When Brixton teenager Lula Powell set her sights on studying law she feared it would be an uphill struggle. The grade requirements were sky-high, and she didn’t know any lawyers.
“I just didn’t have that network to get help,” said the 18-year-old. “Law specifically felt like a bit like a gentlemen’s club. People from certain backgrounds can build connections and get work experience and advice. I was worried that to apply to top universities, I needed to make a very competitive application. Good grade predictions are not enough because everyone has good grades.”
Luckily, the teenager remembered reading about a scheme for university hopefuls run by the Sutton Trust education charity. The Pathways programme, in partnerships with leading universities across the country, helped more than 1,250 students secure degree places last year. Eligibility criteria is based on attainment and socio-economic markers, such as attending a state school, being on free school meals, first in the family to go to university or living in a postcode where few people attend higher education.
Lula applied to Pathways in Year 12 and was accepted.
“At that first introductory Pathways event at LSE, I walked into a room of strangers but everyone was in the exact same position as me so we made friends quite quickly,” she says.
Monthly sessions covered career advice, guest speakers, how to improve UCAS applications and how to study effectively. A summer residential at Warwick University was arranged, as was crucial work experience at a leading London Chambers and a firm of solicitors. In Year 13, Pathways participants also receive personal mentoring from a university student studying their subject of choice.
The programme gave Lula confidence: “I realise that ‘Yes, I can do this.’”
Participation in the scheme led to a contextual offer from the London School of Economics (LSE) of AAB, compared to the published entry requirement of A*AA. An even more reduced offer of BBB from University College London also came though. Both helped “remove that mental barrier” and meant that “if something did go wrong on the day, that was okay”.
In the event, Lula aced her exams and achieved the A*A*A that would have won her a place without the alternative offer.
“Contextual offers are not about making life easy for people who aren’t smart enough or don’t have the potential to be at these universities,” she says. “They are there to remove the mental barriers and stress for people who may have limiting circumstances.”
Contextual offers are particularly important for pupils at poor-performing schools, according to the teenager.
“I went to a pretty good state school but if you come from a school that is low achieving and doesn’t have high academic expectations, it is so easy to fall for the trap of doing what everyone else is doing and not pushing yourself,” she says. “Contextual offers are incredibly important for these students because it allows them to get to a university that can unlock that potential in them.”
Full-time study at LSE and a part-time job means that life is full-on but next year, Lula will act as a Pathways mentor to help someone just like her.
Her advice to London teenagers is to make what you have work for you, and be proactive.
“People are applying to top universities from all kinds of backgrounds, from all around the world, with top grades,” she says. “You have to make use of things that make you stand out and make you special.”
And that means laying to rest, or at least putting aside, the dreaded “imposter syndrome”.
“You can’t feel ashamed or reluctant to take part in access schemes or feel like you don’t deserve to be there,” warns Lula. “These schemes are there to break down the barriers; to help people realise their potential and stop these horrible feedback cycles and reinforcement loops where people have the potential but don’t succeed because they are not expected to succeed. If you think you have the potential, you probably do have it.”
So how can you take advantage of “contextual offers”, access programmes and make the most of your UCAS form to help you turn a hurdle into a springboard? All you need to do is read on...
WHAT IS A CONTEXTUAL OFFER?
Also called alternative or adjusted offers, contextual offers are usually a grade or two below the standard offer. They take account of talent and potential and aspects of a candidate’s background, typically attending a low-performing state school, being on free school meals or living in an area where few people go on to university. Coming from a low-income household, spending time in care, being estranged from your family and having a disability or care responsibilities may also make you a candidate for a lower offer. To see if you qualify, try the contextual admissions eligibility checkers that a number of universities feature on their admissions webpages.
HOW DO I GET ONE?
Not all universities make contextual offers or may only offer them for certain courses. Many of the universities that make contextual offers do so automatically, using the information you have provided in your UCAS application. Make sure you fill in responses to the new set of questions on the UCAS form relating to personal circumstances (more information here) and include any background information that relates to your ability to study. UCAS says that when universities consider your achievements, “it helps them to know if you've faced any particular circumstances or challenges that may have impacted your education or results”.
