Residential summer schools

Our summer schools are fully-funded and invite participants to attend taster lectures, workshops and seminars in addition to academic led research projects in their chosen subject area. Meet our current students and learn more about studying and living at university. 

Our 2025 subject strands are:

• Biosciences
• Business
• Engineering
• Law
• Physics with Maths & Space
• Psychology
• Veterinary Medicine

Residential Summer School

Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July 2025

Live the student experience through our 5-day, 4-night on-campus residential consisting of teaching timetable and social activity.

Our Residential Summer School is 5 days, consisting of an academic timetable to give you the opportunity to experience studying a subject that you love at university. You will learn in an academic environment and work with students from other schools and colleges through a timetable of lectures, seminars, practical activities and a variety of fun social events each evening. Spend the week living in our student accommodation and meet our wonderful team of Student Ambassadors who will be on hand to answer your questions about student life. We have 150 total spaces for our Residential Summer School. Accommodation, catering and transport provided.

Virtual Summer School

Monday 14 to Friday 18 July 2025

Immerse yourself in our 5-day online experience of live and on-demand content in addition to access to University of Surrey e-platforms and virtual library.

Our Virtual Summer School is a 5-day event which gives you the chance to experience university-level study through a timetable of interactive and on demand lectures, workshops and seminars. As part of the week, you will complete a group research project and presentation enabling you to connect and network with our participants whilst accessing exclusive University of Surrey channels and platforms. You'll also have the opportunity to get involved in evening social and wellbeing activities along with meeting current University of Surrey students and staff. We have 250 total spaces for our Virtual Summer School. 

Who is eligible?

Places on the residential and virtual summer schools will be allocated to Year 12 students, from currently under-represented groups in higher education, who attend a non-selective state school or college in the United Kingdom.

Places will be awarded based on:

• Meeting eligibility criteria
• Capacity of chosen subject strand

To apply for the summer schools, applicants must meet at least one of the criteria below:

• You are from low participation neighbourhoods (defined as POLAR4 quintiles 1 and 2 by OfS*)
• You are from an area of high deprivation (index of multiple deprivation (IMD), quintiles 1 and 2*)
• You are from a low participation area (defined as TUNDRA LSOA, quintiles 1 and 2)
• You have been eligible for free school meals in last six years
• You are eligible for a 16-19 bursary (or equivalent)
• You are a care experienced young person (e.g. local authority care, kinship care)
• You have a diagnosed disability or long-term health condition
• You are a young carers (e.g. you care for a friend or relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition or addiction)
• You are a forced migrant (e.g. refugee, asylum seeker)
• You are estranged, studying without the support of family (e.g. either limited or negative contact or no contact with either parent)
• You have a parent/carer who has served in the armed forces or reserves
• You are from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic group
• You are from Gypsy, Roma, Traveller community
• You have suffered significant disruption due to illness or personal circumstance.

* You can check your eligibility using our postcode checker tool.

If you have any questions or queries, please contact summerschools@surrey.ac.uk.