Ilford County High School Higher Education Evening Monday 21 March 2016

ILFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL HIGHER EDUCATION EVENING PROGRAMME Facts and figures about UCAS applications How do students make choices? The Personal Statement & Reference Finance Break and Questions Oxbridge Applications. Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary applications Final Questions

Popular and Competitive University Courses

Universities With the Highest Points Scores Cambridge (602) Oxford (572) Imperial (568) LSE (533) Durham (524) St Andrews (517) UCL (502) Edinburgh (484) Warwick (482) Bath (479) Source: 2016 Guardian University Guide

How Do I Get All Those Points? Grade A* A Level 140 Grade A 120 AS Level 60 Grade B 100 50 Grade C 80 40 Grade D 60 30 Grade E 40 20

What An Offer Might Look Like Computer Science, Newcastle University AAB Must achieve three A Levels in this grade range. Chemistry, Hull University 280 points from 3 A Levels (C in Chemistry) Could be achieved by BBC or ACC EPQ is not a required qualification, but may be included in an offer. Southampton, Bristol and Birmingham, among others, are making alternative offers to students who complete an EPQ in addition to 3 A-levels (e.g. applicants with three A-levels get an offer of A*AA; applicants with 3 A Levels plus an EPQ get an offer of AAA plus a specified EPQ grade).

Guardian 2016 University rankings based on: Student satisfaction with Course Teaching Feedback Student – staff ratios Spend per student Entry standards Value-added score Graduate prospects

Guardian 2016 Top Universities Cambridge 100 Oxford 97.5 St Andrews 91.8 Surrey 87.7 Bath 85.9 Durham 84.6 Warwick 84.6 Imperial 84.3 Exeter 83.8 Lancaster 82.1

The Russell Group Birmingham LSE Bristol Manchester Cambridge Newcastle Cardiff Nottingham Durham Queen’s, Belfast Edinburgh Oxford Exeter Queen Mary Glasgow Sheffield Imperial College Southampton King’s College UCL Leeds Warwick Liverpool York

Most Competitive Ratio of places to applications: LSE 11 UCL 10 Edinburgh 9.4 Bristol 8.1 King’s 8.1 Warwick 7.2 Bath 7.9 Leeds 7.7 Durham 6.5 Birmingham 6.5

Dropout Rates 2016 (%) Highest Lowest London Met 17.7 Oxford 1.5 Uni. Of West of Scot. 17.6 Bolton 15.0 South Bank 13.8 Uni. Of West London 13.7 Middlesex 12.8 Uni. Campus Suffolk 12.5 City 12.3 Uni. Of East London 11.9 Roehampton 11.8 Lowest Oxford 1.5 Cambridge 1.6 St Andrews 2.0 Bath 2.1 Bristol 2.2 Durham 2.3 Exeter 2.5 Sheffield 2.7 Newcastle 2.8 Southampton 3.1

Competitive Courses Course Universities Requiring Highest Points Tariff Accounting & Finance Strathclyde, LSE, Glasgow Chemical Engineering Cambridge, Imperial, Strathclyde Chemistry Cambridge, Durham, Oxford Civil Engineering Cambridge, Imperial, Bristol Dentistry Cardiff, Glasgow, Dundee Economics Cambridge, Oxford (+ Management) LSE Electronic & Electrical Engineering Cambridge, Imperial, Glasgow English Oxford, Durham Cambridge History Mathematics Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial Medicine Cambridge, Cardiff, Oxford

Should I Take A Gap Year? This is entirely up to you. Some people benefit from this, others do not. Pros Cons Chance to undertake work experience and gain other positive experiences. An extra year in which to mature and become more independent. Earn money to finance HE life. A break from academia. You get out of the habit of studying Few decent job prospects during the one-year gap. Some universities may not be keen – check. Gap Years can be wasted.

Where Do I Start?

Make The Right Choice 20% of students drop out of university. 10% do so in their first year. 30% wish they had studied something else.

The Main Reasons Students Drop Out Wrong choice of course. Wrong choice of university. Poor advice or did not listen to advice.

Which Subject Should I Take? Consider: Aptitude Enjoyment Careers There is a much wider range of degree subjects than A level courses – there are 90 courses beginning with the letter A alone!

