1. Largs Academy Information evening Wednesday 4th September

2. The applicant journey - summary1
Researches where to study 2
Registers online with UCAS Apply 3
Completes all sections of form 4
Reference added by Largs Academy 5
Largs Academy sends form electronically to UCAS 6
UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs 7
HEIs submit decisions 8
Applicant views decisions on Track 9
Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance) 10
HEIs confirm places when results are released

3. UCAS - Setting the Scene
University &
College
Admissions
Service
Central organisation through which applications are processed for entry to full-time higher education (HE) courses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
UCAS operate on behalf of all full-time higher education courses at member institutions

4. Key facts Online Application – UCAS Apply Number of choices 5
Cost £20 / £25
1 application per cycle
Form considered late if submitted after deadline
No more than 4 choices in any one of Medicine, Vet Medicine & Dentistry
Invisibility of choices
In the ‘Pay / Send’ section of Apply, applicants need to confirm they accept the terms of the declaration, and the use of the UCAS website and privacy policy

5. UCAS - Key dates and deadlines
1st October : Music Courses - Conservatoire
15th October: deadline for
Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry
Law
Oxford or Cambridge
15th January: main deadline
30th June: applications held for clearing
Admissions test
may need to be
completed prior
to applying
CUKAS- conservatoire UK admission service

6. School deadlines Wednesday 4th September UCAS meeting.
Thursday 5th September UCAS on-line APPLY session with Guidance teacher.
Fri 13th September Personal reference form completed and given to Guidance teacher.
Tuesday 24th September “Request for Info” forms handed out to subject teachers.
Friday 27th September all sections (except personal statement) of UCAS APPLY completed on-line

7. Period
3 & 4 6A
1S.IT1 6B
Condensed 6C
3N.RE2
6K1
Library
6K2 6M
3N.E6

8. School deadlines
Fri 4th October rough draft of personal statement to be completed on a Word document and handed to Guidance teacher.
w/c Mon 7th October individual interview with Guidance teacher to discuss personal statement. ( ongoing throughout October)
Fri 1st November UCAS on-line application completed.

9. Deferred entry
You will still need to meet the conditions of any offers in the year that you apply – for example, if you receive a conditional offer in 2019/20 to start a course in 2021, you must have the exam grades to meet the conditions of your offer by 31 August 2020 (unless the university, college, or conservatoire tells you otherwise).
In your personal statement, you need to give reasons for deferring, and your plans for your year out. These will be taken into account when assessing your application.
It’s very important that you check the subjects, courses, and universities you’re applying to are open to applications for deferred entry, otherwise you could end up wasting one of your choices. 

10. Research Research What to do first? Research Research Research

11. Research Requires: REMEMBER: Course entry requirements show
Sufficient time
Resources
Organisation
Knowing where to look / what to look for
Encouragement and support
REMEMBER:
Course entry requirements show
the MINIMUM grades or Tariff
points a Higher Education Institution
would expect an applicant to have
to even be considered for an offer.
If an offer is made, they could ask
for higher grades or points.

12. UCAS Tariff
The UCAS Tariff is a means of allocating points to post-16 qualifications used for entry to higher education.
Not all institutions use the Tariff and may use grades instead
Carefully check entry requirements
See tariff calculator to check your qualifications:

13. Scottish Qualifications: Tariff Points
Advanced Higher
Higher
Tariff points A 56 B 48 C 40 D 32 33 27 21 15

14. Research
Online….
Ucas course search
click on ‘Learn and Train’
Ucas TV ‘How to’ guides
course advice
course choice advice based on school subjects
degree suggestions
advice on specific universities and courses
ranks universities
sample personal statements
advice from uni admissions staff
Open days
Work experience

17. UCAS: Course Search Function
Filters can be used to narrow your search:
Academic Year of study
Type of Degree
Location
University
Subject
End Qualification

18. University Open Days UCAS Exhibition Thursday 19th September 2019
Stirling
Saturday 14th September 2019
Saturday 26th October 2019
Queen Margaret
Saturday 21st September 2019
Saturday 12th October 2019
Glasgow School of Art
Thursday 24th Oct 2019
Thursday 31st Oct 2019
Glasgow
Saturday 19th October 2019
Aberdeen
Saturday 5th October 2019
Strathclyde
Saturday 5th October 2019
Caledonian
Edinburgh
Saturday 21st September
Saturday 5th October
UCAS Exhibition
Thursday 19th September 2019

19. University Open Days
A full list of University & College open days can be found on My World of Work.
Log on at .

20. The Application Process: What UCAS require?
Pupils are asked to complete the following 7 sections online:
1. Personal Details
2. Additional information (UK only)
3. Student Finance
4. Choices
5. Education
6. Employment
7. Personal Statement
Having checked the above, Guidance Teachers will then add:
A Reference

21. Next Steps…
How do I check the progress of my application? 21

22. UCAS Track
Track will allow your son or daughter to:
follow the progress of their application online
see their choices and personal information
see their offers
reply to offers online

23. Offers: decisions and replies
Admissions tutors can offer interviews and make 3 decisions:
Unconditional Offer - If you already have all required grades. Complete their qualifications, as this is likely to be something future employers will ask for.
Conditional Offer- The offer has conditions. For example,
the applicant has to achieve certain exam results. Unless a different date is specified, the conditions must be met by the 31st of Aug 2020
Unsuccessful- The HEI cannot offer you a place
Withdrawal – the applicant asked to withdraw, did not attend their interview, test, or audition, did not reply to letters from the university or college or has not chosen an alternative after the course has been withdrawn.

