Churchill College

University of Cambridge

Welcome
This prospectus is an introduction to Churchill College for potential Cambridge students.
Supplementing the Colleges entry in the Cambridge University Undergraduate Prospectus
(www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/colleges/churchill/), it explains our distinctive
and special identity and gives you a glimpse into academic and social life here. We hope
you will identify with our purpose and character and we very much hope you will apply.

I didnt really obsess about choosing universities. I knew about Cambridge quite early because, when I was about 12, I watched the Oxford and Cambridge boat race on TV. Later, when I came on a Churchill Open Day, I got excited by the prospect of studying at a worldfamous academic institution. There really is a vibe of excellence about the place that motivates you to do your best.
Tom, Third Year, Law.

Churchill College,
Cambridge
Churchills motto is Forward and this
applies directly to the student experience.
The College combines Cambridges
unrivalled academic excellence with a less
stuffy and traditional atmosphere and
world-class, modern facilities.

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Gabe, Third Year, History.

Churchill is one of the 31 independent, self-governing
Colleges that make up the University of Cambridge. The
Universitys Faculties and Departments provide lectures,
laboratories and libraries, set and mark exams and award
degrees. But every student is a member of a College and it
is probably fair to say that it is their College that most
characterises a students time at Cambridge.
Colleges control undergraduate admissions. They provide
academic guidance and key teaching through their
Directors of Studies and supervisions. They also provide
library and computing facilities. Where appropriate, they give
pastoral and financial support. Just as importantly, they offer
student accommodation, amenities and clubs and societies.
So for many students College is the centre of their social
life. Although Cambridge Colleges are similar in many ways
and although your statistical chance of admission to the
University does not depend on the College you choose,
most applicants think quite hard about College choice.

How is Churchill different?

Among Cambridge Colleges, Churchill is uncommonly
distinctive. It was founded in 1958 as the national memorial
to Sir Winston Churchill celebrated wartime leader and

winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature . Today it reflects

both his interest in science and technology, and his personal
stature as a visionary politician and a great man of letters.
The College is unusually conscious of its past especially
its foundation and early history. But that past was all about
building for the future and seeking to break the mould, so
Churchill is notably progressive, and forward- and outwardlooking. How this difference manifests itself is unfolded by
this prospectus.

A scientific focus?
We are probably best known in the wider world for the high
proportion of science and technology students we admit
(c. 65%). By the terms of our foundation we do indeed have
a special focus on the sciences and Churchill has a great
tradition in Computer Science, Engineering, Maths and
Natural Sciences. Its members have between them won
21 Nobel Prizes. But because it is a large College our arts
students are still very plentiful in number. We typically have
substantial cohorts in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies,
Archaeology and Anthropology, Economics, English,
Geography, History, Law, Modern Languages and PPS, and
also usually admit students in almost all of the Universitys
smaller arts subjects (we do not take students in Land

Economy or Theology). Moreover, academic performance in

arts as well as sciences is outstanding; in recent years our
results on the arts side have been among the strongest in
the University.
Those better acquainted with the College also know about
our remarkable Archives Centre. This principally houses the
papers of two of Britains most important prime ministers:
Winston Churchill himself and Margaret Thatcher. It also
holds the collections of other significant post-war politicians,
such as foreign secretary Ernest Bevin and Labour leader
Neil Kinnock, as well as the papers of many critically
important scientists and military commanders. Among the
former are John Cockcroft, Rosalind Franklin and Frank
Whittle, and among the latter Admiral Jackie Fisher and
General Bill Slim. Because of the importance of the Archives
Centre, the College regularly hosts high-profile conferences
on modern history, politics and international relations, at
which some of the worlds leading figures in these fields
speak.

Churchill grounds are really spacious

and nicely removed from the bustle
and bikes of Cambridge city centre.
Emily, Second Year, Medicine.

Churchill is set in 42 acres of parkland,

which means that, after Ive lifted my weights
in the gym, I can go for a mile run without
leaving the grounds!
John, Third Year, Modern Languages/History.

Striking architecture, a superb site

and excellent accommodation
Rooms are amazing large and with beautiful wooden floors.
My favourite features are the big window seats, which are
great when you have people round. Also the heating is good
and the showers are undoubtedly the best in Cambridge!
If you want to, you can choose a room with a fantastic view
across the sports pitches.

