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Are you interested in studying at the University of Cambridge? Do you support students who are interested in applying? Why not sign up to our mailing list to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the great opportunities coming up.

If you are a teacher or potential applicant, you can sign up to receive updates on upcoming opportunities available at Downing College and across the University of Cambridge. This includes a range of events and resources to help students considering applying to the University of Cambridge. To receive updates please sign up to our mailing list via the student or teacher form below. You are able to unsubscribe at any time.

How to contact us

We are always happy to hear from anyone interested in applying to study at Downing College. Whether you are exploring study options, supporting someone who is, or just curious to learn more, feel free to get in touch. If you cannot find information on Downing’s website or the University of Cambridge’s, we are here to provide information, guidance, and support every step of the way.

Please feel free to contact our two School and College Liaison Officers Rubie McDermott and Ellen Withington at access@dow.cam.ac.uk or call them on 01223 334830. You can also contact Sarah Westwood, our Admissions Officer at admissions@dow.cam.ac.uk or call her on 01223 334826.

Downing SCLOs Q&A

Rubie McDermott and Ellen Withington took over the roles of School and College Liaison Officers (SCLOs) in July 2024. Both recent graduates, they bring their own experiences and passions to their roles, aiming to make Higher Education more accessible to students from all backgrounds.

You’re both recent graduates of the University. Can you tell us a bit about your time at Cambridge?

Rubie: I studied at Sidney Sussex College for four years, where I read History and completed an MSci in the History and Philosophy of Science. I really enjoyed my time at Cambridge, taking part in competitive dance, student journalism and radio.

Ellen: I studied History of Art at Downing and got my BA degree this summer. I loved being a part of the History of Art department. I spent a lot of time getting involved with Cambridge’s museums including the Fitzwilliam Museum and Downing’s own Heong Gallery. I was also active in the Cambridge Union and became a connoisseur of the brunches Cambridge Colleges had to offer.

What is the role of a School and College Liaison Officer?

Rubie: In broad terms, the role of SCLO involves working alongside the Admissions Team to attract the widest possible field of undergraduate applications, especially focusing on groups that are under-represented in Higher Education. We work with students to widen their aspirations and host a variety of Widening Participation schemes throughout the year, primarily aimed at encouraging students to consider Downing College as a Higher Education destination.

What about the role appealed to you?

Ellen: Throughout my three years at Downing, I was a student ambassador and worked closely with the then SCLO. For me, it was one of the highlights of my time at Cambridge to work for the College and see the impact of the outreach work I had been a part of. I also distinctly remember my school in Sheffield being visited by an SCLO and seeing the direct results of that talk. I am also very passionate about making History of Art an accessible subject.

Rubie: I didn’t consider applying to Cambridge at all until Queens’ College visited my school in Bradford back in 2019. Therefore, I understood firsthand the importance of SCLO work in raising aspirations to Higher Education and wanted to get involved myself. I’d been a student ambassador for Sidney Sussex for a long time, and so applying for this role felt like a natural progression into the kind of work that I felt so strongly about.

What takes place on a typical visit to schools/colleges?

Rubie: We normally work with secondary schools and sixth forms, so the students can range from Year 7 through to Year 13. For Key Stage 3, we conduct talks that are very general introductions to Cambridge University and Higher Education. The goal is to engage the students in thinking about their future goals early on.

For older year groups, we encourage them to start thinking about their A-Level options and advise on what the application process to Cambridge looks like, and how best to prepare. With Year 12 and 13, this can be even more focused to include dedicated workshops on preparing a personal statement, or interview advice. Recently, we’ve found that students not only want to hear about the academic side of university, but love hearing about the extracurricular opportunities that Higher Education institutions can offer!

Can you tell us about the events/residentials/workshops you host at College?

Ellen: We run various kinds of events throughout the year. They all have slightly different focuses and appeal to a variety of groups but overarchingly work towards our goal to help raise attainment for students from WP backgrounds. We run residentials during the summer, like STEM smart, that are long engagement programmes to help raise attainment and aspiration but also directly correlate (we hope) into Cambridge admissions. We also run visit days which are smaller and focused on one day of experiencing Cambridge. These can be with schools to introduce them to the University and the college system. We also work with charities such as Naz Legacy or the Brilliant Club where we host them and facilitate their programmes. We run webinars and workshops throughout the year to build skills and introduce school children to the process of applying to Cambridge. Currently, we are also working towards developing our own long-term scholars' programme to support students from Year 10 all the way to the end of sixth form.

What are the goals of the Widening Participation programme?

Rubie: Widening Participation is extremely important in challenging the educational barriers that many students face when considering their Higher Education destinations. There are many talented students who feel they are not the right ‘fit’ for selective universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, due to preconceptions about Higher Education. The goal of Widening Participation therefore, is to provide information, mentorship and guidance in order to widen access to students from a variety of backgrounds.

What do you like about Downing?

Rubie: The grounds of the college are really beautiful – but I also love the food here!

Ellen: As Rubie said, the grounds and the food are top tier. But also the staff, everyone here is so lovely and it is such a nice environment to work in.