What is UNIQ?
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 underrepresented at Oxford and other universities.
UNIQ is a completely free programme which aims to support you to consider your educational options, to decide if Oxford is right for you, and to make a competitive application to Oxford if you choose to.
UNIQ is a core part of the University of Oxford’s commitment to widening access and participation, and of its vision for ensuring that the University is a place where everybody belongs and is supported to succeed. Running since 2010, each year we are really lucky to work with over a thousand amazing young people, so 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 at Oxford, each year more students from diverse backgrounds successfully receive offers with help from UNIQ.
How is the programme structured?
Being a UNIQ participant involves taking part in all of these areas of the programme:
At the start of your UNIQ journey you’ll join a small group of other UNIQers in an online conversation with a member of the UNIQ team. We’ll welcome you to the programme and chat about what you’re hoping to get out of UNIQ and your higher education aspirations.
Regional eventYou’ll join us at one of our regional events. These will be our first chance to meet with you in person, and will feature sessions introducing you to Oxford student life and the application process. They are run at various locations around the country based on where our participants come from.
Each participant will attend a one-week, subject-specific residential in Oxford. This will take place on one of five weeks from late June to the end of July, depending on your subject.
You will arrive on Monday and leave on Friday, staying four nights in an Oxford college. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday you’ll attend an academic programme run by an Oxford faculty during the day, with evenings featuring a range of support and entertainment options and lots of time to spend with current Oxford students.
The residential gives you a taste of what study as an undergraduate is like at Oxford, including different teaching settings such as seminars, lectures, labs and tutorials. Many of our departments also run bespoke workshops to help you prepare for applications to Oxford during their academic programmes.
At the end of the week, you’ll attend a mini conference, bringing you together with the other UNIQers on your week and offering additional information, support and guidance.
We’re there for you with additional online support to help you make a competitive application to Oxford. We’ll support you at each stage of the application process from UCAS application, to admissions tests, to interviews.
See our key dates to find out when the different parts of the programme happen.
Does UNIQ cost anything?
No. UNIQ is completely and utterly free!
There are absolutely no fees to either UNIQ participants or their schools or colleges, and we cover all travel, accommodation, meals, and staffing and tuition costs. We think it’s a pretty good deal!
How will I know when applications open?
Applications will be open from 15 December to 13 January. Register for our newsletter to keep up to date with UNIQ, find out more, and get a reminder when applications go live.
We can’t accept late applications to UNIQ, so make sure you don’t miss out.
What if I have another question?
Take a look at our information about who UNIQ is for, what subjects you can study on UNIQ, and our frequently asked questions. If you cannot find the answer there, please get in touch.
