Applications for RAP 2026 are now open! You can apply to be part of the programme here. The deadline for applicants to sign up will be Wednesday 6th January 2026, 23:59 (GMT).

To find out about other events which might be of interest to you, you can sign up to our Outreach Newsletter.

What is it?

RAP is an online programme for Year 11 (England and Wales) / S4 (Scotland) / Y12 (Northern Ireland) and Year 12 (England and Wales) / S5 (Scotland) / Y13 (Northern Ireland) students who are interested in exploring top universities as an option for their future. The programme consists of a series of webinars covering aspects of student and academic life at university, including opportunities to focus on top UK universities and how to prepare for making an application to them. 

We will begin with a general overview about universities, answering any questions and clarifying uncertainties, before moving onto specific academic sessions designed to stretch and engage participants to develop critical and independent thinking skills. These will be adapted to suit a Cambridge supervision style of learning, but these skills are transferable and key to self-development. The academic sessions will invite discussion and individual participation which will also allow participants to develop interview skills and a confidence in oracy. This will allow for a safe space in which to work through certain obstacles, such as oracy and working under pressure, which is a particular challenge for students in academic and work settings. 

How does RAP work?

The programme will consist of online sessions held after school bi-weekly on Wednesdays 5:00pm - 6:00pm every week (bar some exceptions) from January - March. The sessions will mainly be held via Zoom webinar, but there may also be pre-recorded video content and interactive sessions. You will have the opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills through independent research or self-reflection challenges. These sessions will introduce you to what university is, how it works, and what it's like to be a student, alongside content designed to develop your study skills.

You will only need one device to be able to participate in RAP, and all content will be mobile-friendly. Please note that some sessions may ask you to have your camera and microphone turned on in order to fully engage with activities, and it is expected that participants will do this. If this is a problem, please get in touch with Kaz (outreach@robinson.cam.ac.uk).

The confirmed timetable for this year's programme will be shared with participants after the deadline for applications, but for an idea of the structure, please have a look at our programme from last year:

Who is it for?

RAP is open to current Year 11 and Year 12 students attending state-maintained schools in the UK and Ireland. It is intended to encourage and support you in thinking about applying to selective universities in the UK, so we would particularly like to hear from you if you are part of the top-performing cohort in your school.

However, the programme is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about university. You don't need to be sure that you'll go, or know which universities you want to go to: the information and skills that you develop as part of RAP will help you wherever you decide to go after you leave school.

For our equality and diversity monitoring, we ask for some data on applicants, including whether you: 

• Have at any time been under the care of a Local Authority.

• Are currently eligible for Free School Meals, or who have been eligible for Free School Meals in the last 6 years.

• Are currently attending a school with low progression rates to higher-tariff universities.

• Are the first in their immediate family to attend university.

• Have home postcodes in areas with low local participation in Higher Education (POLAR4 quintiles 1 and 2).

• Have home postcodes in areas of high socio-economic deprivation (IMD quintiles 1 and 2). 

• Are from an ethnic background currently under-represented at the University of Cambridge (Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Arab, Roma, or Traveller).

• Live in or attend a school in our link areas of Swindon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire or the London Borough of Wandsworth.

   

How do I apply?

https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbYfSAbAstErjg2https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbYfSAbAstErjg2

We will ask you for the following information in the application form:

• Your details: first and last name, date of birth, postcode, school/college, email address;

• Your current school subjects and predicted grades (if you do not have official predictions you will be asked to estimate the grades at which you are working);

• Further contextual information related to our Widening Participation criteria;

• Information about making any adjustments should you attend the event;

• Name and contact details of a parent or guardian.

The application will be saved automatically so can be filled out in stages. Please make sure you open the form in the same browser to continue where you left off.

Safeguarding

For details on Robinson College's online safeguarding policy, please click here. To read the specific safeguarding measures relevant to RAP, please click here.