1. Use a personal email address (not school)
You will need access to this email address through to September 2026, so please do not use your school email address.
Please make sure you remember which email address you have used, if you have more than one personal email account. You will need access to this inbox regularly during the admissions process. Make a note of this somewhere safe.
2. Choose a password you will remember
This seems obvious but please choose a password you will remember and make a note of this somewhere safe – don’t forget it is case sensitive like any other passwords you might have.
Try and include a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols to enhance security – but please make a note of the password you choose.
You can reset your password using this link, but you must make sure you’re using the same email address (see step 1).
3. Take your time
This will be the first time anyone from Holy Cross College hears anything about you, so it’s your opportunity to really impress us. Remember – first impressions count.
Do not rush your application – make sure you know when the closing date is and work backwards to give yourself enough time to complete it properly.
This will be discussed at your interview, so be prepared to talk about your answers to a member of Holy Cross staff.
You don’t have to complete your application in one sitting – invest the time and save as you go.
To return to your application at a later date, click the login link in the email you were sent, then enter your email and password to resume/review your application.
Do NOT use any AI software to complete your application. We use AI-checking software on all our applications, and it will be obvious if you have used it.
4. Use Word to write your application (and spellcheck)
While we’re talking about software, we recommend you use Word or a similar word processor to initially write your application, making the most of the spellcheck and grammar functions.
Copy the different sections of the application form (step 5) into a Word document and then work on each, one at a time.
Once you’re happy with the content, copy and paste it over to your online application form in sections.
5. Top tips for each section of the application form:
There are eight sections to complete on the application form, detailed below.
At the end of each section, you’ll see a button that says ‘save and move on’ which lets you move to the next section. You will need to click this button at the end of each section to save your information.
You will be able to review/edit your application by clicking on these section headings on the left hand side of the screen as you work through the application.
Personal details
Please ensure you enter your first and last name as it appears on your passport/birth certificate. There is an option for ‘preferred name’.
You will need to know your postcode and parent/carer contact details including email addresses (if available).
Please ensure all mobile numbers are correct and valid.
Subjects studied in Year 11
You need to enter the subjects you are studying at the moment:
Enrichment activities
Please enter any sports/drama/club or any other activities you are involved in.
Proposed course
Enter the subjects you wish to study at Holy Cross.
Please refer to our website course list for subject specific entry requirements, as these differ for most courses.
Personal statement
This is an opportunity for you to tell us why you wish to study the subjects you have chosen and to tell us about yourself. Please note there is a limit of 5000 characters in total (approximately 1000 characters per section).
Please invest time with this section as we consider it to be very important but do not use AI to produce this.
Learning Support
We would encourage you to tell us if you have any health/disability/learning issue so that our Learning Support Department can help you achieve your full potential during your time with us.
This information will be treated with care and in the strictest confidence.
Widening Participation
The information collected here will be managed with due care and sensitivity. It is collated to support, encourage and enable wider participation of all students beyond their studies at Holy Cross.
Students can of course, leave responses defaulted to ‘No’ if they so wish.
Check and check again
Only when you are completely satisfied with your application should you press the ‘submit application’ button as you will not be able to edit your form once it has been submitted. However, should you wish to make a change contact the Admissions Department and we will do this for you (admissions@holycross.ac.uk).
Submit your application on time
You will be sent an email to confirm that the College has received your application and also a copy of the application as it was submitted. Please check your spam/junk email folders in case any emails land in these.