Global Summer School application

Key information

  • 2022 fees: £5,295 per person
  • Programme dates: Monday 4 - Saturday 16 July or Monday 8 August - Saturday 20 August 2022

Applications for the 2022 programme are now open

Before you begin your application, please read the guidance below carefully. We recommend that you gather the following information, which you will be required to submit:

  • Your most recent grades
  • Details of your English language ability
  • Your parent/guardian’s email address and teacher’s email address

Please note that this is a fee paying programme. The 2022 programme fee is £5,295. For more information about Imperial's outreach summer schools please visit the outreach website.

Step one: Complete the online application form

Follow the 'Apply Now' link to access the online application portal; Aspire. When accessing Aspire for the first time, you will need to provide some personal details in order to create an account. You will then be sent an email to verify your account. Once your account is verified, you will be directed to the homepage where you can start an application by selecting ‘New Application’.

Saving your application

You can save your application at any time to complete at a later date. You will receive an automated reminder every three days until you complete or withdraw your application. Once submitted, you can check the status of your application at any time by logging in to the application portal. This will also show you whether your parent/guardian and teacher have submitted their required forms.

Stage one: Complete the online application form

Academic qualifications

We require the following qualification details:

  • Details of all formal qualifications you have achieved at GCSE level or international equivalent. Please note we require at least 6 subjects in Key Stage 4.
  • If you have not yet sat your formal exams, please provide your predicted grades. 
  • If you have not yet received a formal set of predicted grades, please provide your most recent set of end of term/semester grades.
  • Details of all subjects and qualifications you are currently studying at A-Level or international equivalent. Please provide predicted grades if they are available; if predicted grades are not available, please type NPG (no predicted grade).

View further guidance on international qualifications and the UK equivalents.

Please ensure you enter one subjects and qualifications one at a time. If your qualification type or subject is not listed, please select ‘Other’ and you will have the option to enter this manually.

English language qualification

When asked to give details of your English language qualification please read the three options below and follow the steps for the option that applies to you:

  • If English is your native language you do not need to enter an English language qualification. Please select ‘No’ and state ‘English is my native language’ in your personal statement. Your teacher will need to confirm this in their reference for you.
  • If your lessons are taught in English at school, you do not need to enter an English language qualification. Please select ‘No’ and state ‘My lessons are taught in English’ in your personal statement. Your teacher will need to confirm this in their reference for you.
  • If neither of the above applies, you need to enter an achieved English language qualification. Please select ‘Yes’ and give details of the qualification. Your teacher will need to confirm this in their reference for you.

Personal statement

Your personal statement should demonstrate:

  • your motivation for applying to Global Summer School
  • why you are a suitable candidate for a place on the programme

You will already have listed your grades elsewhere on the application form, so the personal statement is your opportunity to discuss other relevant achievements and the skills you’ve gained from educational and/or extra-curricular experiences.

The word limit for the personal statement is 150 words. Any additional words included will not be assessed as part of the application.

Please also state whether English is your native language and whether all/the majority of your lessons are taught in English. If neither applies, you will need to give details of your English language qualification in the section provided (see above).

Stage two: Selection and references

Once you have submitted your application, we will contact your teacher and parent/guardian who will need to check your application and submit a reference. Your application will then be assessed by the Global Summer School team who will contact you to tell you the outcome.

Accordion widget - stage two

Parent or guardian reference

Parents or guardians are required to:

  • indicate support of the student's application;
  • provide details of any additional circumstantial information or special requirements that the student may have (e.g. accessibility or severe dietary requirements).

Please note: We will use the information provided for clarification purposes only and it will not form part of the assessment process. In most cases, we are expecting no more than 30 words for a parent/guardian reference.

Teacher reference

Teachers are required to:

  • verify the application information provided by the student and to amend if needed;
  • provide information about the student's current and predicted grades;
  • provide details about the student's English language ability. Please indicate whether English is the student's native language, whether all/the majority of lessons at school are taught in English, or details of any English language qualification held by the student.

Teachers may also like to include information about how they feel the student would benefit from the Summer School, how the student stands out at school, and details of any other relevant achievements, extra-curricular activities or interests.

To access references

Please note: To access the reference form, teachers will be emailed a unique link which will direct them to Aspire. If it's a first-time login for the teacher, they will be directed to create an account. If the teacher has logged in before, they will get a login screen (once they click on the unique link). Once logged in, teachers can see all outstanding references assigned to them. Teachers can also view basic details of past applicants and outcomes.  To complete a reference, teachers must enter the applicants' DOB. 

Teachers may also like to include information about how they feel the student would benefit from the Summer School, how the student stands out at school, and details of any other relevant achievements, extra-curricular activities, or interests.

Stage three: Submit your supporting documents

If your application is successful, you will receive a conditional offer. To proceed, you will be required to upload your supporting documents to the application portal within five days. You will receive instructions on how to do this.

Upload supporting documents

Passport

Please scan and upload the front cover and personal details page as a single document. You must ensure that all text is legible.

We use this information to verify your age and nationality against the information on your application. The passport should be in date but for our verification process, it does not matter if the passport is due to expire before the start of Global Summer School.

Academic records

You are required to submit official documents to verify the grades and subjects you have listed on your application. Please ensure you read the following information carefully and submit the correct documents:

  • Actual grades: If you listed actual grades achieved (e.g. GCSEs) on your application, you should upload exam certificates for all the subjects you submitted.
  • Class grades: If you indicated class grades on your application, please upload your class transcripts for the previous two years, for all the subjects you submitted.
  • Predicted grades: If you have listed predicted grades on your application form, these must be verified or updated by your teacher as part of their reference. If you were asked to submit further information on your academic achievements or you volunteered further information after you submitted your application, you must upload and official document from your school with all predicted grades listed so these can be verified.

Please note: The application system only supports a maximum of five academic documents. Therefore, please ensure you combine documents into one file if you are submitting more than five.

English language qualification

If you indicated that you need to submit an English language qualification, you should upload a scan of the official certificate which should include your name, candidate reference, exam board and grade achieved.

The certificate must match that stated on your application form. Screen shots of online portals or mobile phones showing a list of grades will not be accepted.

Stage four: Unconditional offer

Once you have uploaded your documents and these have been checked by the Global Summer School team, you will receive a formal unconditional offer.

Stage five: Payment and confirmation

To confirm your place, you are required to make full payment of the course fee within 14 days.

Please ensure all information is completed and correct before you submit your application. We will be unable to complete the reference process if there are any errors in the email addresses you have provided for your referees.