Welcome
to StateElevate

Welcome to StateElevate! We are a free mentorship organisation in the North East, ensuring success is based on ability and ambition, not background. Featured on ITV News and BBC Radio 1, spoken in the House of Lords, and appeared in North Eastern newspapers.

Our Mission

At StateElevate, we collaborate with state schools across the North East of England to provide free one-to-one mentorship for students in applying to competitive UK universities. We pair undergraduates from universities such as Oxford, LSE and Imperial with students from North East schools and colleges, alongside providing financial support. This year we are connected with 10 schools, mentoring 150+ students with the help of 100+ mentors.

North East of the UK historically has some of the lowest higher education application rates in the country, particularly for the most selective universities. Even at highly-ranked regional universities like Durham, only about 10% of students are from the North East, the lowest proportion of any UK institution.

Our main objective is to break down barriers for state school students in the Northeast of England when applying to top universities, to encourage ambition and to ensure that success is measured by ability, not background.

Discover More

Meet the Team

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Co Founder

Grace Wilson

Grace, 19, studies Law LLB at London School of Economics. She recently finished her legal internship with Jane Walker MBE in Manila, Philippines, working on financial regulation law in vulnerable communities.

Co Founder

Lennon Airey

Lennon, 19, studies History at Oxford. He was awarded the title of 'Masters Scholar' at Pembroke College, and is Outreach officer of his JCR.

Outreach & Sponsorships Coordinator

Elodie Clements

Elodie, 20, studies International History at London School of Economics. She recently coordinated StateElevate's appearance on ITV and BBC, along with her press release making 2 local newspapers.

Events Coordinator

Amy Dodson

Amy, 19, studies Biology at Oxford. Due to high academic achievement she is an Exhibitioner at Pembroke College, and was one of our most dedicated mentors in 25/26.

Our Initiatives

Mentorship

Mentors provide personalised advice and resources, helping students to navigate their academic journeys effectively. Students receive at least 3 rounds of 1-to-1 feedback on their personal statements via zoom. If they are an Oxbridge or interview university applicant, we also provide them with a mock interview. Students also receive mentoring through admissions tests and general university advice.

Outreach

We offer various events to connect students to relevant professional networks, including interactive Q&As with high level professionals. We hope to connect with local business to grow our organisation even further.

Financial Support

We believe that financial circumstances should never be a barrier to accessing higher education. That is why we offer a range of tailored support to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed.

Admissions Test Scholarship

We provide funding for students facing the cost of mandatory university admissions tests, such as the LNAT, UCAT, ESAT, and TMUA, that are not covered by their school. We understand that many students fall just outside the eligibility criteria for traditional bursaries but still require financial assistance to level the playing field.

The Leamy Grant (For Law Students)

Thanks to a generous donation from Paul Leamy, every law student is entitled to The Leamy Grant. Separate from our general admissions test funding, this grant provides additional specialist support for aspiring lawyers, including access to LNAT revision resources and more. (Full details on the support package coming soon).

Emergency Fund

Sometimes, unexpected costs arise. Our discretionary Emergency Fund is here to help with those financial hurdles that could otherwise disrupt your journey. Whether you need support with travel to open days, urgent laptop repairs, or any other expense you are facing, we are here to listen.

Co-Founder Grace speaking on social mobility at the House of Lords, pictured with Lord Syed Kamall.