What does the SMF do?

Our Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP) attracts Year 12/lower sixth students interested in exploring top professions and organisations and offers them the chance to be mentored by a professional in the career area they are interested in and the opportunity to undertake a summer internship in their chosen sector. In addition, we provide a programme of events and advice to support them through the university application process.

Eligibility Criteria
Our students must be:

• In Year 12 / Lower Sixth
• In possession of at least 5 As at GCSE
• Predicted at least ABB for A-level
• Have been eligible for Free School Meals

We will also accept students who attend, or previously attended for GCSE, a school with a higher than average percentage of students known to be eligible for Free School Meals* who will be the first generation in their family to attend university in the UK.

* Based on the London average of 18.9% (DfE, January 2011)

How do students apply?

Students must fill out an application form online and also submit a teacher reference. The student application deadline for the APP 2012 is the 14th December 2011 and the teacher reference deadline is the 9th January 2012.

We also require students to return the following documents to us by post by 21st December 2011:

1. A signed copy of the parental consent form, found here.

2. A completed eligibility form (signed and stamped by their GCSE School), found here.

Are the websites secure?

For the Aspiring Professionals Programme, all of the mentors are CRB checked and provided with training on how to keep the mentoring relationship within safe boundaries. There is no exchange of personal contact details on the websites; only the first names of mentor and mentee will be shown in conversations on the website. The websites are monitored and posts are vetted for inappropriate language/remarks.

If you have any questions, please contact us by emailing app@socialmobility.org.uk