1. The Cottesloe Sixth Form 2016-2017

2. Student Interviews

3. 2 www.careersbox.co.uk www.careersbox.co.uk Preferred digital new media partner for the Institute of Career Guidance

4. 3 ‘ FUTURE TRENDS ’ http://www.globalfuturist.com/future- trends/future-trends.html http://www.globalfuturist.com/future- trends/future-trends.html http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf/ lmifuturetrends/ http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf/ lmifuturetrends/ http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/labourmarket/ ojf/trainingTrends.html Some of the year 12 students have told me that the Kent university web site is good

5. Prospects Graduate Careers Website: Prospects.ac.uk website Click ‘Careers advice’ link then click ‘Options with your subject’ link which will give you information on: skills the degree will give you job options related to your degree jobs for which your degree would be useful links to each of the jobs for further details career areas chosen by those with your degree where the jobs are other possibilities after your degree.

6. 5 http://icould.com/ http://icould.com/ (CRAC: The Career Development Organisation, Cambridge)

7. 6 Career Portals TalkingJobs www.talkingjobs.net www.talkingjobs.net

8. 7 Not going to uni http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/

9. 8 Register

10. Applying To University

11. Quick Quiz How many courses are expected to be available in the next application round? 38,000 Approximately how many UK institutions are expected to be offering full degree courses next year? 340 Where is the university of Warwick? Coventry Which UK Universities feature in the World’s Top 30 University rankings? Cambridge = 3, Oxford - 6, UCL - 7, Imperial - 8, King’s =19 & Edinburgh- 21 1 st - MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) 2 nd - Harvard What are UEA, UWE, LIPA, SOAS, LSE and BCU? University of East Anglia University of the West of England Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts School of Oriental and African Studies London School of Economics Birmingham City University

12. Why go to university? Some occupations require a specific degree (although less than you think!) Examples are Medicine, Law and most forms of engineering. The majority of graduate posts simply require a good degree To extend an interest in a subject area An opportunity to mature in a stimulating and exciting environment

13. How Much is it Going to Cost?

14. Be clear how HE finance works No up front fees! Fees are up to £9,000 with the average in 2015-16 being £8,703 You will pay 9% of anything you earn over £17,495 before tax per year. 30-40% won’t pay back full amount and debt wiped after 30 years Plenty of bursaries to support students on lower incomes Independent advice about finance at: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student- loans-tuition-fees-changes#17

15. Very good re-assuring video by Martin Lewis at: http://www.studentfinance2012.com/

16. Financial Support is Available? Bursaries range from £100 to £9,000 for a single academic year All institutions charging more than the basic tuition fee are obliged to offer National Scholarship Programme (NSP) awards of at least £3,000 to first-year students with a household income of £25,000 Universities and colleges invest a total of £442.2 million in financial support (bursaries, scholarships, fee waivers, accommodation discounts etc).

17. Will Having a Degree Make a Difference to my Future Earnings? Added lifetime earnings by degree compared to 2 or more A levels

18. Some University Courses will Require Particular A levels Generally, medical schools require Chemistry at A level and often ask for Biology as well. Some may accept two science AS levels in place of one A level science subject. One other science subject is also often required, for example Physics or Maths. Dental schools require Chemistry at A level and often ask for Biology as well. Vet schools vary in their requirements but you will probably be expected to have Chemistry as an AS or A level together with two from Biology Physics or Maths.

19. Looking Ahead from Year 11: Laying the Foundations for a Competitive HE Application http://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/school- and-college-in-the-uk/subject-choices-at- school-and-college/

20. Above all!! Keep your options open. Final decisions in early Year 13 Courses available to suit wide range of A level grades from competitive AAA* (in a few cases AA*A*) to two year foundation degrees with lower offers (passes at A level) But look at the alternatives to higher education as well

21. University Application Process: Route ahead Application process starts in earnest towards the end of Year 12 but start thinking and planning earlier than this. You apply online for up to 5 universities through UCAS by 15 January except for some art courses (24 March) For Medicine, Vet Science/Medicine or Dentistry you only apply to 4 universities (plus one other course) with a 15 October deadline Oxford and Cambridge have a 15 October deadline. Apply to one or other not both IMPORTANT: apply early in September/ October period

22. Applying to High Status Universities: The Russell Group The Russell Group is an association of 24 research intensive universities committed to maintaining the highest standards of research, education and knowledge transfer. The Russell Group was formed in 1994 at the Russell Hotel in London. Many of the most competitive and prestigious courses will be found at Russell Group universities However, some competitive and prestigious individual courses might well be in other institutions. The Russell group represents 12% of the higher education sector Beware!!! They do not always offer the best courses. Check Guardian & Times league tables for specific course ratings

