Many mature students are studying qualifications in a single academic year, for example Access Diplomas, OU courses or accelerated A levels. Such candidates have often not covered sufficient content to be competitive at interview in December and so there is a later deadline at the mature colleges in Cambridge of 1st March.
Not all courses are included in the March round: candidates for Architecture, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Computer Science, Engineering, History of Art, Medicine (including the graduate course), Music, Natural Sciences. Philosophy and Veterinary Medicine must apply by 16th October.