A guide to UCAS for parents

Introduction Students apply to university through UCAS The school guides students how to complete the UCAS form, but it is their responsibility to research courses, attend sessions run by Whitley and complete the application. Please feel free to ask questions as we work our way through this session.

The applicant journey - summary 1 Researches where to study June/July 2017 2 Registers online with UCAS Apply Completes all sections of form WHITLEY DEADLINES Ox/Med/Vet/Dent: Fri 29th Sept 2017 All others: Fri 13h Oct 2017 3 Reference added by centre 4 Centre sends form electronically to UCAS By 16th Dec 2017 5 UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs 6 HEIs submit decisions Usually by end of March 2018 7 Applicant views decisions on Track 8 Normally 3-4 weeks to decide after hearing from all universities Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm/Insurance) 9 10 HEIs confirm places when results are released Results day 2018

Key facts Number of choices (5 max.) These need to be realistic and match students predicted grades i.e. If student is predicted an ABB, they should not be applying for any courses which are asking for higher grades than this. 2017 applicant fee - £24.00 Before students can send off their form they will need to pay this admin fee. A2 LEVEL POINTS AS LEVEL 2 YEAR BTEC 1 YEAR BTEC A* 56 D* A 48 20 D 28 B 40 16 M 32 24 C 12 P 10   8 E 6

Key facts Simultaneous consideration and ‘Invisibility’ The five universities selected do not know what other choices a student has made and will consider their application based on their predicted grades, their personal statement and their reference. Offers If a university likes a student they will more than likely give them a conditional offer based on them achieving a certain set of grades. They may, however, be unsuccessful meaning they have not received an offer to study on the course.

The Application: What information will UCAS require? Students are asked to complete the following sections: Personal Details Student Finance Additional Information Choices Education Employment Personal Statement Having checked the above, the college will then add: 8. Reference Guided tour on login screen will advise how to fill out the form. Individual help text against every question and section

2. Student Finance Students say in their UCAS application whether they will need a student loan. Bursaries are available, look specifically at selected university websites They apply for this once they have decided on their final choices, normally around April to student finance: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-tuition-fees-changes (This is a thorough website exploring finance and recent changes)

4. Choices www.ucas.com Realistic Thorough research Visiting open days Talking to subject teachers Insurance choice- slightly lower than predicted grades www.ucas.com

7. Personal statement There is lots of information available online (including a comprehensive guide on our Post 16 Common area) about how to write a personal statement. We have already held gatherings to guide students through the process. We have been offering one-to-one drop in support to students to assist with this process also. Most important areas to consider: A clear desire to study chosen subject (often through academic reading, taster days and relevant work experience) 70% should be academic based/ no more that 30% other activities and hobbies It should be grammatically sound and accurate UCAS check whether it is plagiarised Same personal statement for all 5 choices Maximum length 4000 characters/47 lines Some universities will use the personal statement to help guide their decision more than others so it can be very important.

8. References Form tutors write these based on subject teachers’ reports, the personal statement, exam results and meetings held with student. Students also fill out a form about their achievements which they should hand in to their tutor. It is imperative that students attend tutor time and regularly discuss their reference with their tutor. Once complete, the form will be sent off by the college and students will begin to receive responses. All of the references are checked and if necessary cross-referenced and edited by Mr Edwards.

Offers All five universities will respond to offers, normally by the end of March if students have met the Whitley deadlines. Students can TRACK these by logging in to the UCAS website. Students select their first choice and insurance choice (normally they are given around 3 weeks after all 5 universities have responded)

No offers… Two further stages to gain a place: UCAS Extra Students apply to other universities still with spaces on their courses available. Only are eligible if no offers are held and students just press the EXTRA button when they login to TRACK Clearing (also if students do not get the grades to get on either of their choices) On results day universities list what vacancies are available on their courses. Students call universities directly to apply for places using their clearing number listed on their TRACK login, and then apply online through TRACK. Clearing lists are on the UCAS website and in The Telegraph newspaper. http://www.ucas.com/students/nextsteps/clearing/todo

What can a parent do to help? Look at and register with UCAS on the parents section. Go on open days with son/daughter Help research courses on UCAS (courses which reflect predicted grades)- A good guide is www.university.which.co.uk Look specifically at course content on university website. Encourage son/daughter to be active and doing relevant work experience, reading and research.

Any questions...

Useful websites www.ucas.com www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk www.unistats.direct.gov.uk www.push.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide