Summer Schools for Year 12: Free University Programmes and How to Apply

A university summer school for Year 12 is a short residential or online programme, run by a university or by a charity partnered with one, that combines subject-specific teaching with a taste of student life and guidance on making a university application. The best-known programmes, the Sutton Trust's UK Summer Schools, the Sutton Trust summer school at Cambridge and Oxford's UNIQ, are free and open to Year 12 students at UK state schools, with priority set by each scheme's own widening-participation criteria.

What happens at a Year 12 summer school?

Most combine taught subject sessions, such as lectures and seminars led by academics, with a stay in university accommodation and time with current students who answer questions about workload and student life. Some add a short research project, which gives the student a piece of independent work to discuss later.

Alongside the subject teaching, the Sutton Trust programmes run workshops on the UCAS application, the personal statement and student finance, including the bursaries a student might be entitled to.

Which free university summer schools take Year 12 students?

Three free residential programmes confirm on their official pages that they are for Year 12 students: the Sutton Trust's UK Summer Schools, the Sutton Trust summer school at Cambridge and Oxford's UNIQ. For students interested in science, technology, engineering or maths, the In2STEM programme run by In2scienceUK offers summer work placements for Year 12. All four are for students at UK state schools, and each publishes its own eligibility criteria.

• Sutton Trust UK Summer Schools: for Year 12 students in England and Wales (Year 13 in Northern Ireland, S5 in Scotland) who attend, and have always attended, a state-funded, non-fee-paying school; a free one-week residential at one of 13 partner universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, St Andrews, UCL and Warwick, with over 40 subject areas, over 15 hours of undergraduate-level teaching, and workshops on UCAS, personal statements and student finance; applications open in January.
• Sutton Trust summer school at Cambridge: a free five-day residential for Year 12 students at state-maintained UK schools, with priority for students who are care-experienced, refugees or asylum seekers, eligible for free school meals at any time in the past six years, young carers, or living in the most deprived postcode areas; students choose one of 25 subject streams and take part in lectures or seminars, Cambridge supervisions and their own research project.
• UNIQ (University of Oxford): a free residential and support programme for UK state school students with high academic potential in Year 12 (England and Wales), Year 13 (Northern Ireland) or S5 (Scotland), with good academic grades and from backgrounds that are underrepresented at Oxford; the full eligibility measures are on the UNIQ site.
• In2STEM (In2scienceUK): for Year 12 students (S5 or S6 in Scotland) aged 16 or over, studying at least one STEM A-level, Higher, BTEC or equivalent at a non-fee-paying, non-selective state school, who also meet at least one further criterion: a low-income household, free school meals, Education Maintenance Allowance, Pupil Premium or the 16 to 19 Bursary, parents without a degree, care experience, or an Education, Health and Care Plan; grades are not used in selection; the summer programme combines a one- to two-week work placement with online skills and careers workshops, and applications open in December.

How do you write a strong summer school application?

Eligibility questions come first: the Sutton Trust application, for example, asks about the student's school, qualifications and background, including any benefits the student or their parents or carers receive. Where a form asks for a statement or a reason for choosing the subject, the underlying question is the same: why this subject, and what has the applicant already done about it.

A short answer works best built in three steps: name one specific interest within the subject, stated more precisely than the subject as a whole; give one piece of evidence for it, such as a book, article, project, competition or work experience; and connect that evidence to what the summer school itself offers, such as a particular strand of teaching or contact with academics in that field. Vague enthusiasm without evidence tends to read as weaker than a narrow, well-supported point.

How do free summer schools differ from paid residential courses?

The free summer schools are run by universities, or by the Sutton Trust with university partners, for eligible state school students. Privately run residential courses charge a fee and are open to students from any school. Some use university buildings during the holidays, which gives them no link to that university's admissions process.

The free programmes can carry weight in admissions: some partner universities make contextual offers to students who complete a Sutton Trust summer school, and the Sutton Trust lists which universities do so on its summer schools site.

What can you do if you are not eligible for a free summer school?

Students who are not eligible can still explore a subject through university taster days, free online courses and public lectures run by universities.

• University subject taster days: single-day sessions, in person or online, run by university departments and colleges; eligibility varies by event, so check each listing before registering.
• Free online short courses: university-run introductory courses in a subject, usually self-paced, that can be completed alongside sixth-form study.
• Public lecture series: talks published by university departments, such as the Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures, which are aimed at the general public and schools and broadcast on the department's YouTube channel.
• Wider subject exploration: relevant reading, podcasts, subject competitions and virtual work experience or insight days run by professional bodies.

How can a summer school help a UCAS personal statement and interview?

A summer school gives a personal statement something concrete to describe: a specific session, project or conversation that shaped the applicant's understanding of the subject, instead of a general claim of interest. The strongest references name what was covered, what the student noticed or questioned as a result, and what they went on to read or do afterwards, so the summer school reads as the start of further work.

At interview, admissions tutors may ask a student to go beyond the fact of having attended and explain what they took from a particular session in detail, so it helps to be able to discuss one or two moments from the programme in depth.

Related guides

• What are super-curricular activities?
• Complete Oxbridge application guide
• UCAS personal statement: the three questions
• University application support

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