University of Oxford UNIQ Summer Schools Computer Science Residential Course

You can apply if you're in your first year of sixth form at a UK state school or college (grammar schools count), are settled in the UK or expect home fee status, will be under 18 at the residential, and take A level Maths or equivalent, plus Further Maths if your school offers it. That year is Year 12 in England and Wales, Year 13 in Northern Ireland and S5 in Scotland, and IB students need to be in the first year of the diploma.

Beyond those rules, UNIQ looks at grades and background together. It normally expects at least six GCSEs with one or more at grade 7 or A (or six National 5s with at least one A), and Computer Science expects strong GCSE Maths. UNIQ prioritizes students with good grades from backgrounds under-represented at Oxford. It strongly prioritizes care experience and also takes account of free school meals, how deprived your home postcode is and any extenuating circumstances. It isn't first come, first served, and every application submitted by the deadline is considered equally.

• Who can't apply

  Students at independent or private schools, even on a bursary, and overseas residents, including those from British Overseas Territories.

• One time only

  Anyone who has already attended UNIQ, or who has more than one completed A level, is ruled out.

• Home-educated students

  You can apply, as long as you name someone who can act as a referee for your GCSEs.

You arrive on Monday, spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the academic program, and leave on Friday after a mini conference with everyone else on your week. UNIQ doesn't publish class hours. For Computer Science, the days combine lectures that introduce theories and concepts with smaller group discussions, and you may learn to write programs and explore math beyond what school covers. The material is aimed at first-year Oxford undergraduates, with academic and graduate teaching staff on hand to help.

In the evenings you can join optional social activities with the students in your college, explore Oxford and other colleges, or relax in the common room with your ambassadors. There are no facilities for music practice or sports training, and the days leave little time for other work.

Nothing, as long as you keep to UNIQ's deadlines. There are no fees for you or your school, and UNIQ pays for travel, accommodation, meals, staffing and teaching. The catch is travel. If you miss UNIQ's travel deadlines or lose your ticket, you may have to buy your own, and fuel isn't reimbursed if someone drives you. Snacks, souvenirs and anything you forget to pack are also up to you, and UNIQ asks families who are worried about paying for something during the visit to get in touch.

Current Oxford undergraduates, called ambassadors, take you to classes and stay with you in college. Each college is run by a Site Manager, a senior ambassador who organizes drop-ins, tours and evening activities. You get your own lockable bedroom. Many college buildings are historic, so you may share a bathroom with a few other participants on a gender-segregated corridor, while ensuite rooms may be on mixed corridors.

University staff working on UNIQ follow the University of Oxford's safeguarding code of practice. It requires a named safeguarding lead for each activity, and participants must be told at the start how to report a concern. Colleges are separate bodies with their own safeguarding policies. Every college offers a vegetarian option, but halal, kosher and other religious diets aren't guaranteed, so tell UNIQ what you need as soon as you get a place.

You leave with a close look at how computer science is taught at Oxford and access to UNIQ's online support from August to December. That support covers each stage of an Oxford application, from the UCAS form (the UK's central university application) to admissions tests and interviews. Oxford says the course builds practical problem-solving and program design skills.

What it won't give you is an admissions advantage. Students who attend and then apply to Oxford get no preferential treatment. On the other hand, missing out on a UNIQ place doesn't count against a later Oxford application. UNIQ doesn't mention a certificate.

Applications go only through the UNIQ website, and late ones aren't accepted under any circumstances.

1. 1

   Choose a first and a second course, because UNIQ may offer your second choice if Computer Science is full, and you can't switch subjects once places are allocated.

2. 2

   Complete the online form between 15 December 2026 and 1 pm on 19 January 2027, including your GCSE (or equivalent) grades, a teacher to nominate and any extenuating circumstances.

3. 3

   Submit it in full, because UNIQ ignores unsubmitted drafts and sends no confirmation email, only an "application submitted" screen.

4. 4

   Expect a decision by email by early March 2027, and accept within one week if you're offered a place.

5. 5

   Attend a weekend regional launch event in spring and an online preparation meeting in May or June before your residential week in July 2027.