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Emma, Second Year, Engineering.

Churchills modernist architecture set within a spacious,
green and leafy landscape gives it a definite and
immediately noticeable character while retaining
Cambridges traditional interlinked courts and staircases.
What works so well about the buildings and site is the way
they combine wonderfully expansive outdoor space with a
great deal of open and interconnecting indoor space: the
concourses and foyers; the Bar; the Dining Hall; the student
union areas. In most Cambridge Colleges, once cold
weather, rain and fog set in, wandering social contact
essentially stops, as people dash from one building to
another, largely eschewing the exposed public space.
Because of Churchills spacious interiors, we dont have this
problem. This is one of the reasons why our famous student
Spring Ball (whose name is a triumph of marketing, given
that it takes place in the middle of February!) is possible and
works so well.
The vast majority of undergraduates live in sociable courts
around our gardens and on-site sports ground, rather than
in distant outer hostels as is the case in many Colleges. We
accommodate all undergraduates for three years and are
usually able to provide accommodation for Fourth Years
who request it. Accommodation is excellent: modern, very
roomy, warm, internet-connected and nearly 30 per cent

en suite. (Dont take our word for it: come and look for
yourself.) Kitchen facilities are very good. Students choose
their rooms each year in a housing ballot. Room prices vary
with size and facilities, but we try to keep rents overall at
about the Cambridge collegiate average.
Amenities are exceptional arguably more akin to those
of a large campus university than a traditional Oxford or
Cambridge College. We have a wonderful on-site sports
field, an excellent new gym, tennis- and squash-courts, a
large theatre/cinema and an award-winning new music
recital room with rehearsal and recording facilities, a
Steinway grand piano and a Rubio harpsichord. We also
have an art studio and a radio studio, which hosts
Cambridge University Radio. Our Dining Hall is the biggest
in Cambridge and our Bar, which operates throughout the
day, is open-plan and right in the centre of College. It is
wireless connected, so people quite often deal with their
e-mails there over breakfast or coffee. It has a giant-screen
TV which we use to broadcast major news or sports events.
Another Churchill plus is our location, just outside the city
centre (it takes just ten minutes to walk to the middle of
Cambridge), and adjacent to Fitzwilliam, Lucy Cavendish,
Murray Edwards and St Edmunds Colleges, Trinity Halls

Wychfield campus and the Universitys exciting new West

Cambridge Science development, which includes the worldfamous Cavendish Laboratory and the futuristic Centre for
Mathematical Sciences. The University Library and the Arts
Faculties and Departments are also nearby, so there is a
real sense that we are at the centre of things as the
University moves west. Centre-of-town Colleges can be
right on top of Cambridges pubs and bars, but this
convenience often has a down side in lack of room and
noise disturbance. Churchill is close enough to profit greatly
from a city location, but far enough out to enjoy the huge
benefits of space and quiet.

The sense of community is great and

everyone gets on well together whatever
background they are from. In fact, you often
dont find out where people come from;
we tend not even to talk about it.
Harry, Third Year, Engineering.

A very friendly, unpretentious social atmosphere

The only free weekly club night in Cambridge. Bar is very sociable. Formals are a great
way to get together and special to Cambridge.
Emma, Second Year, Engineering.
Churchills physical make-up a cohesive community around
a single, attractive site that is very easy to socialise in
facilitates the College being so friendly and open. All
Colleges say they are friendly, and all pretty much are, in
truth, but Churchill is exceptionally so. People in Churchill
academic staff and students alike come from every sort of
background, all over the world, and share a determination to
engage and make friends across national, social and cultural
divides. There are typically around 450 undergraduates here
and nearly 300 postgraduate students. Around 25% of our
undergraduates and the majority of our postgraduates come
from outside the UK. Churchill has always been committed to
widening participation and a notably high proportion of its
undergraduates are state educated. But we are resolutely
opposed to discrimination and admission is based solely upon
academic merit and potential.
Outside work, student life tends to centre around informal
socialising in College or with the friends you will make in

