The UCAS Journey Making a successful UCAS application 1 hour – 200 students and parents Factors for successful applications: Ucas overview How to research unis and subjects Info on application form How to write a successful personal statement What happens once form is submitted Alan Jones Professional Development Team
Key features of admissions scheme Online application and management Lots of information and support throughout 2011 - £21 (£11 for a single choice) Maximum of 5 choices Some choice restrictions: Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4 Oxford or Cambridge Simultaneous consideration ‘Invisibility’ Reply to offers only after all choices have recorded decisions
Key dates and deadlines THEY ARE Early June: applicants can register and start to complete their application Early September: School can start to submit completed applications to UCAS 15 October: deadline for Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry Oxford or Cambridge 15 January: main deadline 24 March: deadline for some Art & Design 30 June: deadline to be considered in main scheme (1 July on – Clearing) 20 September: final application deadline VITAL Admissions test may need to be registered for prior to application LNAT – Nov 1 but Oxbridge application deadline 15 Oct
Art & Design courses Used to have a separate application route (Route B) Brought into main system in 2010 Some courses have a later (24 March) deadline - some applicants do 1 yr foundation course before applying to university - need time to decide on specialisms and for referee to get to know them well enough to write a meaningful reference Likely to require portfolio evidence to support application
= Research = Applying = Managing
Apply changes for 2011 Increase of application fee to £21 and £11 Online reference collection for ‘individual’ applicants Enhancement of the criminal convictions question Nominated access details to be available to institutions Collection of passport details Confirmation box for applicants to agree that they have no qualifications to allow applicants to provide degree level, if held Increase of application fee to £21 and £11 Online reference collection for ‘individual’ applicants Enhancement of the criminal convictions question Nominated access details to be available to institutions Collection of passport details Confirmation box for applicants to agree that they have no qualifications to allow applicants to provide degree level, if held
UCAS APPLICANT JOURNEY 1 2 3 4 5 6
Track Enables you to follow the progress of your application (24/7, access via password) Quickest way to find out about new offers You can reply to offers online
End of cycle statistics 2003-2009 2009: 639,860 applicants (up 8.7%), 481,854 accepts (up 5.5%) Competition In 2003 16 out of 20 applicants got placed, in 2005 15.5 out of 20 applicants got placed, whilst in 2009 15 out of 20 got placed (in terms of possible class sizes). Competition is therefore increasing. Introduction of fees UCAS have recently undertaken a fees review to see whether there are any trends in applicant data relating to the introduction and variability of tuition fees, and the conclusion was that there were no significant trends. Source: UCAS Statistics Unit
Questions Alan Jones Professional Development Officer