Contextual admissions
Contextual Admissions
What are contextual admissions?
Warwick Medical School is committed to fair access to medicine. We recognise that some students face extra challenges that can affect their ability to apply for Graduate Entry Medicine.
Our contextual admissions process allows us to take these circumstances into account when considering applications to Graduate Entry Medicine.
Applicants eligible for Contextual Admissions will receive a contextual adjustment within the UCAT-based shortlisting process. This currently consists of:
- A 20-point reduction in the minimum Verbal Reasoning (VR) cut-off score, and
- A 60-point uplift to the applicant’s total UCAT score.
Am I eligible for contextual admissions?
Contextual admissions considerations are only available to applicants who have UK Resident Home Fee Status.
We will assess you as eligible for contextual admissions if you meet one of the following criteria:
Major Indicators
Care Leaver
- Care leaver is defined as time spent in UK local authority care, including supported accommodation schemes such as Foyers or under a Special Guardianship Order, for 3 months or more since the age of 14.
Care Experienced
- Care Experienced is defined as any time spent in care in the UK which is either through a private or informal family arrangement, experienced before the age of 14 or for less than 3 months after the age of 14. You may also have been adopted from care in the UK.
Recent Refugee/asylum seeker into the UK
- Recent means 5 years prior to the UCAS application deadline. Evidence, including of dates, must be provided before the UCAS deadline.
Free School Meals (FSM-6 / sustained free school meals eligibility)
- This includes applicants who have received Free School Meals during their school years in a way that meets Warwick Medical School’s contextual admissions evidence requirements.
- Free School Meals are recognised as an important indicator of sustained socioeconomic disadvantage.
Estranged from your parents/guardians
- Estranged students are defined as young people aged under 25 years old on commencement of course, studying without the support and approval of any parent. This is as a result of a breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact. The parent could be biological, step or adoptive parents, or possibly wider family members who have been involved in your care.
Additional Contextual Indicators
Received a UCAT bursary
- To meet the criteria, you must have applied for and received a bursary voucher for the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). The test forms part of the application process for our medicine degrees.
- The UCAT Consortium recognises that their test may act as a barrier to some candidates. They therefore provide bursaries for test takers from low-income backgrounds.
- Visit the UCAT website for more information
First generation in higher education
- This refers to a student whose parents or guardians do not have any experience of higher education.
Hold significant caring responsibilities
- A carer is anyone who gives unpaid care to a family member, partner or friend who could not cope without their support. This may due to long-term illness, disability, a mental health condition or an addiction.
How to apply for contextual admissions
- To be considered for contextual admission, you must complete an application form with supporting evidence, by 31st October.
Here is a list of appropriate evidence to support your claim.
Free School Meal eligibility
- If you were eligible for FSM within the last 6 years around Key Stage 4, a teacher reference from your school/college is used to verify this information.
Care leaver status and Estrangement
- A signed letter from a professional third party (e.g. teacher, doctor, charity, care worker, personal adviser, social worker, young carers association) confirming your circumstances
- A letter/email from the local authority or school confirming your name, date of birth, and dates you were cared for by the local authority
- Care experience supporting information, such as a Pathway Plan provided by your personal adviser
Refugee/asylum seeker status
- eVisa
- Home Office Grant Letter
- Application Registration Card (ARC)
Need help?
If you have any questions about contextual admissions or are unsure whether you may be eligible, please contact the admissions team:
Late applications
Please be advised that late applications will not be considered for contextual admissions. Furthermore, any documentation submitted after the deadline will not be accepted or taken into consideration.