grass. It also has a croquet set you can use, which is a great stress relief during crunch time. It is the only Cambridge college to have a formal dinner every night of the week during term time. The MCR, actually called "GP," has its own small bar and every Thursday has a grads only dinner. I have had a blast here so I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Peterhouse	The smallest and oldest of the Cambidge colleges. Very beautiful and located across the street for Pembroke. Very small, close knit graduate community. The food is pretty good and the housing is great.
Queens' College	Located along the river, has the famous mathematical bridge. Also has a large undergraduate population and hosts good parties (called "bops") almost every weekend during term. Has a good bar and lot of punts available during the summer.
St. Catharine's College	Located along Trumpington St., just across from Corpus, one of the smaller colleges. It has a very active MCR and people I know from there are very happy.
St. John's College	Located right in the middle of town, in my opinion the most beautiful college in all of Cambridge. Has a large undergraduate population which equates to a good bar and a lot of social activities throughout the term. Also has one of the best May Balls, very difficult to get tickets if you are not from St. John's so if you aren't at John's, makes friends with someone who is.
Sidney Sussex College	Located across the street from Sainsbury's, has a small graduate community. Do not know much else about Sidney but I have heard nothing but positive things from my friends who are there.
Trinity College	Probably the most famous of all the Cambridge colleges and certainly the wealthiest in terms of college resources. It was at one point, the 3rd largest land owner in the country, behind the crown and the church. Prince Charles is among the alumni. Trinity throws the highest budgeted student run event in the world with 3 million pounds allotted for the May Ball. It is located in the center of town and the college housing is fantastic. Trinity is very difficult to get into, so if you are keen, spruce up that resume and (link to application page)apply early. The food is also very good but has a reputation for being a bit upper crust.
Trinity Hall	The diamond in the rough. Located along the river hidden between Kings and Trinity, "Tit Hall" (they really call it that) has an amazing bar and throws great parties. It seems like everyone I meet from here is having a good time.
Emmanuel College	Located in the center of town as well, has a beautiful inner courtyard with a duck pond and grass tennis courts in the summer. The grad housing is pretty good and with its location, not a bad choice.

Out of Town

Churchill College	As they say, "I got time for churchill". Churchill is a horribly ugly college located way out of town near the physics and math buildings. With that said, they and have a party (or "pav") almost every Friday during term, always a good time. There are a lot of other American students, many of them Churchill Scholars, and they throw a very good event around Valentine's Day. Of all the out of town colleges, it's probably the best choice.
Fitzwilliam College	Located up north near Churchill and New Hall, "Fitz" is not known for its wild social scene, but it has a good bar. I know someone in the JCR (a.k.a. an undergrad) and he enjoys the place.
Girton College	Never been to Girton, as it is the furthest away from town. Heard decent things about it, but cannot confirm or deny any of it.
Homerton College	Mostly for people doing teacher's training, has a lot of land and is the closest to the hospital. Also, close to the new bowling ally/cinema/restaurants. I would be surprised if you could get in since you are not a teacher.
Robinson College	Located on Grange Road, not really "out of town" per say, but about 10 minutes away. Not much in terms of the social scene, but it has a good bar.
Selwyn College	Also located on Grange Road, throws a good ball in the winter.

Women's colleges

Lucy Cavendish	Located near St. Eds and New Hall. Lucy is a small women's only college. I have never seen but I have heard it does exist. UPDATE: We found it, but it was after a bop (party) at Eddy's (St. Edmunds) so finding it again might be difficult.
New Hall	All women's, in the boonies. People I know at New Hall seem to enjoy themselves, although they often socialize with people outside New Hall. Location wise the other two women's colleges (Newnham and Lucy Caverdish) have living space closer to town.
Newnham College	Of all the women's colleges, located the closest to town, just down the street from Darwin. Has good formals, although they are only once a week. The MCR is beautiful and the interior land of the college is beautiful, making you forget that you are in a busy town.