What is UNIQ

UNIQ is the University of Oxford’s access programme for UK state school students in their first year of further education. We prioritise places for students with good grades from backgrounds that are under-represented at Oxford and other universities. Every year more students from diverse backgrounds get offered places at Oxford with help from UNIQ.

UNIQ is a completely free programme, aiming to help support you to consider your educational options, decide if Oxford is right for you, and to make successful applications to Oxford.

Established in 2010, UNIQ is a core part of the University of Oxford’s commitment to widening access and participation. Every year we are really lucky to work with up to 1,600 amazing young people through UNIQ. You would be joining one of the most well-established programmes of its kind in the UK!

While participating in UNIQ doesn’t guarantee you a place, each year, more students from diverse backgrounds successfully get offered places at Oxford with help from UNIQ.

UNIQ offers both an in-person summer residential and an online support programme. See our key dates to find out when the different parts of the programme happen.

Online Support Programme

The online programme runs from April to November, mostly through evening webinars and workshops, so we hope this will easily fit around your other commitments. The online support programme involves a range of activities designed to help you in your journey to university, from application support, to supercurricular activities, to information on student life, clubs and societies, financial support, and more. The sorts of information, advice and guidance, you may receive include:

• Application support

  Find out how the Oxford application process works and how you can make the best application possible. Following the application timeline, we move you from overview to focussed sessions from current students and staff on personal statements, admissions tests, and interviews.

• Student life sessions

  Giving you an insight into what life as an Oxford student is really like. You will discover how Oxford is a place where you can be you, where you can try something new, or excel at your current talents, and where you can prepare for your future. You can also find out how the University can support you academically, financially, physically and mentally through the range of support services available.

• Oxplore Sessions

  Oxplore sessions based on the University’s Home of Big Questions. These are all about exploring a new subject, having some fun and learning to think like an Oxford student. They will help you build a portfolio of supercurricular activities that you can draw upon in future.

Residential

As well as this, most UNIQ participants will come to Oxford for a four-day academic residential experience, mostly in July. On the residentials, you will get to meet Oxford academics and current students to learn first-hand what studying at Oxford could be like for you. You will experience Oxford teaching and tuition, stay in an Oxford college, and have an introduction to life as an Oxford student.

• Stay in an Oxford college

  Experience Oxford with a three nights full board stay in a college including breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Academic programme

  See Oxford faculties and departments up close. Participate in a comprehensive academic programme, including seminars and lectures.

• Social Events

  University style social events allow you to meet new people and make lasting memories.

Space limitations mean we can't offer UNIQ courses to everyone accepted onto the programme. Even if you missed out on a place we still want to give you a taste of Oxford life, so we also offer free trips to attend one of our open days. All students allocated to the online + open day programme are also placed on the reserve list for the UNIQ residential.