How University of Cambridge Improved the Quality of Postgraduate Applicants with Peer-to-Peer Engagement

Challenge 

For the University of Cambridge, one of the world’s most recognised names in higher education, inbound volume was not the problem. The harder question was what happened after that interest was sparked: how do you give prospective students an honest, human sense of what studying at Cambridge is actually like? Laura Ortu, Digital Marketing Manager at the University of Cambridge, explains that before Unibuddy, the team relied on student ambassadors, but their involvement was event-driven and planned in advance. There was no “always-on mode”, and when COVID removed in-person events entirely, that gap became impossible to ignore.

The issue came into focus in 2023, when the Student Recruitment and Marketing Team commissioned and helped run a piece of research with offer holders to understand motivations for acceptances and declines. One of the clearest pain points to emerge was the lack of contact with current students, and it was not just an international concern. UK domestic students were equally in need of peer connection, despite the platform at that point being embedded only on international web pages.

Solution

The goal was to demystify the institution and give prospective students a reality check from someone who was actually there. Initially using Unibuddy Chat to support international recruitment, the team discovered through research that domestic students faced many of the same questions about the application process and about what to expect from life as a Cambridge student. In response, Cambridge expanded Unibuddy Chat’s presence across the website and opened ambassador recruitment to UK students. 

Over time, Laura evolved the team’s use of the platform, using the bi-weekly conversation digest to inform content strategy and event planning, Saved Answers to streamline ambassador responses, and peer-to-peer referrals to replace what had previously been a manual staff process. 

As Laura explains, “Cambridge historically doesn’t need more leads. But they need better-informed people about Cambridge, not just about the challenges of studying here, but to demystify stereotypes. That’s what Unibuddy really helped us deliver.”

Impact

Prospective students engage with Cambridge through a range of channels, including the University’s website, digital marketing campaigns, recruitment events, college outreach activities, and the institution’s global reputation. Within this broader landscape, Unibuddy provides an additional opportunity for applicants to connect directly with current students. Cambridge’s analysis of postgraduate applicants found that those who engaged through the Unibuddy platform showed strong progression through the admissions journey, with offer rates among this group increasing from 40% in 2023/24 to almost 50% in 2024/25. Similar patterns were observed among undergraduate applicants, particularly international students, who often value first-hand insight from current students when considering their options.

Beyond the numbers, Unibuddy has become a strategic part of Cambridge’s recruitment approach. What began as a way to facilitate conversations with prospective students has evolved into a wider engagement programme, helping the team understand student concerns, shape content and events, and create more personalised experiences at scale. 

The platform’s growing visibility is reflected internally and externally. Ambassador applications have increased significantly, with more than 500 students applying to join the programme in a single recruitment cycle, while colleagues across departments increasingly request ambassador involvement in their own activities. As Cambridge expands its focus on offer-holder engagement through Unibuddy Community, the team is building on a model that not only supports recruitment, but helps students feel informed, connected and confident in their decision long before they arrive.