Year 12 higher education information evening Welcome!

Choosing the right course & university

Why consider university? Do what you love doing Many jobs require a degree Develop valuable skills Better jobs and prospects Earn up to 50% more Study abroad or do a work placement A good time; new interests and experiences Graduate skills employers look for: Self reliance, people skills, team work, presentation skills, communication, leadership, IT skills, numeracy, problem solving, technical skills, business acumen, diplomacy, dedication, time management

Graduate premium and employability The Times reported in 2017 that graduates can expect to see their lifetime earnings increased by over £177,000 over similar students who finished their education with two or more A’ Levels. Over 40% of the jobs in the UK economy are now graduate level, therefore a degree is an additional qualification when seeking employment A good degree (First or 2.1) DOES make a difference in the competition for jobs – but so does work experience…… The ten universities most targeted by Britain’s top graduate employers in 2015 were Manchester, Nottingham, Warwick, Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Bristol, Imperial College London, University College London and Leeds. BUT……recruiters stated that graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes.

What do graduates earn Graduate starting salaries at the UK’s leading graduate employers reach an average of 25,000 and a median of £30,000 More than a quarter of top graduate programmes will pay new recruits more than £35,000 when they start work and four organisations are offering salaries in excess of £45,000 to this year’s graduates. The most generous salaries in 2017 were those on offer from investment banks (median of £45,000), law firms (median of £40,000), banking & finance firms (median of £36,500) and oil & energy companies (median of £32,500), Dentistry £34,840, Chemical Engineering £31,824. One of the highest published graduate starting salaries for 2108 is Aldi (£44,000 plus Audi A4 car) https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/careers/what-do-graduates- do-and-earn/

Graduate earnings

How to choose a course Academic interest Career requirement Transferrable skills www.ucas.com ‘Search’ Tool for courses Look for related courses e.g. English and Creative Writing; English Literature and French Studies; English and American Literature. See ‘subject guides’.

How to choose a university Course is paramount content of modules method of teaching method of assessment work placement/sandwich course length of course length & organisation of terms lecturers & department specialisms entry requirements – can include GCSEs as well as A- level/BTECs

Revised UCAS tariff for A Levels A* 56 points BTEC Distinction* A 48 points BTEC Distinction B 40 points C 32 points BTEC Merit D 24 points E 16 points BTEC Pass Extended Project Qualification is half an A level so worth half the number of points above.

Location Distance? Cost of travel? Cost of living? Facilities & attractions

Old or new?

City or campus? Size?

Quality and reputation Main league tables Subject tables National Student Survey Russell Group Sutton Trust 1994 Group The top ranking universities require the highest grades.

Facilities Accommodation Libraries Sports facilities Student services Clubs & societies Music & arts Shops....

Cost of study Tuition fees – mostly £9,250 Living costs Accommodation Bills – TV, utilities, phone & internet Food Travel costs Course materials Social life

Degree Apprenticeships

Degree Apprenticeship

Useful Wesites http://university.which.co.uk/teachers/introduce- higher-education-options/higher-and-degree- apprenticeships-guide-download https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ https://www.ucas.com/apprenticeships-in-the-uk https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

The year ahead

What’s happening now? Researching courses and universities Thorough research is essential: - UCAS website www.ucas.com - Institution websites - Prospectuses: official and alternative - Open days - Good university guides Registering with UCAS and starting to complete the application form Drafting a personal statement Check if you need to take an admissions test and register

SJSF Events Friday 15th June – Personal Statement Workshop Friday 29 June – SJSF Destinations trips: Nottingham University or Bishop Grosseteste University or Lincoln College Friday 6th July – Cambridge Open Day Wednesday 11 July SJSF Careers Fair Wednesday 11 July - Presentations from outside speakers on the personal statement, how to choose a university and course and how make a successful application to university, how to search for and apply for apprenticeships. Monday 16 – Friday 20 July: Work Experience week

Essential Resources Heap Guide Heap online – all Year 12 students have passcode for this Times Good University Guide Student planner pages 131 - 155 KSHS Guidance booklet ‘Purple Booklet’ https://www.theguardian.com/education/universityguide https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/ https://university.which.co.uk/

Autumn Term Teachers give predicted grades - indication of likely grades next year, so assess likely offers of different courses Complete the remainder of the application form Meet with tutor and subject specialist to finalise personal statement

How to apply Applications are online through UCAS website Can choose up to 5 courses (usually similar courses at 5 different universities) Before students send applications they should see Miss Chant for final checks Fee is £24 (£18 if only one course): paid online with a debit/credit card The School Reference is added once the student has paid (written by tutors & subject teachers) School sends the final application

September/October Can apply from 5th September 2018 Early deadline: 1st October – Conservatoires (Music) Early deadline: 15th October - Oxbridge - Medicine - Veterinary Medicine - Veterinary Science - Dentistry Some students may need to take aptitude tests e.g. BMAT, UKCAT, LNAT; Many Oxbridge courses – let Mrs Parsons know.

The competition… The trend in the last 10 years has been an increasing number of applications but it has fallen slightly in the last 2 years (so has the number of 18 year olds). UCAS placed 535,200 out of 718,400 applicants into higher education in the 2016 cycle (74.5%) 32.6% of 18 year olds entered Higher Education in 2017 – highest ever rate.

The competition... 22,000+ students achieved at least 3 A grades in 2009 (almost double the figure for 1994). In 2016 25.8% of all grades were A or A* In 2017 13% students got AAA or higher About 100,000 students get ABB each year Student attainment has increased since the mid 1980’s but since 2011 has declined slightly.

New trend: unconditional offers 2.5% of all offers were unconditional in 2015 and 2016 The independent 4/3/18

November-March Later applications: we aim to send off all applications by Christmas Official UCAS deadline is 15th January 2019 Art and Design courses may have a 24th March deadline Interviews – mock interviews offered Start receiving offers

What happens when the UCAS form has been sent? UCAS send your form to all your chosen universities at the same time - they cannot see your other choices Each university only receives details relating to that particular university and course Some universities/courses will interview but most will send details of the conditions of an offer (or rejection) News appears on ‘track’

Spring Receive all offers from UCAS (usually by early May but can be June) Decide which ones to accept and which to reject: usually you accept a conditional firm offer (your 1st choice), and then a conditional insurance offer (your 2nd choice). If no offers received, you can use ‘Extra’ (25th February to 4th July); Clearing opens 5th July. Apply for Student Loans online by end of May

Summer Take examinations Results Day: 15th August 2019 Check UCAS website for confirmation of offers If unsuccessful, go through ‘Clearing’ or take a Gap Year to re-apply; or reconsider your options. Opportunity to go through ‘Adjustment’ if you get higher grades than expected Go to university!