Home

Gonville & Caius

Resources for prospective students

If you're thinking about going to university or curious about applying to Cambridge, take a look at some of our resources below! We have a section for all students and sections for particular year groups. Make sure to also check out our events and schemes; we'd love to meet you!

For all prospective students

  • Advice and guidance about applying to university:  If you're considering whether university might be the right choice for you, or you're wondering how to get started with a university application, check out some of the resources below:
    • Caius Schools social media: our TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram accounts are full of advice and guidance from members of the Caius outreach team, insights into student life, and interviews with academics
    • UCAS: where you make your university application, and where you can find courses and information about applying
    • Complete University Guide: information about making an application
    • Not Going to Uni: opportunities and options if you're not sure university is right for you
    • icould: a database of career ideas and information that can help you make choices about your future
  • Super-curricular activities and subject exploration: Strong applicants to Oxbridge and other competitive universities have often explored their chosen subject through wider reading and enrichment work outside of their school/college studies. We call these activities super-curricular activities. Here are some great places to find resources for super-curricular activities:
    • HE+: activities, resources, and reflective questions developed by the University of Cambridge
    • Staircase 12: resources and information developed by University College, Oxford
    • Gresham College Lectures: a collection of free-to-view university lectures
    • Isaac Physics: physics and maths problems developed by the University of Cambridge
    • I Want to Study Engineering: problems and resources for students interested in engineering
  • Finances and funding: Lots of prospective students have finances on their mind when applying to university. The following websites might help:
  • Care-experienced students: If you're care-experienced and/or a care leaver, you can find more information here:

For Year 13 / S6 / Year 14 NI

This is the year when most students officially begin the process of applying to university. You might have drawn up a list of universities you're considering applying to, and you'll probably have your desired course(s) in mind. The following resources might be helpful, and make sure to look at our "all students" section above:

You might also be interested in some of our events for year 13s, like our summer reading groups. Make sure to check out our events pages!

For Year 12 / S5 / Year 13 NI

This is the year when most students start preparing to apply to university. You'll probably start taking your final subjects (A Level, Advanced Highers, IB, etc.) and you may have a good idea of what you might be interested in studying at university. The following resources might be helpful, and make sure to look at our "all students" section above:

You might also be interested in some of our events for year 12s, like Caius 12, Subject Taster Evenings, and Caius Explore. Make sure to check out our events pages!

For Year 11 / S4 / Year 12 NI

This is the year when most students start to think about future options. You'll probably be sitting your GCSEs, National 5s, or equivalent. Now is the time to start deciding which subjects you'll choose to study next year, and to consider whether university might be right for you. The following resources might be helpful, and make sure to look at our "all students" section above:

  • Help You Choose: designed for students in Norfolk but accessible to anyone, this website gives you advice and guidance about post-16 choices
  • UCAS' guide on choosing your university course: course choice is the most important part of any university application, and it's good to start as early as possible
  • icould: a database of career ideas and information that can help you make choices about your future
  • Not Going to Uni: if you're not sure about university, this site will help you research other options
  • Super-curricular resources listed above: develop your subject interests and start the process of choosing a course

You might also be interested in some of our events for year 11s, like Eleven-Up. Make sure to check out our events pages!

For Year 10 / S3 / Year 11 NI and below

It's never too early to start thinking about post-16 and post-18 options. You might be preparing for your GCSEs or equivalent, and you'll probably have a good idea about which subjects you enjoy and which you don't. The following resources might be helpful, and make sure to look at our "all students" section above:

  • Help You Choose: designed for students in Norfolk but accessible to anyone, this website gives you advice and guidance about choices in year 8/9 and beyond
  • icould: a database of career ideas and information that can help you make choices about your future
  • BBC Bitesize: extension and support with school work

You might also be interested in some of our events for year 9s and 10s, like Caius 9&10. Make sure to check out our events pages!