Sarah Holt of University of Cambridge answers your questions (October 10, 3pm)

UCAS applications must be submitted by 15 October 2008 (ie Wednesday next week!) for entry in 2009 (or deferred entry in 2010) and there’s lots of information and guidance about how to apply at www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/

The reason our applications process (as at Oxford) starts earlier than other universities is so we have time to assess all applicants equally and fairly.  A key element of this is that we interview every realistic applicant (around 90 per cent of applicants at Cambridge), which means organising over 20,000 interviews.

If you’re going to be applying as a mature student, though (ie you’ll be 21 or over by 1 October in the year you hope to start at Cambridge) have a look at www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/mature/ as your deadline dates might be slightly different.

Yep, not long to go now! 

The 15 October deadline applies to all of our undergraduate courses starting in 2009 or 2010, for those applying for deferred entry.  There’s a list of the courses we offer at www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/

Apart from the UCAS application fee, if you go to school in the UK or EU you don’t have to pay to apply here. 

If you’re attending a school/college outside the EU, in addition to your UCAS application you'll also need to complete and return the Cambridge Overseas Application Form (COAF) and application fee of £45.  There’s more information about applying from outside the EU at www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international/

No.  For courses starting in 2009, our tuition fees will be £3,225 per year for all courses (for UK and EU students), the same as for almost every other university in the country.

Tuition fees are different for students from outside the EU, though, but this is explained on our website at the link above. 

We’ve got lots of information on our website at www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/ and in a booklet called Cambridge Bursaries and Costs: the facts, that you can download from the website or request from any of the College admissions offices or us at Cambridge Admissions Office.

The cost of going to university is naturally a worry for a lot of people but we have one of the most extensive bursary schemes in the country because we’re determined that no UK student be put off from applying to Cambridge because of financial considerations.  We also don’t want any students to leave early because of financial difficulties so do look into the financial support we can offer.

Thanks for the links

How important are grades in applications to the University of Cambridge?

No problem and hold tight, there's more to come! 

In answer to the question, I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise but grades are important - we’re looking for the best, most able students who can most benefit from what we provide.  The typical A level offer is three A grades and anyone studying for different qualifications can find out what a typical offer for them might be at www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/requirements/

It’s not just about having done well in exams, though.  As well as academic record, the school/college reference, personal statement, any submitted work and/or test results (where required) and performance at interview are all taken into account and carefully considered.

A lot of time is spent assessing every applicant individually using all information available to us and, as such, we are able to make allowances for special circumstances.  For example, we have the Cambridge Special Access Scheme (CSAS) for UK and EU students.   If no-one from your family and very few people from your school/college have gone on to do a degree, or if your schooling has been disadvantaged for certain reasons, this scheme could help.  All the details are on our website (www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/forms/csas.pdf ) or give us a ring if you want to know more.