Making decisions about higher education can be overwhelming. Choosing a course. Writing a personal statement. Navigating deadlines. Understanding how admissions decisions are really made.
For many students, these are challenges that sit on top of their regular schoolwork and they often face them without access to the tailored support others might take for granted.
That’s where Apply with Bath comes in. This fully online programme supports Year 13 students with the practical advice and personalised feedback they need to submit strong, well-informed applications particularly those applying to Bath.
Designed for Students Facing Gaps in Support
Apply with Bath was developed in response to a reality we see too often: students who are capable, motivated, and interested in higher education, but who lack access to the kind of detailed, strategic guidance that helps applicants stand out.
These students might:
- Be the first in their family to apply to university
- Attend a school or college without a careers adviser
- Be one of hundreds of students competing for limited support time
- Have teachers who are brilliant but simply stretched too thin to offer 1:1 guidance
At the same time, the UCAS process increasingly relies on implicit knowledge what questions to ask, how to speak about yourself in a personal statement, what admissions tutors are really looking for.
Apply with Bath is designed to make that hidden curriculum visible and to offer students a clear, calm way to navigate it.
What the Programme Offers
Everything is online and accessible on demand. Students can:
- Explore structured resources on course choices, application strategy, and student life
- Join webinars with University of Bath admissions tutors, gaining insight into how decisions are made
- Book one-to-one personal statement appointments with Bath staff for detailed, personalised feedback
- Hear from current students about their journey and get their tips for applying to Bath
These aren’t generic tips they’re targeted, honest conversations designed to help students write their best possible statement. That matters because Bath, like many selective universities, uses personal statements to help make decisions about who gets an offer.
Continuing the Journey
Many students on Apply with Bath have already taken part in our summer schools, mentoring programmes or subject-specific outreach. This programme is about continuing that relationship into Year 13, supporting them through one of the most high-pressure points in the university journey.
We also recruit additional students each year to join the programme extending access to others who may benefit from the guidance and feedback on offer.
Why It Matters
At its core, Apply with Bath is about levelling the playing field.
We know that aspiration alone isn’t enough. Even highly motivated students can be held back if they don’t know how to navigate the complex, often unspoken rules of university admissions. The reality is that making strong choices, writing a compelling personal statement, and understanding what universities are really looking for often relies on access to the right advice at the right time.
But access to that advice isn’t evenly distributed.
Students who are the first in their family to apply to university, or who attend schools without dedicated careers staff, often don’t have the same opportunities to ask questions, test ideas, or polish their applications. In large sixth forms or colleges, even excellent support teams can struggle to offer the detailed, one-to-one advice students need at this stage.
This creates a hidden curriculum, a layer of knowledge and confidence that some students have, and others are expected to somehow figure out.
Apply with Bath is designed to make that hidden curriculum visible. It helps students:
- Understand how course choices can shape their future options
- Learn what admissions tutors value — not through guesswork, but from direct conversations
- Develop personal statements that reflect their potential, not just their polish
- Ask questions they might not feel confident asking elsewhere
- Access support without needing to travel, miss school, or wait for a reply
And it matters even more because at Bath, personal statements form an important part of our decision-making process. Helping students produce stronger statements isn’t about coaching them to "play the game" — it’s about giving every applicant the chance to be fairly seen for what they could achieve.
Apply with Bath is a small intervention at a crucial time — but for many students, it’s the difference between feeling lost and feeling prepared. Between applying hesitantly and applying with confidence. And ultimately, between seeing university as an intimidating process and seeing it as an opportunity they’re ready for.
