Get In Cambridge: new social media films aim to encourage more applications from underrepresented groups

“My decision to come to Cambridge was actually quite a rogue one up in Manchester”: Jesus College student Altaf (2017) talks with Nazia, Yusuf and Zainab about their journey to Cambridge and what life is like here in a new University of Cambridge film.

Shot at the beginning of this year, the film is part of the Get In Cambridge campaign created to widen access to the University, dispel myths about studying at Cambridge, and encourage sixth formers to find out more during virtual Open Days hosted by the University and Colleges on 17 and 18 September.

The new films focus on10 Cambridge students who went to state schools in London, Manchester and Bradford before arriving at Cambridge to study subjects including English, History and Classics. In the films, they compare the perceptions they had of the University as sixth formers with the reality of their lived experience. The films follow them in lectures, prayer spaces and at University cultural and religious society events, as they make it clear that concerns over cultural barriers can be overcome at Cambridge, religious practices can be observed, and people don’t have to change who they are to fit in.

This film features Altaf, who is studying Natural Sciences; Nazia, who is studying English at Newnham College; Yusuf, who is studying Human, Social, and Political Science at Fitzwilliam College; and Zainab, who is studying Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Newnham College.

At Jesus College, we're committed to encouraging the best students to apply from all schools and backgrounds. We run a range of events for individuals and groups throughout the year, including open days and subject masterclasses. Find out about upcoming open days and more.