Thank you for applying to Sidney Sussex College in 2025. This web page contains a lot of important information and advice for the next stages in the application process.

Communication Information

All information will be sent out by email, but we are also including it on our website for applicants to easily refer to. Please make sure that the admissions email address (admissions@sid.cam.ac.uk) is added to your 'safe senders' list and remember to alter your email address with UCAS if your email address changes.

If you email the Admissions Office with questions, please include your full name, subject and UCAS Personal ID.

Please note that we can only communicate directly with the applicant, unless we have consent from the applicant in writing that they consent to us communicating with a third party on their behalf.

Important Forms 

We have compiled information about important forms and deadlines here for your information. The links to complete these forms will be sent to you by email.

My Cambridge Application

You should have been sent a link to complete the My Cambridge Application Form (MyCApp). You can find useful information to help you complete it here: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/cambridge-application

The deadline for this form is the 22nd of October, 2025 (6pm UK time). We will not be able to accept any late applications. 

Extenuating Circumstances Form 

If you have experienced education or personal disruption, you may wish to submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form (ECF) alongside your application. The ECF helps Admissions Tutors by providing context against which they can judge the academic record of an applicant and useful information in assessing an applicant’s performance at interview.

Guidance about submitting an ECF can be found at: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/our-decision/extenuating-circumstances-form

The deadline for submitting this form is the 22nd of October, 2025 (6pm UK time).

Written Work/Portfolio

Applicants in certain subjects will be asked to submit some written work or a portfolio of work alongside their application. We will contact these applicants directly with further information about how to submit the required documents. Please see our website to see if your subject will require written work: https://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/writtenwork

The deadline for submitting written work will be the 5th of November 2025, 6pm (UK time).

Adjustments/Allowances at interview 

We wish to ensure that, wherever possible, we can make any appropriate adjustments/allowances if you are invited for interview, and that your interviewers are aware of any information you have provided which may be relevant in the context of the interview.

We will be sending out a form separately to all applicants to fill in regarding any adjustments at interview they may require.

Please note that we welcome disability disclosure from any students who have a disability, long term health condition or neurodivergence, even if you do not normally identify as disabled.

The deadline for submitting this form will be the 5th of November 2025, 6pm (UK time).

Admissions assessments

Applicants who are required to sit a pre-registration required assessment will have already registered to take the assessment.

Applicants who are required to sit a Cambridge College registered assessment are not required to take any action at this stage, and will be registered automatically if invited to interview. The assessments will take place between the 18 – 20 November 2025 and details will be communicated with you. You can learn more about how to prepare on the University of Cambridge website. These assessments will take place online for all students.

Interview Information for 2025

Sidney's undergraduate interviews in December 2025 will take place both online and in-person. Candidates who are ordinarily resident in the UK will be expected to attend interviews in-person at the College. Candidates who reside outside the UK will be offered an online interview.

Most of our interviews will take place between Monday 8th and Friday 19th December, 2025. A small number of interviews may take place between 1st and 5th of December. Applicants are asked to ensure they are available for interview at any point between the 1st and 19th of December, 2025.

Most applicants will have either one or two interviews; if you have two interviews, these will usually be on the same day. In a small minority of cases, your interviews may be on two different days. If any applicant is invited to in-person interviews on consecutive days, we will offer accommodation in the College on the night between your interviews.

All candidates interviewed in person will be offered complimentary lunch in the College canteen.

Please see our webpage here for more information about interviews at Sidney Sussex and here for more general information about Cambridge interviews. We have also included an FAQ with answers to commonly asked questions below.  

Pre-Interview Reading 

In some subjects, we will ask interviewees to review some material before their interview. If this applies to you, we will tell you in your invitation to interview. If your interview is in person, your reading will be in a dedicated reading room. For candidates interviewing online, we will send your reading material by email.

If you require any extra time for assessments, please make this clear in your adjustment at interview form, which must be submitted by the deadline given in the email. We will review all requests for extra time individually. 

Requesting Accommodation

If you’re invited to interview and cannot reasonably travel to and from Cambridge in one day, we will provide one night’s bed and breakfast accommodation in the College, free of charge. We will normally only provide accommodation in the College to the applicant and not to any supporters. You will be sent a form to request accommodation during the application process, which we will consider on a case-by-case basis. 

Travelling to Sidney Sussex

Please see our website for information on how to get to Sidney Sussex: https://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/about-sidney/visiting-sidney

Please note that we cannot provide parking in College for applicants, except as a reasonable adjustment. If this applies to you, you will need to let us know at least a week before your interview.

Travel Reimbursement 

Sidney Sussex is committed to widening participation and ensuring that cost is not a barrier to applicants attending their interviews. We will reimburse travel costs for all UK-based interviewees attending an in-person interview who have been eligible for Free School Meals or Pupil Premium in the last 6 years. 

 

Interview Frequently Asked Questions

When will I find out if I have been invited to interview?

We aim to give all candidates at least two weeks’ notice of the interview date, and in all cases will let you know as soon as possible. We aim to send invites to interview from mid November onwards. All applicants will be informed by email if they have/have not been selected for interview.

If I am invited to interview, when will I find out the outcome of my application?

Candidates will be informed by email of the outcome of your application in January 2026. Please see more information about the decision process on the University website: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/after/application-outcomes