2025 Offer Holders

This page contains important information about key dates and deadlines for offer holders. Please make sure to read through the information carefully and to regularly check your emails for important updates. We have also included links to other useful webpages on the sidebar.

Required Actions

Please see below a summary of required actions for offer holders. More details will be sent by email.

• Return health questionnaire - 28 March 2025 (Medicine & Veterinary Medicine Offer holders only)
• Return immunisation form - 28 March 2025 (Medicine Offer Holders only)
• Submit passport scan - 31 March 2025 (All offer holders)
• Submit copies of achieved grades - 31 March 2025 (All offer holders)
• Return completed Financial Guarantee Form - 1 June 2025 (All International Offer Holders)
• Return completed Financial Declaration Form - 1 July 2025 (All UK Offer Holders)
• Send proof of English Language Test - 31 July 2025 (International Offer Holders with a TOEFL/IELTS English Language condition)
• Apply for DBS check - As soon as possible (Medicine Offer Holders only)
• Register with Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre - As soon as possible (All offer holders that have a disability and would like to register)

Updated February 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

We have included some answers to commonly asked questions from offer holders below.

Accommodation FAQ

How do I apply for accommodation?

Accommodation is guaranteed for all first-year students in College, there is no need to apply separately for accommodation. Students are required to live in College throughout their degree.

How will rooms be allocated?

Once your place is confirmed in August, you will be sent a form to fill in regarding your accommodation preferences. The Accommodation Team will do their best to allocate you a room to your preferences, or as close to your preferred band as possible.

Do you have ensuite rooms available?

We have a limited number of ensuite rooms available for first year students. Priority for ensuite rooms will be given to students with a disability or requirement for an ensuite room.

I have specific accommodation requirements – how do I apply for this?

If you have a disability, please ensure that you have signed up with the Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre and mention what disability accommodations you require. https://www.disability.admin.cam.ac.uk/tell-us-about-your-disability. If you have specific questions regarding accessible accommodation, please get in touch.

I have another question about accommodation not answered above 

If you have other questions regarding accommodation, please see more information about accommodation on our website here: https://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/life-sidney/where-you-live/undergraduate-accommodation or get in touch with us. The accommodation handbook can be viewed here:  https://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Accommodation%20handbook%20202425.pdf

Other Questions

Can I come and visit Sidney Sussex?

Yes! Offer holders are welcome to visit the College at any time. Please get in touch with  if you intend to visit. If you give us advance warning and you visit on a weekday, we can try and organise a current student to do a tour of the College for you. When you arrive, please report to the Porter's lodge and let them know you are an offer holder. admissions@sid.cam.ac.uk

The University Open Days are taking place on the 10th & 11th of July 2025. If you would like to visit during the Open Days, we will have regular tours of College as well as students and director's of studies to speak to. Please visit the Open Day webpage for more information

Will Sidney Sussex be hosting an Offer Holder Day?

Yes! We will be holding an offer holder Open Day on Sunday the 13th of April. We will be sending out more information about this to all offer holders soon.

I can't attend the Offer Holder Day - what do I do?

As mentioned above, you are welcome to visit the College at another time. Please get in touch if you would like to visit. If you cannot visit Cambridge at all, we will be hosting an online offer holder webinar for students to ask questions with the Admissions team and current students. More information will be sent out about this soon.

Important Dates

We have included a timeline of important dates below. Please read through these carefully and make a note of important deadlines that apply to you.

31 March 2025: Deadline to submit certificates and passport

Deadline for submitting certificates for any already completed examinations, such as GCSEs, AS levels, Scottish Highers, and A-levels or IB, if you have already completed these. Please make sure you have scans of all your certificates scanned and combined in one PDF file and submit them via our document submission form sent by email.

You do not need to send certificates for Music Awards (unless you applied for Music), DoE awards, etc. 

Please keep hold of the original copies of your certificates, as you will be asked to bring these with you to University when you arrive for Fresher's week.

You will also be asked to submit a scan of your passport in this survey, so please have this ready in a separate PDF. 

March 2025: applications for student finance in the UK are expected to open 

We encourage Offer Holders who are eligible to make applications to student finance as soon as possible. 

Please note that when you apply you must enter your campus as Sidney Sussex College - University of Cambridge. If you enter your campus as just University of Cambridge, your application for student finance may not be processed correctly.

15 April 2025: deadline for VISA information

Applicants who this applies to have will be contacted with further instructions. If you have any questions about student VISAs, there’s lots of guidance on the International Students website, and the International Student Office will also run guidance webinars in June and July (details will be sent closer to the time). You can also access the International Student Office’s free, confidential visa advice service.

