UCAS student guide 2016

All applications for entry into Higher Education are completed online.

Log on to: www.ucas.com Select “apply” Selection “student login 2016” The Buzzword is UCB2016 (case sensitive) You can then register and choose your own username and password; please keep them safe, college does not have access to these details.

During the registration process; please ensure you apply via UCB and NOT as an Individual You must have access to a credit/debit card in order to send your payment fee with the form to UCAS.

When you have completed all sections and made your payment, tell your referee that your form is now ready for the reference.

If you have any further questions; or need assistance please contact a member of staff in the hired@UCB Centre

CLOSING DATE FOR MOST COURSE APPLICATIONS IS 15 JANUARY 2016, last date for applications is 30th JUNE 2016; any applications after this date will enter CLEARING! th

APPLICATIONS TO HIGHER EDUCATION COURSES If you wish to make an application for higher education, you need to register using the UCAS online application system.

When you register, you provide certain personal details, including first names, surname, title, gender, date of birth, address, telephone numbers and email address.

They transfer these details to your application and you will not be asked to enter them again.

If any of these details change whilst you are completing your application, you will be able to amend them.

What registration involves The registration process generates a username and you create your own password, which you will need to log in to your application. Make a note of your username and password and keep them in a safe place. Apply is case sensitive so please write the details exactly as they are shown on screen.

When you register, you will be asked to choose four security questions and enter relevant answers. If you forget your username or password, click on 'forgotten login?’ You will then need to enter your name and date of birth and answer two of your security questions correctly - your login details will then be displayed. The security questions can also be used to check your identity when you telephone our Customer Service Unit, so make the answers individual and memorable.

Because you are applying via University College Birmingham, you will need to use the 'buzzword' on the front of this booklet. This buzzword links your application to your centre so that your referee can write and attach their reference. Once you have completed your application, you send it to your referee who adds the reference, checks and approves your application and sends the completed application to us.

If you have recently left full-time education, you should contact your school or college before applying, as you may be able to apply through them, especially if you will be asking them to provide your reference.

To start your application: 1.

Go to this the UCAS Homepage and click on Apply.

2.

Click on register/log into Apply

3.

Follow the online instructions to register and enter your personal details.

4.

Choose a password, select four security questions and enter relevant answers.

5.

Click next to complete the first part of your registration and to create a username

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Make a note of your username and password, you will need them to start your application and every time you log in.

7.

Next state how you are applying i.e. through University College Birmingham.

8.

Enter University College Birmingham’s BUZZWORD: UCB2016

8.

You will then be produced with your own unique UCAS ID Number. Write this down and keep it safe as you will need this if you ever need to call UCAS.

9.

Next step is to verify your email address. Click on the link; you will see a blank box towards the bottom of the page – into this box you will need to copy and paste the UCAS code which has been sent to the email address you provided at the beginning of your application.

10.

Once this is done you will be able to complete your UCAS application.

You will then need to complete the following sections:          

Registration Personal details Additional information (UK applicants only) Choices Education Employment Personal statement Reference Declaration Pay and send

You will need to mark every section as complete before you can send your application to UCAS.

COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE REGISTRATION PROCESS 1) Within the Additional Information Section; what does ‘Activities in preparation for Higher Education’ mean?

Here you can add attendance at summer schools, Saturday University, campus days, summer academies, taster courses and booster courses. If you have not taken any such course, please leave the related sections blank. These activities do not include attendance at open days.

2) Within Personal Details section there is a question on Student Support. Which fee code do I choose?

Here there is a list of possible ways in which you will be paying for your course.

If you are going to be applying for a Student Loan choose the second option which lists Student Finance England.

If you are paying for the course independently choose the option ‘Privately funded’ APPLICATION TIPS 1.

Read through the UCAS guides – “before you apply” and “staring your application” in the “students” section of the UCAS website: www.ucas.com

2.

Organise yourself! Applications can be made as early as September so use the time up until this to obtain Prospectus’s, calling up Universities direct and working out what course you really want to do.

3.

You can apply for up to five courses. Only UCAS and yourself will be able to view your options, you don’t need to worry about the Educational Institutions knowing what your other choices are.

4.

