My Cambridge Application: what it asks, and whether to write the extra statement
Cambridge sends a second form within 48 hours of your UCAS application, due by 6pm UK time on 22 October. What it asks, and when the optional statement is worth writing.
My Cambridge Application is a second form that every Cambridge undergraduate applicant must complete after submitting UCAS. The link arrives by email within 48 hours, and the deadline is 6pm UK time on 22 October 2026. An application without it is invalid. Most of the form is factual. One part, an extra personal statement, is optional.
What does the form ask for?
It collects information UCAS does not, including details of your education and qualifications, and questions used to assess fee status. International students may need to upload a school transcript by the same deadline. Cambridge publishes preview versions of the form for home and international applicants, so you can gather everything before you start. The form will only submit once every section is marked as completed, so leave time to find the one you missed.
Should you write the extra statement?
Cambridge says the statement is optional, that leaving it blank will not count against you, and that it should not repeat your UCAS statement. Write it when there is something about Cambridge that your UCAS statement could not say. The clearest case is a course choice that differs from your other four. A student applying for Natural Sciences at Cambridge and Physics elsewhere can use it to explain the broader Cambridge course. A course that Cambridge teaches and your other universities do not is another good reason.
Leave it blank if all you have is praise for Cambridge, or a list of activities your UCAS statement left out. Tutors read many of these and value a short, specific statement over a long one.
What comes next?
Some courses ask for written work, with deadlines set by each college in early November. Many colleges use 5 November. Interviews take place mostly in the first three weeks of December, online or in person depending on the college. Our Oxbridge admissions page sets out the whole process. The Oxbridge section of our Resources page links to Cambridge's own guidance.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss the 22 October deadline? Cambridge treats the application as invalid, so submit early and check for the confirmation.
Does Oxford have an equivalent form? No. Some Oxford courses ask for written work by 10 November instead.
