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RCSA BME Residential

Applications for the 2025 BME Residential will open in early June.

If you'd like to be reminded when applications for this residential open, you can sign up to our outreach newsletter here.

If you have any questions about the event please email outreach@robinson.cam.ac.uk.

Please note: the residential welcomes students who will be in Year 12 in September 2025 - i.e. current Year 11s.   


What is the RCSA BME Residential?

This is a new residential opportunity led by the Robinson College Students' Association (RCSA), and in particular their Racial Equalities Officers. This event is aimed at students entering Year 12 who identify as BME (Black or Minority Ethnic), and who are interested in gaining an insight into selective universities.

The event will provide an opportunity for academically-able students to explore student life, university-level learning, as well as receive valuable information about making competitive university applications. 

This year the RCSA BME Residential will run from Wednesday 24th September - Friday 26th September (morning). 

Who is it for?

The RCSA BME Residential is open to all students who will begin Year 12 (England & Wales) / Year 13 (N. Ireland) / S5 (Scotland) or equivalent in September 2025. It is open only to students attending who identify as BME (Black or Minority Ethnic).

If the programme is oversubscribed, we will prioritise applicants who:

  • Have an academic profile (e.g. GCSE predicted grades) suitable for progression to selective universities.
  • Identify with an ethnicity currently underrepresented at the University of Cambridge (Black African, Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Roma, Gypsy, Traveller, Arab)
  • 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). 
"Thank you to all of the ambassadors for being so kind, welcoming and fun! I'll miss the fun facts :("

2024 Participant

"I thought the residential was going to be ok but I actually really enjoyed it and I'm sad to leave."

2024 Participant

Thank you to all of the student ambassadors - Yoon, Sabrine, Abu, Alvira and Sia - you were all so friendly and helpful! Also thank you to Nmesoma for talking about Land Economy with me, it was really insightful!

2024 Participant