English Taster Day on John Milton

Our annual English Taster is themed around the life and works of John Milton, with lectures and workshops given by academics in English, chance to chat with current students studying English, and a College tour. Applications to Cambridge are also discussed and there are plenty of opportunities to ask questions whether you attend online or in person.

If you are interested in applying for the event, you might like to look at Darkness Visible (a resource for studying Milton's Paradise Lost, made by Christ's students) as well as the English subject page. It is not an expectation that you have looked at or formally studied Milton's work.

The event will begin at 10:00 and finish at approximately 16:15. Those wishing to attend in person should bear these timings in mind when applying for a place, as it is your responsibility to organise your travel to and from Cambridge. 

The full schedule outline will be updated here in due course, but attendees can expect academic taster sessions with Christ's Fellows in English, the opportunity to meet and ask questions to current undergraduates in English, and to ask questions of admissions staff. 

The programme has been designed to allow as full a participation as possible regardless of whether you attend online or in person. Those online will have equal opportunity to ask questions as those in the room, and we have been running an increasing number of hybrid events over the last couple of years. 

Online Attendees

Sessions are streamed online via Zoom. Online attendees can ask questions throughout the session, as with in-person attendees. You won't need a camera or microphone to participate, but we recommend joining on a computer or laptop rather than a smartphone where possible. 

A virtual tour option is available on the day for those joining online, and further information is provided about how you can visit Christ's at another time whether as part of open days or on a date that suits you.

In Person Attendees

Those visiting in-person are responsible for getting themselves to and from Cambridge. Below you can find travel information. We may have very limited accommodation available (usually only a maximum of two guest rooms) for the night before the event. Students who are in local authority care, or eligible for government-funded free school meals are eligible for financial support with travel costs to Cambridge, and will also be prioritised if requiring overnight accommodation (in combination with distance). 

How to get to Christ's | Cambridge University map | Printable map of Cambridge | Christ's College map

This Taster Series is aimed at academically able students in the UK who meet all of the criteria below:

(a) You attend an academy, school or college in the UK OR you are home educated in the UK.

(b) You are in Year 12 (England and Wales), S5 (Scotland) or Y13 (Northern Ireland). We also accept applications from students in the year above if you have not applied to university this year and are planning to apply in October 2026 to start in 2027 (taking a gap year).

(c) You are studying English Literature and two other subjects for A Level, IB Higher Level or Scottish Higher (intending to continue to Advanced Higher). 

(d) You have achieved at least 6 GCSEs at grade 7 or higher, including at least three of those at grade A*, 8 or 9 (i.e. at least 888777 at GCSE, or 3A* and 3A if awarded in letter grades) including English Literature. Scotland: A majority of National 5s at grade A.

(e) You love reading and are interested in exploring literature beyond the standard school curriculum, and are genuinely interested in pursuing English for undergraduate study at university.

If you're not sure if you meet the criteria, please email us at admissions@christs.cam.ac.uk with which thing you're confused about.

Applications must be made by the individual student. 

Those offered a place will be expected to be available on the day, including those attending online - sessions will only be available live as they will be joining with the in-person attendees (there will not be recordings). 

In the event that we are oversubscribed (either for in-person places, or overall) for this taster day, priority will be given to students who: are care-experienced (including experience in local authority or foster care, and kinship care); who are refugees, asylum seekers or forced migrants; who are currently eligible for government-funded free school meals; who have been eligible for government-funded free school meals in the previous 6 years; receive the 16-19 bursary (England) or Education Maintenance Allowance (rest of UK); young carers; attend a school that does not charge fees; whose home address is within the bottom 40% of postcodes on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation measure. 

Even if you don't meet any of the priority criteria above, please still apply if you meet the core criteria!

"Allowed me to view Literature in a totally different way, and showed me how broad the subject really is."

"The calibre of teaching and ideas (from the lecturers and participating students alike!) was unlike anything I'd been exposed to before and has inspired me to educate myself further on the works of John Milton and his cultural milieu."

"I enjoyed the different approaches the lecturers had to paradise lost and their differing ways of discussion."

"My favourite thing about the series was learning more about the Cambridge learning style and seeing how lectures etc are completed."

"It was lovely to meet like-minded, highly achieving, passionate students and to meet current students at Christ's."

You can read more of the comments here.