Tom: Hello. My name is Tom and I work at the University of Oxford within UAO, which is Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach. Specifically, I run one of the projects called UNIQ. Alex: Hi, my name is Alex. I work in the same outreach department at the University and I just graduated from studying French and Modern Greek. Tom: So, what is the UNIQ programme? First off, it is entirely free for participants. It is a five day academic residential here in one of Oxford's colleges. But it's not just the residential. There will also be, an introductory call where you get to meet team and other student ambassadors. We'll come out to your regional area, and do a conference with a load of other students on UNIQ. You then come here for the residential, and then after that, if you want to make an application, we are here to provide support and assistance in making a competitive application to Oxford. There's loads of things you can do, but it's probably better to hear from one of the students who’s actually run it with us. Alex: You're part of an academic programme when you come on to UNIQ, which means that you get to see Oxford through the lens of a student if you were to apply here and get an idea of what university life could be like, you get to sit in lecture rooms and do practicals that are aligned with the subject of your choosing, and you also get to do social activities and interact with the other UNIQ participants. Tom: OK, who can come? Well, first off check the website for eligibility. There's a fair bit of criteria that you might have to look at. But fundamentally, If you attend state school, and if you’re in Year 12 in England and Wales, Year 13 in Northern Ireland, or S5 in Scotland, that’s the first bit. We prioritise students from specific backgrounds that are under-represented at UK universities. That could be if you're on free school meals, if you’re care-experienced, if you live in a specific postcode or go to a specific school. But that’s why it's worth checking the web pages. We'll also look at academic ability, which is essentially what you got in your GCSEs or equivalent, because we need to see that there is good prior attainment there. That doesn't, however, mean getting straight eights and nines. It's worth noting that UNIQ’s courses have the same admission requirements as the University of Oxford’s courses. So, if there is a subject requirement for a specific course at Oxford, you need to make sure that you meet that subject requirement in your school leaving qualifications. So, A-levels. For example, Economics and Management, you need to be studying mathematics. Alex: So what courses actually are on offer on UNIQ? It’s about just over 30 different courses. And course choice is the most important decision for applying to Oxford because of the process that we have when you get around to applying. Tom: Why did you choose French and Greek? Alex: I studied French and Modern Greek here. I chose French because I'd studied it at secondary school, and I really liked the language and knew that I wanted to continue studying it at university. I also had an idea that I probably wanted to study a second language, but I didn't know which one I wanted to study. So I looked at the website and other useful online resources and decided that Greek was something I had never heard of, it was something you could only study from scratch at university, and I thought it would be fun. So I picked that one. Tom: Which is why it's worth having a look on the course web pages for UNIQ about all the different types of subjects that are available that you can't necessarily take at A-level or equivalent. So, Materials Science and Archaeology and Anthropology. Some further examples, would be Earth Sciences, Human Sciences or History of Art, Linguistics, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. You can have a look at what those course structures are like at the University, but also what we say about them on UNIQ as well. So I definitely recommend checking out the website. So, Alex, as someone who's worked on multiple UNIQs, what is the student experience like? Alex: I think the student experience is a really positive one. As a student, you have the opportunity to be on academic sessions, and these very much mirror the style of teaching that you can expect to have if you were to apply and be successful in that application. Tom: And, Alex, outside of the academic aspect of the, of the residential, what other bits and pieces happen? Alex: So we do games nights with prizes. We have scavenger hunts where you get to see more parts of the city. There are also trips to museums such as the Ashmolean or the Pitt Rivers Museum, which are both really famous in Oxford. And you also get the opportunity to see a variety of different libraries and buildings, such as the Radcliffe Camera. There's a good mix of academic and downtime, and a good balance of socialising as well. Tom: And there's also actually a fantastic opportunity to pick the brains of student ambassadors. So these are current University of Oxford students who are there to work with you and look after you, essentially, whilst you're here in Oxford, who have gone through the process, they've