Some universities may require extra information; Southampton Solent, for instance, has a self-declaration form on its website for candidates to fill in. Students who receive a contextual offer from the university are also awarded a one-off £500 scholarship when they enrol.
Taking part in access schemes or outreach programmes can increase your chances of getting a contextual offer.
WHAT IS AN ACCESS SCHEME/OUTREACH PROGRAMME?
Many universities run their own access programmes to encourage and support applicants and help them prepare for university. The programmes are generally a hybrid of in-person and online activities such as master classes, tasters, open days, subject trial sessions, summer schools and mentoring.
Anyone can apply to some schemes but priority is given to young people from under-represented groups. Programmes may be aimed at young people who live locally or who are interested in a particular subject, so check university websites. For instance, Imperial College’s Levelling Up is a year-long academic and pastoral support programme for Year 12 students who intend to study science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
UCL has just launched a new hybrid seven-week Expand course designed for Year 12 students from under-represented backgrounds (black students, young carers, care-experienced students and students with a disability). More than 100 pupils took part in the inaugural course this term. The university also runs specialist days for care experienced and estranged students, young carers, refugee and asylum seekers and students with disabilities.
Some universities partner together or with other organisations to run programmes, in a similar model to the Sutton Trust scheme. Realising Opportunities (RO) is an outreach scheme for Year 12 and 13 pupils involving 14 universities across the UK. The interactive programme is aimed at helping teens to develop academic skills, improve their awareness of leading universities and how to apply through online support from current university students. All partner universities make RO students alternative offers that are typically two A-level grades lower than the standard offer.
Regardless of whether an access scheme leads to a contextual offer, participation can boost your UCAS application, help you study, widen your social circle and make you more knowledgeable about the course you are aiming for.
Jess Bond, head of widening participation at LSE, said: “Taking part in outreach programmes such as the Pathways to the Professions is a fantastic way for young people to develop their skills, broaden their horizons and received tailored advice to help them make informed choices about their future,” says Jess Bond, head of widening participation at LSE. “One of the best things about these programmes is that students have the chance to meet other young people and experience first-hand what studying at university might be like, by speaking to current students and visiting our campus.”
GET IN EARLY
Universities have been told by the Government to help schools raise attainment at GCSE so some institutions start to offer support before sixth form. Royal Holloway runs a “spring university” — a three day residential for Year 10 and 11s to meet current students and take part in subject taster sessions and social activities.
Imperial College and SOAS both run summer schools for the same age group. Meanwhile UCL has free, in-person events exclusively for Year 10 students of black African and black Caribbean heritage.
The University of Surrey’s Surrey Scholars scheme runs from Year 9 to Year 13, with learners receiving support with GCSE and post-16 study, advice and guidance about higher education and careers, priority status to other Surrey access programmes such as its summer school and access to online and campus events. Last year, 700 young people were active Scholars, with the vast majority going to study at UK universities.
OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPORT
A plethora of organisations and charities wants to help you get to college or university. The Access Project, Uni Connect and The Brilliant Club work directly with schools. IntoUniversity has 41 learning centres in 24 UK towns and cities, with more than 10 in London. It provides after-school academic support sessions, one-to-once mentoring and aspiration-raising.
Zero Gravity, a social mobility tech company set up Joe Seddon, who defied the odds to win a place at Oxford University, gives young people the mentoring, support and scholarship opportunities they need to reach similar heights. A new partnership with Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix (MGP), for instance, is funding 146 scholarships over two years for high-achieving Stem students from low socio-economic backgrounds to study at university.
“The internet is a great leveller — immerse yourself in all of the incredible content out there,” Seddon advises. “Free services such as Zero Gravity make it possible to connect with a mentor who can expand your academic interest and support your application. Build a network of others who’ve been through the process.”
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