This is as good as life in an Oxbridge College gets – think ‘Brideshead Revisited’. John’s is a posh, sporty, wealthy riverside college large enough to cater for most (stereo)types although so big that some students can feel lost. Tourists flock to see the Gothic splendour of New Court and the beautiful Bridge of Sighs, and tickets for the luxuriant May Ball (rivalled only by Trinity’s extravaganza) are like chocolate-coated gold dust.
| Sex ratio (M:F): 58:42 |
Founded: 1511 |
| Full-time u’grads: 581 |
Part-time: 0 |
| Postgrads: 302 |
Mature: 2% |
| State:private school: 52:48 |
Disabled: 14 |
| Academic ranking: 19 |
International: 11% |
Bar; Pythagoras Building (theatre); art and music rooms; Palmerston Room (cap 350) for bands; Old Music Room (100) for concerts; Boiler Room (100) for fortnightly bops; legendary annual ball. Lady Margaret Players (major drama society); loads of societies; regular JCR newsletter and twice termly ‘Cripptic mag’; cable TV. Two libraries (120,000 books); 45 computers, 24-hr. Large cathedral-ish CofE chapel. Large on-site sports hall, renowned Lady Margaret Boat Club, superb sports teams and extensive sports fields 200m away; cardiovascular and free weights gyms. Everyone lives in or in hostels; good self-catering. CCTV, swipe cards. Two nurses; chaplain. Very good disabled access and provisions. LGBT Society; Equal Opps, Welfare and Access Officers. Excellent financial support: book grants and help for students suffering unexpected hardship.
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Douglas Adams (author); Rob Andrew (former England rugby player); William Wilberforce (anti-slavery campaigners); Derek Jacobi (luvvie); Lord Palmerston (PM); William Wordsworth (poet).