Applicant Days at ARU

We've partnered with Greater Anglia to provide you with free train travel to our undergraduate Applicant Days.

You can claim a free ticket when accompanied by a fare-paying person.

To redeem the offer, you'll need to book your tickets by 9am five days before the event. Greater Anglia will then send train tickets to you by post.

If there are engineering works you may need to catch a rail replacement bus. Your free train ticket covers this bus travel.

• Book free travel to Cambridge
• Book free travel to Chelmsford (if you're visiting us in Writtle, Chelmsford is the nearest train station and is about two miles away. Get directions to Writtle)
• Book free travel to Peterborough

Please note that:

• this offer is available to those currently residing in the East Anglia counties
• it applies to tickets from a Greater Anglia managed station, to the nearest Great Anglia station to the ARU campus you’re visiting
• your free ticket is valid on Greater Anglia services only; it could be subject to a penalty fare if used on other train operators’ services
• see the Greater Anglia website for full terms.

We highly recommend that you do, as Applicant Days are tailored more to your course choice and contain activities such as sample lectures or course workshops.

It's a great opportunity to experience life at ARU, meet tutors, attend subject tasters, make friends, and ask any questions about your application.

Yes; you should receive an invite to attend one of our Applicant Days and you can book your place online.

Applicant Days follow a programme of events, and your booking gives you access to the entire day.

Please contact our Admissions Customer Service Team, who will be able to help. Email [email protected] or call 01245 686868.

Not all courses will be having Applicant Days but please email [email protected] and we'll check to see if you should have had an invite.

Of course, you are more than welcome to bring up to two guests. We have designed separate sessions for your guests to attend while you participate in your specialist course activity. Please check your guide for further information.

There may be more than one Applicant Day for the two courses, so you can come to both events or choose the one you're most interested in.

We do recommend that you attend the whole event, but if you can only make the morning or afternoon, then we'd still be happy to see you there.

For most courses, there is no dress code, however we do advise that you wear comfortable clothes and shoes as your day includes a campus tour. You might also take the opportunity to explore the local area.

If you're attending an Applicant Day in Writtle, we suggest that:

• you dress for the outdoors if you've applied to study agriculture or horticulture
• you wear/bring appropriate PPE, suitable for the stable yard, if you've applied to study an equine course. We'll contact you beforehand with more information.

You can view our halls and houses to see what suits you best.

Accommodation bookings open on 1 April 2026, and you can apply online once you have a conditional or unconditional firm acceptance with us.

If you have any questions about your application, our Admissions Customer Service team is here to help. Email [email protected] or call 01245 686868.

You can also speak to us at your Applicant Day.