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LSE Springboard: Years 12-13

LSE Springboard is a sustained 10-month access programme for Year 12 students who live outside the South East of England and are interested in applying to study at LSE.

Applications for LSE Springboard are now closed.

If you have applied, the LSE Springboard team will communicate selection decisions via email by Monday 11 December 2023.

The programme provides participants with a taste of university-level teaching and learning at LSE as well as the information needed to apply to LSE and other high-tariff universities.

The programme is delivered in a hybrid format, participants will be invited to LSE Springboard campus days to fully experience the LSE community alongside participating in a full online programme involving academic enrichment and information, advice and guidance.

The programme is free to participate in, with the cost of all activities and travel to and from campus covered by LSE.

Successful participation in and completion of the LSE Springboard programme will enable participants who apply to LSE to be considered for a contextual offer.

See Admissions information (lse.ac.uk) for full details and all eligibility criteria.

When and where does LSE Springboard take place?

LSE Springboard will begin on Tuesday 23 January 2024 (when students are in Year 12) and end on Friday 1 November 2024 (when students are in Year 13).

All activities take place online via Zoom, except the three campus visits.

You will be coming to London for our campus visits on the following dates:

  • Friday 19 April 2024
  • Friday 12 July 2024
  • Friday 1 November 2024

We will cover the cost of your travel to and from campus. To find out more about our campus, please visit our Campus life webpage.

All other activities take place online. If you are offered a place on the programme, we will ask you about your tech set-up and whether you need any extra support from us to access the programme online.

 

What activities are included?

LSE Springboard includes: 

  • Campus visits to LSE, including an end of programme celebration
  • An online academic programme taught by PhD Tutors and delivered in partnership with The Brilliant Club
  • Tailored personal statement feedback and support
  • Virtual information sessions on applying to university, student finance and budgeting, revision skills and student wellbeing.

What our participants say

In our most recent 2022-23 programme survey, 98% of respondents rated LSE Springboard as good or excellent, and 90% of respondents felt that the programme had met or exceeded their expectations.

  • “Springboard has been the most useful guide to university for me (especially as the first person in my family to go to university in the UK).”
  • “I've received all the support that I needed from this programme.”
  • “Really helped with my confidence in applying to LSE.”

Are there any costs involved?

LSE Springboard is free to participate in. All of the activities, resources and catering are paid for, and we will cover the cost of your travel to and from campus. We will ensure that anyone selected to take part can fully access all activities. 

Who is eligible?

LSE Springboard is open to selected Year 12 students.

Priority Criteria

Applicants should:

  • Be currently in Year 12
  • Have always attended a UK state-funded, non-fee-paying school/college/sixth form
  • Live outside London or the South East of England
  • Be considering making an application to undergraduate study at LSE
  • Be on track to attain the contextual entry requirements for their course(s) of interest at LSE. The contextual offer grades for the degree programmes are listed alongside the standard offer A-level and IB entry requirements on the relevant programme pages
  • Be available for the duration of the programme (January – November).

Applicants should also belong to one of our geographic widening participation target groups, namely:

  • Those living in postcode areas of historic low progression to higher education. This is determined by home postcode, which must be in POLAR4 quintile 1 or 2.
    Check your postcode (selecting MSOA) to see if you have ‘Quintile 1’ or ‘Quintile 2’ next to POLAR4 in the table. More information about POLAR.
  • Those living in postcode areas of historic deprivation as defined by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which must be in IMD quintile 1 or 2 (deciles 1-4) or regional equivalent*. 
    Check your postcode in EnglandNorthern IrelandScotland or Wales.

* Ranks 1-356 in Northern Ireland IMD
  Overall Decile 1 or 2 in Scotland
  Ranks 1-764 in Wales IMD

Additional criteria

We would also particularly encourage applications from students who belong to one (or more) of our other widening participation target groups, namely:

  • Those who identify as having a disability or specific learning difficulty**
  • Those who identify as care-experienced (i.e. those who have been in the care of the local authority)
  • Those who identify as Black British African, Black British Caribbean or those of mixed Black British heritage
  • Those who identify as British Pakistani
  • Those who identify as British Bangladeshi.

More information about how LSE uses widening participation data during the admissions process can be found under the contextual admissions section of this admissions information page.

**Have a disability or specific learning difficulty as defined by UCAS:

  • You have a social/communication difference such as autism/Asperger's
  • You are blind or have a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
  • You are deaf or have a serious hearing impairment
  • You have a long-standing illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
  • You have a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
  • You have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
  •  You have physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using your arms or using a wheelchair or crutches
  • You have a disability, impairment or medical condition that is not listed above.

In the circumstance that the programme is oversubscribed, and places need to be allocated, applicants will be considered for places based on the extent to which they meet our widening participation criteria.

Those applicants who meet all the priority criteria and one or more of our additional criteria will be prioritised for places. 

How can I find out more and apply?

Applications for LSE Springboard 2023-24 are now closed.

The LSE Springboard team will communicate selection decisions via email by Monday 11 December 2023.

Applicants will be considered for places based on the extent to which they meet our widening participation criteria. Those 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 about the programme or applications, please email ard.springboard@lse.ac.uk for more information.

Contact

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

What training do LSE staff receive?

All staff and students involved in the sessions receive appropriate training before the event. Staff or students working directly and regularly with young people on activities 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.

Cancellation Policy

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.