Applications are open now for our free national outreach programme for students in Year 12 or the first year of college.
Brookes Engage
Explore University & Discover Your Future!
Not sure what you want to study at university? Already have a career in mind but want to find out more? Or simply curious about what university could be like? Brookes Engage gives you the opportunity to explore your interests, build your confidence and get a real taste of university life, completely free of charge!
Over the course of the programme, you’ll have opportunities to:
Explore a subject you’re passionate about
Take part in academic masterclasses led by university staff and explore what it’s really like to study your chosen subject at degree level. You’ll get to try new activities, develop your knowledge and use university facilities.
Choose from:
- Biomedical Science
- Architecture, Urban Design and Planning
- Oxford Brookes Business School Experience: Accounting and Finance, Business and Management
- Creative Industries
- AI and Cyber Security
- Adult and Children’s Nursing
- Law, Crime and Justice
Experience university life
Visit Oxford Brookes University and experience the campus for yourself. You’ll meet current students, explore our facilities and get a feel for what life at university could be like.
You’ll also have the chance to explore Oxford city centre, meet other students from across the country and take part in social activities.
Experience a university Summer School
Spend three days at Oxford Brookes during the summer after Year 12 and get an even closer look at university life.
As part of the Summer School, you’ll continue exploring your chosen subject, work with university staff and students, use our facilities and discover more about Oxford. You’ll also have the option to stay in university accommodation, giving you the chance to experience what living in student halls is really like.
Get support with your future
You’ll have access to online content that you can complete at your own pace, including subject-related activities, careers information and support with university applications.
You’ll also receive information, advice and guidance around choosing a university, UCAS, study skills and preparing for your next steps.
Meet and learn from current university students
Using our online mentoring platform, you’ll be matched with a current Oxford Brookes student who can give you an honest insight into university life. Your mentor can answer your questions, help you navigate the university application process and share their own experiences of studying at university.
Get extra support in Year 13
Brookes Engage doesn’t end when Year 12 does. When you return for Year 13, you’ll continue to receive support with your UCAS application, including personal statement support and, where relevant, interview preparation.
You’ll also receive special invitations to selected Oxford Brookes events and have the opportunity to celebrate completing the programme at our Brookes Engage graduation.
And there’s another great benefit…
Successful completion of Brookes Engage gives you access to a contextual offer to study at Oxford Brookes University. This means you could receive an offer with reduced tariff points, usually around two grades lower than the standard offer, although this can vary depending on the course and other conditions of the offer.
And there’s more! Brookes Engage students who go on to study at Oxford Brookes may also be eligible for a £1,000 scholarship, helping to support you with the costs of starting university.
All in-person Brookes Engage activities are free, with travel and meals provided.
Brookes Engage is about more than just visiting a university. It’s a chance to discover what you enjoy, meet new people, build your confidence and start making decisions about your future, while getting a genuine taste of what university could be like.
“The programme has given me an insight into what university is like. I am more confident about going to uni in the future.”
– Brookes Engage graduate
Who can apply?
Brookes Engage is aimed at students who are in Year 12 or the first year of a two-year Level 3 qualification, such as A Levels, BTECs or an equivalent qualification, and who meet the programme’s eligibility criteria.
You must be studying at a non-selective state school or college in England, live in England and be aged 16 or over when you start the programme.
You must also meet at least one of our widening participation criteria. These include factors such as eligibility for free school meals or a sixth-form bursary, being or having been in care, being a young carer, being from a Black or minority ethnic background, having refugee or asylum seeker status, or living in an area of higher socio-economic disadvantage.
We also consider applications from students who meet additional criteria, including having a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty, having a parent/carer who has served in the armed forces, being irreconcilably estranged from both birth parents, or being from a Traveller family.
Key Dates
Academic Masterclasses - 16 and 30 January 2027
Explore Oxford Social Day - 16 February 2027
Information, Advice and Guidance Day - 20 March 2027
Summer School - Summer of Year 12 - Summer 2027
Ongoing online content and support
Mentoring from current Oxford Brookes students
Transition Support - Throughout Year 13
Deadline to apply: Monday 9th November 2026.
Find out more and apply: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/outreach/post-16/brookes-engage