1. What Admissions Officers look for and the importance of Personal Statements

2. UCAS application process Making an application – what are universities looking for? Personal statements This session will cover…

4. 1 September – first applications received by UCAS 15 October – deadline for applications to some courses (Oxbridge) 15 January – deadline for receipt of applications 30 June – deadline for receipt of late applications March to June – UCAS Extra August – Results Day, Confirmation and Clearing A lightening tour of the: UCAS Application Timetable

10. GradeA levels AS levels BTEC Aw BTEC Cert BTEC Dip A 120 (A*=140) 60D 120DD 240DDD 360 B10050 - DM 200DMM 280 C8040M 80MM 160MMM 240 D6030 - MP 120MPP 160 E4020P 40PP 80PPP 120 UCAS Tariff Points made easy

11. Personal Details Course Choices Personal statement Academic reference Track UWE welcome website Reply to offers Change personal details How to apply online?

12. Who are Admissions Officers? Ind/ Team – researcher, lecturer or administrator Understands requirements –Quals/ skills –Best people, stay and succeed Busy – 100s or 1,000s applications!

13. What do Admissions Officers look for? Grades Academic Reference Personal Statement

14. What do you think Admissions Officers look for in a Personal Statement?

15. What Admissions Officers look for? Personal Statement 5 Key Questions 1.Why have you chosen this course? 2.What have you done to demonstrate your passionate interest in this course subject? (In/ out of school, intellectual activities, work experience…) 3.How do your academic subjects relate to your chosen course? 4.What have you learnt from your activities that is relevant to your chosen course and university life? ( Organisation, Time Management, Confidence, Independence, Commitment and Motivation, Communication, Responsibility, Team Work etc.) 5.What personal experience or ambitions can you link to your chosen course to give the statement a sense of completion?

16. What Admissions Officers look for? Personal Statement Strategies to get you started 1.List positives. What makes you who you are? 2.Structure. Five key questions for an initial draft 3.Never be afraid of redrafting

17. What Admissions Officers look for? Personal Statement What about plagiarism?

18. Do’s –Be specific –Be enthusiastic –Check your spelling/ grammar. Don’t let silly mistakes get in the way! –Get feedback Don’ts –Use I…I…I… –Humour rarely works What Admissions Officers look for? Personal Statement

19. Once you have applied, what happens next? 1 Firm and 1 Insurance UCAS Extra No offers One ‘extra’ choice at a time until have a place Results Clearing Adjustment

20. ‘How-to’ guides –Attending events –Choosing courses –Apply –Personal statement –Track –Understanding offers –Replying to offers –Using Extra Case studies Video diaries

21. www.ucas.com www.direct.gov.uk List of fees http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education- 12880840 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education- 12880840 Parents guide to finance (including repayment calculator) Moneysavingexpert.com Support for parents?

22. Good luck and thank you! Susan Welsh Partnerships Officer, UWE Susan.welsh@uwe.ac.uk Any questions?