How to research and apply Courses, colleges and UCAS forms

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USE UCAS TO RESEARCH COURSES Information about ALL UK higher education courses – Good starting point for an on-line search – Links to the universities’ own websites – …much more detail there – Also information about UK student finance – Information for parents, schools and universities – Frequently Asked Questions and extensive help Aim at Oxford or Cambridge – but also find alternatives – N.B. these slides are based on 2013 entry courses and application process – they may be some changes for 2014.

Choosing a college Offers your course? Ancient or modern? Large or small? City centre or outskirts? Type of accommodation? Admissions policy All female or mixed? Tutors in your subject? Atmosphere – personal feeling VISIT IF YOU CAN

Oxford courses

Look at related courses

Look at the statistics! Archaeology & Anthropology 2324,5% Biochemistry 10128,0% Biological Sciences 10832,8% Biomedical Sciences 3316,9% Chemistry 18136,8% Classical Archaeology & Ancient History 1727,1% Classics 12640,5% Classics & English 524,1% Classics & Modern Languages 1231,6% Classics & Oriental Studies 228,6% Computer Science 2520,9% Computer Science & Philosophy 830,8% Earth Sciences (Geology) 3424,0% Economics & Management 949,0% Engineering Science 15626,6% Engineering, Economics & Management 118,4% English Language & Literature 24520,3% English & Modern Languages 1711,4% European & Middle Eastern Languages 616,7% Experimental Psychology 6420,8% Fine Art 2114,9% Geography 8521,6% History 22724,2% History (Ancient & Modern) 1318,9% History & Economics 1314,9% History & English 1012,8% History & Modern Languages 1721,0% History & Politics 4617,8% History of Art 1410,8% Human Sciences 2824,4% Law 23010,6% Materials Science 3529,3% Materials, Economics & Management 129,3% Mathematics 17220,1% Mathematics & Computer Science 2424,8% Mathematics & Philosophy 1925,0% Mathematics & Statistics 1311,9% Medicine 15510,6%

Minimum entrance requirements – all subjects Luxembourg – Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires - overall score of at least 50. International Baccalaureat – total score of at least 38 points including core points, with 6s and 7s in subjects taken at the Higher level. European Baccalaureat – Average of 85% or above, with scores of between 8 and 9 in specified subjects. France – French Baccalauréat or Option Internationale du Baccalauréat - average score of at least 15. UK – A-levels between A*A*A and AAA depending on the subject. Germany – Abitur with a total mark between 1.0 and 1.5 with scores of between 13 and 15 in individual subjects. Belgium – Certificat d'Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur - average score of at least 8. Scores of 9 may be required in particular subjects.

Selection criteria

Tests

Example – Physics Admissions Test

Plan your time (1) NOW (if not already doing this) – Read around your subjects – Make sure you can discuss your subjects in English. if you are not studying in English, read English books/articles about your subject so you have appropriate vocabulary End of summer term: – Finalise your choice of courses – ask your school teacher who coordinates UK applications for a reference – make sure they know you will apply to Oxford or Cambridge and deadline is 15th October – Start drafting your Personal Statement – Study requirements for entrance tests and start practice

UCAS application system Not only an information source but also the single portal for all UK university applications Apply for up to five courses at different universities through a single form filled out on-line. – For courses starting in 2014 applications open from late June 2013 After application UCAS lets the student follow the progress of the application and make choices about offers from universities. For most students, UCAS automatically informs universities of examination grades achieved and confirms places offered. For those students not achieving the grades required for their chosen courses, UCAS provides a ‘clearing’ system which may find you a place on a similar course at another institution.

UCAS process Register for UCAS account Fill out on-line forms Submit completed forms School adds reference and predicted grades UCAS gives chosen universities access to your application (they don’t see which other universities you have chosen) U1U1 Reject Offer U2U2 Reject Offer U3U3 Reject Offer U4U4 Reject Offer U5U5 Reject Offer Student selects first and second choice offers Exam results to UCAS UCAS confirms offers Student accepts confirmed offer 12

Registration screens ask for: Name, address, birth-date UK resident or not Address/telephone address – use a ‘boring’ address! Password choice Security questions UserID is displayed at the end of registration – make a note! To link your application to your school, you need a ‘buzzword’ provided by your school. but you always can add it later

Work through the sections in any order. Enter data or choose from a list Click “Save” at the bottom of each page Completed sections show a You can go back and change anything before you submit the application If you log out and log in again later, you can carry on from where you left off. You don’t have to complete the whole process in one session! There are links to help on every page and a telephone helpline if you are really stuck!

