1. Higher Education: Choosing and Applying
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2. Why go? www.ed.ac.uk Makes you more employable
Higher average starting salaries and lifetime earnings for graduates
Study something you enjoy: thousands of courses to choose from!
Independence - chance to try living away from home
Meet people from all over the world & discover a new talent
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3. Which degree course? www.ed.ac.uk
Research course content carefully – even for familiar subjects
Flexibility of degree course
Teaching and assessment methods
Quality of teaching and research
Consider future career paths
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5. Which university? www.ed.ac.uk What sort of environment will suit you?
Location?
Big or small?
Campus or city?
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6. Entry requirements www.ed.ac.uk
Entry requirements, and levels of competition, vary between subjects and universities!
Be aware that for competitive subject areas, minimum entry requirements (or above) may not be sufficient to gain a place
Check admissions information carefully when making final choices
Use all UCAS choices to maximise chances of getting a place – be realistic and consider alternatives
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7. Admissions requirements www.ed.ac.uk Subject Specific requirements?
Requirements vary whether taken up to S5 or S4 – S6. Are Advanced Highers recommended?
General entrance requirements?
Work experience?
Additional tests? E.g. UKCAT
(for Medicine) or LNAT (for Law)
Interviews?
If in doubt – check with University directly before applying
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8. Competitive process
Undergraduate applications by tuition fee status 2016
Undergraduate acceptances by tuition fee status 2016
Scotland
rUK
Overseas
Overseas
rUK
Scotland
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9. The UCAS System www.ed.ac.uk
Application system for degree (and HNC/D) courses at most Universities
One application for up to five courses (four for Dentistry, Medicine & Vet Medicine)
Application to be completed by 15 January of the year of entry, except for:
Dentistry, Medicine & Vet Medicine
Oxford or Cambridge,
Some Art & Design applications where deadline is 24 March year of entry
Perhaps giving an indication of typical class sizes and amount of time spent engaging in different types of teaching approaches. E.g., lectures, tutorials, lab work, group projects, independent study, etc.
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10. The UCAS Process

11. The UCAS System: Register
Register your details e.g. name, age, address, contact details (mobile / )
Use an appropriate address
Keep your personal ID and password safe
Obtain your school’s ‘buzzword’ to begin your application
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12. Personal and Additional Details
The UCAS System:
Personal and Additional Details
Information you provided at registration will be stored here.
You are also required to give further personal details including place of residence, fee status, whether you have any disabilities, criminal convictions etc.
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13. The UCAS System: Choices
Course details can be selected from lists of institutions and course names.
You can also indicate if you plan to live at home whilst studying or if you wish to defer your entry (i.e. apply to start your degree after a gap year).
System automatically places courses in correct order
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14. The UCAS System: Education
Enter your schooling history
Details of the qualifications you have taken and/ or will be taking in the future
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15. The UCAS System: Employment
Enter up to five different paid employment details, past or present, including weekend and holiday jobs.
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16. The UCAS System: Statement
Type your personal statement into the box, or use ‘copy and paste’ to insert text that you have already prepared (e.g. on using Microsoft Word).
This section allows 47 lines of text / up to 4000 characters. (approx 750 words)
When checking spelling, use UK spell checker.
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17. Reference & Final Steps
The UCAS System:
Reference & Final Steps
School adds reference – this can include details about predicted grades.
School checks whole application and sends to UCAS (with fee)
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18. UCAS – The next steps www.ed.ac.uk
UCAS: distributes it to universities and monitors application
Students can monitor progress of application through ‘UCAS Track’
The University Response:
Conditional Offer
Unconditional Offer
Unsuccessful Application
Up to five offers can be received
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19. UCAS – The next steps www.ed.ac.uk
Wait for all offers to come in - only have to respond once all offers have been made and not before
Can hold onto a maximum of 2 conditional offers (firm or insurance)
Much thought required before responding to offers – insurance choice should be realistic
You may also decline all offers received and enter UCAS extra or Clearing
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20. Writing personal statements
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21. Why is it important? www.ed.ac.uk Competitive application process
You are unlikely to be interviewed
We do read them!
Your only chance to stand out from the crowd…
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22. Example structure www.ed.ac.uk
Paragraph 1: Introduction to the subject
Paragraph 2 & 3: What you have done related to the subject, perhaps details from Highers
Paragraphs 4: Work experience placements and relevant activities at school
Paragraph 5: Your interests outside of school
Paragraph 6: Your goal after attending university
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23. Remember www.ed.ac.uk One personal statement Don’t list
Make sure it reads well
Tell us what you’ve learned
Don’t plagiarise
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24. Are they right for the University? Are they right for the course?
Do they have a genuine interest in the subject?
Are they likely to drop out or are they hard working and dedicated?
What are their communication skills like?
Are they right for the University?
Are they right for the course?
Can the student work under pressure?
Will the student be able to cope with the course?
Is the student suited to the course they are applying to?
Dedicated to this course & have they done their research?
Will the student be able to adjust to life at university?

25.
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26. Any questions? Visit Us Open Days Student Led Tours www.ed.ac.uk
7th September
26th September
Student Led Tours
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