The application fees for 2016 entry are:

If you apply to more than one course, university or college, the cost is £23 for the 2016 entry application cycle. If you only apply to one course at one university or college, you pay £12. Our welcome letter will explain how you can add more choices later (if you have paid the single application fee and add further choices, you pay a further £11).

The cost for applications we receive after 30 June 2016 is £23 (£23 after 30 June 2016 because these applications will be entered into Clearing.

5.

Admission tutors cannot see all five choices on your UCAS form, although they can see if you have applied for more than one course at their institution.

6.

Although all applications received before the deadline dates are considered, it is advisable to apply EARLY, especially for popular courses.

7.

If you wish to apply for deferred entry (for example if you are applying this year but do not want to start your course until 2017), check with y our chosen institutions to see if they will accept deferred entries, before making your application.

8.

Universities welcome applications from candidates with disabilities, special needs and medical conditions and try to provide as much support as possible. You may be asked to contact your chosen university who will ask you about your chosen course, the nature and extent of your disability, special need or medical condition and any arrangements that you have needed or found helpful in the past. Your application will be considered on exactly the same academic criteria as any other and any medical information will remain completely confidential. For more information to the Skill (Bureau for Students with Disabilities) website: www.skill.org.uk

9.

Mature students, e.g. on an Access course, should contact admissions tutors before submitting their application – this should help to avoid wasting choices.

10.

UCAS Apply has numerous functions, including an automatic checking process to ensure accuracy of applications, eliminating common mistakes.

Your personal statement can be pasted in from a Word Document; therefore allowing you to spell-check the document before pasting it to your application. This is strongly recommended!

STUDENT LOANS AND REPAYMENTS If you are starting a full-time higher education course from 2016/17 there are proposed changes to the finance package for students. All the proposed changes are subject to consideration by Parliament.

You can apply online and find out full details on the DirectGov website Student Finance pages see: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance .

The following information offers a guide to the main points of the financial support package expected to be available to new students.

Maintenance Grant From September 2016 maintenance grants will no longer be available. Depending on household income new students will be able to apply for a higher rate of maintenance loan funding in order to meet their living costs. Students from households where the total income falls below £25,000 per year may be able to access a maximum loan of £8,200 per year.

Student Loans from the Government Student Loans are available to help with your tuition fees and living costs. All Home students studying for the first time will have access to these loans. EU students can only apply for tuition fee loans.

Student Loan for Tuition Fees A Student Loan for Tuition fees is available to cover the full cost, provided you have never studied at degree level before.

Student Loan for Maintenance On top of the Student Loan for Tuition Fees, you may be able to get a Student Loan for Maintenance to help with the costs of accommodation, food, books and other expenses.

Repaying Student Loans You don’t have to start paying back Student Loans from the Government until you have left your course and are earning over £21,000. Example; if you are earning over £25,000.00 you will pay 9% of £4,000.00 per year, equivalent to £30.00 per month.

Non-repayable bursaries Check with your chosen university to see if they offer non-repayment bursaries.

Some universities and colleges give out bursaries that aren’t linked to any other student finance you might get. This can be cash directly paid to you or other forms of financial help, for example discounts on accommodation or books. Talk to your student support service to find out what exactly your university or college offers and who qualifies.

Help for specific groups of students There is additional, non-repayable help for students with children and adult dependants, and for students with a disability. 

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Students with children could be entitled to the Childcare Grant to help with childcare costs of (worth up to £155.24 ) for parents with one child or £266.15 for parents with two or more children) and the Parents’ Learning Allowance to help towards course costs (worth up to £1,573.00) Students with adult dependants could be eligible for the Adult Dependants’ Grant – worth up to £2,757.00 Disabled students could be entitled to Disabled Students’ Allowance to help with specialist equipment for studying, a non-medical helper, extra travel and other costs, for example tapes or Braille paper.

Additional help — Bursaries Check to see which degree courses offer bursaries (money which you don’t have to pay back).

Full details on bursaries at all British universities can be found on the UCAS web site www.ucas.com (Student Finance.)

