2023-2024 Applications | Lucy Cavendish

General information

Contacting the Lucy Cavendish Admissions Team

Thank you for applying to Lucy Cavendish College. We hope this page will allow you to progress smoothly through the admissions process.

Over coming weeks (and months) our Admissions Team will contact you via email letting you know next steps. We are here to support you at every stage of the application process so if you have any questions or concerns then please do not hesitate to contact us on admissions@lucy.cam.ac.uk. Please ensure you start all emails with:

Your name (exactly as you wrote it on your UCAS form, with family name in CAPITALS)
The course you have applied for (including 'Biological or Physical' if Natural Sciences)
Your UCAS number (a ten-digit ID number which you can find on your UCAS portal)

E.G. ‘BLOGGS, Joseph, Physical Natural Sciences, 123456789’

Please note that we prefer contact by email in the first instance. If you have not received a reply to your email, please be patient and remember that we are dealing with a lot of applicants, who all have very specific queries. Only if your question is absolutely urgent should you call us; you can do so on +44 (0)1223 330280.

Please understand that, in adherennce to UCAS regulations, we are permitted to discuss a current application with the applicant or their UCAS referee only. We are unable to speak to parents, supporters, teachers, doctors, social workers, tutors, or other third parties without the applicant’s explicit permission in writing, and even then it is our right to decline contact with third parties if we feel it is not appropriate.

Submitting documents

At various points of the application process you will need to submit key documentation, such as samples of written work. Please ensure you use admissionsdocuments@lucy.cam.ac.uk for this purpose, ensuring you use start the email in the format detailed above. The subject line of your email should contain all the same information and the type of document, E.G. 'BLOGGS, Joseph, English, 0123456789, Written Work'

Using the current applicants page

We will be updating this page regularly through the whole of the admissions round, so please ensure you continue to check it. Any important updates relating to decisions and deadlines will be posted in this area of the page for easy access, as well as in the relevant sections below. Our page is organised as follows:

Deadlines timeline- please ensure you are aware of everything you need to do and when. Failure to meet deadlines will often result in an application being rendered invalid. We strongly advise you to plan what you need to do at each stage of the process well in advance so you have all relevant documentation available and ready before the deadline. Last minute panics are equally stressful for both you and us! If you need any help, remember to contact us as soon as you can on admissions@lucy.cam.ac.uk.
Stages of the application process and further information- please also ensure that you are aware of when essential aspects of the application process will take place, such as College registered assessments. We will continue to update later sections of the process with further details, such as interviews and decisions.

Please ensure that you continue to keep referring back to this web page at all stages of the application process. If in any doubt, please consult this page before emailing us, as any information you need should be available on here .

Please also ensure that you download and complete our application checklist so that you are aware of the deadlines you must complete throughout the application process. Please note that this document is simply a checklist; you should make sure you read our website thoroughly for full information about each stage of the application process.

Please also ensure that you have read and understood our Admissions Round Policies.

Deadlines timeline

Deadline	What for?	Further info
16th October 18:00 (UK time)	UCAS application (including your UCAS reference)	See information on the UCAS application here. Please ensure you referee knows about this deadline, as anything submitted even a minute late cannot be accepted.
16th October	Deadline for Law applicants to take the LNAT.	For Law, you're required to take the LNAT, which has earlier deadlines and different arrangements to other Cambridge pre-registration assessments. For 2023 entry, you must take the LNAT by no later than 16 October 2023. You can register for the LNAT from 1 August to 15 September 2023, and the LNAT can be taken from 1 September 2023. Further information can be found on the LNAT website.
23rd October 18:00 (UK time)	My Cambridge Application form and transcript deadline	You will receive a link to the My Cambridge Application form and log-in details by email from the University within 48 hours of submitting your UCAS application. Emails regularly go into spam mailboxes so please check both your inbox and spam mailboxes until you receive your My Cambridge form email. The My Cambridge Application form is a compulsory part of your application – your application is ineligible without it. Guidance and helpdesk contact details can be found here. You may be required to upload a high school transcript with your My Cambridge Application form. Please ensure you check whether you need to do this here. For full guidance on who should complete a transcript and what you should submit please consult our guidance document.
23rd October 23:59 (UK time)	Lucy Cavendish Further Information Form for all applicants	Our further information form is designed to gather important contextual information not captured in the UCAS or My Cambridge Application form. The link to the form is as follows: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2tM6ye0Qaf4GVRc
23rd October 23:59 (UK time)	Extenuating Circumstances Form	The ECF should be completed if your education or home life was seriously disrupted owing to health issues, disability, difficulties with schooling or challenging personal or family circumstances. The applicant themselves does not complete the form. Rather it should be completed by your school or college, or by a doctor or social worker if your school/college is not aware of the full picture. Further guidance can be found here here. The link to the form is as follows: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8q9LA3vqPE007H0 Please note that this form should NOT be used to report disruption to your education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This information is collected in the Cambridge Additional Application Information form (AAIF), which must be filled in by all applicants by 2nd November 2023.
23rd October 23:59 (UK time)	Disability/Specific Learning Difficulty/long-term illness adjustments form	If you ticked the box on the UCAS form to say you have a disability, Specific Learning Difficulty or long-term illness, and/or if you normally receive adjustments when you take school exams, we will request additional information such that we can make any necessary arrangements at interview. We will contact you about this once we have received your application. Please ensure you read our full guidance document so that you are aware of who needs to submit the form, why we collect this information, and how you should send this information to us. The Disability/Specific Learning Difficulty/long-term illness adjustments form is here: Word version PDF version
23rd October 23:59 (UK time)	Transcripts/results breakdowns/curriculum details/any other requested documents	Deadline for applicants required to submit: 1. Academic transcripts from those undertaking foundation courses, Access to HE courses and those in the first year at university. 2. Curriculum details from mature applicants, those taking a foundation course, or those in the first year at university. 3. Results breakdown, from those who have already taken any exams. 4. Any other documents we have requested from you. Please ensure you have read the full guidance document so you are aware if you need to submit a transcript or further academic documentation.

Deadline	What for?	Further info
2nd November 23:59 (UK time)	Cambridge Additional Applicant Information Form (AAIF)	The Cambridge Additional Applicant information Form (AAIF) collects information on how COVID-19 may have impacted your recent education, and also gathers details on your remote interview set-up. The AAIF is a compulsory part of your application – your application is ineligible without it The link to the form is as follows: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4QOEmPaqRcT6OW
2nd November 23:59 (UK time)	Written work + coversheets	The following subjects require two samples of your written work: Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic Classics Education English Geography History History and Modern Languages History and Politics Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) Land Economy Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion The following subjects require one sample of your written work: Archaeology If you are required to submit written work, then please read this document thoroughly for full details of what you need to do. The coversheet for written work is here: Word document version PDF version
2nd November 23:59 (UK time)	Six page portfolio for Architecture and Design applicants	All applicants for Architecture and Design are asked to send us a six page portfolio with examples of their work illustrating their interests, experience and ability in the visual and material arts. Full details on what we are looking for, as well as submission instructions, can be found in this document.
2nd November 23:59 (UK time)	Eligibility evidence for UK Government Funded Free School Meals or 16-19 Bursary	If you are a UK student at eligible or previously eligible in the last 6 years for Free School Meals, or the 16-19 Bursary, please send an official letter from your school/college confirming this by this deadline to admissionsdocuments@lucy.cam.ac.uk .

Application stages and further information

How will College registered assessments work this year?

For further details on College admissions assessments see here. The following courses have College registered assessments this year:

Course	Assessment format	Date and time
Archaeology	Essay/text response element (60 minutes)	Monday 27 November 2023
Architecture	Writing skills (30 minutes) Graphic and spatial ability (30 minutes)	Friday 24 November 2023
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (if candidates are planning to study a Modern European Language as part of their degree only)	If you are planning to continue a Modern European Language that you have studied to A-Level (or equivalent) alongside Arabic, Persian or Hebrew, then you will need to do the Modern and Medieval Languages Assessment: Discursive response in Foreign Language (40 minutes) Discursive response in English (20 minutes)	TBC
Classics (3-year)	Latin (or Greek) skills assessment interview (20 minutes)	TBC
Classics (4-year)	Language aptitude interview (20 minutes)	Wednesday 6 December 2023
Design (Architecture Admissions Assessment)	Writing skills (30 minutes) Graphic and spatial ability (30 minutes)	Friday 24 November 2023
English (Cambridge English Literature Admissions Test)	Essay/text response element (120 minutes)	Wednesday 22 November 2023
History (History Admissions Assessment)	Essay/text response element (60 minutes)	Thursday 23 November 2023
History and Modern Languages (History Admissions Assessment and Modern and Medieval Languages assessment)	History and Modern Languages candidates are required to sit the following: History Admissions Assessment: Essay/text response element (60 minutes) Modern and Medieval Languages Assessment: Discursive response in Foreign Language (40 minutes) and Discursive response in English (20 minutes)	Thursday 23 November 2023 (History) Tuesday 28 November 2023 (Language)
History and Politics (History Admissions Assessment)	Essay/text response element (60 minutes)	Thursday 23 November 2023
History of Art	Structured comparison of images (60 minutes)	Tuesday 28 November 2023
Linguistics	A combination of data questions and an essay question (60 minutes)	Friday 24 November
Modern and Medieval Languages	Discursive response in Foreign Language (40 minutes) Discursive response in English (20 minutes)	Tuesday 28 November 2023
Philosophy	Multiple choice logic problems (20 minutes) Essay (40 minutes)	Monday 27 November 2023

College registered assessment times will be coordinated centrally, meaning you may not sit your assessment on the same day as your interview. Please do not worry if this is the case; it will not affect our decision making in any way. You will also sit the admissions assessment remotely, either at home or in your school/college. More detailed information on College registered assessments will be released to candidates invited to interview closer to the time.