23. The Russell Group Universities Birmingham Bristol Cambridge Cardiff Durham Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Imperial College, London King’s College, London Leeds Liverpool London School of Economics Manchester Newcastle Nottingham Queen Mary, London Queen’s University Belfast Oxford Sheffield Southampton University College, London Warwick York

24. The competitive advantage Gaining a place at university or college has three stages: Research: Start now!! The UCAS application Consideration by HEIs

25. Research Know what you want to do Balance pragmatism with desire to study what you want Research universities which offer the courses that you are interested in Things to consider are; -Entry requirements -Course rankings -Location -cost

26. Where to look

28. University Prospectus

29. Go Visit!

30. Go Visit

32. Apply online through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) in Cheltenham The Application

35. + one page school reference

36. Very Good advice on the UCAS website What to include Dos and don'ts Size and presentation Similarity detection When it comes to filling in your UCAS form there is a direct link to good Personal Statement advice on the Personal Statement page itself

37. Interviews In the past the majority of universities have not conducted interviews. With the decoupling of A Levels this looks set to change although a significant number are still unlikely to do so. Oxbridge, medicine and teaching courses will all interview. Your personal statement might be your only opportunity to impress a university! If you are interviewed you may be questioned about what you said in the Personal Statement

38. Bear in mind that the 5 key elements of a persuasive Personal Statement will be: 1)At least two thirds should be about the course(s) and your suitability for it. 2)It should personal and original 3)You should not plagiarise 4)Be able to provide evidence and examples to back up claims you make about yourself 5)When you write about things you have done be able to show the skills you have gained and what they demonstrate about your character and/or personality

39. Research and wider reading

40. Involve yourself in serious talk and debate Be enthusiastic about debating with and expressing your ideas to other students. It is only in discussion and debate with others that we really clarify what we think. Test your views against others. Do not be defensive and get used to being relaxed about having your views challenged by others.

41. Use radio, television, newspapers and their websites productively

42. Do not believe all that you are told: learn to be skeptical and to question Constantly question views, theories and opinions that you are faced with. Test every idea to destruction so that you can tell which ones really stand up. Understand that what we currently think is only the best knowledge we have at the time. Don’t be too easily persuaded

43. Do an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) The EPQ offers the opportunity to study a topic in depth to AS level and produce a self-directed 5000 word dissertation. Although the EPQ will not usually form part of a university offer for a place on a course, it gives you the opportunity to develop independent and advanced research skills and to extend your knowledge of a subject that interests you.

44. U seful website link: http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/projects/extended-project-epq.phphttp://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/projects/extended-project-epq.php

45. Get relevant experience This depends on the subject you want to study. Some subjects like Medicine or Vet Science require extensive work experience and it is expected for subjects such as Nursing, Teaching or Social Work. For other subjects you should try to gain relevant experiences in the world outside school such as theatre visits for English, industrial and business experience for subject such as Economics, Business Studies and Engineering, voluntary work for caring careers. Work experience will also enable you to test the water in terms of potential careers

46. Summer schools for first generation applicants to HE or from schools with few applicants

47. Recent developments Decoupled AS and A2 Level -More interviews -Entrance exams for Oxbridge plus others -Universities wanting more evidence of internal assessment e.g. Mock exam grades or pieces of original work. (This makes the EPQ all the more worthy of consideration) More unconditional offers for first choices More bounties for first choices More universities requiring B’s rather than C’s at GCSE in English and Maths in particular More universities wanting relevant work experience in the student’s chosen field More importance placed on A Level results by employers

48. We offer a structured programme of preparation for HE A structured Programme of Preparation from the start of Year 12 A whole cohort visit to Loughborough university at the start of year 12 Guest speakers from a range of universities University interview preparation and practice An Oxbridge/Russell group Application Programme including specialist input from Cambridge university on how to successfully apply for the top universities The EPQ Session for parents Extracurricular activities University Fair

49. Oxbridge/Russell Group Application Programme We have a partnership with Pembroke college Cambridge and Somerville College Oxford. Only available to non selective schools Member of staff with responsibility for this cohort to advise on course and college choice Visits to Oxbridge Specialist advice

50. Other HE support UCAS Days – during Year 12 and early Year 13. Personal statement writing, application process Specialist Russell Group application conferences Interview preparation and ‘mock’ interviews Additional material on applying for competitive courses

51. Sessions for Parents To help parents help support students Information of the programme, process, finance etc

52. A Proven Record of HE Success Adam AAB Geology Birmingham Alice A*AAA Chemistry Southampton Sophie A*AAB Law Durham James AAAB Natural Sciences Durham Matthew A*AA Material Sciences Imperial Josh A*AAA Politics Cambridge Teodora A*A*AB English Goldsmiths Serena A*A*A Philosophy Bristol Bryn AAAB Philosophy Kings College