What are we looking for?

Trinity Hall welcomes applicants from all types of schools and, increasingly, from all over the world. We look for demonstrable academic ability and real promise to continue to work at the highest level. Obviously, exam results help us to assess your academic promise, but we by no means rely on them exclusively. So, whatever your background, your application will be considered on three main grounds:

• your past performance in GCSEs (or equivalent), and how well your AS levels or other current studies are going;
• your immediate potential, measured by your school’s reference;
• and your future academic and overall potential, assessed by interviews here at Trinity Hall with one or more specialists in the field you wish to study.

We know that candidates are applying to us with all sorts of different backgrounds, achievements and abilities. The admissions process is designed to level the playing field and we therefore use several different criteria in assessing your application. In all cases your grades are important, but they are only part of it. Your school reference, any written work that you are asked to submit (or do at your interview), your personal statement, other achievements, personal circumstances and what we find out during the interview all play a part.

Pushing back the frontiers of your knowledge is one of the most rewarding sides to undergraduate life. If you can already see beyond the confines of your exam syllabus, then you are probably ready for University. Coming to Cambridge will stretch you further than you can imagine: yes, it will be challenging, but then that’s why you’re applying to University in the first place.

It is worth remembering that all of our candidates are applying because they have a high level of academic achievement and have a good chance of getting a place. Trinity Hall has, on average, 500 applicants each year and makes around 120 offers. This inevitably means that a number of excellent candidates will have to be turned down each year. If we have to reject your application, try not to see it as a failure on your part. But don’t let that put you off applying – you may be just what we are looking for!

Overseas Applicants

If you are taking exams other than A levels, please consult the section on Typical Offers which gives some comparisons of the more common international exam systems.