Overseas Candidates

We welcome applications from overseas students but we would like to emphasise that the competition for candidates from overseas is exceptionally severe. This is because the Government obliges us to take a certain minimum number of home (including European Union) students. In most years, we have only about seven places to offer to overseas candidates, in all subjects taken together.

Information for International Students

Applying

Overseas students should apply using the standard Cambridge Application form, and their application should reach us by the usual mid-October 2010 deadline. In addition, they MUST apply separately to UCAS, Fulton House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, Glos GL50 3SH, UK, preferably by the same date.

Qualifications

Competition for undergraduate places in Cambridge is extremely severe. Many overseas students applying will be taking final school examinations among those listed on this website (see Offers), and we would expect them to gain grades broadly at the standard indicated here.

We do also welcome candidates applying with other final school qualifications, but we have less experience in assessing them. If you will be applying with other final school qualifications, it would be very helpful to us if you could provide, with your application, details of your examination grading system, and of what proportion of candidates nationally achieve each grade.

Applicants must have a very high level of fluency in English - we ask for a 7 overall, and a 7 in each individual element, in the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination. Further details on where you can sit the examination can be found on the IELTS website. Candidates applying in particular subjects may be asked to send in written work anyway, and we ask that this should be in English: see details under Courses.

Interviews

Ideally, we like to be able to interview all overseas candidates, particularly where they are from school systems unfamiliar to us. Therefore, to stand a realsitic chance of admission you would really need to attend interview in Cambridge, in December.

Cambridge Colleges do send some interviewers to places overseas to conduct interviews. Details of this can be found in the Undergraduate Prospectus.

Alternatively, it may be possible to make an assessment on the basis of samples of school work sent. If you would like to apply to Clare, and your academic record meets the standards set out above, but you find it impossible to attend for interview, please get in touch with our Admissions Office.

Finances

The amount of support available for overseas students is very limited and almost always only a partial contribution to overall costs.

The Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, The Cambridge Overseas Trust offer part-cost awards to overseas students who have been accepted for admission.

If overseas students are made an offer or unconditional offer of a place it will also be subject to financial conditions. If you are liable for University and College fees at the overseas rate, then it is a part of the conditions of an offer that firm evidence is provided that you are able to meet the necessary costs as set out in the Cambridge Admissions Prospectus.

International Students: