UPDATED: March 2021 

The residential will be online for summer 2021. The application form asks students to indicate the feasibility of attending an online version of the programme, as well as their access to suitable internet connections and devices. Students who are unsure whether their internet connection and/or devices will be suitable are still encouraged to apply, and we can look into alternatives on a case-by-case basis for the selected students in these circumstances.

The residential is designed to encourage academically able students from areas of the country where students are less likely to enter higher education to consider making applications to top universities, including the University of Cambridge.

You can complete the application form here. The deadline to apply for the Women in STEM Residential is midday on Friday, 30th April 2021. Late applications will not be accepted.

Questions not answered on this page? Email the Schools Liaison Officer, Lizzie: [email protected]

The Virtual Women in STEM residential is part of Trinity College’s annual offering to widen participation from women and non-binary students interested in STEM. We are committed to diversifying our STEM undergraduate cohorts and this residential is designed to inform, empower and inspire women and non-binary prospective scientists to make competitive applications to our array of science courses.

This year, we will be incorporating completion of a CREST Award into the programme, as we recognise the importance of independent research, study and super-curricular enrichment for students considering applying to Cambridge or other selective institutions to take STEM courses. The Virtual Residential will therefore be comprised of two elements:

• A three day online offering in which selected students will participate in live, interactive lectures from our academics and fellows. There will also be opportunities to participate in taster supervisions, talk to current students and ask them questions, and receive multiple bespoke Information and Guidance Sessions from our outreach practitioners aimed at guiding applications to university and to Cambridge.
• Supported by a nominated teacher, students will complete a Silver (with the option of Gold) Crest Award in which they will undertake an independent research project in the scientific field of their choice. You can find out more about the CREST award here. Students will get outline their project with their nominated teacher prior to attending the virtual launch in May (date to be confirmed), and there will then be time for the students to ask academics and current undergraduates for advice, whilst also being given access to university level resources to assist them in their work. They will then go away and complete their project, and will receive full CREST accreditation at the end of it, to be used on personal statements and to guide their super-curricular exploration further.

This residential is open to women and non-binary students who are interested in studying the following at university:

• Physics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Mathematics

During this residential you will attend lectures and classes taught by Cambridge academics, getting a taste of the wide variety of subjects on offer within these courses, as well as opportunities to virtually explore Trinity College and to take part in a range of social activities. You will also get the chance to meet current fellows and undergraduates, and gain a fantastic insight into what it’s like to live and study at Trinity. There will also be sessions on choosing a course, applications and student life.

In previous years, academic sessions have included:

• My Life at the Large Hadron Collider
• Visit to the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
• So Your Treatment Doesn’t Work: How to Lie with Statistics
• Visits to University departments including the Cavendish Labs, Engineering Department, and Materials Sciences
• Symmetry in Chemistry – Predicting Molecules

The residential is in its sixth year, and many of the students who attend go on to study at top universities, including Cambridge. The residential is free.

You must be:

• Female or non-binary
• Attending a UK state school
• In Year 12 (England and Wales; S5 Scotland, Year 13 Northern Ireland)
• A strong academic record, and taking subjects at A-Level that would facilitate entry to the Cambridge Natural Sciences, Engineering or Computer Sciences courses.

We will prioritise applicants who meet any of the following criteria:

• Live in an area classed in POLAR quintile 1 or 2
• First in their family to go to university
• From a school with low progression to university and/or Oxbridge
• Any other significant contextual or extenuating circumstances.

There is a maximum of 50 spaces for this residential. We anticipate being over-subscribed, and so will unfortunately be unable to offer a space to every applicant.

HOW WILL WE SELECT BETWEEN APPLICANTS?

Applicants will be assessed based on (in no particular order or weighting):

• Academic record (which will be assessed in the context of your school)
• Commitment to exploring their subject at a higher level
• Teacher reference

Beyond this, we also particularly encourage and will look to prioritise applicants who fulfil the above and the following, as part of our commitment to widening participation:

• Will be the first in your family to go to university (i.e. your parents/carers did not attend university; excludes siblings)
• Attend a school which sends few students to Cambridge or Oxford
• Have spent any time in care
• Are or have been eligible for free school meals, or the 16-19 bursary
• Are from an underrepresented region of the UK, particularly the North East, North West, or South West of England, or anywhere in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Are a refugee
• Has significant caring responsibilities (e.g. for a parent/carer or siblings that affects you ability/time to study)
• Live in an area identified as having lower socio-economic advantage or low progression rates to higher education
• Are from an underrepresented ethnic group