Here you'll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about admissions and life at èßäÊÓƵ College.
If you still have questions or you need more detailed answers, please email us at undergraduate-admissions@jesus.cam.ac.uk.
No. We welcome anyone who has the potential to thrive on our courses. We take some contextual information into account, such as the average performance at your school, but this is only to make sure we're assessing you fairly. No one who applies is successful or unsuccessful simply due to their background.
Always busy, sometimes intense, but never boring. Our students work hard and take their studies seriously, but they also have a huge range of other interests. You'll have the opportunity to do everything you would do at any other university. You can dedicate your spare time to almost anything that interests you, from sport and music to student volunteering or spending time with your friends. There's no such thing as a typical student at èßäÊÓƵ College, we're proud of our diversity.
College choice is a social decision, and the best way to choose a College is to consider whether you'd enjoy living there. Consider whether it offers the facilities you'd like, where it is in the city, and simply whether it 'feels' right when you visit. The important thing is not to worry about it too much. People almost always end up loving whichever College they apply to; it's far more important to get your choice of course right.
There's no magic formula for success apart from hard work at school and a genuine interest in your subject. You should be engaging in your subject outside of school, but there's no set way you have to do this. Reading books or articles, attending talks or lectures, watching videos, or listening to podcasts are all great ways to prepare. Whatever you do, make sure you're actually interested, and don't be afraid to start a new book or consider a new idea if what you're working on isn't engaging you.
The interview is a structured but relatively informal discussion about your subject. We won't expect you to know about subjects you don't study. We'll discuss questions which ask you to apply what you know to unfamiliar scenarios, to solve problems, and to think critically and flexibly. It doesn't matter what you wear or how you speak, and we're not looking for a 'smooth' performance. Just stay calm, listen to the questions being asked, and be prepared to consider things in new ways; many people find they enjoy their interviews.
The Colleges’ shared approved policy and procedure for the can be found under Admissions complaints and appeals on the University website.
I chose to study Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at Cambridge due to my love for languages. I was keen to pick up new languages in addition to those which I had studied at school. The AMES tripos is excellent for this: in Years 1 and 2 I studied Arabic and Persian, and in my final year I am studying Arabic and Hindi. The small class sizes are excellent and really aid in the learning of new languages. The degree is excellent with regards to the choice of modules...
Geography at Cambridge is a hugely diverse course, which allows you to obtain a wider grasp on the world. The knowledge and skills gained from topics within both human and physical geography can complement a huge range of jobs! My favourite topic so far has been the Earth, as I find Volcanology incredibly interesting, although Geopolitics has also caught my eye. Next term we’ll be carrying out a project on air quality, which will involve data collection and practical application of our statistics modules. When I visited Cambridge on an...
The combination of modern computing facilities, inspiring surroundings, and like minded people made èßäÊÓƵ College a great place to study. After graduating I worked for a start up company before completing a PhD and now work as a computer vision specialist for a technical consultancy. The Cambridge Computer Science course is highly regarded by employers and the strong theoretical grounding ensures that it remains relevant even though the technology is constantly changing.
When I arrived at èßäÊÓƵ for my interviews, I fell in love with the beautiful, unique architecture. The open spaces and green areas made me feel at home, and I was determined not to let the opportunity to live and work here slip through my fingers. Our library has one of the largest Classics sections of any College library; it’s right in the middle of College and accessible 24/7. Classics is a small subject, and only a few universities offer it at the highest level - I chose Cambridge because...
Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) is a hugely flexible course that allows you to explore the history, film, art, literature, linguistics, and thought of the languages that you study. In my first year alone, I studied medieval French literature, 17 th century Mexican poetry, and French Nouvelle Vague cinema! èßäÊÓƵ is the perfect place to study MML at Cambridge. With its beautiful, spacious grounds and friendly, tight-knit community of students and staff, it’s a supportive and stimulating place to work and live. There’s always something going on in College, from...
