UCAS Application Support

Today’s Talk New UCAS Tariff Applying Personal Statements Hints & Tips Researching

Research

Where do you start? Campus City Cost Research, research, research… Course Campus City Cost

What to Research? Course Do you enjoy the subject? – you will be studying it for 3 or 4 years Career – what are the graduate destinations for the particular subject? Modules – each university with offer different modules. Can you choose your modules? Teaching Methods – theory vs practical Assessments – exams/assignments/practical assessments Work Experience – can you do a placement year? What industry links are there? Entry Requirements – what do you need to gain entry on the course?

Choosing the Right Course Your course may limit your university options…or you may have 100s of options!

Entry Requirements Each university will have different entry requirements for their courses. When choosing a course and university, consider the following: Are they asking for UCAS points or specific grades? Do I need specific subjects? Do I have the right GSCEs? Will I need to have an interview Do I need relevant work experience Work out your UCAS tariff by using the UCAS tariff calculator – found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com

New! UCAS Tariff A2 Grade UCAS Points AS Grade A* 56 A 20 48 B 16 40 C 12 32 D 10 24 E 6 BTEC Sub Diploma UCAS Points D* 56 D 48 M 40 P 32

What to Research? Campus City City/campus university? What are the facilities like? Where is the accommodation? What is the atmosphere like? City Can you see yourself living there? What are the transport links like? What is there to do? Is it safe?

What to Research? Cost Tuition fees £6-9,000 per year Consider the cost of living (accommodation/travel) Research into scholarships and bursaries Start saving now!

Time to Apply

UCAS Application Timeline 15th October 2017 First UCAS Deadline Oxbridge, Medicine, Vet Science September 2017 UCAS cycle opens January – September 2017 Research, open days, plan application Internal Deadline After Oct half term but before Christmas September 2018 Start university! August 2018 Results Day! Confirmation/Clearing January 15th 2018 Deadline for applications to be considered equally May 2018 You should have made your final choices. 31st March 2018 You should receive all offers back from universities

Application Process All students applying for higher education will apply via UCAS. There are 6 sections of the application to complete. Students can only write one personal statement. Students can make up to five choices; these will appear in alphabetical order. Once submitted, a copy of the form will be sent to all chosen institutions. UCAS is now open for 2017 entry (from 6th September). It costs £13 to make one choice and £24 to make up to five.

Writing a personal statement

What is a personal statement? Forms part of your UCAS application. 4000 character / 47 line document. Your chance to “sell yourself” to universities.

Who reads it? Passionate about their subject Experts in their field Admissions tutors Passionate about their subject Experts in their field Might not share your sense of humour!

Why is it Important? Competition for university places is at an all time high 718,480 applicants in 2015 The more popular the course area the more important the personal statement becomes High grades alone are not enough Universities are looking for the whole package Strong, well thought out personal statement! Work experience and evidence of transferable skills - Demonstration of commitment and motivation to study your subject at university Higher Education landscape is changing - Increased competition amongst universities - Becoming a ‘buyers’ market….students need to be more clued up

Top 12 Popular Courses Course No. of Applications Nursing & Midwifery 237, 990 Psychology 106, 225 Law 103, 220 Design Studies 97, 025 Medicine 84, 850 Computer Science 76, 895 Business Management 71, 195 Sports Science 67, 070 Social Work 63, 770 English 51, 595 Mechanical Engineering 49, 320 Teaching 42, 490

Personal Statements What are admissions tutors looking for? A strong desire to study the subject Evidence of research and understanding of the course An engaging opening paragraph Your skills and interests – your personality! Consistency with your reference Honesty

Explain your choice of course What are your reasons for wanting to study the course? How was your interest developed? Why are you suitable? Do you understand what’s required to study the course? Do your current studies relate to your chosen course? Do you have any skills/experience which would help you succeed? The bulk of your personal statement should talk about the course and your suitability – around 2/3!

Do you have any achievements? What do you do outside of school? Extra-curricular activities Do you have any awards? Duke of Edinburgh, EPQ Any positions of responsibility? Head boy/girl, prefect, mentor Do you have any achievements? Fundraising, sporting, academic What do you do outside of school? Hobbies, clubs, sport, societies

Work Experience Focus on the most relevant Although some courses have work experience as a mandatory requirement, all universities like to hear about work experience You can include details of…. Voluntary work Part time jobs Course placements Focus on the most relevant Highlight the skills you have gained Link the skills to being successful at university

Transferable Skills Fill your personal statements will examples of transferable skills…… Team Work Interpersonal Skills Critical Thinking Organisational Skills Working under pressure Independence Problem Solving Commitment Time Management

Future aspirations Mention any future plans or career aspirations. Explain how your chosen course will help you achieve these. If you are taking a gap year, outline what you will be doing and highlight the skills/benefits you will gain.

Structure We recommend no more than Six key paragraphs: Engaging opening paragraph Explain your choice of course/subject Describe your suitability The person behind the form Career aspirations/future plans Conclusion

Structure Make a point Give an example Explain your example I have strong interpersonal skills Make a point Give an example Explain your example Link your point That I have demonstrated during my time working at The Hilton hotel. I dealt with a variety of customers on a day to day basis, often dealing with difficult situations and complaints. This will support me when studying Hospitality Management as I understand the importance of excellent customer service.

Examples and tips – the good Start with a powerful opener “To venture into the realm of science and medicine is to pursue a path of boundless discovery”. Demonstrate your subject knowledge “In order to enhance my understanding of the case studies I carried out my own experiment to replicate Freud’s work and investigate the impact of qualitative data”. Showcase your skills “Volunteering as a youth leader has been a challenge; I have learnt how to quickly adapt to change and work as a team player to ensure activities always run smoothly”.

Examples and tips – the bad Avoid repetition and overuse of ‘I’ “I like History because I love how the past can change the modern world. I like reading historical texts and I enjoy analysing why things happened”. Check spelling and grammar! “Psycology is highly relevent too are everyday lifes…”. Avoid slang and informal language “I’ve been a regular host on our school radio station, which has been a fab opportunity to meet new people and make new mates”.

Examples and tips – the ugly Use recent examples “ At primary school I had 100% attendance and was made deputy head boy” Keep it relevant “I have studied Shakespeare, with whom I share my birthday” Choose your reasons carefully “I want to study Chemistry because I love setting fire to things and watching them burn”

Examples and tips DO: Be prepared to draft, re-draft, re-draft… Ask people for feedback Use university websites, prospectuses and UCAS entry profiles to find out what skills to include Provide a suitable email address

Examples and tips DON’T: Make your personal statement specific to one institution Lie or exaggerate – you might get caught out Type directly into the UCAS form – copy and paste Rely on spell check Copy from anyone or anywhere

Further help Get a head start Use the UCAS website - www.ucas.com for useful worksheets, videos and advice

What next….. Make sure you….. Visit the UCAS website Read through prospectuses/look at university webpages Book on to open days Attend HE Conventions/Fairs Look out for University taster days/Festivals Gain work experience – paid or voluntary Develop your skills – Future Learn Course, Duke of Edinburgh, NCS