For this programme, you should:

• Expect to study science and maths in your post-16 studies
• Be studying at least eight GCSEs (or equivalent)
• Be on track to achieve a minimum of five GCSEs at grades 7-9, including maths and sciences
• Be on track to achieve a minimum of a grade 5 in GCSE English Language 

This programme is funded by Imperial College London. It aims to support students from backgrounds under-represented in higher education. We are looking for applicants who meet the following criteria. The more of these criteria that you meet, the more likely you are to secure a place.

• You are entitled to receive free school meals or pupil premium
• Your family income is below £50,000/year
• Your parents/ guardians do not have a university degree•
• You have been in care or are a young carer*
• You are studying in a school in the UK that has below average attainment or with a high percentage of students receiving free school meals
• You live in a neighbourhood with low overall progression rates to higher education (we use ACORN and POLAR3 data to assess this)

* A young carer is someone under 18 years of age who helps look after a relative who has a condition such as a disability, long term illness, mental health condition, or a drug or alcohol dependency. They do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning, or helping someone to get dressed and move around.

Good luck with your application!

Applications for summer 2023 are now closed. Late applications cannot be considered. We will release decisions on 5 May.

Applications are made through Aspire, our online application system. A link to Aspire will be added to this webpage once applications are open.

Setting up your account
You must create an account with Aspire before you can complete your application.

• If you have applied to an Imperial Outreach programme in the past, you can use your existing account. There is a forgotten password feature on the Aspire login page.
• If this is your first application to one of our programmes, we recommend you use a personal email address rather than a school email address when creating your account. Security settings in some school email servers will prevent you from receiving emails from Aspire.

Completing your application
Once you are logged in you will need to start a new application. As part of the application form you will need to tell us about your school, the subjects you are currently studying and the course(s) you plan to study for GCSE (or equivalent). 

Please take care to ensure you select the correct programme when using the drop-down options. Some of our programmes have similar names, so it is important to double-check.

You will be asked questions relating to the eligibility criteria listed above. Where possible, please try to have this information to hand before you apply. You will also be asked to write a short personal statement. This gives you the chance to tell us more about why you are applying for this programme and why you think you would be suitable.

As part of the application process, we will seek references from a parent/guardian and a teacher at your current school. Please speak to the individuals you would like to provide these references in advance, so you can check you have the correct email address and contact numbers for them and that they are happy to support your application.

References
Once you have successfully submitted your application, we will email your parent/guardian and teacher referees. They will be sent a personalised link to Aspire, where they will provide information to support your application.

The reference forms ask similar questions about the eligibility criteria and include the opportunity to provide a supporting statement. These statements can be used to let us know about other challenges you may have faced and/or what you might get out of participating in the programme. Teachers will also be asked to verify the subject/grade information you provided in your application.

Decisions
We will release decisions via email on 5 May 2023. If you are offered a place on the programme, or on the waitlist, you will have a limited amount of time to accept this offer. Successful applicants will receive details on the next steps.

For information about the application process, please see our application FAQs.