Feedback on admissions decisions
All enquiries about admissions decisions are dealt with on an individual basis between applicants (or their school/college) and the appropriate Cambridge College. All Colleges provide, on request, feedback on unsuccessful applicants to the author of the school/college reference (the referee) or the Head or Principal of the school/college, provided that the applicant has given permission under the Data Protection Act.
Please note that an applicant's parent or guardian may only request feedback/initiate a complaint if the request/complaint is accompanied by a signed statement from the applicant authorising the parent or guardian to act on their behalf.
Review of an admissions decision
Please note that an admissions decision taken by a Cambridge College will not normally be reviewed unless it appears, after investigation, that a serious procedural error has occurred.
The re-grading of results
In agreement with UCAS regulations, conditional offers are confirmed or not confirmed on the basis of examination results known by 31 August for both entry in October of the same year and, in the case of deferred applicants, for entry in October of the following year.
In the case where a conditional offer is not confirmed, but a subsequent re-marking or re-grading of one or more examination scripts after 31 August results in a re-grading sufficient to fulfil the conditions of the offer, the College will discuss with the applicant how best to proceed. Factors to be considered will include the availability of accommodation at the College and the timing of the re-grading relative to the start of the academic year. If the confirmation of a direct entry place is no longer practicable, it may be appropriate for a deferred offer to be confirmed at this stage.
Complaints Procedure
| Complaints Procedure Summary |
|---|
| Step 1: Obtain feedback on admissions decision and/or clarification about admissions process from the College. |
 If applicant (or parent / guardian) not satisfied… |
| Step 2: Formal complaint in writing to Admissions Tutor/Senior Tutor of College. College investigates the complaint and responds to the applicant (or their parent/guardian). |
| If applicant (or parent / guardian) not satisfied… |
| Step 3: Formal complaint in writing to the Director of Admissions. Director of Admissions investigates the complaint and responds to the applicant (or their parent/guardian) and the College. |
If you wish to make a formal complaint about the admissions process, we ask that you put your concerns in writing to the Admissions Tutor/Senior Tutor of the College concerned normally within one month of the incident. Complaints about the admissions process will be investigated by the Admissions Tutor/Senior Tutor of the College, who will consult interviewers and other colleagues where necessary.
An account of the investigation's findings and any action to be taken will then be provided in writing by the Admissions Tutor/Senior Tutor. Where it appears, after investigation of the complaint, that a procedural error has occurred, consideration will be given to what steps (if any) should be taken to reconsider the matter, and what steps (if any) should be taken to avoid similar errors occurring in the future.
After the final response from the College has been received the complainant may ask the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges to review the complaint. (Should the complaint concern the College at which the Director of Admissions is an Admissions Tutor, then the Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee will conduct the review.) If you wish your complaint to be reviewed, please forward copies of all correspondence and full details of the specific concern or complaint to the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges, c/o Fitzwilliam House, 32 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QY.