Students who want to study in the EU If you are planning to study in the EU as part of your course, you may be able to get help through the Erasmus exchange programme. Full details on www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus Scholarship Search UK Provides information about other sources of funding for undergraduates. Details on www.scholarship-search.org.uk Teacher Training For information on how to become a teacher, including what support may be available to you if you choose undergraduate, postgraduate, school-centred or employment-based teacher training, contact the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Details on www.tda.gov.uk

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

15th January 2016

Deadline for receipt at UCAS for all applications, including the reference, for all courses except those with a 15th October deadline and art & design courses with a 24th March deadline

25th February till early July 2016

If you have used all your 5 choices and have been unsuccessful and had declined offers you can apply for several courses in *Extra

30th June 2016

Applications received after 30th June are entered into Clearing.

HOW AND WHEN TO REPLY TO YOUR OFFERS 

Think carefully before you decide which offers to accept because once you accept an offer, including an insurance offer, you are committed to that course (or courses).

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You can reply to offers without waiting to hear back from all your choices.

You can cancel all outstanding decisions and reply to the offers you have received using Track. But you must be certain about which offers you choose to accept, as once you have made your replies you will not be able to reverse any withdrawals.

Use Track to reply to your offers. Your reply date will be displayed in Track. You reply date is based on when UCAS receives the last decision from your choices, so it might be different to other people’s. If you don’t reply by the date given, your offers will be declined. If this happens call UCAS’s Customer Service Unit on 0871 468 0468 to find out what you can do.

If you live in the UK or EU, the dates are:

Last Decision by 31st March 2016 5th May 2016 8th June 2016 14th July 2016

Your reply date is 4th May 2016 8th June 2016 23rd June 2016 22nd July 2016

EXTRA All is not lost if you have been unsuccessful or had declined offers from all five of your choices. You have a second chance to apply for a place, using UCAS EXTRA; this service begins at the end of February and runs until the end of June.

YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT 

Along with your estimated grades and the reference, this is a key section. It is your opportunity to make your application stand out from the rest. A messy and badly-written form, e.g. full of spelling and grammar mistakes, could undermine your chances of success.

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It is important to note that UCAS “Apply” does NOT have an inbuilt spellcheck – so it is a good idea to type up your statement in a word processing application, such as Microsoft Word and then paste it into the UCAS form.

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You are limited to up to 4,000 characters, including spaces.

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It is vital that your statement is true, accurate and all your own work – UCAS have a system in place to check for plagiarism.

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It is essential to explain the reason behind your selection of courses. In some cases it is linked to your interest in the subject(s). In others your choices may

be closely related to your intended career. Remember that each university or college that you have applied to will see the personal statement. 

Include employment, work experience or voluntary work you have done, particularly if it is relevant to the course you are applying for and indicate any skills you have developed.

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Mention if you have been involved in any schemes such as summer schools, mentoring activities, anything to do with the Gifted and Talented programme or any ASDAN certificates (such as the CoPE Qualification).

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Add in details of any other relevant courses you have taken part in, for example Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Millennium Volunteers, Young Enterprise.

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If you are planning to take a gap year, you need to explain what you are going to be doing.

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Mention hobbies, interests, school or college achievements and positions of responsibility. Do not simply list these – rather you should stress what you have gained by doing these activities.

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Don’t lie on your personal statement, however don’t draw on negative things that have happened to you e.g. “I play the piano but failed my grade 7”.

A research study at the University of Hertfordshire in 2005 came up with the top 10 words to use and the 10 words to avoid in your UCAS Personal Statement Top 10 words to use on your UCAS Personal Statement are: 1.

2.

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achievement active developed evidence experience impact individual involved planning transferable skills

In addition research into the statements of successful medical applicants suggests that words such as inspiring and fulfilling are worth adding to the list. Don’t just use the words - give evidence of academic ability and life skills to bring your personal statement to life.

10 words to avoid using are: 1.

2.

