You’ll Fit In
Trinity Hall offers this free programme to students in Year 12 who are considering applying to Cambridge University and who belong to one of the following ethnic backgrounds and are domiciled in the UK:
- Arab
- Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
- Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
- Mixed – White and Asian (to include Pakistani or Bangladeshi)
- Black or Black British – African
- Black or Black British – Caribbean
- Other Black background
- Mixed – White and Black African
- Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
- Other mixed background (to include Black African, Black Caribbean or Black Other)
We recognise that some students do not identify precisely with one of these categories but belong to underrepresented ethnicities. Therefore, we welcome students to apply, and they will be given the opportunity to give us further details on the application form.
Participation criteria
Applicants from England, Wales and Northern Ireland should have achieved a minimum of five Grades 9-7 at GCSE and have the potential to achieve the A*AA at A Level or A*A*A at A Level needed for their chosen course at Cambridge.
Applicants from Scotland should have achieved five A-B grades at National 5 level and be on track to achieve A1, A2, A2 or A1, A1, A2 in three Advanced Highers needed for their chosen course at Cambridge.
When signing up you can give extenuating circumstances should your results be lower.
Everyone who meets the criteria specified above is welcome to apply for the programme where they will receive webinar access. Since the number of people who can join us for the residential is limited, priority for the residential will be given to those participants who have particular contextual flags. These are the contextual flags we will be considering:
- You have attended a maintained-sector school post-16
- You would be in the first generation in your family to attend university
- You have been in receipt of Free School Meals while at secondary school
- You are, or have been, in care, or are estranged from your family
- You are, or have been, a young carer
- You have a parent who has been imprisoned
- You live in a neighbourhood with a low rate of progression to higher education (measured by POLAR4) and/or a high level of socio-economic deprivation (measured by IMD)
- You attend a school or college with a low rate of progression to higher education
Similarly, for the new super curricular sessions priority will be given to those with these contextual flags, and are dependent on subject availability.
Overview of the programme
We would like to increase representation from these groups across the University, and therefore a central aim of the programme is not just to support students with all aspects of the admissions process but also to reassure potential applicants that, if they were to apply and obtain an offer, they would not feel out of place socially while studying at Cambridge.
Those who sign up will be able to participate in online webinars that will offer advice about all aspects of the Cambridge Admissions Process, as well as the opportunity to hear from current students and ask them lots of questions, and parents and guardians are invited to join us for their own Q&A session. In addition, a smaller group of participants will experience life as a Cambridge student by joining us for a three-day residential at Trinity Hall in either April 2026 or August 2026.
For the first time in 2025/26 we will be running a limited number of super curricular exploration sessions for students to get a flavour of small group teaching at Cambridge, while improving their oracy skills and exploring topics outside the curriculum. If interested in being considered for these, please opt-in on the form. Please note we will require a teacher reference for students to take part as we want students to be committed to the full series of sessions.
The Webinars
Click the linked titles below to watch the webinars from this year’s programme so far in order:
This webinar gives an overview of the You’ll Fit In programme, the timeline for Cambridge applications in 2026 and answers students’ main questions about applying to Cambridge and studying at the University, with ambassadors from Trinity Hall.
An Introduction to The University of Cambridge
This webinar explains the key features of the University of Cambridge and why it is so different to other universities. It also discusses how to choose a course to study at university and how to choose a college. This is followed by a discussion with current student ambassadors about their experience of choosing a course and college.
This webinar introduces four current Trinity Hall students who study Economics, History and Modern and Medieval Languages, Law and Human, Social and Political Sciences. They discuss their experience of applying to Cambridge and studying here, including how they balance their workload and social life, and what they’ve really enjoyed at Cambridge so far.
This webinar introduces four current Trinity Hall students who study Natural Sciences, Medicine, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, and Computer Science. They discuss their experience of applying to Cambridge and studying here, including how they balance their workload and social life, and what they’ve really enjoyed at Cambridge so far.
In this webinar our Director of Admissions discusses what super-curricular exploration is, why it is important for students to undertake and gives some practical ideas about how to get started engaging with super-curricular resources in your subject.
Personal and Financial support
This webinar discusses the financial support available to students at Cambridge and at Trinity Hall, including a discussion with Mo from Cambridge University Ethical Finance Society who discusses the complexities of student finance and Islam, and what alternatives are available. This is followed by Lisa, Trinity Hall Head of Wellbeing, discussing the pastoral, physical and mental wellbeing support available to our students when studying with us.
Q&A for Parents and Supporters
In this webinar we are joined by parents of current Cambridge students from a range of colleges and a current Trinity Hall student, to discuss their experience of supporting their children as applicants to Cambridge and now as students at the university. We discuss topics such how to support students when they apply, financial concerns, inclusion and representation, and any advice they would give to other parents and supporters.
In this webinar of Director of Admissions discusses the UCAS personal statement and what we are looking for in applications. We discuss the new format and how to potentially structure the content using it. We also discuss My Cambridge Application, a short form to be filled in after the UCAS deadline.
In this webinar current Trinity Hall students from a range of ethnic backgrounds discuss their experience at the University of Cambridge, including the challenges they’ve faced and how these challenges have intersected with their identities. They give a real account of what Cambridge is like from their perspective.
Admissions Assessments – Coming soon
This webinar discusses the reason Cambridge uses admissions assessments, the different types of assessments students may take, how to prepare for these tests, and how we use students’ scores and written responses.
Interviews and Conclusion – Coming soon
This webinar discusses the format of Cambridge interviews, the types of questions students may get asked and how students’ answers are assessed by those interviewing them. Some example questions are shown. The session concludes the 2025/2026 You’ll Fit In webinar series.
The Residentials
The residentials will take place on April 7-9th & August 25th-27th 2026, and are free for all attendees. The College will also cover all travel costs for those attendees who are or have been in care, are refugees/asylum seekers or are currently eligible for Free School Meals. The various practical sessions on those days will enable the participants to:
- Experience life in a Cambridge College
- Find out more about the pastoral and financial support available
- Visit Faculties and Departments
- Experience lectures
- Meet current undergraduates from similar cultural backgrounds
- Participate in Q&As with student ambassadors from a range of backgrounds and with a range of subject interests
Applications are now closed for the 2025/26 programme.
Quotes from the 2024 and 2025 cohorts
“My room was fantastic! Overall, everyone has been so kind and easy to talk to, and I thought coming to this residential I would be out of place, but I’ve come to realise that I could never be out of place here.”
“Meeting with the ambassadors, speaking to them about their degree, and seeing how passionate they were, really inspired me.”
“It seemed daunting to even apply at first but this residential made me feel that I can get in and that I deserve a spot.”
“I have learnt that Cambridge considers applicants holistically; no one element is the be all and end all. I am now under the impression that Cambridge is definitely diverse and accepting of all identities and backgrounds.”
“I am so grateful to have been able to take part in the programme, meeting like-minded peers who are going through the same thing has been incredible.”