UpGrade®
Book Free Consultation
For parents
- An in-person or online briefing for parents of Year 11/Grade 10 students, covering UCAS and the application process from start to finish
Our philosophy
- To partner with schools, in the UK and internationally, whose students aim for the top Russell Group universities, with Oxbridge as the pinnacle
- To find the best fit, academically and socially, for each student
- To secure each student as many Russell Group offers as possible
- To leave the school’s staff free to teach, while we run the applications
How a partnership works
We join you at the end of Year 11/Grade 10 and stay until the final offer. A typical partnership year:
- Summer term, Year 11/Grade 10. A briefing for parents on UCAS and the application landscape. A masterclass with the cohort on Russell Group and Oxbridge applications and what UK universities are actually like. Each student is matched with a personal mentor.
- Autumn and spring, Year 12/Grade 11. Mentoring begins. Subject reading lists, super-curricular work and grade tracking against target courses. Oxbridge and competitive-course applicants start admissions test groundwork and a supervised research project.
- Summer term, Year 12/Grade 11. Course and university shortlists confirmed. Personal statements drafted with mentors. Registration deadlines mapped for every admissions test the cohort needs.
- Autumn, Year 13/Grade 12. Admissions tests sat. UCAS applications submitted. Written work prepared and reviewed where courses require it. Mock interviews begin.
- Winter, Year 13/Grade 12. Interview season. Final preparation, then decisions and offer management.
Who delivers it
The programme is run by UpGrade’s founders and delivered by our mentor network: graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL and other leading Russell Group universities, matched to each student’s subject. Your school gets a single point of contact and a named mentor per student.
The flagship
The UpGrade Schools Programme
One programme for the whole cohort, from first briefing to final offer.
For the cohort
- An in-person or online masterclass and workshop on Russell Group and Oxbridge applications, and on what UK universities are really like
- Group academic enrichment sessions for students applying in similar subjects, run in the style of an Oxbridge tutorial or supervision (Oxbridge and competitive-course applicants)
For each student
- A personal mentor who graduated from the student’s target university in their chosen subject
- An organisational timeline, so every deadline and goal is met
- Personal statement guidance
- Subject-specific reading lists tailored to the student’s interests
- Introductions to current students on the target course and university
- Help applying for academic scholarships
For Oxbridge and competitive-course applicants
- Admissions test preparation
- Interview preparation and mock interviews
- An academic research project in the student’s subject, developed with their mentor
- Guidance and supervision during the drafting of written work
- Help choosing a specific Oxbridge college