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always awful bad fault hate mistake never nothing panic problems

Reference Statement Your application for a university course has to be supported by a referee who must be a person who knows you well but cannot be a relative or friend – in most cases this will be a teacher or tutor at school or college. Your referee will be asked to comment on: 

Your suitability for your chosen course(s)

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Your academic achievement and potential, including your estimated grades

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Your personal qualities, e.g. motivation, powers of analysis, independence of thought

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Your career ideas

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Other topics such as interests and activities, and relevant health or personal circumstances

You need to make sure that you give your referee time to write the reference Do not ask them to complete such an important part of the form at the last minute just as the applications deadline is looming You will be able to see what a referee has written about you because of changes in the Data Protection Act. To see your reference you need to contact UCAS who will charge a fee Common mistakes on UCAS applications  Incorrect date of birth, fee code and course entries  No reference  Not explaining the choice of courses  Using statements that give admissions tutors the impression that key phrases have been given by other people rather than being your own words

Dos and don'ts when constructing your personal statement 

Do create a list of your ideas before attempting to write the real thing.

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Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy.

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Do ask people you trust for their feedback.

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Do check university and college prospectuses, websites and Entry Profiles, as they usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate.

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Do use your best English/Welsh and don't let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.

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Do be enthusiastic - if you show your interest in the course, it may help you get a place.

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Don't feel that you need to use elaborate language. If you try too hard to impress with long words that you are not confident using, the focus of your writing may be lost.

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Don't say too much about things that are not relevant - if you think that you are starting to, take a break and come back to your statement when you feel more focused.

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Don't lie - if you exaggerate you may get caught out at interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.

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Don't rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything - proof read as many times as possible.

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Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.

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Don't expect to be able to write your personal statement whilst watching TV or surfing the internet - this is your future, so make the most of the opportunity to succeed.

How to provide your personal statement 

You can enter up to 4,000 characters (this includes spaces) or 47 lines of text (this includes blank lines), whichever comes first. You do not have to use all the space provided. When you save text, the system will tell you how many characters are still available or if you have used too many characters. You can preview your statement after you have saved it.

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Please note that you cannot use italics, bold, underlining or foreign characters (such as á, ë, õ) in your personal statement - the system will automatically remove these when saved. This will not disadvantage your application. If you are an international student, we know that you may want to give correct titles of some things in your own language but universities and colleges are aware that accents and certain characters will not appear as they should.

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We recommend that you prepare your personal statement offline using a word-processing package and copy and paste it into the Apply system.

Whether you are typing your statement directly into the box, or amending a statement that you pasted in, you should click 'save' regularly because Apply will time-out after 35 minutes of inactivity. The countdown on the screen displays how much time you have left before it times out.

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If you want to send more information, contact your chosen universities and colleges to check that they are happy to accept further details. If they are, send it direct to them after we have sent you your welcome letter and Personal ID. Do not send it to UCAS.

PERSONAL STATEMENT – EXAMPLE 1 'Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow', reflects my belief that education delivered with enthusiasm and inspiration is an essential ingredient which enables children to flourish both socially and educationally. Combined with the recognition that teaching in primary education settings is both mentally and physically demanding this has acted as a positive influential factor in fuelling my ambition to bring academic subjects throughout the curriculum to life, by being imaginative and original in both their understanding and delivery.

An ability to set goals and succeed enabled me to experience secondary school in a positive way, and being form representative for 5 years allowed me to also demonstrate effective communication and negotiation skills with my peers. Work experience within a local nursery whilst I was at school developed my interest in working with children and I continued to play an active role in the local youth group where I was responsible for welcoming younger members and getting involved in the activities and events.

I then went on to take part in a voluntary, self-funded mission to Romania. This was by far the most humbling experience, as I got to build relationships and live with orphaned children for the duration of the mission whilst also aiding the renovation and construction of homes.

With confirmation of a two week work placement within a local primary school I look forward to gaining additional practical experience within a classroom setting. Curious about alternate educational settings and teaching methods I have successfully been selected to spend 3 months in America working as a Camp Counsellor at a summer camp in 2009. This incredible opportunity will allow me to work with a diverse age group in a more leisurely environment whilst playing a discreetly authoritive role.

My college experience has proven my determination and commitment to a subject which I discovered wasn't suited to my interests and abilities. Conversely, the vocational route in which I chose has provided me with a different outlook and experience in education with the opportunity to gain more practical life skills, and has ultimately inspired me to continue in education to study education at a higher level. I've also experienced Canada for the very first time and have learnt Spanish, a language I love, and plan to continue studying.