Personal details Name and contact details copied from registration Country of birth, nationality and residency Passport details if you need a student visa How you will pay for your studies Whether you want to get junk mail! You can give a parent or teacher the right to discuss your application with UCAS Whether you have any criminal convictions Whether you have any disabilities

Student finance If you have not lived in the UK for 3 years before your course would start, you only have to read some information and move on.

Choices Here is where you enter the details of up to five courses of study for which you want to apply You can apply for fewer than five courses but Only ONE from Oxford or Cambridge Maximum of FOUR for medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

Institution code and course code from UCAS or university website – choose from list For Oxford or Cambridge, Campus Code means College Start year Will you be living at home?!

Education Enter up to ten schools and dates Say whether you have or will have formal qualifications from this school Many schools in Luxembourg are on the list!

Enter Qualifications attained at each school attended Choose from list or type in details Further screens depend on type of qualification selected Add as much detail as possible of subjects studied Choose ‘pending’ for results of exams not yet taken

Enter details of any employment if experience relevant to course

Personal statement Study UCAS guidelines carefully! – Your chance to tell them about yourself and grab their attention in no more than 4000 characters – Explain why the course is right for you and you are right for the course – Present yourself in a favourable light, but don’t invent! Write off-line (not on UCAS web page) and paste into the UCAS form when complete. Must be your own words – not parents or friends – but get someone to proof-read to check for mistakes! Big challenge to write about yourself – so start early and expect to re-write several times until you are happy with it!

Reference If applying as an individual, fill in referee contact details If your application is linked to your school, most of this section is not shown You don’t see the reference or predicted grades!

Teachers’ references Confidential section of UCAS form completed by teachers Includes their predicted marks for you in your school- leaving exams Must be in English - most schools have an English- speaking teacher to complete this But it needs input from teachers of all your main subjects To maximise your chances teachers should follow UCAS guidelines!

Review and check all details When you are sure everything is correct and complete, Pay and Send Major credit cards accepted Fee is ~£23 If applying as an individual, you wait until your referee has added their reference before sending.

September: – Check that your teacher has done / will do your reference remind them of deadline of 15th October for Oxford or Cambridge (15th January for other UK universities) – Complete your Personal Statement – Complete your part of the UCAS form and submit September-October – Continue to study requirements for entrance tests and do practice – Study guidelines for preparing for interviews (from Luxembourg Oxford & Cambridge societies) – Apply to the societies for a practice interview before 15th October Plan your time (2)

Tests at a Luxembourg test centre – UK-wide tests for Medicine and Law held sometime in October – Oxford entrance tests held on one day in 1st week of November Practice interview in Luxembourg – Apply to the societies for a practice interview – Will happen some time between mid-October and end November Interviews at Oxford & Cambridge – first half of December – May include tests at Cambridge – Expect to spend one night in Oxford/Cambridge Offer of places for Oxford & Cambridge – first half of January Offers from other universities by end of March – follow progress of your application through UCAS – Track Plan your time (3)

UCAS Track Log into Track with your UCAS userid to update information if you circumstances change (address, telephone, etc) In Track you will see a list of the courses for which you applied By the end of March you will receive for each course – An unconditional offer (rare), or – an offer conditional on achieving certain exam grades, or – notification that your application was unsuccessful. By early May, you have to reply to all offers – Firm acceptance – for your preferred course – Insurance acceptance – for your second choice (lower offer) – Reject the rest You will receive confirmation letters from UCAS and the universities Once you have your examination grades, you confirm your final course choice and enrolment is automatic. – University will send details of how to apply for accommodation and when to arrive to start your studies!

A challenge for you You need to be able – – to RESEARCH – to PLAN – to MAINTAIN high marks at school – to PREPARE yourself for tests and interviews A test of your character and self-discipline