Dos and Don’ts of Choosing a College

Alexandra Lyons
Discover Land Economy
4 min readJun 26, 2018

Decisions, decisions, decisions…

Hopefully, after reading “What is a Cambridge college?” and maybe a bit of your own research, you have some idea of what you’re getting in to with your college choice. Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to make your college choice.

DON’T look for the “best” college.

I’ll save you time — there isn’t one. And you can trust my opinion on the matter because I don’t actually belong to a college, so I am completely unbiased. You could find the oldest college, or the biggest, or the one with the most undergrads, or the one where Stephen Fry went, but because different people look for different things, there just is no “best” college.

DO make it personal.

This choice is all about your future Cambridge home. Before you browse the college websites, make a list of what you want — a huge college, with tons of events, clubs, and socials? Or a smaller community, where you will get to know everyone within weeks? Maybe something close to where your classes will be because you’re not a morning person, and don’t want to rush to class, or something in the centre of town because you’re not sure you want to get a bike.

Every college is a little bit different in size, location, types of accommodation available, and other things like which college-level societies they have or what sport facilities are available. There are also a few all-female colleges (Lucy Cavendish, Newnham, & Murray Edwards), and a few that are specifically for older students (Lucy Cavendish again, St Edmund’s, Wolfson & Hughes).

Do a bit of digging, and focus on finding a college community that you want to call “home” when you get to Cambridge.

DON’T agonize over admissions statistics.

Yes, it’s true, there is a wealth of information out there about which colleges take how many students for Land Economy each year, and how many applicants each college has, and what they ate for breakfast before their interviews… maybe not that last one, but there’s enough information to send you batty!

The truth is, the college you apply to doesn’t affect your chances of getting in.

I know, you read that just now and you don’t believe it. But it’s true. You can get the gritty details about Cambridge’s Pool system on their website.

DO visit, if you can.

This is for you, not for us — if you’re not able to come and visit Cambridge, we don’t take that as any kind of “sign” that you’re not committed. We take it as a sign that you live far away, or you’re a busy student, or train tickets are expensive. In other words, we don’t pay any attention.

But for your sake, a visit to Cambridge might help you get a better idea of which college feels like the right fit. Many colleges have their own open days and events throughout the year, which can also be a great way to get to know them.

DON’T worry about your college choice affecting your academic life.

No matter what college you’re a part of, every Land Economy student attends the same lectures, takes the same exams, has access to the same books & computing resources, and ultimately receives the same degree. Yes, the academic members of staff at the Department are affiliated with colleges, but if you have a question that can only be answered by a lecturer from another college, they aren’t going to leave you high & dry.

DO choose a college that offers your chosen course.

Most colleges at Cambridge offer most undergraduate courses, but there are a few exceptions.

If you’re applying for Land Economy, remember that Churchill, Corpus Christi, Emmanuel, King’s and Peterhouse don’t offer Land Economy. For other courses, be sure to check the University’s website.

Still lost?

You can find more information about how to choose your college, including contact information for the various colleges, on the University's website.

If you’re still unsure which college you would prefer, try checking out the Alternative Prospectus, a guide written for students, by students. You can also try checking out the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts of individual colleges.

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Alexandra Lyons
Discover Land Economy

Previously the Schools Liaison Co-ordinator for the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge (2015–2019)