The poet John Milton, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, studied at Christ's from 1625 to 1632. Every year, we run a Year 12 English Taster Series on Milton's work that takes place as a set of online webinars through March 2022 (9, 16, 23, 30 March) followed by an optional visit to Christ's College, Cambridge at the end (8 April 2022). The aim of is to give you a taste of what it is like to study English at Cambridge University through a series of lectures and workshops exploring Milton's work.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN. Please check eligibility criteria and the dates before making an application.
Theme and content
Our annual English Taster Series is themed around the life and works of John Milton, with lectures and workshops given by academics in English, and 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.
If you are interested in applying for the event in the future, 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.
Eligibility
This Taster Series is aimed at academically able students in the UK who meet all of the criteria below:
- you are in Year 12 (or equivalent)
- you attend an academy, school or college that does not charge fees.
- you are studying English Literature for A Level, IB Higher Level or Scottish Higher English, or equivalent
- you love reading and are interested in exploring literature beyond the standard school curriculum.
Apply for the English Taster Series
Applications are now OPEN for the 2022 English Taster Series . Please ensure that you are able to attend the sessions on the dates and times stated, and that you have checked you are eligible before making an application.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
The deadline to submit an application is 5pm on Friday 11th February 2022. Late applications will not be considered.
If you're starting Year 11 (Year 12 in Northern Ireland or S4 in Scotland) in September 2021, you can register interest here for the 2023 English Taster Series.
Practical details
The English taster series is for students only (there are no sessions for parents & guardians). Online sessions for this event will run as follows:
- Wednesday 9th March
- Wednesday 16th March
- Wednesday 23rd March
- Wednesday 30th March
All sessions will commence at 16:30 and will feature an introductory session followed by three academic sessions with subject specialists.
The optional Christ's visit for Taster Series participants will be Friday 8th April 2022. Further information about this will be provided to students selected to participate in the programme.
If you take the option to visit Christ's at the end of the series, note that visiting students are responsible for getting themselves to Cambridge, however we provide travel information and a map of the college:
If you are in (or were previously in) Care, please read about the Care Travel Fund (eligibility criteria apply).
For students travelling a long way, limited accommodation is normally available at Christ's on the night before the taster series day in Cambridge on a first come, first served basis.
Comments from previous participants
We asked some of the previous participants what they would say to future students considering an application for the series. You can read their comments here.
"I really enjoyed being able to talk to such knowledgeable lecturers and academics about their speciality - it was so inspiring to see! "