UNIQ 2020
Oxford’s flagship access programme is back as you’ve never seen it before
When coronavirus (Covid-19) took over all of our lives just three short months ago, it became clear that for the first time in ten years, UNIQ, the University’s flagship access programme for state school year 12 students would not be able to run here in Oxford, and the team set about building an online version of the programme. The result of this labour of love, UNIQ 2020, will soon launch to over a thousand students who have confirmed their ‘virtual’ attendance from 29th June 2020.
Over recent years, UNIQ has welcomed over 8535 participants, over 1,500 of whom have gone on to study at Oxford as undergraduates.
As our UNIQ students can’t come to Oxford for our residential this year, we have decided to bring UNIQ to them
1,350 state school students were originally offered the chance to join the UNIQ residential programme, and just eight of these students will not be attending the forthcoming redesigned online events. This is in addition to the 720 participants already involved in UNIQ Digital, the initiative’s already existing online mentoring arm.
Each subject course of UNIQ 2020 will take place over five days, with a total of 32 subjects running over the five weeks, from 29 June to 29 July. Just as with the residential experience, the online events will introduce participants to key elements of Oxford life, from academic activities such as tutorials and lectures to the social side, including college life, societies, wellbeing and fees and funding. Participants will also have the chance to virtually meet each other and current Oxford students who can share insights about Oxford life.
Samina Khan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, said: “As our UNIQ students can’t come to Oxford for our residential this year, we have decided to bring UNIQ to them.
“UNIQ always provides participants with opportunities to meet current undergraduates and question them about what student life in Oxford is really like. This year will be no exception. Interaction with student ambassadors will continue to be at the heart of UNIQ, though I imagine there will be more discussions about experiences of remote teaching and learning than in previous years! Our online programme will also provide UNIQ students with opportunities to socialise with each other through online quizzes, games and other activities.”
“The situation arising from the coronavirus pandemic has challenged us but it has also reinforced our commitment to making sure that any student thinking of applying to us this autumn is still able to make an informed and confident decision. We have taken this crisis and turned it into thinking about different ways of achieving our aims, moving UNIQ, Target Oxbridge and our forthcoming Open Days, online. We are delighted to offer these experiences to our brilliant participants and we hope that many of them will go on to make successful applications to the University of Oxford next term.”
Laura Wilsmore, senior student ambassador on UNIQ and current Oxford student talks about her experience of the programme, what to expect from this year’s events:
What are you most looking forward to about being a UNIQ ambassador this year?
UNIQ is always a highlight of my year (this is the fourth and final year I will be working it, just to prove how UNIQ mad I am!) and I am just as excited as I would be any other year to begin. Yes, it will be different, but it will still be such a privilege to work with incredible students from across the UK to explore subjects they love. The community we will build between the students and the university will be just as important, whilst quizzes and game nights will still be as enjoyable — I’m sure!
What do you think UNIQ 2020 will mean to participants during this time?
I really hope it comes to mean a chance to form a UNIQ community — where students from different backgrounds, all with their own story to tell, come together — because that’s what it always has meant to me. It’s a chance to try something new, build new connections and friendships, whilst giving essential information and support to apply to Oxford. The students always think it’s a bit cheesy at first, but the ‘No Limits’ slogan that we go into a UNIQ week pitching is so important, as having that sense of self-belief, to believing that your dreams and goals could be possible, is the most valuable thing a UNIQ student should leave with.
UNIQ really was the only source of information about Oxford and the application process that I received, so I think it is incredibly important that it continues this year
What do you think of the plans for UNIQ 2020 and the increasing role of digital platforms in outreach?
Moving UNIQ online is an ambitious project, that is undoubtable. However, I am so excited to hear of how much thought and effort has gone into giving students the best possible experience regardless of the barriers that we face today. It is was so important that the scheme went ahead in some form this year, and I’m so glad UAO felt the same. Multiple online forums, constant Student Ambassador support, and Oxford academic content delivered through the system will facilitate the same discussions and academic development that would occur any other year — except this time the chance of me being awoken at 6am by someone locked outside their room is quite slim.
Would UNIQ (in a digital format) have been useful to you when you were applying to University?