Degrees And Career Choice Fewer than 5% of jobs in the commercial and business sector require specific degrees. The key factors for employers are: A good degree from a good university Personal qualities (e.g. adaptability, creativity, self-management, teamwork) Work experience.

Common Misconceptions If I wish to become a solicitor or barrister I must do a Law degree. 40-50% of the Top 20 Law Firms’ intake is from non-Law graduates If I wish to become an Accountant/Actuary etc. I must do an Accountancy/Finance degree. 5% of Engineering students and 5% of History graduates typically enter these professions.

For which type of course should I apply? Single, or combined honours Sandwich International component Assessment Entry requirements Topics being studied

Which Institution? Location (home or away? campus or city?) Distance from home. Transport costs. Size and facilities Entry standards Accommodation Cost of Living Drop-out rate Employability

What You Need To Do: Consult the UCAS website. The “Entry Profiles” section is especially useful. Consult the institution website. Look at HE Guides (Heap, Times etc.) Visit the institutions you are interested in. E-mail or ring admissions tutors. Discuss options with the 6th Form team. Visit HE careers-related websites: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ http://icould.com/ http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/

What You Need To Do: Personal Statement: Reference Read widely Visit relevant places of interest Go to public lectures Seek work experience Reference Make a consistently good impression.

The Process

The Application Process Final deadline for UCAS forms - 15th January of year of entry. Final deadline for Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science is 18.00 on15th October before the year of entry. It is extremely unwise to apply late.

Your timetable Now Begin to look into possible courses and universities. Begin to plan your Personal Statement. Arrange careers interview if you would like to have one. May Sit exams. These results will largely determine which courses and institutions you can apply to. June Attend the school’s HE Day and attend open days. Meet your UCAS referee. Register on UCAS Apply. Write the bulk of your Personal statement.

Your Timetable (cont.) September Predicted grades are issued. These will be based upon AS results and are likely to be the same grade. Finalise Personal Statement and application form. October Applications submitted to UCAS. Those who fail to meet these deadlines will be severely disadvantaged.

The Application Process Choose up to 5 universities. Complete your Application and pay online. Your Referee completes a Reference online. Your Application is checked by Mr Pearson. Your Application is sent to UCAS, who send it to your 5 universities. You may be interviewed or made an offer. You may be contacted by the university within days or maybe not until March or April.

Acceptance And Rejection

Offers There are two types The majority will be conditional. Unconditional (U) - already qualified for entry. Conditional (C) - when further examinations are still to be taken, offer is conditional upon passing at a specified standard. The majority will be conditional. Some universities are now making unconditional offers to students who choose them as a “firm” option: Attractions: Reduces pressure Concerns: Relaxed approach to A Levels will affect long-term employability. All offer details will be sent to you by UCAS.

Accepting offers After the final decision has been received, applicant has to decide for each offer: Firm Acceptance - F Insurance acceptance - I Decline - D Only ONE firm acceptance and ONE insurance may be selected. Insurance offers should always require lower grades. All other offers must be declined

Main Reasons For Rejections Inadequate qualifications. Unrealistic applications. Poor Personal Statements, including lack of specific subject information. Poor predicted grades or GCSE grades. Not enough relevant recent work experience. Poor interview performance.

Getting Your Place Take examinations. DO NOT BE AWAY ON HOLIDAY WHEN EXAM RESULTS ARE PUBLISHED UCAS confirmation begins: Your first choice place is confirmed - UCAS will ask you to confirm acceptance. Your first place is NOT confirmed but your insurance place is - UCAS will ask you to confirm acceptance. Neither place confirmed - enter Clearing

Finance

Finance There are three main sources of government-supported income available to you: 1. Maintenance loan. This is repayable and available to everyone, although the amount varies depending on parental income. 2. Tuition Fee loan. This is repayable and available to everyone. The maximum tuition fee any university may charge is £9,000 subject to “tough” participation and access criteria. At present 65% of institutions charge the highest rate. Most universities also offer bursaries. You will be advised if you are eligible for these during the finance application process.

Highly Competitive Universities You should be considering a highly competitive university if: You have 5 or more A* grades at GCSE. You expect to achieve at least 3 high A grades in AS Levels this summer. You are prepared to go through a rigorous interview process. You are prepared to sit additional examinations or tests.

