Clare College: How to Apply (Overview)

The Application Procedure

The Application Process

In the past, all applicants to Cambridge have been required to submit two application forms: a UCAS application, which is submitted online, and a separate Cambridge Application Form (CAF), which was sent by post direct to Cambridge by the applicant or by their school/college.

The application process is now much simpler as applicants will no longer have to complete a Cambridge Application Form (this does not apply to those living outside the EU). Applicants should indicate their choice of College on their UCAS application. Applicants will also continue to be able to make an Open application in which they do not specify a College. Open applications are allocated by a computer program to Colleges which happen, in that year, to have received fewer applications per place in that subject than the average number across all Colleges.

For admission to Cambridge, it is necessary to be accepted by a College. You are not allowed to apply to more than one Cambridge College.

The Timetable

For UK/EU applicants

For entry in October 2009, or deferred entry in 2010, you must submit a UCAS form before the closing date of October 15. This early date for Cambridge applications is necessary due to both the intensive scrutiny each application receives, setting academic achievement within context, and the organisation entailed in holding interviews for more than 12,000 applicants in December, prior to offers being made in January.

UCAS: Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Glos GL52 3LZ, or on-line at www.ucas.com or by e-mail app.req@ucas.ac.uk.

For application purposes the Clare College Campus Code is C, the Institution Name is CAM, and the Institution Code is CO5.

The Cambridge Special Access Scheme (CSAS), for applicants whose schooling has been disrupted or disadvantaged or whose family and school have little history of higher education, will continue; a CSAS form should be submitted by October 15.

Choral or Organ applications

If you wish to apply for a Choral or Organ Award you will need to complete a Choral/Organ Award Application Form as well as submitting a UCAS application.

Please note: The deadline for entry in 2009 and deferred entry in 2010 for a Choral Award application is Friday 5 September 2008. And, the deadline for entry in 2009 and deferred entry in 2010 for an Organ Award application is Monday 1 September 2008. Late applications will not be considered.

For applicants living outside the EU

If you are living outside the EU, you should complete a Cambridge Overseas Application Form (COAF) as well as the UCAS application in the same way as a UK/EU applicant has to. This applies to all applicants who are living outside the EU and is regardless of fee status or nationality.

Please note: Applicants from outside the EU wishing to be interviewed overseas must submit their application by an earlier date of September 20. An application fee will be retained for applicants outside the EU in order to meet the additional costs associated with interviewing applicants in a number of overseas countries.

When we have received your application....

Clare College Admissions Office will write to you; in addition to interviews, we may ask candidates to take a short test and/or to send in examples of school or college work. We will write to candidates in good time before the interviews to ask them to send in their material - please do not send in anything before it is requested. You will also be sent a Supplementary Application Questionnaire. The purpose of this questionnaire is to ensure that, as far as possible, we have complete and consistent information about all applicants. The questionnaire will ask you about your choice of course, your school or college and teaching, the results of your completed AS/A2 modules if applicable, any plans you might have for a gap year and whether you have any specific career intentions. Finally there is a section in which you can inform us about anything not already in your application which you would like us to know about.

Clare College interviews take place from Saturday 6 December through to Wednesday 17 December. (In some cases, we may feel that it is NOT appropriate to carry a candidate's application through to the interview stage). It is very important that candidates keep themselves available during the interview period. If you have other commitments during that time, you should inform the College at least a month in advance. We will try, but cannot guarantee, to accommodate them. We will notify candidate's about interviews by post. Although we are extremely busy at this time, and generally request that candidates do not contact us, in the exceptional circumstance that you have not heard from us by 21 November 2008, please do get in touch to make sure that no letters or emails have gone astray.

In the first week of January 2009, we will write to candidates who have been interviewed to tell them whether or not we have been able to make them an offer. For those candidates who were unsuccessful at interview, we will send to their school/college (with their permission only) a brief report and breakdown of their performance at interview.

Some good candidates to whom we are unable to make an offer will have their applications placed in the Inter-collegiate Pool. This is where they will be available to other Colleges still seeking candidates. Those thus placed in the Pool may be called for interview by one or more Colleges. Only one journey will be necessary at this time, but candidates should try to make themselves available if called. Pooled candidates will usually know the final outcome of their applications by late January.

Any candidate whose offer of a place is conditional upon STEP grades (Mathematics only) must be entered by their examination centre (school) by the official deadline, which is given in the Undergraduate Prospectus.

Finally, in mid-August 2009, when most A2 level and other final school examination results have been published, we will write to all candidates who have met their conditional offers to confirm their places.