done an interview and they've been given an offer, so they are there to have those conversations with, which I'm assuming it's happened to you many times. Alex: Yeah, definitely. You meet some really cool people and it's always nice to be able to wave at people and say ‘hi’ if you met them on the UNIQ programme and then they end up getting in. Tom: Alex, as someone who's worked on UNIQ previously as an ambassador, what has been your favourite bit? Alex: I think my favourite part of working on the residentials is seeing the students grow in confidence from the beginning of the week to the end of the week. You might come on the residential and be a bit nervous or unsure about what to expect coming somewhere like Oxford, but by the time you get to the end of it, you'll probably have changed your mindset from ‘why me applying here?’, to ‘why not me?’. Tom: With all that taking into account, UNIQ is here to provide you a chance to see what university is like, but obviously more specifically, what the University of Oxford is like, and the specific processes that we have as part of the application. And that's what we're here to support you with, so you know what to expect for the admissions test, we can support you in how to provide written work, and we can prepare you better for the interview process. What we find is, that students who come on UNIQ and apply to Oxford, have an offer rate of around about 30%, which is significantly higher than the general application pool to Oxford. Alex: So, we've given you lots of information on what the UNIQ programme is. Let's take a look and see what you can expect to be getting up to on a residential. Student ambassador 1: UNIQ is an outreach programme for students from a state school to come and experience Oxford, give you an experience of the academics and to meet new friends here. Staff member 1: It's a really fantastic opportunity. All expenses paid to come to Oxford, see the University, experience the academic side of things, as well as the social side of things in colleges, and really get a feel for whether it's for them. It's exciting. Student ambassador 2: This is a cool opportunity. The opportunity to talk with all sorts of people who have either been through the experience of applying to uni or work and research at this University. Student ambassador 3: They've been involved in museum trips, they've had lectures, they've had tutorials, which is really good because it replicates what it's like when you come to university. Student ambassador 4: If they're STEM students, then they get to do lab activities as well. Student ambassador 5: Generally, getting to know what life is like in Oxford as a student. Student ambassador 6: It's also good on the social side as well as the academic side. Student participant 1: So, I was a bit nervous on the way here, that like, I wouldn’t know who to speak to, but I’ve, like, made a lot of friends. Student participant 2: Everyone here is really lovely because we're all technically, like, in the same situation. We get along really well. Student ambassador 6: They can also learn more about the course they might want to do, and it might help them with choosing a course later on. Student participant 1: It’s, like, really engaging and we have learned quite a lot about the admissions process. Student ambassador 1: For all the students that come along, they have great fun, they meet new people and they enjoy the subject they’re getting involved in. Staff member 1 10: Having that sample of undergraduate life and the topics that are covered in undergraduate teaching can really help the students make an informed choice about what subject is right for them. Student ambassador 7: I think the best way to prepare for UNIQ is to just come in knowing you want to get as much as possible out of it. You want to learn things, you want to meet people. Student ambassador 5: UNIQ benefits to students because it helps them see it as a place that they can be in in the future. Student ambassador 1: You do belong at a place like Oxford and it is achievable. It gives you a chance to get that taste first-hand and then apply. Student ambassador 3: I think that UNIQ is all about making friends, and it's really helpful for the application process to know other people who are also applying. Staff member 1: So I was a student in UNIQ. Honestly, it was a fantastic experience that I still remember really fondly. If I hadn't come on UNIQ I genuinely don't think I would have applied to Oxford and it made me realise that I could do it. And now I'm here running the Materials Science UNIQ programme. Student ambassador 1: I think after the UNIQ experience you walk away realising Oxford is an option for you. Student ambassador 5: Students get a feeling of what it might look like to study at Oxford and to be in this environment. And they’ve walked away with new friendships and new experiences, which is always a great thing. Student participant 2: Yeah, it's just great. Tom: Okay. The website has a lot more information about the UNIQ programme, what to expect, the courses that we offer, the dates for the residentials, and there's also FAQs as well. Tom: Thanks for watching. Visit www.uniq.ox.ac.uk for further information.