other Colleges or takes place via clubs and societies, of

which Churchill has over 50. For you, relaxing and unwinding
after work might mean Ultimate Frisbee or playing football for
one of the College teams; it might mean a choir concert or
orchestra rehearsal; it might involve editing Winston, the
Colleges newsletter/magazine; or it might simply involve
relaxing at Churchill Caf or a film night in the theatre.
A lot of activities and events are organised or presided over
by the undergraduate and postgraduate student unions
the JCR (Junior Common Room) and MCR (Middle Common
Room). Making decisions democratically via open meetings,
these are vibrant and dynamic bodies with great community
spirit. The JCR and MCR officers represent student interests
on all of the Colleges key decision-making committees.
They leap into collective action to help with Open Days
and Freshers Week. On Fridays in term-time they run our
legendary Pav, the only weekly student club night in
Cambridge, which is usually preceded by dinner in Hall.

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College teaching and

learning
Certainly in my subject Churchill has
some of the Universitys best teaching
Fellows. After an hour with them you
really understand the course; no mean
feat with Part IB Thermodynamics!

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Richard, Fourth Year, Physics.

College provides each student with a Director of Studies
(DoS) who is responsible for steering and facilitating their
learning. All DoSs are experts in the subject whose studies
they direct; a great many are also world-class research
academics. In Churchill most DoSs are Fellows (academic
staff members) of the College. DoSs meet their students at
the beginning and end of each term to provide them with
formal advice and guidance, but they are available
throughout a students undergraduate career if particular
issues crop up that need attention or action. Our DoSs are
notably pro-active and immensely committed to their
students academic development and well-being.
The principal job of our DoSs is to arrange student
supervisions the weekly, small-group, sometimes one-toone tuition that is unique to Cambridge and characterises its
teaching and learning. For most students supervisions are
immensely rewarding. They allow us to challenge and
stretch you, and allow you the opportunity to develop your
understanding and pursue the questions in which you are
especially interested. The consequence is that your learning
is broadened, deepened and made even more stimulating
and enjoyable. At Churchill we pay above the standard rate
to many of our supervisors in order to obtain the very best
supervision for our students. Student teaching and learning
questionnaires allow us closely to monitor the effectiveness

of tuition. This effort is rewarded by the outstanding

examination results our students achieve.
Churchill also provides you with practical tools to enable your
learning. The most important of these is probably the College
Library, which is large and comfortable, open 24 hours a day
throughout the year and which has good holdings in all
subjects. The Library offers a number of different rooms and
seating/studying options, but we also make seminar rooms
available to students who wish to study privately in groups.
Information Technology is increasingly central to education in
Cambridge. Churchill was one of the first Colleges to invest
heavily in this and our computing provision and staff are both
excellent. We also provide specialist English language and
writing support for students whose note-taking and essaywriting skills need to be improved.
Subject-related socialising and the building of esprit de
corps are important to academic development. In Churchill
many subjects run academic student societies in which
outside speakers give talks or students make presentations
on their work. Sessions are often linked to subject formals in
Hall and each year whole-College subject dinners allow the
Master, Senior Tutor, Fellows, graduate students and
undergraduates to get together and talk in a less academic
setting.

Pastoral and financial support

I have made the best friends I could have hoped for and have been really encouraged to
achieve my potential academically without having to sacrifice my musical interests
learning to conduct and singing in both College choirs.
Jo, Fourth Year, Physics.
Each student at Churchill has a pastoral Tutor whose job it
is to keep an eye on your academic and personal well-being
with a light touch. Like your Director of Studies, he or she
will meet with you at the beginning and end of each term to
check everything is OK. Students may contact their Tutor at
any time, though, if there are particular issues that are
bothering them. In due course, Tutors often help with
applications for jobs or further study by acting as referees.
Contrary to popular perception, Cambridge is actually
quite a cheap university at which to study. It is unheard
of for a UK student to leave Cambridge for financial
reasons. For UK and EU students fees are identical to
those of any other UK university and the Cambridge
Bursary Scheme is the countrys biggest, providing UK
students whose families have lower incomes with
substantial support. Details of the scheme, and of other

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financial support provided by the University, are available via
www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/support.
The cost of College accommodation is relatively low,
transport costs are virtually nil and few students have to buy
books because library provision is so outstanding.
Churchill provides supplementary support in the form of up
to ten 2000 bursaries each year through the Winston
Churchill Memorial Trust. Students holding offers can apply
for these bursaries before they arrive. The College also has
substantial funds to assist students in Chinese Studies,
Engineering and Law and to provide hardship support in
the rare cases where it is necessary to students in any
subject. We are able to provide a number of significant
travel grants each year to help students fund academic
travel, travel to China, or travel that is likely to bring benefit
to disadvantaged people, especially in the developing world.

