Parents Information Evening Applying for university through UCAS Tuesday 22 nd June 2010

What have we done as preparation in year 12? Higher Education Fair Encourage research of courses/universities through websites, prospectuses etc. Encourage attendance at open days Participation in wide variety of enrichment activities Students have built up their Progress Files Identified students applying to competitive courses – LNAT/BMAT/UKCAT Summer Schools e.g Headstart, Sutton trust, UNIQ Other Workshops, Courses and Conferences e.g RUH Conference, Medlink, Law Days Encourage work experience in related field Built up ‘My Learning Skills Profile’ ‘Look to the Future’ Day External speakers: Writing a personal statement Writing a CV

Where are we now? All students have registered with ‘APPLY’ and begun to fill in their on-line application Students continue to attend open-days Progress Files are almost complete for most students Work experience continues University/course decisions are being made – these may be reviewed after AS results are known Students are writing their personal statements Students are writing their CVs Making decisions about subjects studied in year 13. Students receive their reports - these form the basis of their reference

Open Days Attending open days is an essential part of making good decisions. This usually means that they will miss lessons at school. To ensure that students have thought this through carefully we ask them to fill in this form:

The Timeline…..  UCAS accept applications between 1 September and 15 January  There is an earlier deadline (15th October) for Oxford and Cambridge Universities and certain courses eg Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science.  Students applying for these courses must complete their application and submit their completed Progress File to us by SEPTEMBER 15th  All other students must submit their application by 5th NOVEMBER, to ensure their application is received by UCAS before the deadline.  If an application misses the 15 January deadline students can still apply, but universities do not have to consider it.  Tutors write the reference which is checked and then sent to UCAS

The importance of applying early…  Universities will start considering applications as soon as they receive them meaning students may get greater consideration before the rush of applications that occurs towards the deadline.  Some universities start offering places straight away  Applying through UCAS is time consuming. Getting it out of the way early means students can concentrate their studies – which in turn means they are more like to achieve their grades!

Researching courses……….. Students can apply for up to 5 courses at up to 5 different universities. There are plenty of things they should consider… What are the entrance requirements? Where is this university? Where will they live? Is it a campus university? How much is the cost of living here? Have they chosen a range of courses to suit predicted grades? What teaching styles are used? How much flexibility is there to choose different modules? How is this course examined? What are the prospects of a graduate career? What is the selection process? Facilities Clubs/societies/sports Fees/bursaries/ scholarships What research is undertaken?

Researching courses……….. There are many places to find the answers to these questions. prospectuses open days Websites: e.g. Timesonline The Student Room Pure Potential And millions of others…. other students newspaper articles Read department admission statements carefully

Completing the UCAS application…. This may be the student’s only chance to make a good impression. It is completed online and plenty of help is given in school. Parents can support students in many ways:  Check all personal information carefully  Check the course codes  Check ALL qualifications are included including music/dance exams, Duke of Edinburgh etc.  Make sure spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct And most importantly………..  Offer support with writing their personal statement Useful:

Writing a personal statement …. (possibly the most important 47 lines of size 12 text students will ever write!) Universities want proof that the student is: academic and rounded ideally suited to the course Universities want students to demonstrate qualities of: Leadership and teamwork Good time management Reliability Ability to work independently Communication skills But they don’t want shopping lists!! These qualities must be demonstrated though problems they have overcome, activities where good communication was essential……….

Relevant academic ability Motivation Study Skills Relevant experience ‘Passion’ for the subject The whole person They are looking for……

 Reasons for choosing course  Knowledge/experience/interest/capability/independent research or study in your subject. This could include work experience, courses, trips, projects, workshops, conferences, books, journals, gap year, evening class…  Showing ‘breadth’ and appreciation of current affairs in your field. The first 60% of the statement should address….

The remaining 40% should address…. The skills and qualities gained from such activities as:  part-time employment  volunteering  positions held  contribution to school community  sports, hobbies, clubs………………………………..

We have been encouraging students to start with a blank sheet of paper and divide it into 3 sections: What I want to study at university and why Experiences which show I am reliable, responsible and interesting My interests and skills These ideas can now be formed into 3 main paragraphs plus a final conclusion.

The final statement should be: Crisp and well organised. PERFECT spelling and grammar. Easy to read – short, active sentences. Express information and ideas clearly Don’t misuse words in an attempt to look clever Be specific and display precise knowledge, not vague Don’t state the obvious or repeat yourself Avoid “I” Be positive throughout Avoid “My passion for English literature …” Be honest – must not get caught out at interview Sound interesting but don’t overdo it and gush Conclusion reflects introduction Final fanfare to remind admissions tutor you have demonstrated necessary skills and attributes and you are the student they are looking for and………… Never plagiarise

Logical flow Cut out unnecessary words Read aloud, for flow and punctuation Ask several other people to read it too (a fresh eye) Revise, revise, revise………, sleep on it,…. revise, revise, What can parents do to help…? Other things to look for:

What happens after the application is made?  The applications are read by admission tutors  Some universities/subjects invite students for formal interviews or for informal visits  Decisions are made i.e. Make an offer (conditional in most cases) or reject  Students wait until they have heard from all their choices (majority by 31 st March)

What happens after the application is made? Meanwhile…………………………..  Students/parents need to begin the process of applying for student finance Applying for finance is entirely the joint responsibility of students and parent/guardian – we will however hold a finance information evening in term 4 Information from the UCAS form can be shared with the finance application to save time.

Dealing with offers…  Don’t do anything in too much of a hurry!!!! (wait for January module results, visit again………)  Wait for ALL replies  Choose one offer to be the FIRM acceptance  Choose one offer to be the INSURANCE acceptance  Decline them all

If things go wrong……. Every student has two more chances to find a place at university UCAS EXTRA If a student has no offers or declines them all, this scheme allows another choice before clearing. They can use this to apply, one course at a time, to courses that still have spaces between mid-March to the end of June. CLEARING Students who do meet the conditions of their offers (or have no offers) can apply though clearing. This process helps students find places that are still available. Vacancies are published in the national press and on the UCAS website from August results day.

If things are better than expected…. The UCAS ADJUSTMENT period begins on A level results day. If a student has met and exceeded their offer they can register for adjustment They are allowed 5 days to try and secure an alternative course. If they do not find one they remain accepted at their original choice.

And finally………………………… Apply for accommodation Chase up student finance, sort out bank accounts. Work out budgets etc. Come and seek help from us on results day (and a few days after) if thing go wrong Watch out….bed linen, cooking equipment, towels, TV’s……. will all start to disappear Make sure they know how to open a can of beans and how to cook pasta.. Check on insurance

Any Questions?