Exeter Scholars
What is the Exeter Scholars programme?
Pathways Overview
Pathways Overview
Pathways Overview
Your experience as an Exeter Scholars participant will include a range of activities and opportunities appropriate for your year group and location in the country, and will provide you with an insight into university as well as a subject specific experience. Each Exeter Scholars pathway will consist of its own unique programme, including a number of exclusive supplementary activities that are available to all participants. The earlier you start, the longer we can support you – so, for example, if you join the Scholars community in Year 10 then opportunities will be available to you right up until the end of Year 13.
If you are thinking of applying, we would encourage you to take the time to explore what the programme could include for you. Use the sections below, starting with the year group you are in now, to look forward at the exciting events and activities on offer as you progress through school.
All pathways will involve you coming to see us at one of our university campuses at least once, but all travel costs incurred while completing your pathway will be refunded to you – a definite perk of the programme!
South West
The following sections outline the different activities delivered at the different stages of the Exeter Scholars programme that are available to participants living in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Bristol or Dorset.
There are two options for starting Exeter Scholars in Year 10.
Year 10 Tutoring Pathway (South West only)
The Year 10 In-School Tutoring Pathway (South West only) involves a series of in-school sessions that will be run by Student Ambassadors from the University of Exeter, focusing on helping you to make informed decisions about your future, including demystifying higher education and thinking about careers. This pathway will also include subject-specific content, delivered virtually via our dedicated online platform, Brightspace. All dates for your tutoring sessions will be scheduled by and take place at your school, and therefore will be at a time to suit you.
Year 10 Residential Pathway (South West & National)
The Year 10 Residential Pathway (South West & National) pathway starts with an all-expenses-paid residential held at the University of Exeter Streatham Campus. You'll stay in university halls of residence, just like our current students do, and this will be your opportunity to find out what student life is like.
If you have not received information about Exeter Scholars from your school but are enquiring independently, then unfortunately you won’t be able to apply yet. But you may be able to in Year 12 – so come back and visit us then.
Year 11 is a key year for all Exeter Scholars participants. By this point you will have already been learning with us for a year, and should by now be more familiar with what a university campus is. We don’t have any pathways that start in Year 11 but we use this time for existing participants to focus on preparing you for life after GCSEs.
You will be invited to attend a Student Conference with your parents / carers to celebrate what you have achieved so far, and to help prepare you for the transition to college or sixth form.
The post-16 activities available to Exeter Scholars are the point at which you get to personalise your experience. At this point, existing participants will be invited to choose a subject activity strand from a range available to them and will be asked to update their Exeter Scholars profile with their GCSE results and current study plans. It should be noted that to continue to this stage of Exeter Scholars you will need to have achieved the GCSE grades outlined in the programme eligibility criteria and we will talk to you about this at the relevant time. If you are starting Year 12 and are new to Exeter Scholars, then there is an application entry point available to you between September and November of your Year 12. Visit Apply to see if you are eligible and fill in an application form.
Over a period of 10 months, you will then attend a range of on-campus events and field trips allowing you to explore your chosen subject as it would be studied at university. You will be given access to University of Exeter facilities and learn from world class academics – you may even have the chance to participate in live research projects being conducted by the University. Learn more about the subject activity strands available.
Some examples of what you could be doing through your chosen activity strand are:
- A visit to the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in London (Law)
- Explore the artefacts in the Bill Douglas Film Museum (English, Visual Culture & Film)
- Get hands-on with our Medical Imaging training equipment (Medical Professions)
- Learn a new language (Modern Languages)
- Visit the Met Office (Physics & Maths)
Each strand will have its own unique entry requirements and pass criteria, and it is fulfilling these that will allow you to graduate as a University of Exeter Scholar.
By December of Year 13, you will know if you have successfully graduated as a University of Exeter Scholar. However, your journey doesn’t end there, and we want to continue supporting you for as long as you need us.
Successful programme graduates will now be given access to a number of additional events designed to help you find out a bit more about the University of Exeter, as Year 13 marks the moment at which you will decide if you want to apply to university and, if so, where. You will be invited to a private reception at the September University of Exeter Undergraduate Open Day and an exclusive Exeter Scholars Virtual Open Day. We’ll also fund your travel costs to attend an Offer Holder Visit Day at the University of Exeter.
We hope to see some of our Exeter Scholars studying with us in the future, and those who decide that this is the right option for them will be given the opportunity to qualify as a Senior Scholar by completing an online assessment. As a Senior Scholar you will have a range of enhanced benefits available to you that have been developed to not only support your progression to the University of Exeter but also help you settle in as a new university student.
Nationwide
The following sections outline the different activities delivered at the different stages of the Exeter Scholars programme that are available to participants living outside of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Bristol or Dorset.
If you have been invited by your school to apply to Exeter Scholars in Year 10, then your pathway will start with a residential experience held at the University of Exeter Streatham Campus. You'll stay in university halls of residence, just like our current students do, and this will be your opportunity to find out what student life is like.
If you have not received information about Exeter Scholars from your school but are enquiring independently, then unfortunately you won’t be able to apply yet. But you may be able to in Year 12 – so come back and visit us then.
Year 11 is a key year for all Exeter Scholars participants. By this point you will have already been learning with us for a year and should by now be more familiar with what a university campus is. We don’t have any pathways that start in Year 11 but we use this time for existing participants to focus on preparing you for life after GCSEs.
The post-16 activities available to Exeter Scholars are the point at which you get to personalise your experience. At this point, existing participants will be asked to update their Exeter Scholars profile with GCSE results and current study plans. It should be noted that to continue to this stage of Exeter Scholars you will need to have achieved the GCSE grades outlined in the programme eligibility criteria and we will talk to you about this at the relevant time. If you are in Year 12 and are new to Exeter Scholars, then there is an application entry point available to you between March/April and June. Visit Apply to see if you are eligible and fill in an application form.
In order to immerse yourself in a subject activity strand of your choice you will be invited to come to Exeter for a Year 12 residential event. While you are staying with us, you will be given access to University of Exeter facilities and learn from world class academics – you may even have the chance to participate in live research projects being conducted by the University.
Alongside the academic programme, the residential experience will also give you the chance to explore the local area, develop your cooking skills, try out study societies, and find out what student life might be like on a University of Exeter campus.
Attendance at this residential is a compulsory part of Exeter Scholars for both existing participants and those joining the programme for the first time in Year 12. Via this and the other activities you have completed throughout your programme participation, you will have fulfilled the time commitment required to graduate as an Exeter Scholar in Year 13.
By December of Year 13, you will know if you have successfully graduated as a University of Exeter Scholar. However, your journey doesn’t end there, and we want to continue supporting you for as long as you need us.
Successful graduates will now be given access to a number of additional events designed to help you find out a bit more about the University of Exeter, as Year 13 marks the moment at which you will decide if you want to apply to university and, if so, where. You will be invited to a private reception at the September University of Exeter Undergraduate Open Day and an exclusive Exeter Scholars Virtual Open Day. We’ll also fund your travel costs to attend an Offer Holder Visit Day at the University of Exeter.
We hope to see some of our Exeter Scholars studying with us in the future, and those who decide that this is the right option for them will be given the opportunity to qualify as a Senior Scholar by completing an online assessment. As a Senior Scholar you will have a range of enhanced benefits available to you that have been developed to not only support your progression to the University of Exeter but also help you settle in as a new university student.