Outside of education I have continued with my art and have enjoyed the opportunity to explore the subject, particularly the use of different mediums, without being restricted by deadlines. I have also been a member of Brierley Hill Amateur Operatics society and plan to continue with drama outside of my studies once I begin university along with furthering my knowledge of Spanish and learning sign language. Reflecting on both my personal and academic life I feel particularly suited to the course and I firmly believe that I have an abundance of skills and qualities that I can bring to teaching.

PERSONAL STATEMENT – EXAMPLE 2 I am applying to read for a degree in Marketing because I would like a career working within the Marketing industry. I am aware that Marketing is applied to many business areas and it is something, which I have thoroughly enjoyed whilst studying my national diploma in Travel and Tourism. Since studying marketing in the Travel and Tourism industry I have felt an urge to learn more about it on a wider sector. I can genuinely say that it is something of great interest for me and I can imagine myself in a career of this choice when I have completed my degree.

During my BTEC national diploma I have been on many trips and assessed the different methods company's market products and services using the marketing mix.

Whilst studying my Diploma, I have also been very aware of how tourism is often increasing and is vital to certain developing countries, providing many with jobs and generating more wealth within areas.

I am thoroughly enjoying the course and I am proud to say that in the time I have studied at University College Birmingham, I still have 100% attendance, I have met all deadlines set and I will continue to do so. Studying this course has allowed me to see that during the countries financial difficulties, some industries are still growing all over the world.

Whilst in secondary education, I represented my school in all of the sports activities including athletics. I specialised in long jump and 800 metres where I competed in county and national competitions, winning many medals. I was awarded with the 'most outstanding athlete' trophy. I was also a member of my local athletics club and represented them in a number of national competitions competing in many other events too. I enjoyed taking part in all of the other sports offered at school including rounders, netball and basketball. Academically I was awarded an award for art, and 'most improved student' within my year, which was calculated from previous SATS test and GCSE results.

Whilst studying Travel and Tourism I have gained a few other additional qualifications, such as sport first aid, and health and safety in a work place, both of level two, and Airline Cabin Crew which is an NCFE award level two. I have achieved beginner's level' Spanish and I will be studying level two this year, which I am confident I will pass. I have chosen to take this additional course to learn another language, as I believe it may become very useful in life if I should choose to work overseas. I have a keen interest in learning as much as possible in life and intend on making the most of every opportunity offered.

Outside college I work seventeen hours a week at a local food establishment, where I have worked for three years. In this job I have learnt a number of skills including customer service, basic accounting skills and training junior members of staff. I am a senior member of the team and I am looked upon as a punctual, reliable member of staff.

PERSONAL STATEMENT – EXAMPLE 3 I am currently studying a BTEC National Diploma in Sport (Development, coaching and fitness) at the University College of Birmingham. I have completed my first year and am in the second term of my last year. I want to continue to study and to learn more.

I have a cheerful personality and like to keep myself fit. I would like to have a career where I can help encourage others to have a healthy fun life. I am very interested in the sports therapy course. I am fascinated by how the body works, along with its development and the affect of exercise on the body. At school anatomy was always my favorite part of science and I look forward to learning more from both the practical and the academic side. I am a hands-on type of person and enjoy working with, and helping people.

All my work experience from school and college has been in sports and within the health and fitness industry and it has shown me that this is the career for me. In years 10 and 11 of school I spent 1 day a week, term time working at LA Fitness as part of an NVQ course. I also spent 2 weeks full time work experience at The Ackers Trust assisting the instructors with clients on a wide range of activities including skiing, rock climbing and archery.

Through a performing arts programme I also spent some time working with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. As part of my BTEC I am doing work experience at Fitness First. I shadow the personal trainers and assist customers. I am doing well in this placement and they have indicated that they would be happy for me to stay on with them I hope this would be a useful link for my studies.

I am part of a Hip Hop dance group where I take the warm up and cool down sessions for the dance group and help out with the juniors.

I love sports of all types and my spare time is spent doing these. In the summer I like to go camping and do outdoor 'extreme' sports. I started surfing when I was 12 and am making good progress. I also kite buggy aka para buggying. Long boarding (skateboarding) is also a favourite as is ice-skating. I also enjoy team sports and have really enjoyed learning baseball and basketball as part of my course. I have also learned to ride a unicycle; stilt walk, perform fire poi and juggle.

