St John’s offers 32 different subjects for study at undergraduate level, and it’s worth considering the details and entry requirements of any courses you’re interested in before you begin your application.
The University offers helpful general guidance on choosing a course as well as an A-Z of courses where you can discover what Cambridge has to offer in the subjects that excite you most.
Undergraduate applications to St John’s are made online via UCAS
The application round closes in mid-October each year (including for applications for deferred entry), so be sure to check the University’s application dates and deadlines for the year in which you’re applying.
For most applicants, the deadline for 2026 entry (or deferred entry in 2027) will be 15 October 2025 (6pm UK time).
Bear in mind that you can only submit your application once your chosen referee has added your reference to it, so you’ll need to ensure your referee has time to do this before the deadline.
When applying to Cambridge you use a Campus Code to nominate your chosen College. St John's College’s Campus Code is X.
You’ll then be asked to supply extra information through My Cambridge Application, which ensures we receive complete and consistent information about all our applicants.
As part of the UCAS form, you’ll be asked to complete a personal statement. This is an opportunity to give specific information about yourself that you feel it’s important for us to know.
Your personal statement could include the reasons you want to study your chosen course, what motivates you, your hobbies and interests outside school, or your future aspirations.
If you’re invited to an interview at St John’s, our interviewers might use your personal statement as a basis for discussion. General advice on undergraduate personal statements is available from UCAS and the University also offers specific guidance on what Cambridge is looking for in a personal statement.
Once you’ve submitted your UCAS application you’ll receive an email asking you to complete an additional form called My Cambridge Application.
The form is an opportunity to expand on your UCAS personal statement as it enables you to include information specific to the course you’re applying for at Cambridge. There is no need to repeat Information from your UCAS personal statement on this form.
Some types of applications require you to submit additional materials or to meet slightly different deadlines from those outlined on this page.
Please read our further applicant information page
If any of the following circumstances apply to your application:
Applicants to some subjects are required to complete a written assessment as part of their Cambridge application.
A list of these subjects and the type of assessment they require can be found on the University website.
Note that some subjects require you to have already registered for certain assessments before submitting your application, so it’s important to read the information on the University website well in advance.
Some subjects require applicants to complete admission assessments after being invited to interview.
You do not need to register for these assessments in advance – we will contact you to let you know what you need to do, and there is no charge associated with taking a College assessment.
A list of subjects that require College assessments, and information on the format of each assessment, can be found on the University website
The following subjects have additional requirements for applicants:
Once we have received your application we will send you an email containing a link to the Applicant Additional Documentation Form where you can upload the work required for your subject.
Submitted written work should be essays or pieces of coursework you have produced in the course of your school work and marked by a teacher, not specially written for your application. If your work is not in English (excluding applications that include Modern Languages), you need to provide a translation (verified by your school or a suitable third party) along with the original document.
If your subject requires you to upload written work, please create a single, multi-page PDF file containing all the pages of your document. If asked for two essays, please submit these as separate files.
For each piece of submitted written work you need to submit a cover sheet, which you can download from the University website.
Applicants to Architecture and Design only are required to upload a portfolio (sample artwork). Your portfolio should be:
Portfolio submissions must be accompanied by a cover sheet which will be provided to you by the Admissions Office.
St John’s is committed to meeting the needs of all applicants during the application process, and will make appropriate adjustments and arrangements wherever possible and required for any applicants called to interview.
If you have a disability, a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, or difficulties associated with long-term illness, you will be asked to complete a Request for Adjustments form, which will be provided to you, and return this to us using the link to the Applicant Additional Documentation Form that will be emailed to you.
Applicants who have experienced particular personal, social or educational disadvantage should inform theCollege around the same time they submit their UCAS application.
Examples of extenuating circumstances, along with details of how to inform the College, can be found on the University website along with the deadline. Extenuating circumstances information is usually submitted by the applicant’s school/college.
Once you have submitted your application we will correspond with you by email using the address you provided in your UCAS application. Please ensure your email account is configured correctly so that emails from the University or St John’s are not rejected.
If you have any questions about your application, please email us. Please include in the subject line your name, UCAS Personal ID, and the subject you have applied for.
By applying to St John's College applicants give consent for their data to be processed in accordance with the University of Cambridge's guidelines on data protection.
Applicant information is retained by the College and University for as long as it remains relevant.
In the case of unsuccessful applications this normally means that personal information will be destroyed on the 1 September in the year following the application, and electronic files are anonymised and kept for research and statistical purposes.
Cambridge interviews need not be daunting. For information on what you can expect from the interview process atSt John’s and how you can prepare, read our detailed interviews guide
All applicants across the University will be informed of the outcome of their application via UCAS by the end of January following the application cycle.
Decisions on which candidates will receive an offer of a place are made on a holistic basis, combining performance in interviews, the school or college reference, actual and predicted exam results, and any other relevant factors concerning the application.
So far as possible, both intellectual achievement and potential are taken into consideration. Our aim is to choose students of high ability who have a keen interest in their subject and who are likely to benefit most from the unique opportunities in this field of education at Cambridge.
There are three possible outcomes of the application process:
Whatever happens, don’t let the fear of being unsuccessful put you off – we can’t offer you a place if you don’t apply!
Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office in the first instance to discuss your appeal or complaint and see if we can resolve any doubts or concerns about procedural errors or the way your application was treated.
If direct contact with the Undergraduate Admissions Office does not allay your concerns, please follow the procedures outlined on the University website.
The Undergraduate Admissions Tutor is able to provide subject specific feedback for unsuccessful applicants who have been interviewed by the College but have failed to secure an offer, either in the first instance from St John’s College or subsequently from a pool College.
Feedback will be sent to the writer of the UCAS reference, usually by the April following the application round.Applicants who have left school at the time of applying can receive feedback directly.
