LSE Thrive: Years 12-13

Applications for LSE Thrive 2025-26 will open at 09:00am on Monday 6 October 2025, and close at 11:59pm on Sunday 16 November 2025.

Please check this webpage again when applications open to access our application form.

LSE Thrive provides participants with the opportunity to experience our world-leading university first-hand and meet and work closely with current LSE students and inspirational staff.

The programme is delivered in a hybrid format. Participants will be invited to LSE Thrive campus days to fully experience LSE student life alongside participating in a full online programme involving:

information, advice and guidance webinars on university choices, student finance, applications and wellbeing
bespoke personal statement support, including an appointment with our Admissions selectors

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

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

See Admissions information for full details and all eligibility criteria.

LSE Thrive begins on Wednesday 25 February 2026, and runs until October 2026. The programme is delivered in a hybrid format, with a mix of online activities and four in-person visits to the LSE campus.

Campus Visits

Our campus visits take place on Wednesdays during school term time: we normally require all participants to arrive at LSE by 10am, and finish at around 4:30pm.

The dates of the four campus visits for Thrive 2025-26 are:

- Wednesday 25 February 2026

- Wednesday 25 March 2026

- Wednesday 24 June 2026

- October 2026 (final date TBC)

Travel reimbursements are available to cover the cost of travel to and from campus.

To find out more about our campus, please visit our Campus life webpage.

Online Activities

All online activities take place on Zoom. 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.

LSE Thrive includes:

Four campus visits to LSE where participants will engage in a range of interactive workshops exploring undergraduate study with internal and external speakers
Tailored personal statement feedback and support, including a workshop and the opportunity for an appointment with our Admissions Team
Virtual information sessions on applying to university, student finance and budgeting, and student wellbeing
The chance to work closely with LSE Thrive mentors - current LSE students
The offer of a place to attend the Black Achievement Conference, which is due to take place virtually on Saturday 16 May 2026.

In our most recent 2024-25 programme survey, 100 per cent of respondents rated LSE Thrive as good or excellent, 98 per cent of respondents felt that the programme had met or exceeded their expectations and 98 per cent of respondents agreed that it has been beneficial to participate in a widening participation programme which is specifically for students of Black heritage.

“The programme has exceeded my expectations as I did not expect to be able to attend lectures and get a glimpse of the actual teaching that happens at LSE.”
“Throughout this programme I have been intellectually challenged in so many ways by interactive activities, so much so that it changed the degree I wanted to apply to. This programme has made me so adamant on getting into the School and becoming part of such an impressive community.”
“The programme has truly enriched me, exposed me to so many like-minded people and really given me a kickstart into what I would like to do.”

LSE Thrive 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. Additional support is available to enable participants to access online activity.

To be eligible for LSE Thrive, you must meet our essential eligibility criteria. If you meet our essential eligibility criteria, we will then review your application against our additional criteria and extenuating circumstances, which can be found below.

If you are unsure about any of the eligibility criteria, or whether you can apply to LSE Thrive, please contact ard.thrive@lse.ac.uk.

Essential Criteria

Personal details

Be in Year 12 / the first year of your A levels or equivalent
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 the LSE Thrive programme between January – October 2026
Live within a reasonable commuting distance (~90 mins) from LSE (WC2A 2AE).

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

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 Thrive. In the application form, you will have the opportunity to provide more details about your extenuating circumstances.

Refugee / asylum seeker
Young Carer
Child of armed forces
Disruption to education
Bereavement of a parent/carer
Any other extenuating circumstances

Applications for LSE Thrive 2025-26 will open at 09:00am on Monday 6 October 2025, and close at 11:59pm on Sunday 16 November 2025. Please check this webpage again when applications open to access our application form.

The LSE Thrive team will communicate selection decisions for LSE Thrive 2025-26 via email by 5pm on Friday 5 December 2025.

Applicants will be considered for places based on the extent to which they meet our essential and additional criteria, which are listed above in order of priority above.  

If you have any questions about the programme or applications, please email ard.thrive@lse.ac.uk for more information.

If you have any questions about the programme or applications, please email Ard.Thrive@lse.ac.uk and the LSE Thrive 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 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.

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, or 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, or change of venue or date.