The Black Achievement Conference: Year 12

The Black Achievement Conference will take place on Saturday 17 May 2025 via Zoom.

The 2025 conference agenda will be updated before applications open in March. The 2024 conference included:

• A lecture delivered by leading LSE academic Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah. Abenaa is an Associate Professor of law, her research focuses on criminal procedure, the law of evidence and criminal law, with a particular emphasis on fair trial rights. She spoke about her research on the use of rap music as evidence in criminal trials and the ‘Art Not Evidence’ campaign which is seeking law reform.

• A session from the LSE Admissions Team on applying to university and the LSE admissions process.
• A talk from LSE Alumni Tosin Akinluyi, a Managing Director at multinational investment bank Morgan Stanley. Tosin graduated with a BSc in Economics in 1995 and has over 25 years of international finance experience. Tosin is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including being named the Black British Business Award’s 2023 Financial Services Senior Leader and one of the 2020 Cranfield Business School’s 100 Women to Watch.
• A session from the Widening Participation Team on student finance and what financial support is available to make university a viable option for participants.
• Talks from two prominent black student societies at LSE; the African and Caribbean Society and the Advancing Black Careers Society which aims to advance the careers of black students at LSE through networking and careers events.
• A discussion panel involving current LSE students exploring student life and experiences of being part of the black student community at LSE.

*The timetable and speakers are subject to last minute changes 

The Black Achievement Conference is free to attend.

This is event is open to selected Year 12 (or equivalent) students of Black heritage.

Priority Criteria

Applicants should:

• Be currently in Year 12 (England and Wales), Year 13 (N. Ireland) or S5 (Scotland)
• Have always attended a UK state-funded, non-fee-paying school/college/sixth form
• Identify as being of Black British African/Caribbean or Black British African/Caribbean mixed heritage. This includes students who identify as Black British “other”
• Be considering making an application to undergraduate study at LSE
• Be available for the duration of the event.

Additional criteria

We would also particularly encourage applications from students who belong to one (or more) of our other widening participation target groups, namely:

• Those living in postcode areas of historic low progression to higher education. This is determined by home postcode, which must be in POLAR4 quintile 1 or 2.
  Check your postcode (selecting MSOA) to see if you have ‘Quintile 1’ or ‘Quintile 2’ next to POLAR4 in the table. More information about POLAR.
• Those living in postcode areas of historic deprivation as defined by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which must be in IMD quintile 1 or 2 (deciles 1-4) or regional equivalent*. 
  Check your postcode in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.
• Those who identify as having a disability or specific learning difficulty**
• Those who identify as care-experienced (i.e. those who have been in the care of the local authority).

More information about how LSE uses widening participation data during the admissions process can be found under the contextual admissions section of this admissions information page.

* Ranks 1-356 in Northern Ireland IMD
  Overall Decile 1 or 2 in Scotland
  Ranks 1-764 in Wales IMD

**Have a disability or specific learning difficulty as defined by UCAS:

• You have a social/communication difference such as autism/Asperger's
• You are blind or have a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
• You are deaf or have a serious hearing impairment
• You have a long-standing illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
• You have a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
• You have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
•  You have physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using your arms or using a wheelchair or crutches
• You have a disability, impairment or medical condition that is not listed above.

In the circumstance that the programme is oversubscribed, and places need to be allocated, applicants will be considered for places based on the extent to which they meet our widening participation criteria.

Those applicants who meet all the priority criteria and one or more of our additional criteria will be prioritised for places.

Applications for the Black Achievement Conference will open in March 2025.  

The LSE BAC team will shortlist applications and communicate selection decisions in April 2025 via email.  

The LSE BAC team will allocate event invitations based on applicants' eligibility and event demand.

Applicants will be considered for places based on the extent to which they meet our widening participation criteria. Those applicants who meet all the priority criteria and one or more of our additional criteria will be prioritised for places.