Notes on completing the form

Please complete all sections of this form accurately. All fields with bold titles are mandatory. Please note that this form cannot be saved and should be completed and submitted in a single attempt. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Incomplete forms will not be considered by the Applications Panel.

Queen's University Belfast is committed to protecting the privacy of participants in our programmes. Our Widening Participation Unit Privacy Policy offers a clear explanation of how we treat your information - how we collect it, process it, and use it. We invite you to review the Privacy Policy here.

Please select your school from the list below. Please check the list carefully, using the scroll bar on the right to move downwards; typing the first letter of your school name will automatically move the list to that section.

If you cannot find your school in the list, please email pop@qub.ac.uk with your school name and location. You will have to wait until you receive a reply from us (which could take one or more working days) before you can continue with your application.

We will be requesting a "technical" reference (not a "personal" reference) from a staff member at your school to validate details on your application such as your address, meeting criteria A and B and subjects/grades, etc.

This will usually be your Careers teacher or your Head of Year. Please provide their details below.

Please do not use the info@school email for your school but ask your referee for their own school email address. Also please ensure that you type the email correctly, otherwise your application may not be processed.

Important Information on Eligibility Criteria

Applications for the Pathway Opportunity Programme are scored on the Section B Widening Participation Criteria below. Please ensure that you confirm each element of the eligibility criteria that is applicable to you. You must meet all Section A criteria and at least one Section B criteria. The Admissions Panel will request evidence from your school for this section of the application form.

Section A Criteria (all)

1. You must be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland and be in full-time attendance at a school or college in Northern Ireland.
2. You must currently be in year one of an acceptable (to the University) two-year Level 3 qualification such as A-Levels, BTEC etc.
3. Neither of your parents must have attended university nor have obtained an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in the UK, Ireland or abroad. However if a parent is currently studying for their first degree or has graduated within the last 5 years your application will still be considered.
4. You must have at least 6 GCSEs (or equivalent acceptable to the University, such as BTEC) at grades A*-C, including English Language, of which 5 must be at grade B or above.

In addition to the above criteria in section A, we are looking for students who meet at least one of the following Section B criteria:

Section B Criteria (at least one)

1. You are eligible or are currently receiving free school meals (FSM) and/or Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
2. You are the main carer for a family member or dependant.
3. Your permanent residence postcode is classified as being in a “disadvantaged neighbourhood” by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
4. If you are care experienced or are currently in the care of a Health and Social Care Trust (e.g. foster care or residential care), you are automatically offered a place on the programme provided you meet the academic requirements of Section A: Northern Ireland resident, 1st year of a 2 year Level 3 programme and GCSE (or equivalent) grades.
5. You are a Refugee.
6. You are an Asylum Seeker.
7. You are a Newcomer Student (when you started school in Northern Ireland you did not speak the same language as your teacher).

Queen’s University welcomes applications from students with a disability or long term condition.

You are required to meet any specific requirements for the course you are applying to. We advise you to research course specific entry requirements via our Course Finder on our website (https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate) prior to application.

Please complete this section as accurately as possible. The Admissions Panel will request confirmation of your A-Level subjects and GCSE grades from your school.

Please list all of your qualifications obtained at GCSE level (or equivalent) and include details of Awarding Body (Exam Board), type of qualification, exact subject title as well as grade awarded. For example:

• CCEA GCSE Maths B
• AQA GCSE Spanish C*

In fulfilment of the GCSE (or equivalent) criteria for the Pathway Opportunity Programme, the University will accept a maximum of one non-GCSE qualification at Level 2, which can, in itself, be the equivalent of up to 4 GCSEs. Note, however, for the following qualifications: ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (COPE), Key Skills, Princes Trust and the Open University’s Young Applicants for Schools and Colleges Scheme (YASS): the University acknowledges that development of transferable skills is an important aspect of both school and university education and students are encouraged to develop these whether or not it is through a formal qualification. However, they will not form part of the conditions of entry for the Pathway Opportunity Programme.

Please list the subjects you are taking and include details of Awarding Body (Exam Board), type of qualification and the exact subject title. If it is an A-Level, please state if it is "applied" or "general". If it is another Level 3 qualification (non A-Level), please include the title of each individual unit you are taking for both year 1 and year 2. For example:

• CCEA A-Level Health and Social Care (Applied)
• WJEC A-Level Sociology (General)
• Pearson/Edexcel BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate Information Technology (Information Technology Systems, Data Modelling ... - list all unit titles for both years)

Please note that Queen's accepts non A-Level qualifications equivalent to 3 A-Levels such as BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas; non A-Level qualifications equivalent to 2 A-Levels such as Cambridge Technical Diplomas plus any other third A-Level or non A-Level qualification and Queen's accepts up to one (1) non A-Level qualification that is equivalent to 1 A-Level such as BTEC Level 3 National Subsidiary Diploma along with two other A-Levels. However, Queen's does not accept more than one single A-Level equivalent as part of the three required A-Levels.

Please indicate which subject Pathway you wish to apply for. If you are interested in two Pathway subjects then indicate both first and second choices below. If your first choice is oversubscribed you may be selected for your second choice.

Please provide details of a parent / guardian who can provide parental consent.