University of Oxford UNIQ Summer Schools Mathematics Residential Course

On top of UNIQ's general rules for state school students in their first year of sixth form, the Mathematics course requires A level Mathematics or an equivalent, and UNIQ highly recommends A level Further Mathematics too.

Getting in isn't first come, first served. UNIQ prioritizes students with good grades from backgrounds underrepresented at Oxford and reads your information in context. It also says its grade requirements may be lower than you'd expect.

• Grades

  UNIQ normally expects at least six GCSEs with one or more at grade 7 or A, or in Scotland six National 5s with at least one A.

• Background

  Applicants who are or have been in care are strongly prioritized, and UNIQ also considers Free School Meals eligibility and may check your home postcode against the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

• School stage and age

  You can have no more than one completed A level, and you must be under 18 when the residential runs, with a few exceptions such as Year 13 students in Northern Ireland who will already be 18.

• One chance only

  You can attend UNIQ once, and anyone who has already been on it is disqualified, so choosing Mathematics over another subject is a one-time decision.

• Extenuating circumstances

  If something affected your GCSE results, the application form has a section to explain it, and UNIQ takes it into account.

The math teaching happens on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, when an Oxford faculty runs the academic program during the day. In past years that has meant lectures on topics such as Matrices and Markov Chains, Calculus and Number Theory, along with time working on problems and advice on preparing for the TMUA and interviews.

You arrive on Monday, and evenings bring optional social activities, college tours and time in the common room with current Oxford students. The week ends with a mini conference for everyone on your week before you leave on Friday. UNIQ describes the residential as very intensive, so finish any school project before you go.

Not directly. UNIQ says students who take part and then apply to Oxford get no preferential treatment at the application stage. What you take away is a clear sense of what studying math at Oxford is like and specific advice on the TMUA and interviews.

After the residential, UNIQ continues with online support from August to December to help you make your application, covering the UCAS application, admissions tests and interviews.

Yes. Neither you nor your school pays anything, and UNIQ covers your travel to Oxford, your college room, your meals and all teaching.

A few things fall outside that. 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 on you too. UNIQ asks families with worries about costs during the visit to get in touch.

Student ambassadors, who are current Oxford undergraduates, stay with you in college and take you to lectures and seminars, and each college has a Site Manager, a senior ambassador who runs drop-ins, tours and evening activities.

• Rooms

  You get your own lockable bedroom. Some are ensuite, but many college buildings are historic, so you may share a bathroom with a few other participants on a gender-segregated corridor.

• Food

  Every college offers a vegetarian option. UNIQ tries to meet other dietary needs but can't guarantee halal, kosher or other religious diets, so tell UNIQ your requirements as soon as you get a place.

• Access needs

  You don't need to declare a disability when applying. If you're offered a place, UNIQ asks what adjustments you need for the residential.

You apply online through the UNIQ website.

1. 1

   Fill in the online form between 15 December 2026 and 13:00 on 19 January 2027, choosing Mathematics and a second-choice course in case your first is full.

2. 2

   Nominate a teacher at your school. UNIQ contacts most nominated teachers only after offers have gone out and been accepted.

3. 3

   Submit the form in full, because partly completed applications aren't considered and you'll see an "application submitted" screen rather than a confirmation email.

4. 4

   Watch your email for a decision by early March 2027 and accept any offer within one week.

5. 5

   Mathematics ran in three weeks in 2026, and when a subject runs in more than one week, UNIQ allocates you to one at random. If you can't make yours, you can ask to join the reserve queue for the other dates.