Access to Sheffield: eligibility, deadline and what it gives you
Access to Sheffield is an 18-month programme run by the University of Sheffield for Year 12 students within commuting distance who are from groups under-represented in higher education, with a Medicine pathway (formerly SOAMS) and a Dentistry pathway (formerly ADOPT). Year 12 has a welcome event, an intro day and a three-day residential summer school, and Year 13 adds UCAS and personal statement support. Medicine completers who meet the UCAT threshold go straight to interview and get an ABB offer with 35 ring-fenced places.
- Closes
- Open now
- For
- Year 12 students, medicine and dentistry
- Where
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- Gives you
- Guaranteed interview, then ABB instead of AAA
What you get
Completing Access to Sheffield gives you a guaranteed interview and an offer of ABB instead of AAA for medicine and dentistry.
- Medicine pathway: straight to the MMI without UCAT ranking, with 35 ring-fenced places
- ABB offer instead of AAA for Medicine (the A need not be in Chemistry or Biology) and a GCSE bar of five at grade 6
- Dentistry pathway: contextual offer subject to passing an interview, with no UCAT reduction and no published interview guarantee
- Access to Sheffield Scholarship (£1,000 a year plus £600 if household income is £40,000 or under) and a one-to-one mock interview in Year 13
To get it, you must
- Meet the 1800 UCAT threshold and the academic bar
- Make Sheffield your firm choice
Who can apply
You need to
- Live within commuting distance of Sheffield for a 9am start
- Be nominated by your school, starting Year 12 and aged 17 or under on 1 September
- Have 5 GCSEs at grade 6 or above, with grade 4 in English, Maths and Science
- Be studying 3 A-levels including Chemistry or Biology plus another science for Medicine, or Biology and Chemistry for Dentistry
Plus at least one of
- Free school meals
- Deprived postcode
- Care-experienced
- Young carer
- Estranged from parents
- Refugee or asylum seeker
What it involves
- Attend the Year 12 events and the three-day residential, then the Year 13 phase
Dates
- Applications open
- September 2026
- Applications close
- Early November 2026, exact date not published
- Programme runs
- 18 months from early 2027 to summer 2028, with a three-day residential summer school in Year 12
- Apply to university
- UCAS deadline 15 October 2027 for 2028 entry
How to apply
Apply through the Access to Sheffield (Medicine) page. It is run by Sheffield Outreach with the Medical and Dental Schools. Questions go to medicine.accesstosheffield@sheffield.ac.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Does Access to Sheffield guarantee an interview?
Yes, if you complete the programme and meet its academic conditions. Medicine pathway: straight to the MMI without UCAT ranking, with 35 ring-fenced places.
Who is eligible for Access to Sheffield?
Live within commuting distance of Sheffield for a 9am start. You need to be nominated by your school, starting Year 12 and aged 17 or under on 1 September, have 5 GCSEs at grade 6 or above, with grade 4 in English, Maths and Science, be studying 3 A-levels including Chemistry or Biology plus another science for Medicine, or Biology and Chemistry for Dentistry, and meet at least one of its widening participation criteria, such as free school meals, deprived postcode, care-experienced.
When is the Access to Sheffield deadline?
This cycle's closing date has not been published. Early November 2026, exact date not published. Applications september 2026.
What offer do Access to Sheffield students get?
Students who complete the programme are made an offer of ABB instead of AAA. ABB offer instead of AAA for Medicine (the A need not be in Chemistry or Biology) and a GCSE bar of five at grade 6
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