Year 12 Visit Day 2015

Year 12 Visit Day 2015
We are writing from Pembroke College (University of Cambridge) to inform you of a further opportunity for
Year 12 (S5) students to visit us at Pembroke College and to learn more about the University of Cambridge.
We wrote to you recently with details of the Pembroke College Year 12 Masterclasses which are taking place
during the school Easter holidays. These Masterclasses offer an insight into University for those interested in
studying Law, Economics, Degrees which use Mathematics, Philosophy and Theology and History. We are
also running a Visit Day for those students who are interested in studying a subject that is not covered by
our Masterclasses.
The Pembroke College Visit Day will take place on Tuesday 17th March, 2015. Accommodation (free of
charge) is available the night before the event to those students who would otherwise be unable to attend
due to journey time. The Visit Day provides the opportunity for students to discover more about the
University of Cambridge, how the application process works and what it is like to be a student at the
University. The programme for the event can be found below.
Pembroke College (Cambridge)
Year 12 Visit Day
9.00- 9.30 am
Arrival at Pembroke College Porters’ Lodge, Trumpington Street
9.30 am
Welcome and refreshments
9.45 am
Introduction to the University of Cambridge*
10.15 am
Student Life Workshop**
11.00 am
Interview and Personal Statement Workshop Part One
11.30 am
Tour of Pembroke College
Led by current Pembroke students
12.00 pm
Lunch in Pembroke College Dining Hall
12.45 pm
Making a competitive application to the University of Cambridge***
Dr Caroline Burt, Pembroke College Admissions Tutor
1.30 pm
Break
1.40 pm
Interview and Personal Statement Workshop Part Two
2.15 pm
Final Q&A followed by Plenary and Evaluation
2.30 pm
Departure from Pembroke College
* Introduction to the University of Cambridge covers the way Cambridge works, choosing a degree course and careers
with a Cambridge degree.
**Student Life Workshop includes a discussion of the academic and social life at Cambridge, student finance and a chance
to talk to current Pembroke students.
*** Making a Competitive Application covers the application process, the assessment of applications and what
Admissions Tutors are looking for.
We are looking for Year 12 (S5) students from state schools whom you think are likely to secure excellent A
Level, International Baccalaureate or Higher and Advanced Higher Grades and who have an interest in
pursuing an academic degree course at (Oxford or) Cambridge. We would encourage you to use this as an
opportunity to nominate students whom you feel should realistically be thinking about applying to (Oxford
or) Cambridge.
What are the costs?
The Visit Day is free of charge. Lunch and refreshments will be provided and we can offer free
accommodation the night before the Visit Day for students who would otherwise be unable to attend due to
journey time.
Accommodation is limited, so we ask that applications only request it if they will be unable to make the
journey to Cambridge and back in one day. Participants are responsible for their own travel cost to and from
Cambridge. If this would prevent a participant’s attendance, we may be able to help with travel costs in
extreme circumstances, and will assess this on a case-by-case basis.
How do students apply?
1) Member(s) of school staff to identify suitable nominee(s). Schools can nominate up to three students
for the event.
2) The nominating member of staff should print and fill in a copy of the nomination form (attached to your
email) for each student they wish to nominate. Staff name and contact details must be provided on this
form.
3) A completed nomination form should then be handed to each nominated student, not returned to
Pembroke College.
4) Each nominated student can then apply for the Visit Day, via the weblink which appears on the
nomination form. The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 17th February 2015.
How will applicants be selected?
Please see the next page of this document for an outline of how places will be allocated. As you will see,
allocations work in effect as a lottery and places will be distributed as evenly across schools as is possible.
Please note that participants must be aged 16 or over on the day of the Visit Day to attend (or the day
before if awarded overnight accommodation the night before the event). The outcome of the applications
will be emailed to the individual students.
Any queries about the Year 12 Visit Day should be directed to Emma Paulus, Schools Liaison Officer, by email
on slo@pem.cam.ac.uk or by telephone on 01223 338132.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 17th February 2015
With best wishes,
Dr Caroline Burt
Admissions Tutor
Emma Paulus
Schools Liaison Officer
01223 338132
slo@pem.cam.ac.uk
Year 12 Visit Day 2015
Place allocation:

Once the closing date has passed (12 noon on Tuesday 17th February 2015), a list of all schools to
have sent applicants will be made.

This list will be sorted at random.

An applicant from the first school on the list will be selected at random from that school’s
nominations.

An applicant from the second school on the list will be selected at random from that school’s
nominations.

This process will continue with the first, fourth school etc. until the event is full, or the bottom of the
list of schools is reached, whichever event occurs soonest.

Should the last school on the list be reached before the event is full, the process will start again at
the top of the list of schools, and continue until the event fills.

Should any applicants choose not to accept their place, or subsequently drop out, they will be
replaced by another remaining applicant from their school, chosen at random.

If a school’s participant drops out and that school has no further applicants, the vacant place will be
awarded to the next school on the list. Schools may not nominate new applicants after the closing
date.

We reserve the right not to replace participants who drop out at very short notice.
Notes:
 This process thus works in effect as a lottery, but with places distributed as evenly across schools as
is possible.

Whilst there is no incentive for schools or individuals to race against one another to apply, late or
incomplete applications may not be accepted.

There will be 50 spaces available in total on this event.