Cambridge Access Programme

 

What is the Cambridge Access Programme?

The Cambridge Access Programme is a university access initiative which is run by Cambridge Students' Union and delivered by current Cambridge students. Building on the foundation of the former Shadowing Scheme, it offers an opportunity for prospective students to gain authentic insights through online mentoring. The Programme is for home students in Year 12, in S5 in Scotland or Year 13 in Northern Ireland. The Programme is for students with little family history of attending University and/or who go to schools where few people progress to University. We also prioritise students who:

  • Are eligible for free school meals
  • Are refugees
  • Have caring responsibilities
  • Have been/are in local authority care
  • Are estranged

Eligible students will be paired with current Cambridge students who are studying a subject they are interested in. They will also have access to myth-busting webinars about Cambridge University, focusing on seminars from underrepresented groups, led by current students and Cambridge SU. There will also be information provided about the Cambridge application process and College support, processes and culture. 

Using a secure, moderated online platform, participants can also stay in contact with their Mentor after the Programme, receiving ongoing support in order to help them make well-informed, successful University applications.

The Programme is free for all participants


What is Cambridge teaching like?

Is the Programme
 accessible to me?

Are there activities I will enjoy?

 

  • Receive 1-1 mentoring through a safe online platform before and after the Programme
  • Attend webinars on students' lived experiences of studying at Cambridge
  • Watch online talks from University staff about applying to Cambridge and College life
  • Visit Cambridge for an optional in person experience day, meet current students and attend seminars

The Programme is for students with little family history of attending University, who go to schools where few people progress to University. We especially welcome applications from those from WP (Widening Participation) backgrounds. Students beginning Year 12 in England and Wales, Year 13 in Northern Ireland, or S5 in Scotland, are eligible for the Access Programme.

If you're in your penultimate year of secondary education and you meet some of the criteria listed above then the Cambridge Access Programme is absolutely for you. We can't guarantee that you will love Cambridge or choose to apply to the University, but we can guarantee that you will leave the Programme knowing a lot more about what it is really like to be a Cambridge student. We want you to have the support, experiences and information available for you to feel confident about whatever decisions you make about University. This includes asking honest questions to current students and having a Cambridge Admissions Tutor explain to you exactly how the process of applying to Cambridge works.

The Programme is put together to give you an authentic sense of what it is like here, behind all the myths and stereotypes, to see if you could love it too!

 

The mentoring begins on 18th January 2027 and runs until 7th May 2027. The webinars and online talks will happen during the mentoring period. The optional in person visit to experience Cambridge will happen in March 2027, we will provide you with further information if you're accepted on the Programme.

Applications for the 2027 Cambridge Access Programme open on 7th September 2026. Applications close on 12th October 2026, with the deadline for guardian and teacher consent forms on 26th October. There is a possibility that consent forms will get sent to junk/spam inboxes so please make sure to check these once a student has applied.

 

You can report an incident or a safeguarding concern at www.cambridgesu.co.uk/safeguarding/