Break & Questions

Oxbridge Applications

You cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. Why Oxbridge? Quality of students Quality of academic staff Tutorial system Facilities Employability Architecture You cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge. BUT not necessarily the best!

Profile of a successful Oxbridge candidate. Reads avidly Intellectually curious – doesn’t just learn the syllabus. Potential for further intellectual development. Enthusiastic and open-minded. An excellent academic profile. 1A and 2A* predicted grades for sciences. Capacity to cope with a busy life Good interview skills Well prepared for submitted work/tests

Applications Per Place (2014) Cambridge: Overall : 4.9 Computer Science 5.7 Economics 7.3 Engineering 6.6 History 3.1 Law 5.1 Mathematics 5.7 Medicine 5.7 Natural Science 4.8 Oxford: Overall: 5.5 Biology 4.1 Chemistry 3.7 Computer Science 10.8 Economics & Management 13.3 Engineering 5.8 History 4.3 Law 6.8 Mathematics 5.7 Medicine 9.4 Politics, Philosophy & Economics 6.9 Physics 6.3

The Interview Both universities interview everyone who meets their entry criteria. This is a vital part of the process. Candidates need to be interested in the subject, and have a breadth of knowledge beyond their A Level syllabus and set texts – begin this now! Research the college and its staff before the interview. You must be enthusiastic, knowledgeable and able to think on your feet.

Choosing A College Do not get too hung up on this – if in doubt, submit an open application. Choose a college which offers your subject. Interviews are carried out at the college, except in Medicine and Law at Oxford. Around 26% of Oxford applicants and 16% of Cambridge applicants who receive an offer will get it from a College to which they did not originally apply. 

Oxford Carries out 22,000 interviews. Interviews 2.7-3 students per vacancy Varies greatly between subjects: Economics & Management (25%) PPE (46%), Law (50%) Chemistry (93%) Theology and Oriental Studies (100%) Pre-interview tests sat in school in most subjects.

Cambridge Carries out 14,000 interviews. 70-80% of applicants are interviewed, with the exception of Medicine / Veterinary Science (50%). Moving to pre-interview or at-interview testing.

Oxford Employment Destinations

Cambridge Employment Destinations

Supporting Oxbridge Applications We are unlikely to support a candidate with fewer than 5A* grades at GCSE if they completed their GCSEs at ICHS; a lower number may be acceptable for students from other schools. We must believe they have a strong likelihood of passing the entrance examination / pre-interview tests. They must have achieved three very A grades at AS (e.g. 90% average) and be predicted A*AA at A Level.

Profiles Of Some Successful Candidates 2010-15 B C D E F G H I Subject Natural Science Econ and Management Economics Medicine Chemical Engineering History Law GCSE A* 11 9 7 10 8 5 AS UMS Average 96% 95% 94% 93% 97% 90%

Some Unsuccessful Candidates 2008-15 Student GCSE A* UMS Average Note A 8 89% We are unable to write strong references for these students. B 5 80% C 9 88% D 97% Very competitive courses E 10 95% F 98% G 91% Little knowledge or apparent interest beyond A Level syllabus H 7 93% I 6 94%

Choosing Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science

Variety of Medicine Courses Different styles of medical teaching: Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial offer lab-based and scientific courses. St George's, Liverpool and Cardiff offer patient- centred courses Teaching is, to a degree, reflected in the admissions tests: The BMAT is a very good test of a candidate's science proficiency The UKCAT is intended to test for soft skills such as empathy with patients. The Multiple Mini Interviews are designed to test problem solving, listening (e.g. taking a patient history) and reasoning ability.

Maximising Your Chances Of Getting In Academic Criteria 6+ A/A* at GCSE At least AAA predictions (AAB in mitigating circumstances) A good BMAT / UKCAT score Good AS results The right ‘A’ Levels Chemistry and usually Biology Useful to have a contrasting art / humanity WE WILL NOT SUPPORT CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT MEET THESE CRITERIA

Maximising Your Chances (cont.) Work experience Range and value Glamour and ‘dirty end’ Short and longer periods Recent Be in good health Finally: a realistic chance of getting in. We will not support applications from candidates without this.

Recent Applicant Profiles Subject No. A* GCSE Offers Dentistry 8.5 King’s, London 3 None Medicine 10 Cambridge, UCL 9.5 Nottingham 8 5.5 UCL 6 5 2

Any Questions?