My time keeping and attendance are excellent. I enjoy studying and although I do not always find the work easy but I am determined and always work hard. I already study at the UCB and I love it there. I hope to do well studying the foundation degree and then be considered to progress to the final year of the degree in this subject. I really hope you will be able to give me the opportunity to continue to study at the UCB and further my education in my chosen career.

PERSONAL STATEMENT – EXAMPLE 4 I am currently studying the BTEC National Diploma in Health and Social Care.

Studying this course has helped me develop enthusiasm for caring. I have had theoretical and practical experiences due to this I now share passion in the chosen career path of children's nursing. I am keen to develop my knowledge in this field further as I am eager to pursue a career in which I am able to help and care for young people.

Children's nursing would allow me to fulfill my ambition as from a child I have enjoyed caring for my younger brother, relatives, nephews and nieces. This made me want to expand my knowledge in caring and this is why I have decided to choose a career in this field. Nursing is a career for dedicated, reliable, trusting people who are able to develop relationships with patients quickly. I have these skills and I genuinely want to make a difference to people, to assist them and their families through difficult times when they are going through hardship. I am confident of embracing this challenge of caring and take advantages and opportunities and use them to this rewarding job role in order for me to be a superior professional.

I have had experience in caring for a range of age groups this includes babies, toddlers, children with special needs and the elderly. Having contact with all these ages groups was a valuable experience for me as I now have more understanding in caring for different needs and assist them with their requirements. Also having the experience has helped me become an effective team player which is essential in the nursing sector. It will be necessary to use this strength to communicate successfully this shows effective interactions and good use of communication skills which I feel is essential to have in a caring role.

I am also currently involved in voluntary work at a private nursery this has helped me gain awareness of the individual needs of children. I now have developed skills for interacting with children and how to assist them with their development for example activities, free play and reading books with expression. Working at the nursery has enabled me to implement my interpersonal skills more effectively as this involves talking to parents and carers. This skill has a benefit as it can be used in the nursing profession to communicate with people that I may come in contact with.

Other useful skills that I have acquired whilst working are my ability with dealing and interacting with parents I now feel more confident talking one to one with a parents.

Working with babies, toddlers and young children has also made me aware of the correct response to a child's needs for example when they are hungry, upset, changing nappies and all physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs.

In the future I wish to pursue a career in Children's Nursing and I feel that the Children's Nursing Diploma will be the first step in giving me this opportunity. I am deeply passionate about nursing and I am already looking forward to a long and fulfilling career in this field. I am the first person in my family to pursue further education which is satisfying therefore it's a great opportunity for me.

PERSONAL STATEMENT – EXAMPLE 5 Since living in Germany for two years, I have been interested in pursuing a career with languages. Living in a small village just outside Frankfurt I was able to experience the German lifestyle and language. Since returning to England I have realised what a special and productive two years they were. I now speak confidently in German and this has given me the interest and enthusiasm to learn French and other languages.

I definitely want to use my German and French in any future career. I have chosen courses which are either primarily language based or have a language linked to them. I am eager to do more travelling and spend more time working abroad to gain experience. I want to learn how to adapt my language skills to help me find work either in a business environment or to give me ideas of starting my own small business. My current course has helped me to gain knowledge of other countries and their attractions. Tourism is growing fast and I am aware of jobs it offers to those with linguistic skills.

I am a student who is willing to work hard and do all that is necessary to find a career, which I find enjoyable and interesting. I have had experience of being in charge of tasks and other people, throughout my school years. I was Head Girl at my junior school and form captain twice in my secondary school. I have been a member of many groups and teams including hockey, netball, swimming and athletics. I was also a member of the Aston Villa Ladies Under Sixteen team. By being involved in these sports I learnt the importance of working as a team as well as an individual.

My involvement with a choir in Germany gave me the chance to sing in different languages and go on tour to other countries. Playing my oboe gave me the opportunity to join a wind band and to progress to grade 4.

