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, Economics, Engineering, History of Art, Medicine (including the graduate course), Music, Natural Sciences. Philosophy and Veterinary Medicine must apply by 15th October.