UNIQ really was the only source of information about Oxford and the application process that I received, so I think it is incredibly important that it continues this year. The format may be different, but the information and the message will still be the same. It will still be an opportunity for students who have never had the chance to explore outside the curriculum and gain an insight into what an Oxford education is. Neither of my parents went to university, so hearing about UCAS forms, financial support, and admissions processes through UNIQ was incredibly useful, and is needed today for students like me just as much as it was four years ago.
How have you found the pandemic personally?
I would be lying to say that these have not been challenging times. I have a long-term disability and was mid-way through Master’s coursework when the pandemic escalated in the UK, so a lot of the support networks and routines I had established were toppled over. I am incredibly fortunate to have my family and myself still safe and well, but it did feel odd trying to write about Renaissance theatre in-between checking the news and contacting friends and family. It can feel like you are being torn between different parts of yourself, but it definitely has made me realise how kind you do have to be to yourself and to those around you. Everyone is trying to settle into some form normality in these incredibly abnormal times, and we have to reach out and support others where we can. I am thankful that my postgraduate course leaders have been understanding, giving long extensions and frequent support from afar. I am also grateful for the time I have been able to spend with my parents and sister (and my cat) that I would not otherwise have had. My sister is about to return to full-time work as a primary school teacher, and I am both proud and thankful of her perseverance, and all key workers like her, during these uncertain times.
How has being a part of UNIQ helped you on your higher education path / Oxford journey?
I attended UNIQ in 2016 for the English Summer School. I had only found out about it by googling ‘free summer schools in the UK’ as I was unsure what subject I wanted to study at university, and up popped UNIQ! I can honestly say that I would not be at Oxford without UNIQ — the support, the inspiration, and the motivation it gave me was invaluable. For once, you are encouraged to immerse yourself in your subject and explore new topics with others just as enthusiastic as you are.
I went to a large sixth form college of around 2,000 students where it was a very, very rare occurrence to see a student apply to Oxford, let alone get in. UNIQ made me feel like I was not an anomaly for wanting to try, but instead was very much what Oxford wanted; students who were passionate about their subject, regardless of their background. Meeting ambassadors who had stories just like mine lifted my confidence, and I began to break down that there really was no ‘Oxford Type’ as I had imagined.
Thinking back to when you were 17–18, how would the experience of lockdown have affected your schooling / higher education decisions?
Personally, from having a long-term disability, I have always been concerned with how a university supports and accommodates students during any difficulties they face. I definitely feel that the current situation requires higher education institutions to really ensure that they are as accessible, accommodating, and supportive as possible. I definitely think lockdown would have made 17-year-old Laura look into how universities were supporting current students before applying myself.
Additionally, I think it would really make me consider what I want to get out of a higher education. In my local area, it is often a huge pressure to leave education as soon as possible to begin earning a living, and I worry to think that this pressure may become overwhelming to students in similar positions to me during lockdown today. However, I hope that initiatives like UNIQ can continue to encourage students to pursue further education if that’s what truly makes them happy. There are financial support systems and scholarships in place, more than I could ever really have known about before UNIQ, that could really help someone, even during these challenging times.
What is your fondest UNIQ residential memory?
When I was on UNIQ, one of my fondest memories was seeing my friend Louie’s face as he walked around Magdalen college for the first time. We both were in awe, but also felt so excited at the prospect of studying there (and having deer on your doorstep!). He applied and was accepted, studying English at Magdalen for three years, and I am glad to say that we are still very good friends!
From working as an ambassador/Site Manager over the years, I’ve had so many wonderful moments with my students as I saw them grow in confidence throughout the week. One year, the students and I created a role call to perform anytime we needed to head off to the next session. It evolved from simply a number call out to a full-on mini performance of the ‘role call’ from Hairspray, but with all the students being nicknamed incredible female writers throughout time. I am always so proud and honoured to spend time with these incredible individuals on UNIQ and I’m excited to meet more (virtually!) this year for my fourth and final time.
Find out more on the UNIQ website
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Want to read more? Try our articles on: Being a minority at Oxford, UNIQ voices — Perspectives from past UNIQ Summer School students, and How to shine in an Oxford interview.
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