This page is part of the Christ's applicants from Scotland section.
We welcome applications from students in the Scottish SQA qualification system who would like to apply for English at Christ's. We define our offers individually, but for students in the scottish system, the typical offer for English is A1, A2, A2 in three Advanced Highers.
Advice for choosing Advanced Higher subjects
Advanced Higher English is a required subject for English at Christ's
There are no requirements for the two Advanced Higher subjects you'll take alongside English. If you have the choice (and we realise you don't always!), our advice is that many competitive applicants study traditionally "academic" rather than practical or vocational subjects, in order to improve their ability to read widely in independent study, to conduct critical analysis of primary texts or scientific data, and to engage with long and complex traditions of intellectual thought.
A modern language at Advanced Higher (or equivalent) - no matter what language – is an excellent way to sharpen your ability to understand the English language and its literature, as well as being a useful tool for the student of the humanities and a useful skill for life. History and Mathematics are also very useful subjects to consider. Although none of these are required for English applications, choosing at least one of these subjects would be a very safe option, with the extra benefit of helping you to to keep your options open, as they provide an excellent foundation for a range of Arts, Social Science and Humanities courses if you later change your mind about applying for English!
Other good subjects include Classical Studies, Computing Science, Economics, Geography, Mathematics of Mechanics, Modern Studies, Music, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, a science subject (Biology, Chemistry or Physics), Sociology or Statistics, and we regularly admit students who have studied Art and Design or Drama alongside more essay-based Advanced Highers.
We recommend attending our regular webinar on choosing subjects if you can, and of course, please feel free to send us an email if you have questions about your choices.
- What if my Advanced Higher options are limited?
- What about the subjects not mentioned above?
- What about National 5's and Highers?
Next steps
Please read our English page thoroughly, including detailed profiles by some of our students, information about what the application process involves and resources for developing your interest and relevant skills.
If you attend one of the Christ's Online Open Days (October of S5, February of S5, or September of S6), you will be invited to an online English subject meeting later in the year. Other events with English content include the University open day online or in person in July of S5, and look out for any English masterclasses as well.
If you attend a school that does not charge fees, we also encourage you to look at these two opportunities:
- John Milton English Taster Series (takes place in March/April of S5 and includes online sessions)
- World of Words Residential (takes in the summer between S5 and S6)
Please don't worry if your school is not able to provide support for your application to Cambridge, as we provide support directly via our ongoing support emails and events in the lead up to application, our UK application support pages and our current applicants section.