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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. 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.

What information is used?

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 any of the following apply:

  • You live in an area of disadvantage or an area where there is a low progression into higher education
  • 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, or is sponsored by Queen Mary
  • Evidence that you have been in care for at least 13 weeks during the period of their secondary education.
  • You are a refugee or asylum seeker
  • You have participated in one of our sustained/partnered access schemes where we can verify successful completion (see below for further information).

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;

  1. Make you the standard offer where your predicted grades may have fallen marginally short of the threshold we usually use to make an offer.
  2. Make you either a standard or enhanced contextual offer (see below).
  3. Take this information into account and to confirm your place if your results have fallen marginally short of the conditions of your offer.

Our contextual offer eligibility

Subject(s)

Standard Contextual Offer
(One grade reduction)

Enhanced Contextual Offer

(Two grade reduction)

All subjects except Law, and Medicine, Dentistry and Oral Health1

Must score 2 points from our contextual criteria

Care Experienced or successful completion of the Realising Opportunities Programme

Law2

Must score 3 points from at least two of our contextual criteria

or successful completion of the Realising Opportunities Programme

Care Experienced

Medicine and Dentistry

Must score 3 points from at least two of our contextual criteria

or successful completion of the Realising Opportunities Programme 

  

We reserve the right to add restrictions for the subject in which a grade could be dropped and some specific programmes might require exemptions. 

Contextual offers can only be applied to A-Level qualifications only for home students starting the first year of a three or four year undergraduate degree.

We cannot offer grade adjustments for foundation level studies, part time studies, those who enter through clearing or deferred applicants. 

1BSc Oral Health (A910) is not eligible for a reduced offer.

2Excluding joint programmes

Am I eligible?

The table below is provided to help you understand whether you will receive further consideration through our contextual admissions policy.

Contextual Criteria

Eligibility

Points

Live in an area of disadvantage

IMD Polar Quintile 1 or 2 using the IMD by postcode tool.

1

Live in an area of low participation in HE

POLAR4 Quintile 1 or 2 using the OfS Postcode tool.

1

Attend a state school performing below the national average or is sponsored by Queen Mary

This is currently calculated using national school performance tables.

2

Care experienced

You have been in care for at least 13 weeks during the period of their secondary education. 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.

2

A refugee or asylum seeker

 

2

Combination with access schemes

In addition to our contextual admissions policy, we deliver a number of access schemes to support students with the progression to Queen Mary. For more information, please follow the respective link below.

Pathways to Law

Stepping Stones (Geography)

Bridge the Gap (Medicine and Dentistry)

Realising Opportunities