Admissions Information for Applicants

Introduction

Clare College is a lively and forward-looking college, with a strong history of academic achievement and a particular reputation for its friendly and unpretentious student community. In size, the college is in the middle of the range for Cambridge, admitting about 130 undergraduates a year. Clare students come from every type of school and college and from many parts of the world, and the College's gender balance is one of the best in Cambridge . Students are valued here very much as individuals, and the College has a well-deserved reputation for the high quality of its teaching and its effective networks of pastoral support.

The Application Timetable

Students thinking of applying to Cambridge can come to some of the College and Faculty Open Days

Detailed information about applying can be found at http://www.clare.cam.ac.uk/admissions/how-to/index.html

Supplementary Application Questionnaire

In addition to the information you give us about yourself on the UCAS application form, we will also ask you to fill in a Supplementary Application Questionnaire. The aim of this questionnaire is to give us more details about your educational background, and to provide you with an opportunity to tell us more about yourself.

The questionnaire will be sent to you with the letter acknowledging your application in October. Some of the questions are very like those you might be asked at interview, which will also give you the opportunity to think about them before you come to see us. We hope that this useful document will help both you and us to prepare better for the interview.

Interviews

Please go to Interviews link for further information about Interviews.  Details about the Interviews will be posted on this site from October 2008.

Deferred Entry

In most cases, we are neutral about Deferred Applications, and prefer to leave it up to individual candidates as to whether they want to come straight from school or college, or to have a gap year.

Post A-Level

We welcome applications from those who have just done their final-year school or college examinations. We treat them just like other applicants, but would have expected them to achieve grades comparable to our usual conditional offers. Some applicants who have previously applied unsuccessfully to Clare write to us for advice about trying again. Our usual advice is that they may be better to start afresh at another College.

Cambridge Special Access Scheme (CSAS) for UK and EU students

If no one from your family and very few people from your school/college have gone on to do a degree, or if your schooling has been disadvantaged for certain reasons, this scheme could help you.

All Colleges support the Cambridge Special Access Scheme (CSAS). You are eligible for the Scheme if either of the following apply:

• Very few people from your school or college proceed to higher education AND your family has little or no tradition of studying for a degree.
• Your education has been significantly disrupted or disadvantaged through health or personal problems, disability or difficulties with schooling.

CSAS asks schools/colleges to provide additional information and a much fuller reference than usual. This enables the Cambridge Colleges to assess applicants more fairly, especially in deciding on appropriate levels for conditional offers. To be considered under the Scheme, you should apply in the normal way, but your referees should complete the additional Special Access Scheme form and enclose it with the Cambridge Application Form, all to be returned by 15 October 2008.

This is only one of many ways that Cambridge is widening participation. For more information on our activities contact: The Head of Widening Participation/Schools and Colleges Liaison (Telephone: 01223 766460).  They can also advise your school or college on your eligibility for the Scheme, and can provide the CSAS forms and further information.

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