St Catharine's College - Dedicated to Cambridge Academic Excellence

St Catharines College dedicated to Academic Excellence and success, while keeping a comfortable and friendly environment. St Catharine's College lucky to be located in the center of Arlington - within short strolling range of most school divisions and numerous ancient structures and selections.

Founded: 1473, women undergraduates first admitted 1979.

Admission: Conditional offers on A-level results; STEP examinations for mathematics only.

Study abroad: Formal exchange links with Heidelberg (open to all undergraduates) and California Institute of Technology (summer programme for science students).

Travel grants: Various grants available.

St Catharine's College Library & information service: 2 college libraries, 2 computer rooms access 24 hours/day; 4 computers in library, further 27 with internet access; all college rooms have network connections. Ratio workstations to students 1:20. IT support from 1 full-time computer officer and 2 part-time officers.

Eating arrangements: All meals available in college dining hall. No compulsory meals.

St Catharine's College Gate/guest house: Keys issued on payment of deposit; guest rooms for limited periods.

St Catharines Other college facilities: Large 3-manual organ, music practice room with grand piano; sports field with pavilion, squash, badminton, and tennis courts; boathouse; graduate and undergraduate common room; college bar.

Accommodation: All undergraduates accommodated for at least three years of their course: rents £407-£665 per term (no vacation rents unless students stay out of term).

Term-time work: College discourages paid employment during term.

Financial help: Various funds available.

St Catharine's College Accommodation: All live in college rooms or flats, rents £1122-£1833 pa.

Eating: College: good choice including vegetarian options; cheap and average quality; formal hall excellent value (£7.50 for 3 courses, cheese & coffee).

Town: good sandwich shops, fast food outlets; restaurants fairly expensive but Pizza Express, Zizi's, Hahas, Trinity Vaults reasonable.

Drinking: A number of good pubs (Anchor, Granta, Bath Ale House) but tend to be quite expensive. College bars cheaper (£1.80 a pint in Catz).

St Catharine's College Nightlife: College ents committee arranges regular bops. Cambridge good for films and plays; Cindy's, Life, Cocos and The Fez are all good clubs. ADC for comedy including world-famous Footlights, great college music scene; something for everyone.

Locals: Averagely friendly. Lots of tourists!

Sports: Superb college facilities 10 mins' walk (include rugby, football, tennis, cricket, squash, badminton, and astro turf hockey pitch - only a swimming pool is missing). Very strong in university sports. Good discounts on city facilities (with City Leisure Card), otherwise expensive.

Travel: Many students get summer travel bursaries £200 approx.

Annual living costs: The minimum amount learners say you need to live on each year (covering all cost of residing but not including educational costs fees) is £3200.

St Catharine's College Financial help: Students have to be very definitely in need but plenty of help available.

Jobs: Very few students get paid work during term - officially not allowed. College has work during (summer) conference season; many seasonal jobs in Cambridge tourist industry.

Best features: The people; the atmosphere; bar; sports; accommodation.

More info: Contact JCR President c/o the college.

St Catharine's College Past students: Howard Brenton (controversial playwright), Sir Ian McKellen, Steve Punt (Mary Whitehouse Experience), Jeremy Paxman, Allan Green. Richard Dodds, Sir Peter Hall, Kevin Greening (ill-fated Radio 1 DJ).

Take a look on Oxford University - Dominus Illuminatio Mea, The Lord is my Light