When will hear if I've been invited to interview?

We aim to give candidates at least 1 week's notice prior to their interview. This year we currently plan for our interviews to take place largely from the 4th-14th December inclusive, with a minority of subjects taking place either slightly later or earlier.

Our interviews are organised according to an incredibly tight schedule and it is usually extremely difficult to re-arrange an interview. You would therefore be well advised to keep these two weeks as free as you can.

How will interviews work this year?

This year all interviews will take place remotely. Applicants will be interviewed from home, where possible. If applicants prefer, they can ask their school or college to host their interview.

We will be using the platform ZOOM for all our interviews. We will offer support sessions for all shortlisted candidates, so they can familiarise themselves with ZOOM prior to their interview. We will release dates for these support sessions closer to the time. We ask all applicants invited to interview to attend at least one of these support sessions so their interview will run as smoothly as possible.

Although interviews will be conducted remotely, the format and purpose remains essentially unchanged. You can find out more how to prepare for interviews here.

Interview dates November-December 2023

Course	Interview dates	Invitations issued to candidates?
Architecture	12th-13th December	No
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies	6th December	No
Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic	13th December
Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology	TBC	No
Computer Science	11th-12th December	No
Classics (3 and 4 years)	4th/5th December	No
Design	12th-13th December	No
Economics	11th-14th December	No
Education	30th November	No
Engineering	11th-14th December	No
English	4th-5th December	No
Geography	5th December, 7th December	No
History	14th December	No
History and Modern Languages	TBC	No
History and Politics	8th December (Politics-focused interview), 14th December (History-focused interview)	No
History of Art	TBC	No
Human, Social and Political Sciences	8th December, 11th December, 12th December, 13th December	No
Land Economy	5th-6th December	No
Law	4th-8th December	No
Linguistics	TBC	No
Mathematics	12th-14th December	No
Medicine	4th December, 5th December, 8th December	No
Modern and Medieval Languages	6th December	No
Natural Sciences	4th-7th December (Physics) 11th December, 13th December, 14th December (Biochemistry) 11th-13th December (Biology) 12th-14th December (Chemistry) 12th-14th December (Physics-Materials)	No
Philosophy	TBC	No
Psychological and Behavioural Sciences	5th December, 6th December, 13th December	No
Theology and Philosophy of Religion	13th December	No
Veterinary Medicine	12th December	No

The Winter Pool

The Winter Pool will take place in the middle of January. The Winter Pool is a process by which Colleges make available to each other candidates who they consider to be worthy of a place at Cambridge, but to whom they cannot make an offer as they are oversubscribed in that subject. You do not need to do anything if you are placed in the Winter Pool, and most applicants do not find out if they have been 'pooled' until all decision letters have been released. Once decision letters have been released, you may be made an offer by another College, but being placed in the Winter Pool does not guarantee you will be offered a place.

You may be offered another interview in January by a College who has reviewed your file in the pool, although this is avoided as far as possible.

Decisions

All undergraduate application decisions will be released on 24th January 2024, the date agreed by all Cambridge Colleges. You can read about the different possible outcomes of an application here.

Feedback

Lucy Cavendish College is committed to ensuring that our admissions processes are as transparent and comprehensible as possible. We therefore have the following policy on providing feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Candidates who are rejected before interview will not be able to request individual feedback on their application. However, information to contextualise our decision will be provided in the rejection letter.

Candidates who have been interviewed by the College, but have failed to secure an offer, either in the first instance from Lucy Cavendish College or subsequently from a pool College, will also have some initial information provided to contextualise the outcome. This will include admissions assessment scores (where applicable). If candidates would then like to request further individual feedback on their application, their referee will be able to request this on their behalf by completing a Feedback Request Form. This will be available from 1-15 February 2024.

Individual feedback is provided to the UCAS referee in the first instance because:
1. The referee is well placed to judge the best way to convey the feedback to you so that it is received as a beneficial learning experience;
2. The provision of feedback to your school/college/university informs advisers of future applicants about the standards and requirements for the relevant Cambridge course and is therefore of wider benefit to the admissions process.

If you have any concerns about feedback being provided to the writer of your UCAS reference please contact us at admissions@lucy.cam.ac.uk.

Our other admissions round policies can be found detailed on this webpage.