Securing a place to study, or 鈥榬ead鈥� English at Cambridge University is a challenging task. Extremely able candidates from around the world compete for a limited number of places, and it is essential to prepare for this competitive process effectively.
In the article below, 妻友社区 provide an overview of the best approach to take, some top tips, and even an inside view on the application process from a tutor who read English at Cambridge.
English at Cambridge: The Application Process
- Candidates must submit their UCAS form by mid-October. There is then a small additional questionnaire that Cambridge will email you.
- In late October or early November there is an admissions test (ELAT) that you will take at school.
- In mid-November you will need to submit a piece of written work, ideally a homework essay you have done for your English teacher at school.
- Candidates will hear whether they have been invited to interview in late November or early December.
- Interviews take place in the first three week of December.
- Candidates will be told whether they have been offered a place in January.
Tips for a great English personal statement
- Start writing separate paragraphs about your interests rather than trying to write the whole thing at once. You can then pick the best paragraphs for inclusion.
- In each paragraph, try to explain how you became interested in the topic, what you did to advance that interest (whether through reading, attending talks, listening to podcasts, writing essays), and then what new ideas, new conclusions, and new questions came from your investigations.
- Be precise and don鈥檛 generalise.
- Remember to describe your intellectual development: what insights you had and what you changed your mind about. Don鈥檛 just list things you鈥檝e read.
English at Cambridge interview format
The interview at Cambridge is like a 鈥榮upervision鈥�, the small group tutorials that the university is well-known for. It is a chance for the academics to see what it would be like to teach you and for you to share your ideas.
The interview will almost always be structured around an unseen text that the candidate is given before the interview. This is usually a literary text 鈥� such as a poem or an extract from a play or novel 鈥� but it could also be a piece of literary criticism or some piece of historical evidence related to an author, such as a letter or a diary entry.
The candidate will be interviewed by one or two academics who teach English at the college. They may also ask about your personal statement and the written work you have submitted.
Example interview question and answer for English at Cambridge
Question: 鈥淐harles Lamb claimed that Shakespeare鈥檚 plays are meant to be read, not performed. Do you agree?鈥�
Answer: 鈥淣o, I don鈥檛 agree with this. Shakespeare鈥檚 plays would lose something if they were never performed since they are, in some way, always about the theatre. For instance, in King Lear, there is an amazing scene when Edgar pretends to lead his blind father Gloucester to a clifftop. Gloucester wants to kill himself, by throwing himself off the edge. But Edgar only pretends that they are up a cliff when in reality they are on flat low ground. When Gloucester survives the 鈥渇all鈥�, Edgar can tell his father that a miracle has happened and reassure him that the gods are just. This scene plays with the way an audience uses their imagination when watching a piece of theatre. If we were just reading the play, we might lose this playful take on the expectations of staging and pretence.鈥�
What is it like studying English at Cambridge? 鈥� Interview with Keystone Tutor Andy
Prior to joining Keystone, Andy was an academic at Cambridge University (where he also graduated with a double first in English). He took a BA in English Literature at Jesus College (2004-2007) and a PhD in English Literature at Darwin College (2011-2014)
How long have you worked for Keystone?
Since 2015. Almost six years now.
What do you like most about working with Keystone?
I always like seeing students make breakthroughs. Whether that is a major jump in their grade in an exam or a new insight about a piece of literature or a newfound confidence in their abilities. Those lightbulb moments are the best part of my work.
How did you find the application process for Cambridge?
I found the process a natural extension of my love for literature and the arts. I approached it as just another way to channel my academic interests and have a project to work on. This helped it be less daunting. That said, no one in my immediate family had gone to university before, so I didn鈥檛 really know what to expect.
What preparation did you do in advance?
When I applied, there was no entrance exam. This meant that my focus was on my personal statement and on mock interviews. I spent quite a lot of Year 12 expanding my understanding beyond the syllabus. For instance, I took one author that I had studied at A Level and read most of his other novels and his biography so that I could demonstrate my capacity to sustain a research project. I went to hear talks by literary authors at festivals. I started reading some introductory works on literary criticism and I continued