Travel through
the backwaters
of Bosnia was
genuine
exploration,
punctuated by
wonderful,
unexpected
interactions.
Without my
College travel
grant I would
never have
been able to
experience
Bosnia in this
brief, post-conflict
period, before it is
(inevitably) overrun
by package
tourism.
Matilda, Third Year,
Archaeology and
Anthropology.

Foremost among the things that make my job so

rewarding is the opportunity that Cambridge provides
to teach hugely bright and focused students in very
small groups. This allows a dialogue between lecturer
and student that both parties find stimulating and
thought-provoking, and through which each individual
is stretched academically.
Dr Sally Boss, Fellow in Chemistry, Churchill College.

Applying
Coming to Cambridge provided me with great intellectual challenge, both through the
galvanic setting and the incredible people I have met. Responsibility for your learning lies
with you. For me, responding to this challenge and the many hours of work it entailed
was hugely rewarding.
Tom, Third Year, Law
People come to Churchill to contribute and to enjoy
themselves. But most of all they come to this great
seat of learning to excel academically and intellectually.
There are a few things that we should stress about
admission to Churchill. The College runs an explicitly datadriven process in which we heavily prioritise examination
results among the various indicators with which the
Cambridge admissions system provides us. That said, we
know that not all applicants have been able to benefit from
the same educational opportunities, so we place your
results within the context of your educational history and
pay close attention to what your teachers/lecturers say in
their UCAS reference. It is important that we take this

careful, holistic approach because we actively encourage

applications from students from a great diversity of
backgrounds. Past achievement is the best evidence of
your potential to achieve in the future, but you might also
demonstrate potential typically in the form of strong
subject interest and keen intellectual ability if you are
called for interview. In some subjects we use aptitude
testing in selection and in others we request that you
send in some samples of school or college work. If
you are among the very ablest and highest achieving
students in your school or college, and if your teachers
or lecturers support your application, you are likely to
be a serious candidate and we strongly urge you to
consider applying.

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Finding out more

Comprehensive information about applying to Cambridge is available via
www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/.
Students

Teachers and lecturers

The University of Cambridge website (www.cam.ac.uk) and

the webpages of the Universitys Faculties and Departments include a great deal of information that applicants
will find invaluable. Subject-specific and other useful information for Churchill is available via www.chu.cam.ac.uk. If
you have questions that are not answered through these
websites, then please contact the Admissions Office at
Churchill College (see overleaf). If our Admissions Officer or
Recruitment Officer cannot help you, they will put you in
touch with one of our Admissions Tutors or Directors of
Studies.

Churchill has a dedicated Recruitment Officer whose job it

is to reach out to schools and colleges and demystify the
Cambridge application process. She would be delighted to
be contacted by any teachers or lecturers, to come to your
school or college, or to arrange a visit by your students to
Churchill.

The Churchill Admissions team

+44 (0)1223 336202

www.chu.cam.ac.uk
www.cam.ac.uk
http://jcr.chu.cam.ac.uk/prospective/

The worlds first teddy-nauts, launched to the very edge of space from the Colleges
sports field by Third Year Engineer Ed Moore and members of Cambridge University
Spaceflight Club. The teddies mission, which made news headlines right across the
world, was part of an undergraduate initiative to encourage interest in science among
local schoolchildren. The intrepid teddies were safely recovered by the Churchill team
after touchdown on a chicken farm in Suffolk.

Text: Richard Partington, Brigitte Bousquet-Scott, Andrew Taylor, Colm Caulfield and Liz Neal. Photographs: Gavin Bateman, Nathan Blake, Matilda Duncker,
Keith Heppell, Barry Phipps and Andy Sims. Design: www.cambridgedesignstudio.org. Print: Printed on recycled paper by Piggott Black Bear.

Admissions Office
Churchill College
Storeys Way
Cambridge CB3 0DS