I am currently a member of a Youth Theatre, which has enabled me to gain more experience through my acting and singing. I have had the opportunity to travel and visit a number of countries and this has now inspired me to continue wanting to learn about other countries and their lifestyles. I am punctual, reliable, polite and friendly and have learnt the importance of customer care through my part-time job at Mark’s and Spencer’s. Earlier this year I worked in Berlin at the International Trade Fair. I helped promote holidays in Brazil to a number of different worldwide companies.

I am committed to studying to the best of my ability in higher education and therefore wish to be considered for a place on this course.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q.

How do universities / colleges decide on whether to offer me a place or not?

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A number of factors are taken into account. Your UCAS form is very important, especially your reference, predicted grades and personal statement. For some courses, you may also have to attend an interview and/or take an admissions test.

Q.

How many conditional offers can I hold?

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You can hold one firm conditional offer (CF) – your first choice – and one insurance conditional offer (CI) – your second choice. All other offers must be declined.

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What is a conditional offer?

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It is an offer of a place on condition that you achieve certain grades / points at A Level or another equivalent course.

Q.

What happens if I get no offers or turn all my offers down?

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You are automatically eligible for UCAS Extra and are allowed additional choices via UCAS.

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What is Clearing?

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It’s a system of filling the remaining vacancies which institutions still have in August.

It gives non-placed applicants a further opportunity to be considered for a course. Students who are not holding any offers from institutions, or did not achieve the necessary grades / points to confirm their conditional course offers, will enter clearing.

Q.

What if I don’t get the grades / points required for my firm (CF) offer?

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Ring the institution to check whether they will accept you anyway. If not, have you met the requirements for your insurance (CI) offer?

Q.

If I get the required grades / points for my first choice course, do I need to contact my university or college on results day?

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No. Congratulations, you’ve been successful! Admissions Tutors will be very busy dealing with clearing enquiries and they will not want to be interrupted by students who have successfully got a place.

Q.

What if I get higher grades than I anticipated? Can I change my mind and go somewhere else?

A.

From August 2010, if you have achieved better results than required for the firm offer you have accepted you will be able to look for an alternative course while still holding your original choice. This will only apply for a short period of time after A Level results day - UCAS will release full details closer to the time.

Q.

I’ve just got my results and I haven’t yet applied. What should I do?

A.

If you apply after 30th June, you will automatically enter Clearing. If your referee is not immediately available, don’t delay your application; the reference can be forwarded later. You should also start immediately contacting institutions about their vacancies.

Q.

What if I fail my A Levels?

A.

Talk to your tutor, careers co-ordinator or Personal Adviser who will offer help and advice to enable you to reconsider your options.

Q.

I have not met my deferred entry offer. What happens now?

A.

If you want to be considered again for the following year, you will have to reapply through UCAS in the next application cycle.

Q.

My UCAS form was sent in November. It is now April and I still haven’t heard from one institution – what should I do?

A.

Contact the institution directly.

Q.

I have changed my address – what should I do?

A.

Read the “Advice for Applicants” information you were sent with your welcome letter. You need to inform UCAS of your new address, who will then pass on your new details to your chosen institutions. However, if you are expecting any urgent letters from them, you may also want to tell them directly.

Q.

I only applied to one institution and paid £12 to UCAS. I now wish I’d applied for three more places. Is it too late?

A.

No, it isn't too late. Your welcome letter will have full details about applying for more courses. You will have to pay a further £11. If it is after the closing date of 15th January, then institutions may take a while to reply and many places may already have been filled. If you apply after 30th June, you will be entered into Clearing.

THE UCAS TARIFF The UCAS Tariff is a point’s score system for entry to higher education in a numerical format.

The Tariff:    

establishes agreed equivalence between different types of qualifications provides a framework for fair comparisons between applicants with different types of qualifications enables points to be added together from any combination of qualifications is continually developing and expanding.

Do remember though that the achievement of a points score does not automatically give an entitlement to HE entry.

Although Tariff points can be accumulated in a variety of ways, not all of these will necessarily be acceptable for entry to a particular course. The achievement of a points score therefore does not give an automatic entitlement to entry, and many other factors are taken into account in the admissions process.

Use Course Search facility from the UCAS website to find out what qualifications are acceptable for entry to specific courses: http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables/