LSE Empower: Year 12

This conference gave us long-lasting hope and inspiration for the future!

LSE Empower 2025 participant

LSE Empower will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026. Applications will open on Monday 2 March 2026 – please check back to this page after this date to access the application form.

LSE Empower (formerly The Black Achievement Conference) is a one-day online conference organised by the LSE Widening Participation team for Year 12 students of Black heritage.

Initially an in-person conference showcasing the achievements of LSE’s Black community, the conference now supports Year 12 students of Black heritage by sharing the authentic experiences of Black students, staff and alumni from LSE, offering bespoke guidance to help students navigate being Black at an elite institution, and providing an insight into what it is like to study at LSE and how to make a competitive application.

LSE Empower will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026 via Zoom, from 11:00am - 4:00pm.

The 2026 conference agenda will be updated before applications open in March. The conference will include:

A choice of lectures delivered by leading LSE academics, including Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah (Law) , whose research focuses on the use of rap music as evidence in criminal trials through the ‘Art Not Evidence’ campaign which is seeking law reform; and Junius Olivier (Economics), whose lecture ‘Choices, Trade-Offs and Happiness: The Economics of Why We buy!’ delves into how consumer theory explains our choices, from opportunity cost, budget constraints to maximising utility.
A session from the LSE Admissions Team on applying to university and the LSE admissions process.
A talk from an LSE alumnus detailing their journey after university (exact details to be confirmed).
Talks from Black students about societies, student life and the Black student community at LSE (including the African & Caribbean Society).
A session from the Widening Participation Team on student finance and what financial support is available to make university a viable option for participants.

*The timetable and speakers are subject to last minute changes

LSE Empower is free to attend.

To be eligible for LSE Empower, you must meet all of our essential eligibility criteria (below). If you are unsure about any of the eligibility criteria, or whether you can apply to LSE Empower, please contact ard.empower@lse.ac.uk.

Essential Criteria

Personal details:

Be currently in Year 12 (England and Wales), Year 13 (N. Ireland) or S5 (Scotland)
Have always attended a UK state school or college (non-fee-paying).
Identify as having any of the following heritage:
- Black or Black British - African
- Black or Black British - Caribbean
- Mixed - White and Black African
- Mixed - White and Black Caribbean
- Other Black background
Be interested in applying to study at LSE
Be able to fully commit to LSE Empower on Saturday 16 May

Academic achievements and potential:

Have achieved at least grade 6 in GCSE English Language and Mathematics
Have achieved a strong set of GCSE grades overall, with the majority at grades 7, 8 and 9
Be on track to achieve at least the contextual offer grades for your chosen degree programme(s) at LSE. This includes studying any required A level subjects for your chosen degree programme. Full details of LSE’s undergraduate degree programmes are available on the programme webpages.

Additional Criteria

If we have more applications than spaces for the event, applicants who meet all the essential eligibility criteria and one or more of our additional criteria will be prioritised for places. The following criteria are listed in order of priority.

Students who are care-experienced. LSE defines care-experienced as those who have been in the care of the local authority, with foster carers, in a residential children's home, under a supervision order while 'looked after at home', or living with friends or relatives in kinship care.
Students who live in an area of low Higher Education participation. LSE primarily assesses this by looking at the TUNDRA quintile for your home postcode – quintile 1 or quintile 2 indicate that you live in an area of low Higher Education participation. Quintiles 3, 4 and 5 indicate that you live in an area of medium to high Higher Education participation. You can check if you are in quintile 1 or 2 by entering your home postcode in this TUNDRA postcode checker.
Students who have ever been eligible for Free School Meals during their secondary education.
Students who are estranged from both parents.
Students who are the first generation of their family to attend university.

Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating or special circumstances are also considered when reviewing applications for LSE Empower. In the application form, you will have the opportunity to provide more details about your extenuating circumstances. For example this could include: refugee / asylum seeker, young carer, child of armed forces, disruption to education, bereavement of a parent/carer, any other extenuating circumstances.

Applications for LSE Empower 2026 will open on Monday 2 March at 09:00am, and close on Sunday 26 April at 11:59pm.

The LSE Empower team will shortlist applications and communicate selection decisions in April 2026 via email.

Applicants will be considered for places based on the extent to which they meet our widening participation criteria. If we have more applications than spaces for the event, applicants who meet all the priority criteria and one or more of our additional criteria will be prioritised for places.

If you have any questions, please email ard.empower@lse.ac.uk and the LSE Empower team will reply as soon as possible.

All staff and students involved in the sessions receive appropriate training before the event. Staff or students working directly and regularly with young people receive specific training on working with children, in line with our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. They also undergo an appropriate level Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Please note that as a result of circumstances or events outside of our control (known as a Force Majeure event), which includes but is not limited to industrial action, official government advice, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises, we may need to cancel an event at short notice.

In the event of a cancellation, a change of venue or date, we will endeavour to notify attendees wherever possible through the contact details given at the time of booking. For the avoidance of doubt, the School will not be liable for any costs you may incur as a result of any cancellation, change of venue or date.