Are you someone who is fascinated by people and how we interact with the world and each other? Would you like an opportunity to work with Cambridge University academics and students to create a piece of university-style work, incorporating elements of the arts, humanities and social sciences – from Classics to Modern History, Law to Literature, and Philosophy to Politics?
In its third year running, the Trinity College Humanities Residential Programme will take place from 30th to 31st July, with additional online mentoring and webinar sessions before and after. This is an entirely free programme for school students, aimed at those who are passionate about their subject and want the chance to challenge themselves with the teaching style of Cambridge.
When applying you will choose topics of preference, covering distinct academic streams: ‘Classics, Ancient, Medieval and Modern History’, ‘Politics, Law, and Philosophy’, or ‘Literature’.
Dates Include:
- Webinars: 17th July and 14th August, 4:30pm – 6:00pm
- Mentoring: 10th and 24th July, 4:30pm – 6:00pm
- Residential: 30th – 31st July
To apply for this programme, please follow our online application form, by Midnight 9th June.
The Webinars
Webinars will be taster lectures which encourage learning beyond your school curriculum, aimed at students interested in ancient and modern history, politics, law, philosophy and literature. You will be able to ask our academics questions about their subject, and just like at University, academics will suggest further reading and questions to consider.
The Online Mentoring
Mentoring is led by Trinity College student ambassadors and held in small groups online. Your mentor will be an undergraduate student studying a humanities subject. Mentors will support your group to develop a strong written and verbal argument, to understand essay writing techniques and to read wider around your subject interests. You will also be able to ask questions about what it is like being a student at Trinity College.
The Residential
Attendees of the residential will experience university life: from staying in student accommodation, to experiencing taster lectures and seminars.
Attendees will focus on the topic selected when applying, including, ‘Classics, Ancient, Medieval and Modern History’, ‘Politics, Law, and Philosophy’, or ‘Literature’. These are interdisciplinary topics which will enable exploration of multiple possible degree subjects – and introduce subjects you may have never heard of. There will be opportunities to speak to and work with current undergraduates, have all of your questions answered by members of the Admissions Team, and truly immerse yourself in every aspect of student life.
The residential is free of charge and open to applications from UK state-educated students in Year 12 or equivalent (Year 13 in Northern Ireland, S5 in Scotland).
Trinity’s Director of Admissions, Dr Glen Rangwala, was pleased to lead one of last year’s interdisciplinary topics:
The University of Cambridge is a world-leading centre for the study of Humanities, and we want to show prospective students everything Trinity has to offer to undergraduates studying them. This programme welcomes participants to Cambridge for a stay that is sure to be intellectually stimulating. We’ll be collaborating as a mix of academics and students who share an enthusiasm for thinking about and applying new perspectives to big ideas.”
In the case that this programme is oversubscribed, some applicants will be offered to attend the webinars only, which will be valuable stand alone events. It will be made clear to you what elements you are participating in by the 17th June. Please direct any questions about the residential to our Schools Liaison Officer at schools.liaison@trin.cam.ac.uk
FAQ
If you have a question which isn’t answered, please direct any questions about the residential to our Schools Liaison Officer at schools.liaison@trin.cam.ac.uk
The residential itself is completely free. So you don’t have to spend extra money getting here, we will reimburse your travel to Cambridge, including train tickets or some fuel costs. During your stay, all your meals are free. Our catering team are used to feeding students with different dietary requirements, so you should be able to enjoy the week at no cost.
Within our application form, you will need to:
- Tell us your GCSE or equivalent grades, and what you are currently studying. We realise predicted grades can vary across schools so we expect some variation, but you should have a good academic record and be studying academic subjects.
- Tell us a bit about your interests too, so we can work out if you would be a good fit for the residential. If you are not selected, it may be that we aren’t planning to cover your subject area this year. Not being offered a place on the residential does not mean you wouldn’t be a good fit for studying at Cambridge.
- Provide the contact details of a teacher who can support your application with a reference. It is useful if your teacher can confirm whether the rest of the information you provided is correct, and supply any further information if needed.
Lastly, we ask you to indicate whether you have been in receipt of free school meals, receiving a bursary, and whether anyone in your close family have gone to university. Anyone we offer a place on the residential is academically capable, and alongside this we want to make sure our outreach events host students from diverse backgrounds.
We do also ask about whether you have a disability and any accessibility or dietary requirements. This is not part of our selection process and will not influence whether you are offered a place.
Within your application to the residential, you will need to tell us which subjects you are interested in studying and explain your interest. Telling us this now does not mean you have to apply for this subject at University. Part of the reason for this residential is for you to work out if you like it or not. You should consider applying for the residential if you are interested in studying any of the following subjects:
- Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
- Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
- Classics
- Economics
- English
- Geography
- History
- History and Modern Languages
- History and Politics
- History of Art
- Human Social and Political Sciences
- Land Economy
- Law
- Linguistics
- Modern and Medieval Languages
- Philosophy
- Theology
The residential is open to students from non-fee paying schools, or those receiving a full bursary at their school anywhere in the UK. You should be in Year 12 (England and Wales), Year 13 (Northern Ireland) or S5 (Scotland).
Residential Schedule
What’s the schedule?
Once our 2024 residential is launched, we will provide an outline of our four-day schedule here. This will include lectures and seminars, group work, admissions talks, and an essay writing project.
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