Informed Choices Helping your students make the rights choices about Higher Education Claire Edden Outreach Officer Simon Fairbanks Recruitment Officer William Rupp Outreach Officer

Welcome! This session aims to: Give you a clear understanding of the journey ahead for your students Signpost practical advice and support you can provide Provide an opportunity to ask questions Remember: this is an overview and details of specific topics (such as finance) are covered in other sessions

What do you think? Yellow post its: How did you choose your university course? (Thinking of things such as what factors were important to you, what were your influences) Green post its: What are the major barriers/challenges to applying to a research intensive (Russell Group) university for your students?

Applicant journey August: Accept offer or make other choices 18 months before application: Research courses, universities, potential outcomes/careers 2-6 months post application: Offers made, further research Apply! Deadlines in October for Oxbridge, medicine; January for all other courses 6-12 months prior to application deadline: Open Days, further research, application forms

1. Choosing the Right Course Picking the right course is critical to success at university With thousands of courses, research is essential –Use the UCAS course finder –University websites –Prospectuses and other materials. Students should consider: –What are their skills? –What careers are they interested in? Many careers don’t require a specific degree but some do, such as medicine and engineering. –What do they want to study? …as opposed to what other people in their lives want them to do.

2. Choosing the Right University An extension of the course selection process, so more research is required. Not all universities are created equal: students must do research based on their values and needs. Use as many resources as possible, including contacting universities directly. Aim to have a long list of up to 10 universities that offer the course(s) that interest the student.

3. Choosing the Final Five Now that students have their long list, they need to narrow that down to a short list of five. To do that, they need to think about environment, proximity to home, facilities, financial help, NSS scores, league table standings and more. Don’t rely on social media to form opinions. Speak to alumni from the course/university. Be realistic, but be aspirational too.

Attend Open Days Designed to provide first hand experience to potential applicants Open to everyone! Book early, book often. Top tips for Open Day success: –Get there early, make the most of the day –Read as much as you can before you arrive –Be confident and talk to people –Research sessions and pre-book where possible –Prepare questions for the day –Follow up afterwards if you have further questions

4. Apply All the research has lead to this point! Submit the UCAS application to five universities. Make a range of selections based on predicted grades: don’t be afraid to dream big. Firm = aim high. Insurance = safety net. Application does not equal choice at this stage.

5. Choose Take some time. Students don’t have to take their first offer. Wait for all five responses. Post-Offer Open Days, department-led. Ask more questions than ever before. Be honest! This is a big choice and students need to do what’s right for them. Once again: Firm and Insurance

Other options Confirmation, Clearing and Adjustment: lots of choice, lots of potential, even if students haven’t met their predicted grades. Gap year Deferred entry offered on some courses Work Apprenticeships, Further Education.

Questions?