Step Up to University at Cardiff University: eligibility, deadline and what it gives you
Step Up to University is Cardiff University's flagship widening participation programme for 16 and 17 year olds in Year 12 or the first year of college in Wales. The Medicine and Dentistry strands run six academic masterclasses on campus from about February, with applications usually open from November to January, and there is also a three-day residential summer school applied for in April and May. Students who take part in the year they apply and meet the minimum entry requirements get a guaranteed interview for Medicine and Dentistry at Cardiff.
- Closes
- Opens soon
- For
- Year 12 students, medicine and dentistry
- Where
- Wales
- Gives you
- Guaranteed interview
What you get
Completing Step Up to University gives you a guaranteed interview for medicine and dentistry at Cardiff University.
- Guaranteed interview for Medicine (A100) and Dentistry (A200)
- No lower grade offer is published; you also count as a contextual applicant at Cardiff in the same or following year
- Cardiff receives the participant list, so there is nothing to declare on UCAS
To get it, you must
- Take part in the year you apply
- Meet the minimum entry requirements: for Medicine, AAA including Biology or Chemistry plus a second science, 8 GCSEs with English Language 6, Double Science 77 (or Biology and Chemistry at 7) and Maths 6, and the UCAT sat
Who can apply
You need to
- Live in Wales with a Welsh postcode and attend a state school or college, within 90 minutes of Cardiff for the masterclasses
- Be 16 or 17 and in Year 12 or the first year of college, having always attended state schools
- Have at least 5 GCSEs at A* to C including a C/4 in English or Welsh and Maths
Plus at least one of
- Deprived postcode
- Care-experienced
- Free school meals
- First in family to university
- Refugee or asylum seeker
- Low-progression school
- Estranged from parents
- Low household income
What it involves
- Attend six masterclasses in the Medicine or Dentistry strand, or the 3-day summer school
Dates
- Applications open
- Not published, usually November
- Applications close
- Not published, usually January
- Programme runs
- Masterclasses from about Feb 2027; summer school in summer 2027, applied for in Apr to May
- Apply to university
- UCAS deadline 15 October 2027 for 2028 entry
How to apply
Apply through the Step Up Masterclasses page. It is run by Cardiff University Widening Participation team with the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry. Questions go to outreach@cardiff.ac.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Does Step Up to University guarantee an interview?
Yes, if you complete the programme and meet its academic conditions. Guaranteed interview for Medicine (A100) and Dentistry (A200).
Who is eligible for Step Up to University?
Live in Wales with a Welsh postcode and attend a state school or college, within 90 minutes of Cardiff for the masterclasses. You need to be 16 or 17 and in Year 12 or the first year of college, having always attended state schools, have at least 5 GCSEs at A* to C including a C/4 in English or Welsh and Maths, and meet at least one of its widening participation criteria, such as deprived postcode, care-experienced, free school meals.
When is the Step Up to University deadline?
This cycle's closing date has not been published. Not published, usually January. Applications not published, usually November.
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