24. How an offer might actually look

25. Any other offers must be declined
Applicant replies
When applicants have received decisions from ALL of your choices, if you have offers you will be asked to make replies (and given a date to reply by) on Track
UCAS will send reminders – but if you fail to reply by your reply
date, your offers will be declined by default!
Once all decisions are received, you will be able to hold a maximum of 2 offers:
Firm (if you meet the conditions you will be placed)
Insurance (only comes into play if you are not
placed with your Firm choice)
Any other offers must be declined

26. Adjustments It is optional.
Use Adjustment to look for an alternative course, without losing their secured place.
Runs from 13th August until 31st August 2020.
An applicant has five calendar days to use Adjustment.
There are no Adjustment vacancy lists. The applicant needs to contact a university or college to discuss the availability of an Adjustment place.
To secure an Adjustment place, the applicant must receive an alternative offer through UCAS before the five-day period ends.
If an applicant does not receive an alternative place, they remain accepted at their current university or college.
Single entry applicants need to pay an additional application fee of ￡5 to use Adjustment.

27. Next Steps: If left holding no offers
EXTRA
Operates from 25th Feb
to the 5th July
You are eligible if you have:
Used all 5 choices
Holding no offers
You can add one more choice at a time via Track
CLEARING
Operates from 6th July onwards (depending on your status)
You are eligible if you are:
Holding no offers
Add one choice at a time via Track
Clearing vacancy list
Call HEIs first and get verbal offer(s)

28. Personal Statement
Your opportunity to tell the institutions about you:
Why are you applying? Link academic skills and achievements to course choice
What your ambitions are when you finish your course.
What makes you suitable? Skills, knowledge, achievements and experience you have that will help you do well. These could be from education, employment or work experience, or from hobbies, interests and social activities.
Check course listings
see what level of understanding you need to have and what qualifications or skills they're looking for. This way you can link your experiences to the skills and qualities they mention.

29. The Personal Statement – top tips
Should be relevant to all your choices
Consistency in your HE choices makes the PS easier to write
200 personal statements per admissions tutor per week!
Make yours stand out
NB: SIMILARITY DETECTION TEST
Write it early:
You will need to write a few drafts – starting now!!
Get someone to read through it
Does it make sense?...Does it flow?...Can you say
‘So what?’ to anything in it? Have you used evidence
to demonstrate your skills etc.

30. I want to do Maths at University because I liked it at Higher
A Weak Personal Statement
I want to do Maths at University because I liked it at Higher
6-8 lines about the subject of study
‘I have Gold award Duke of Edinburgh’
Lists 10 sports played and 3 positions of responsibility held at school with no mention of skills or qualities developed
I like socialising with friends, reading and films… 30

31. An Excellent Personal Statement
Clever, high impact opening sentence this is usually written last to avoid getting a ‘block’
Around half about the subject area
- shows real passion for the subject area
Work experience/career aspirations
Explain context of social life/achievement
- why? NOT what?, skills learnt and impact on self and others
Shows real personality
Links skills to course/career 31

33. Personal Statement basics
47 lines of text characters ( Including spaces and blank lines)
4000 characters
Type in MS Word and paste into UCAS Apply
No spell check in UCAS
UCAS uses copycatch software to detect similarities.
Do not submit your first draft

34. Completed Applications
Applicant must mark all sections as complete
Students must ‘opt in’ to share the progress of their application with school on the declaration page.
Online payment of £25 made to UCAS (debit/credit card)
Mr Frew checks pupil applications
Pastoral Support staff write references
Completed forms are forwarded to UCAS by Mr Frew

35. What your son/daughter should be doing now?
Go beyond the syllabus
Focus on this year’s studies
Research
Extra curricular
Work experience

36. videos for parents www.ucas.com/parents
UCAS has developed four videos on key topics:
UCAS for Parents
Supporting your child
The UCAS Process
Clearing
FIRM = where you really want to go
INSURANCE =
you would be happy to
get into
your FIRM choice
INSURANCE = somewhere
you would be happy to
get into
your FIRM choice

37. Additional help UCAS Customer Experience Centre 0371 468 0468
Monday to Friday, 08:30 – 18:00 (UK time)

38. Thank you for listening 
Collect Pupil packs from Guidance Teacher ( Plaza)
Questions for all staff