Parents and Supporters
Supporting someone through the Cambridge admissions process – from open days to personal statements and interviews – can feel overwhelming. The best way to help them is to be informed and to work with them and any other supporters. This page is a starting point for various topics you might want to learn more about, with additional links and resources to set you off on the right track.
Admissions Process Timeline
- July Open days: your opportunity to visit Cambridge, learn more about the courses, Colleges, and departments, and speak to current staff and students. Go to Cambridge Open Days | Undergraduate Study to book for the next open day.
- September Registration for admissions tests: many Cambridge courses require applicants to sit an admissions test as part of their application. Find out here if your child’s chosen subject requires an admissions test.
- Mid-October UCAS application deadline: applications must be submitted by this date to be considered. The specific date varies each year.
- Late October My Cambridge Application due: this form is an opportunity to add more information about the applicant and is a compulsory part of the application along with written work (if the subject requires it).
- Mid-November Invitations to interview sent out: after careful consideration, Admissions tutors will decide whether to invite applicants to interview or to reject applications at this stage.
- Early-mid December Interviews: all interviews at Trinity Hall currently take place online, lasting around 25 minutes each. Applicants will discuss their personal statement and their interest in the subject with two academics in each of two interviews.
- January Offers: applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application, and the conditions of their offer. For example, this could be A*AA at A Level for a humanities course, with the A* in a specified subject.
- June STEP examinations: Trinity Hall’s Mathematics applicants are required to achieve certain grades in STEP in addition to their A Levels or other qualifications.
- August Results day: successful offers will be confirmed via UCAS, and offer-holders who did not meet their offer but meet certain criteria may be admitted to the university as part of the August Reconsideration Pool.
Choosing a College
Trinity Hall, like other Cambridge colleges, acts as a community within the university. Students often live in college accommodation for the duration of their degree, and social groups form quickly around the academic, social, and sporting opportunities on offer. As such, choosing the right college is essential, with five key areas to consider.
- Subjects offered: not all colleges offer all subjects. Trinity Hall currently offers all courses except Education and Design.
- Accommodation: at Trinity Hall, undergraduate students are provided with accommodation for the first three or four years of their course. A range of rooms and prices are available, with each of the three sites staffed 24/7 by trained porters for students’ safety.
- Location: Trinity Hall is in the centre of Cambridge, less than fifteen minutes’ cycle from most faculties and half an hour’s walk from the railway station.
- Finance: the university and Trinity Hall offer various grants and bursaries to support students during their time at the College, particularly during times of financial hardship.
- Welfare: the Colleges devote both time and resources to make sure our students are happy and feel at home in Cambridge, so they can get the most out of their course. This ranges from support for students with disabilities to pastoral support from the College’s dedicated Wellbeing Team.
Visiting the College
Prospective applicants and their supporters are welcome to visit Trinity Hall on the university-wide open days in July and September, or to visit the College’s Central Site for a self-guided tour. Alternatively, you can contact the Access & Recruitment Officer to organise a guided tour.
If you are not able to come to Cambridge, you can access the Trinity Hall Virtual Tour to look around the College’s three sites. As with in-person tours, students and supporters can ask any questions about the College, the university, or any other part of student life to the Admissions team via email.
