Universities are interested in diversity and it is government policy. Widening participation (WP) is a government initiative offering opportunities to groups of people who are under-represented in higher education.

WP Criterion to determine which students are eligible might include:

• Residence (post code) – looking for evidence of deprivation.

• They also can look at the performance of your school (where you did your GCSE and A-levels).

• Does the student have access to free school meals?

• Have any immediate family been to university or would you be the first?

• Underprivileged social background

• Are you or have you been a carer?

• Have your studies been interrupted due to life circumstances such as illness, estrangement, homelessness?

Sometimes the medical school will ask you to complete a separate application form if you wish to be considered for the WP criterion. In other times, the criterion may be automatically applied and your application ‘flagged’.

This can result in a number of changes in the way your application is assessed compared to students that do not meet the criterion. These can include: -

• A reduced academic A-level offer. This can be reduced from the typical AAA to ABB. GCSE subject grades may also be lower than for standard student.

• They may not insist the grade A is in chemistry or biology. They may however insist on the same A-level subjects as standard candidates.

• The medical school may be more amenable to re-sit candidates.

• There may however be the same cut off scores (if they are used) for UCAT and BMAT as per regular candidates.

• There may be a more lenient requirement to demonstrate commitment to the profession, for example the medical school may be more sympathetic if the work experience requirements are not fully met.

• Some will positively discriminate for WP characteristics or students from certain localities. If you living in the locality targeted by the medical school, then this would increase your chances of getting an offer.

• They may insist any WP offer is put down as a firm choice and not an insurance choice (otherwise the standard offer may apply).

• Medical schools sometimes offer ‘gateway’ courses into medicine exclusively to widening participation candidates.

• There may be financial help in the form of a bursary for WP students. This may again be conditional on you accepting a firm offer.

Take home messages.

• Check whether you fulfil the criterion for your chosen medical schools.

• If you do check the medical school website to see how to apply under the WP criterion.

• Ensure your referee mentions any such criterion in your reference.