1 June 2025: deadline for Financial Guarantee form (overseas offer-holders only)

As a condition of their offer, all offer-holders with overseas fee status must complete our financial guarantee form, and provide evidence for their sources of funds. This form is accessible by clicking the link in our document submission form. You can then return to the document submission form when you are ready to submit your completed Financial Guarantee. These forms will then be reviewed and we will contact you if we have any questions or concerns. 

If you think you may experience any difficulties completing this form by the deadline, please make sure you contact us and we can work with you to resolve this. 

5 June 2025: deadline for replying to your offer on UCAS

If you receive your last University decision on UCAS on or before 16 May 2024, your reply date is 6 June 2024. Please make sure you select a firm and insurance choice by this deadline.

1 July 2025: Financial Declaration deadline (home offer-holders only)

Home offer-holders should submit a financial declaration. This form is accessible by clicking the link in our document submission form. You can then return to the document submission form when you are ready to submit your completed Financial Declaration.

Please have your student finance letter ready, and include it in the PDF with the declaration. 

14 August 2025: A level results day

A level results are published to students. Please see below for more information about meeting your offer conditions.

31 August 2025: deadline for meeting all offer conditions

This includes any English language, DBS or financial conditions if applicable. Please see below for information about sending us your results.

27 September 2025: Fresher's arrival day

At Sidney, we organise a mandatory introductory week known as 'prep week'. This year, this will take place from Monday the 29th of September to Friday the 3rd of October. This week will familiarise you will the city of Cambridge, the College and the pastoral and academic support available. There will also be academic skills courses. 

All freshers will be expected to move in on Saturday the 27th of September 2025. 

Subject-Specific Deadlines

Classics (and MML with ab initio Classical Greek)

Students who do not or will not have A-level Greek or equivalent when they begin their Cambridge course are required to undertake 30 hours of tuition in Greek before arriving in Cambridge. In order to attain the required tuition, students are normally expected to attend the JACT Greek Summer School at Bryanston School (Sunday 28th July to Saturday 10th August 2024). Details of the course can be found at: https://www.greeksummerschool.org   

The Faculty of Classics makes funding available to ensure that all those eligible will receive generous bursaries from the JACT Summer School to cover all or part of the costs.  

If for unavoidable reasons you are not able to attend the JACT summer school, please a) try to make alternative arrangements, and b) contact Dr Rosanna Omitowoju (rso20@cam.ac.uk) to check that any alternative arrangements are suitable and for help or advice in facilitating them. 

Classics 4 Year Course

As a Four Year Course candidate you will be required to attend a summer course in Cambridge running for the first two weeks of September. Please keep 1 – 14 September 2024 free in your summer planning. The tuition, course materials, accommodation and most meals will be free of cost to you. You will be given further details of this course after the confirmation of your place after results in August. If for any reason (e.g. serious travel or visa issues) you foresee that you would not be able to attend this course then please contact the course director, Dr Charlie Weiss at cw322@cam.ac.uk. 

Medicine

Please ensure you return your completed Health Assessment Form and Immunisation Record Form to Occupational Health by the 27th of March 2025.

You will be contacted directly by Student Registry with details of your DBS check. This must be completed by the 31st of August 2025. 

Veterinary Medicine

Please ensure you return your completed Health Assessment Form to Occupational Health by the 27th of March 2025.

Mathematics

Your registered test centre (usually your school/college) must register you to take STEP by the date specified on the OCR website.

This webpage also has more information about registering for STEP.  Please ensure you check with your school/college if they are a registered test centre well ahead of the deadline. If your school/college is not a registered test centre, then they can either apply to become, or you can take the exam at another test centre local to you.

You can find key dates for STEP (including when the examinations will be held) online.

Receiving results of your qualifications

There are a number of qualifications for which we receive the results directly. There are a number of other qualifications, however, for which the results are not automatically communicated to us. In this instance, it is essential that you inform us of the results as soon as possible, including the official certificates once you receive them. There is more information about these qualifications below.

Exams results we do receive

• AS and A-levels (including EPQs)
• Cambridge International AS and A-level, including Singapore H1, H2 and H3
• Cambridge Pre-U
• International Baccalaureate
• SQA Highers and Advanced Highers
• Welsh Baccalaureate
• Access to HE

Exam results we do not receive

• The vast majority of European qualifications (e.g. the German Abitur, the French Baccalaureate, the Romanian Baccalaureate etc.)
• English language results, including IELTS
• Advanced Placement Tests (APs) and SATs
• Canadian Diplomas
• Hong Kong Diploma
• Indian school leaving certificates
• Australian secondary school certificates
• Degree results

If you are in any doubt, then please ensure you contact us as early as possible.