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Undergraduate

Contextual Admissions

At Queen Mary University of London, our mission is to create a truly inclusive environment where we support talented students regardless of their background or personal experience.

Contextual Admissions
  1. Queen Mary University of London
  2. Undergraduate
  3. Applying
  4. Entry requirements
  5. Contextual Admissions

Check your eligibility for a contextual offer for 2024 entry here

Contextual Admissions Eligibility Checker

We recognise that your individual educational experience and context can have an impact on the grades you achieve and your opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities. By using contextual data, we can take this information into account to form a complete view of your attainment and potential when we assess your application to study with us.

How are contextual admissions used?

Our contextual admissions policy is reviewed annually in conjunction with our academic schools. By taking contextual data and information into account, the admissions selector may make one of the following decisions;

  • Provide additional consideration at application stage prior to making a decision regarding your application.
  • To make you a contextual offer:
    • Our standard contextual offer is up to a two grade reduction from our standard A-level offer (one grade for our Medicine, Dentistry and Law programmes)
    • Our enhanced contextual offer is up to a three grade reduction from our standard A-level offer (two grades for our Medicine and Dentistry programmes).

Our contextual offer eligibility

Your eligibility for a contextual offer is made using the information provided on your UCAS application form. We review every application holistically to determine whether you are eligible for a reduced contextual offer:

All Programmes (Except Law, Medicine and Dentistry)

Standard contextual offer

To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • The school or college where you took (or are taking) your GCSE’s and or A-Levels has performed below the national average over the last three years1
  • Your school/college is sponsored by Queen Mary
  • You live in an area of high disadvantage defined using the IMD measure AND you live in an area where young people are less likely to progress to higher education, defined using the POLAR measure

Enhanced contextual offer

To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • You are care experienced (in care for 13 weeks+)
  • You have participated in one of our sustained/partnered access schemes where we can verify successful completion. This includes Access to Queen Mary or Realising Opportunities
  • You are holding immigration permission which confirms you are:  
    • a refugee
    • an asylum seeker
    • entered the UK via one of the following schemes (Ukrainian Family Scheme; Homes for Ukraine Scheme; or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

Law, Medicine and Dentistry only

Standard contextual offer

To be eligible you must meet two of the following criteria:

  • The school or college where you took (or are taking) your GCSE’s and or A-Levels has performed below the national average over the last three years1
  • Your school/college is sponsored by Queen Mary
  • You are holding an immigration permission which confirms you are:  
    • a refugee
    • an asylum seeker
    • entered the UK via one of the following schemes (Ukrainian Family Scheme; Homes for Ukraine Scheme; or Ukraine Extension Scheme) .

Or one of the above and one of the following criteria:

  • You live in an area of high disadvantage defined, defined using the IMD measure
  • You live in an area where young people are less likely to progress to higher education, as defined using the POLAR measure
  • You have participated in one of our sustained/partnered access schemes where we can verify successful completion. This includes Access to Queen Mary, Realising Opportunities, Bridge the Gap (Medicine and Dentistry only).

Enhanced contextual offer

To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • You are care experienced (in care for 13 weeks+)

Or

  • You have participated in one of our sustained/partnered access schemes where we can verify successful completion. This includes Sutton Trust Pathways to Law Programme (for Law only).

Medicine and Dentistry will have additional UCAT requirements which all applicants must satisfy. 

BSc Oral Health (A910) is not eligible for a reduced offer.

Standard contextual offer

To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • You live in an area of disadvantage, defined using ACORN segmentation
  • You were previously in receipt of Free School Meals during study in Key Stage 4
  • Your school or college is sponsored by Queen Mary
  • The school or college where you took (or are taking) your GCSE’s and or A-Levels has performed below the national average over the last three years and your you live in an area of disadvantage using the IMD measure 
  • You are care experienced
  • You are estranged
  • You have a declared disability
  • You are holding an immigration permission which confirms you are:  
    • a refugee
    • an asylum seeker
    • entered the UK via one of the following schemes (Ukrainian Family Scheme; Homes for Ukraine Scheme; or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

Enhanced contextual offer

To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • You are a care leaver
  • You have participated in one of our sustained/partnered access schemes where we can verify successful completion

Medicine and Dentistry will have additional UCAT requirements which all applicants must satisfy. 

BSc Oral Health (A910) is not eligible for a reduced offer.

Our Contextual Criteria

This list provides further definition of the criteria used in our contextual admissions policy. It is not an exhaustive list. Please refer to eligibility criteria above for the year you plan to apply.

Criteria Definition
Live in an area of low participation in HE Your home postcode is identified as POLAR4 Quintile 1 or 2.
Live in an area of disadvantage (IMD) Your home postcode is identified as IMD Quintile 1 or 2
Live in an area of disadvantage (ACORN) Your home postcode is identified as ACORN Group: M, N, P, Q, R, S or U
Attend a School or College sponsored by Queen Mary Currently attend Drapers' Academy, St Pauls Way Trust School or Royal Greenwich Trust School
Attend a state school performing below the national average This is calculated by us by taking the average performance using Department for Education data over the last three years, at both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5.

Due to the COVID pandemic and different grading approaches, we exclude 2019/20 and 2020/21 from this calculation.
You were in receipt of Free School Meals You have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) on any day prior to finishing study in Key Stage 4 (Year 11)
Care Leaver A young person who has been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14. If you are a care experienced student, we encourage you to learn more about the ways in which we support you during the admissions process and transition to university.
Care Experienced Refers to anyone who has been, or is currently, in care. This care may have been provided in many
different settings, including living with foster carers; living in a residential children's home; being looked after at home under a supervision order; living with friends or relatives in kinship care
Estranged Students aged 18 to 24 who are not communicating with either of their parents due to an irreconcilable breakdown in the relationship with
them.
Successful completion of a verifiable QMUL Access Activity This currently includes, Access to Queen Mary, Bridge the Gap (for Medicine and Dentistry), and Pathways to Law.

 

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