Amplify Your Summer

Open to actors, singers and dancers as well as those interested in technical theatre and backstage, we’ll work together to explore what makes theatre relevant in today’s digital age.

Together you’ll:

Rehearse and perform a presentation of scenes and songs in ARU's Professional Standard Mumford Theatre
Gain insight into how a theatre works
Explore the roles involved in theatre across performance and production
Understand all aspects of what goes into to creating an engaging performance

Eligibility

Applications will be assessed based on programme eligibility criteria and the 500-word supporting statement. Places are limited and so priority will be given to students who meet one or more of our widening participation criteria. To be considered, please ensure that your widening participation responses match those provided in your teacher's supporting statement:

In receipt of free school meals, or have you been eligible to receive free school meals within the past 6 years, even if you didn’t take them
Have experience of living in Care, this could be through the local authority, or through foster care, kinship care, residential care or through being looked after at home with a supervision requirement.
Are from a Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman and/or Boater community
Have a parent or carer currently serving in the UK Armed Forces
Live in an area within the 20% most deprived areas in England (IMD Decile 1 or 2) - find out if you live in a low participation (Quintile 1 or Quintile 2) neighbourhood
Have a special educational need or disability, including mental health difficulties
Who identify as a White Male

This programme will be the same in Cambridge and Chelmsford – please only apply for one location.

This is a joint Business and Law programme: Driving EDI Transformation.

Join a dynamic consultancy team and collaborate with local businesses and sports clubs to revolutionise their approach to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Work together to design impactful strategies that drive change both in the workplace and within the wider community.

Together, you’ll:

Build a robust monitoring and evaluation plan to track progress and overcome challenges in collecting diversity data.
Create an actionable diversity plan to attract and select talent from all backgrounds, ensuring fair and unbiased recruitment processes.
Develop inspiring inclusion initiatives that foster environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
Partner with organisations that are shaping the future, using EDI as a catalyst for positive and meaningful transformation.

Eligibility

In receipt of free school meals, or have you been eligible to receive free school meals within the past 6 years, even if you didn’t take them
Have experience of living in Care, this could be through the local authority, or through foster care, kinship care, residential care or through being looked after at home with a supervision requirement.
Are from a Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman and/or Boater community
Have a parent or carer currently serving in the UK Armed Forces
Live in an area within the 20% most deprived areas in England (IMD Decile 1 or 2) - find out if you live in a low participation (Quintile 1 or Quintile 2) neighbourhood
Have a special educational need or disability, including mental health difficulties
Who identify as a White Male

Immerse yourself in our bespoke activities led by Medical School academics and develop a realistic understanding of what it's like to be a student studying Medicine.

You'll have the chance to:

Experience Medicine Mock Interviews (MMIs)
Explore ARU’s state-of-the-art facilities
Visit a local hospital
Build on your subject knowledge through a group project
Be mentored by current students.

Eligibility

We are committed to widening access and to recruiting students who have aspirations to study Medicine but are from under-represented and/or disadvantaged groups. Our Widening Access to Medicine Scheme (WAMS) states that depending on the circumstances, applicants eligible for this programme may be offered a lower conditional offer at A Level of ABB.
Applications will be assessed based on programme eligibility criteria and the 500-word supporting statement. Places are limited and so priority will be given to students who meet our widening participation and WAMS criteria. To be considered, please ensure that your responses to the widening participation questions are consistent with the information provided by your teacher in their supporting statement.:

In receipt of free school meals, or have you been eligible to receive free school meals within the past 5 years, even if you didn’t take them (Also WAMS Criteria)
Have experience of living in Care, this could be through the local authority, or through foster care, kinship care, residential care or through being looked after at home with a supervision requirement. (Also WAMS Criteria)
Are from a Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman and/or Boater community (Also WAMS Criteria)
Have a parent or carer currently serving in the UK Armed Forces (ALSO WAMS Criteria)
Live in an area within the 20% most deprived areas in England (IMD Decile 1 or 2) -find out if you live in a low participation (Quintile 1 or Quintile 2) neighbourhood (Also WAMS Criteria)
You are a registered young carer, or a person who has sole unpaid caring responsibility for another person (WAMS ONLY)
You have refugee status (WAMS ONLY)
You are a young person who is estranged from your family (WAMS ONLY)
Have a special educational need or disability, including mental health difficulties

To be eligible for a place on the School of Medicine Programme, you must also meet the following criteria, which will be verified by your teacher:

GCSEs: A minimum of 4 GCSEs at grade 5/B or above including Maths, English Language and two science subjects.
A Level: Working towards ABB in A Levels in Chemistry or Biology; one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology; plus one other OR
T Level: Working towards a Distinction, with a minimum grade A in the core component and Merit in the specialism, or Merit, with a minimum grade B in the core component and Merit in the specialism*, in T Level Health or Healthcare Science, and meets the WAMS criteria.
Have a permanent right or indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or have been granted settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years prior to the start of the course.

