Oxford’s inspiring summer school targets under-represented regions

Applications open this week for Oxford's newly-expanded UNIQ Summer School, as the University launches its campaign to recruit students from disadvantaged areas to the inspirational scheme. UNIQ gives state school pupils a free week-long insight into study at Oxford, breaking down myths, taking them into labs and lecture theatres, and giving tips on applying and interviews. From this summer, UNIQ is expanding the places available by 50 percent from 850 to 1,350. Applications open on 3 December and a new recruitment campaign will target students from the backgrounds and regions of the UK which the University has found hardest to reach in the past. UNIQ targets students from those state schools and areas which are under-represented among Oxford undergraduates. They spend a week in Oxford living in a college and learning about the life of an Oxford undergraduate. They take tutorials, lectures and some will even take laboratory classes. If they go on to apply to Oxford, students taking part in UNIQ have a much better success rate than the average applicant. Around 7,200 state school students have attended the summer school since 2010 and nearly 1,400 of them have then become Oxford students. I really do think I owe my place at Oxford to UNIQ - without it I wouldn't have even applied, and it proved an interesting conversation starter in my interviews! Charlotte, third-year student, UNIQ 2015