Accessibility and disability

Photo of Tree Court in Gonville & Caius College. Photo credit: A Lazarus.

Many applicants to Gonville & Caius may need individualised consideration of the support they may require to successfully apply to the College. These include:

  • Applicants with a disability
  • Applicants with a neurodiverse condition
  • Applicants with a long-term or chronic illness
  • Applicants experiencing a short-term injury or illness during the application process, especially around the interview

We encourage you to declare any of these conditions, or any other that may affect your ability to participate in the admission process. This will not impact your chances of being offered a place at the College. The more information you provide about your individual needs, the more help we can offer. The Admissions Team can offer support by ensuring your safety in the college, your ability to access your interviews, and by accommodating requirements for adjustments such as extra time during your admissions assessment or interview.

Declaring a disability

During the online UCAS and Cambridge application process there are opportunities to declare any disability or other condition you have. If you have declared a disability on your UCAS application, we will be in touch with you directly to discuss any adjustments or allowances we may need to make at interview. If you require adjustments/allowances for admissions assessments or interviews, we will ask you to provide us with documentation in support of this request. In most cases this is a letter from your school confirming that you receive these adjustments in external exams (such as A Levels), but it can also be a letter from a medical professional, social worker, or other professional who has worked closely with you regarding your disability.

If you have any questions about this process - for example, if you feel that your situation does not 'fit' one of the categories offered, or that the categories were too generic - please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@cai.cam.ac.uk

Extenuating Circumstances Form

If you have experienced any particular disadvantage during your studies, such as serious ill health or a family bereavement, an Extenuating Circumstances Form (ECF) can be completed by a teacher/doctor/social worker to provide further details, in confidence. This is a University-wide initiative designed to ensure that all Colleges have the information they require in order to accurately assess applicants who have experienced particular personal or educational disadvantage.

Please do not use this form for COVID-19-related educational disruption. 

Useful links