GCSEs: A minimum of 4 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including Maths, English Language and two science subjects.
A Level: Working towards BBC in Biology or Chemistry plus 2 other subjects OR

T Level: Merit, with a minimum grade B in core component and Merit in specialism* in T Level Health or Healthcare Science awarded within three years of the year of entry applied for.

Have a permanent right or indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or have been granted settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years prior to the start of the course.

*Accepted specialisms for T Levels:

T Level Health -
Supporting the adult nursing team
Supporting the midwifery team
Supporting the Mental Health team
Supporting the Care of Children and Young People
Supporting the Therapy Teams

T Level Healthcare Science -
Assisting with Healthcare Science

Participation in ARU Summer School will guarantee an interview for the MBChB and Gateway to Medicine course (if all other essential criteria are met). This is subject to successful completion of the summer school programme, including appropriate behaviour during the residential.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Amplify Your Summer is open to current Year 12 students or equivalent who are interested in Performing Arts, Business and Law, or Medicine and meet one or more of the widening access criteria listed under their chosen programme. Priority will be given to students who meet these criteria.

Amplify Your Summer is a free residential summer school designed to give students an insight into university life, explore a subject they are interested in and make informed decisions about their future study and career pathways after the age of 18.

The summer school takes place on the following dates:

Cambridge: Sunday 27th June 2027 - Thursday 1st July 2027 (Performing Arts and Business & Law Summer Experience Programmes)
Chelmsford: Sunday 4th July 2027 - Thursday 8th July 2027 (Medicine and Business & Law Summer Experience Programmes)

Please check the dates for your chosen programme before applying.

1. Prepare your written response We recommend preparing your response in Microsoft Word so it is ready to copy and paste into the application form when applications open. Your question and guidance will depend on your chosen programme:

Performing Arts – What draws audiences to live performance in an age of digital media? Please explain your answer.

You should consider:

The main differences between live and digital (screen-based) performance experiences.
The points of view of performers and audiences.
The wider benefits of live performance for society and culture.
How live performances may benefit different types of audience.
What attracts you to live performance. We are interested in your own opinion and examples from your experiences as a performer and audience member.

Medicine – Why do you want to study Medicine? Focus on your motivation to study Medicine and your aspirations for a future career as a doctor.

Business and Law – Question to be confirmed.

2. Arrange your teacher reference Speak to your teacher in advance and share the summer school website link so they can learn more about the programme and know where to submit their reference once applications open. Make sure you have their correct official work email address ready to enter in your application.

The summer school takes place at ARU's Cambridge and Chelmsford campuses. Students will be allocated to a campus based on their chosen programme and where possible, preference.

You can apply by completing the online application form on our website. Please ensure that your email address is correct, as we will use it to contact you about your application and provide updates.

Your application is considered complete once we have received both your completed application form, including your 500-word response, and your teacher's reference. Please ensure that both are submitted, as incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

We recommend applying as early as possible, as applications will be reviewed from March and places allocated based on suitability. Please ensure you contact your teacher in good time to arrange completion of your reference, as your application will only be considered once both your application and teacher reference have been received. Once all places have been filled, you can still apply to be considered for the waiting list in case a place becomes available.

Please refer to the application timeline on our website for information about when you can expect to hear from us. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, if you have not heard from us by the end of June, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide individual feedback on applications due to the volume received.

If you have questions about the application process or eligibility criteria, please contact [email protected]. However, we are unable to provide individual guidance on how to approach or answer the 500-word question.

Yes. Food and accommodation are provided free of charge for the duration of the summer school. Dietary requirements will be taken into consideration and accommodated. If you are offered a place, you will receive further information about your accommodation, meals and what you need to bring.

Amplify Your Summer is a residential programme, and students are expected to stay in the provided accommodation for the duration of the summer school. If you have health-related circumstances that may affect your ability to stay on site, please email [email protected] to discuss your circumstances and whether alternative arrangements may be possible.

You are responsible for making your own way to and from your allocated campus. Where possible, we aim to arrange travel bookings and review options for providing financial support to students travelling by public transport. Further details will be confirmed to students offered a place on the programme closer to the time.

If your question has not been answered by these FAQs, please email [email protected]. Please do not contact individual faculties, as they will be unable to respond to queries about the summer school application process.

Essential information for candidates

Joined by other students from across the region, you'll be immersed into your chosen subject programme. With a task in hand to complete and showcase, our world leading academics and student ambassadors will support you every step of the way. You'll have plenty of social time, as well as time to explore the campus and the surrounding city with fellow students on your programme, alongside our friendly staff and student team. Please note: to be considered for a place on one of our programmes you will need to complete an application form, select the programme of your choice and submit a 500-word supporting statement. (In addition to this, we require a reference from your chosen teacher or tutor)

Applications are due to open by January 2027 If you have any questions, please email: [email protected]