Accelerate is a year-long programme designed to support you with your Chemistry or Physics A-levels and prepare you for the transition to university.

At a glance

  • March 2025 - March 2026
  • Online tutorials after school during term time
  • For Year 12 students studying Chemistry or Physics A Level
  • Minimum of one visit to South Kensington Campus
  • Applications are now open

About Accelerate


Accelerate is a year-long academic and pastoral support programme for Year 12 students who intend to study science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medicine at university. 

Through a range of online academic tutorials, university information sessions, and additional activities hosted by Imperial College London, Accelerate aims to support you with your A-level studies and ensure that you are as prepared as possible for the next step in your educational journey. 

Through this programme you will: 

  • Develop the skills you need to achieve a top grade in A-level Physics or Chemistry;
  • Build your confidence when applying to research-intensive universities like Imperial College London, which require an A/A* in your chosen subject;
  • Gain an insight into undergraduate level study, and what it is like to be a student at Imperial College London. 

What to expect on the programme


For 2025 entry, we will be running two strands: a Physics strand and a Chemistry strand.

Both strands will consist predominantly of fortnightly after-school online tutorials on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, with one in-person event held at Imperial’s South Kensington Campus on a Saturday in March 2025.

You may only apply for one strand - Physics or Chemistry.

Download our Accelerate poster to display in your school. 

 

Accordion widget - what to expect

Accelerate: Physics

There are three main aspects of Accelerate: Physics :

  • Specialised tutoring and support designed to stretch your knowledge and challenge you in Physics; 
  • Sessions to support you in your transition into higher education, enabling you to build on your current skills and tailor these to undergraduate level study; 
  • Familiarising yourself with Imperial College London and higher education more generally, encouraging you to become a part of the College community. 

The programme is structured into four different types of session:

Self-study tutorial content
  • 1 week before your tutorial, you will receive the tutorial content -  a specific topic, problem or activity to work through on your own, in advance of your tutorial. 
  • You should spend approximately 1 hour reviewing the tutorial content, allowing you to familiarise yourself with the course syllabus and identify any areas where you may need additional support or tutoring in. 

Physics tutorial
  • You attend a 1 hour long online tutorial with your tutor who will work through the self-study material with you, explaining the topic, problem or activity. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance on the subject given the small size of the tutorial groups. 

University information and preparation session
  • A few times a year, you will attend a cohort-wide university information and preparation session. Topics covered may include: 
  • How to write a personal statement  
  • Student Finance 
  • Student life Q&A
  • Preparing for university admissions tests and interviews
  • Mock university interviews with staff or Imperial student ambassadors

These sessions will be delivered through a mixture of online, and in-person activities at Imperial College London 
Accelerate: Chemistry

There are three main aspects of the Accelerate: Chemistry programme:

  • Specialised tutoring and support designed to stretch your knowledge and challenge you in Chemistry;
  • Sessions to support you in your transition into higher education, enabling you to build on your current skills and tailor these to undergraduate level study;
  • Familiarising yourself with Imperial College London and higher education more generally, encouraging you to become a part of the College community.


The programme is structured into four different types of session:

Self-study tutorial content
  • 1 week before your tutorial, you will receive the tutorial content -  a specific topic, problem or activity to work through on your own, in advance of your tutorial. 
  • You should spend approximately 1 hour reviewing the tutorial content, allowing you to familiarise yourself with the course syllabus and identify any areas where you may need additional support or tutoring in. 

Chemistry tutorial
  • You attend a 1 hour long online tutorial with your tutor who will work through the self-study material with you, explaining the topic, problem or activity. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance on the subject given the small size of the tutorial groups. 

University information and preparation session
  • A few times a year, you will attend a cohort-wide university information and preparation session. Topics covered may include: 
  • How to write a personal statement  
  • Student Finance 
  • Student life Q&A
  • Preparing for university admissions tests and interviews
  • Mock university interviews with staff or Imperial student ambassadors

These sessions will be delivered through a mixture of online, and in-person activities at Imperial College London.

Applicant information

Accordion widget - applicant information

Eligibility criteria

To apply for Accelerate, you must be:

  • In Year 12 at the time of application;
  • Attending a state-funded, non fee-paying school or college.

This outreach programme aims to support state school students from backgrounds under-represented at university and Imperial. We use the criteria below to assess who is eligible to participate. The more criteria you meet, the more likely your application will be successful.

We recommend that you use our eligibility checker tool to see if you are eligible to apply.

We will prioritise your application if:

  • You have been in care;
  • You live independently (estranged), meaning you no longer have the support of your family due to a breakdown in the relationship which has led to ceased contact.

We will give preference to your application if:

  • You do not live near London.

We will also assess whether:

  • You are a young carer and have caring responsibilities for a close relative with a disability, long-term illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem that is a significant demand on your time;
  • Your family income is below £50,000 each year;
  • You are eligible for free school meals and/or pupil premium;
  • You are the first generation to attend higher education (meaning your parents, step-parents, adoptive parents or guardians have not completed a higher education qualification); 
  • You live in a neighbourhood with low overall progression rates to higher education (POLAR4 Quintile 1 or 2 areas) or high levels of deprivation (IMD Quintile 1 areas);
  • Your school has a high percentage of students receiving free school meals;
  • Your school has below average attainment.

Academic requirements

To be considered for this programme, you must:

  • Be studying Maths (compulsory) and either Physics (for the Physics strand) or Chemistry (for the Chemistry strand) at A-level;
  • Expect to study a science, technology, engineering or maths subject at university;
  • Have achieved a minimum of eight GCSEs with at least five at grades 7-9, including maths and sciences;
  • Have achieved a minimum of a grade 5 in GCSE English Language.
How to apply

Applications for Accelerate are now open. The deadline for applications is Thursday 9 January 2025 at 23:59. The deadline for teacher and parent/guardian references is Thursday 23 January 2025 at 23:59. We expect to release decisions in mid-February 2025. 

Applications are made through Aspire (our online application system). You must create an account with Aspire before you can fill out your application.

We recommend you use a personal email address, as opposed to a school email address, when creating an Aspire account. Security settings used in some school email servers will prevent you from receiving emails from Aspire.

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide details for a parent/guardian and a teacher. Both your parent/guardian and your teacher will be contacted to provide a supporting reference and verify some of the information you provide.

We will ask for the subjects you are currently studying. If you do not have predicted grades for your current subjects you can type NPG or N/A in the grade field.

For more information about applying, please see our Outreach FAQs. Unfortunately, we cannot accept late applications.

Contact us

For more information, please see our Outreach Programme FAQs or email the Accelerate team. 

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