Your application

Downing welcomes talented and committed students, irrespective of their background, to apply to study with us. This is reflected in the cultural diversity of our whole community.  

Admission is strictly on academic achievement and potential. This means an ability to pass examinations and also a capacity to present arguments, think critically, communicate and work independently and in groups. Downing College follows the advice given by the University of Cambridge to applicants.

Our admissions process is holistic: no single part is viewed in isolation or weighted more than another. We consider each application on its own merits and in its own context.  

UCAS

All applicants must submit a UCAS application by 15 October (6pm UK time) via the UCAS website.   

When applying to Cambridge you will need to apply to a specific College or make an open application. To apply to Downing College please select Campus Code D in UCAS. If you would like to make an open application, please select Campus Code 9 and your application will be allocated to a College after the application deadline.

Personal Statements

Your personal statement gives you the chance to tell us:

  • why you're interested in the course you want to study and what excites you about it
  • about your academic interests
  • how you've explored your interests outside of school. For example, books you've read or podcasts you've listened to

Your personal statement must be no more than 4,000 characters and is sent to all five of your university choices.  

Please remember that interviewers will review your personal statement as part of the admissions process. Make sure you read through your personal statement before your interview and remind yourself of its contents. Your interviewers may or may not draw on your personal statement during your interview.  

In addition to your UCAS application, My Cambridge Application gives you the opportunity to submit a second personal statement. This should not repeat information but instead be used to expand or fill in gaps in your personal statement. This option is mainly used by those students applying to unique courses at the University of Cambridge to express what about this course attracted them. 

My Cambridge Application

After your UCAS application has been submitted, you will receive an email from the Cambridge Admissions Office within 48 hours with a link to complete My Cambridge Application. This must be submitted by 22 October (6pm UK time).

Extenuating Circumstances Form

The Extenuating Circumstances Form ensures that we have the information we require to fairly assess any applicant who has experienced personal or educational disadvantage. This form should only be used where an applicant's education has been significantly disrupted or disadvantaged through health or personal problems, disability or difficulties with schooling. Please see the University of Cambridge website for more information about what is typically considered to be an extenuating circumstance. 

The information provided on the form will provide a context against which the assessors can judge the academic record of applicants. It is also used to make appropriate arrangements if you are called for interview, as well as assessing applicants' performance at interview.

The deadline to submit the form is 22 October. More information here. 

If your circumstances change after you have submitted the form, of if there is additional supporting information you need to make the College Admissions Office aware of after the deadline, you can complete Downing College’s extenuating circumstance form and upload further information using the Downing College Candidate Portal. 

Downing College Candidate Portal

After you have completed your My Cambridge Application, you will receive an acknowledgment email from Downing College and access to the Downing College Candidate Portal. Please keep an eye on your inbox and regularly check your junk mail.

The Candidate Portal includes information about next steps and further resources, as well as an area to submit any further information (such as written work, and any disability, learning differences and/or long term illness you would like to disclose). Please do not attach any documents via email; they should be sent in via the portal.

The deadline to submit documents on the Candidate Portal is 7 November. 

Please note that if information is shared after 7 November, the College will do its utmost to consider information prior to interview, but any information received after the deadline will be considered as part of the post-interview decision-making.

It is at the candidate’s discretion whether to disclose extenuating circumstances, disability, learning differences and/or long term illness. However, if we are not advised about an applicant's information, such circumstances cannot later be used as grounds for a complaint about the application process. 

Written work

Submitting your written work

You will receive more information in your acknowledgement email on how to submit your written work. The deadline to submit is 7 November 2024.

All written work must be accompanied by the cover sheet. Download and print a separate cover sheet for each of your two pieces of written work. The cover sheets must then be completed by you and a school or college representative. The cover sheet and written work must be sent as one document. Download cover sheets here.

Essays

Applicants for these subjects will be asked to submit one piece of written work no more than 1,500 words:

  • Archaeology

Applicants for these subjects will be asked to submit two pieces of written work no more than 2,500 words each:

  • Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
  • Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
  • Classics
  • Education
  • English
  • History
  • History and Modern Languages
  • History and Politics
  • History of Art
  • Human, Social and Political Sciences
  • Land Economy
  • Linguistics
  • Modern and Medieval Languages
  • Philosophy
  • Theology

These are essays that you have written that have been marked and graded by your teacher, not specifically written for your application.  An excerpt from your Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is not suitable.

Both essays should be written in English, unless you are applying for Modern and Medieval Languages where one essay should be in the language you want to study.

In your essays we want to see how you build an argument, discuss your ideas and demonstrate your analytical and critical thinking.

If you wish, you may include a short post-script suggesting how you might add to or alter your essays in the light of more recent study and thought. One of these pieces of work might be used as the basis of discussion in at least one of your interviews.

Portfolios

Applicants for these subjects will be asked to submit a 6-page portfolio:

  • Architecture
  • Design

You will need to submit a PDF (6 A4 pages, and less than 15MB in size) of your own artwork prior to interview. The aim of a portfolio is to showcase your abilities on aspects relevant to architecture or design.

It is important that you do not over edit your portfolios so that you can show the full breadth of your skills and interests. Further guidance will be provided prior to interview.

In general, applicants may be expected to present the portfolio at interview and are usually given 5-10 minutes to do so in the first part of the interview.

Music applicants

Applicants to all Colleges are required to submit written work and musical material prior to interview. This will normally include one or two essays on the history or analysis of music; and one or two technical exercises (if studied) and/or your own compositions. Music applicants should follow the same guidance for submitting essays, as detailed above.