Decisions
Decisions
Downing College’s approach to admissions is holistic, we take all factors into consideration before making our offers. All applicants are treated as individuals and places are awarded based on academic ability and potential.
All candidates will find out the result of their application on Wednesday 24th January. There are three possible outcomes: receiving an offer from Downing, receiving an offer from another College or unsuccessful in achieving an offer.
Please be aware that email communication is sent throughout the day, so you may not hear straight away.
- Offer holders at Downing
-
If you receive an offer from Downing, congratulations we are delighted to offer you a place to study with us. Your offer letter will outline the conditions of your offer. This may include getting particular grades in certain subjects. If you have any questions about your offer conditions, please contact admissions@dow.cam.ac.uk
- Offer holders at another College
-
If you receive an offer from another College, this means you were put into the winter pool. The winter pool is an opportunity for other Colleges to make offers to strong applicants who we believe will thrive at Cambridge, but their original College does not have capacity for. This process is designed to ensure that the most capable students receive offers at the University of Cambridge regardless of the College they apply to. It can be unexpected to receive an offer from a different College to the one you applied to. However, many candidates are pooled to another College, and this does not impact their experience at Cambridge.
You will receive further information from the College that has made you an offer.
This transition is final and there is no opportunity for you to come back to your original College choice.
- Unsuccessful Applicants
-
Unfortunately, the application process is very competitive, and we receive a lot of applications. Each year we turn away good applicants. We wish these candidates all the best for their future and thank them for their time and interest in Downing.
- Feedback
-
Downing College will provide feedback to all applicants who have been interviewed by the College but who have failed to secure an offer, either in the first instance from Downing College or subsequently from a pool College.
We provide feedback to the writer of the UCAS reference (usually a member of staff at your school/college); this is for two reasons:
1. The referee is well-placed to judge the best way to convey feedback so that it is received as a beneficial learning experience;
2. The provision of feedback to your school/college 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.
Feedback will be provided to your UCAS referee by the end of April 2025.
If you have left school at the time of applying, we will be in touch with you about this at the time the feedback is being sent out.