SPF UCAS guide 2017 web

stephen perse foundation

Guide to

2016-17

UK University Applications

sixthform.stephenperse.com

G ui d e to U K Unive r sit y Applicat ions 2016-17

Introduction

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Contents

Applying to university can be a daunting prospect. This booklet has been put together for parents in order to explain the university admissions system, the procedures at each stage and the anticipated timetable. It hopes to remove some of the mystique behind the process. We hope that you will find this guide helpful.

UCAS is the University and College Admissions System that all students must apply through for admission to UK higher education at the end of their 6th form. The College submits an electronic form that consists of the student’s options, personal information, a Personal Statement and our reference. The sections in this guide will help to explain the procedures involved in making an application.

1. An overview – choosing courses and universities....................5 2. UCAS application deadlines.......................................................6 3. Our own, internal, deadlines......................................................8 4. Top Tips for applications to the most competitive courses.....10

There is increasing interest in applications to North American universities, continental Europe (for example Utrecht and Sciences Po) and in Hong Kong’s Universities which are some of the highest calibre in the world. Please note that these have different procedures.

Similarly, many UK art colleges have their own application system and music colleges usually use ‘CUKAS’.

5. Interviews and visits...................................................................11

In this guide we have tried to answer some of the more common questions that arise about admissions to university. However, we also recognise that you will have individual questions and may require specific information that could not be included in a general guide.

7. International Baccalaureate.......................................................13

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Armitage, or your son/daughter’s tutor, should you require any further information at any stage.

Kind regards

6. Additional application forms and exams..................................12 8. A Level.........................................................................................14 9. International students................................................................15 10. Personal Statements – general advice....................................16 11. GAP year...................................................................................18 12. Oxbridge....................................................................................19 13. Choosing a college at Oxbridge...............................................20 14. How to apply............................................................................21 15. Finance......................................................................................22 16. Key contacts and guidance summary.....................................23

Tricia Kelleher

Principal

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Simon Armitage

Head of 6th Form and Guidance (from September 2016) E: simon.armitage@stephenperse.com

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sixthform.stephenperse.com

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1. An overview choosing courses and universities For some, this can seem impossibly hard. For others, it is a straightforward choice. There is no one way in which students come to their own decision on their university course. The important thing to remember is that careful research will help your child make their own decision in an informed way and to manage the important deadlines without causing stress. Some thoughts are listed below - but this is a very personal decision.

Courses

Which subject or subjects really enthuse you? ‘Liking’ something is not enough to get you through the 3 or more years of commitment required for a degree.

There is the option of choosing up to 5 university courses unless applying for Medicine or Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine / Veterinary Science when there are only 4 choices. It is not possible to apply to both Oxford and Cambridge unless for an Organ Scholarship.

In order that each and every student is fully supported through the process, each subject area will have a member of staff who is the main point of contact for applications in their subject. In case of applying to a course that does not naturally fall into an obvious department, the Head of Sixth Form will ensure that the student has a key contact. This will help ensure that each student has the best academic support for their chosen degree course.

Does your enthusiasm come with the right level of ability?

Do you really know what is involved in undergraduate courses in your subject? Perhaps this is especially important when the subject is new to you for example, Medicine, Law or Anthropology.

Is there something that you need to study in order to fulfil a longer term career aim?

Students are encouraged to seek the advice of their tutor and subject teachers. We have a lot of in-house expertise in this area.

Students are also encouraged to contact university departments directly with questions. In fact, this sort of initiative is often praised by admissions tutors.

Do you want to experience life in London? This is a very different university experience simply because of its size.

Each university department has its own website containing details of the application requirements for that course and other details such as the range of offers that they might give, the number of students on the course and how that department has been reviewed by inspectors. The websites are always the default source when there seems to be any confusion in information but it is vital to scour each and every hyperlink on the websites to ensure that an important point is not missed.

Do you want to go to a collegiate university?

Sources of information:

Universities

How close to ‘home’ would you like to be?

Are you considering the University of Oxford or Cambridge?

Whilst these are not the best choices for all subjects, they offer a unique undergraduate experience. See section 13 for specific guidance on applying to Oxbridge.

Is the cost of living a consideration?

● University/College websites – many of these contain specific advice on what the university is seeking from applicants for specific courses. They may also contain statistics such as applications to offers percentages.

● University prospectuses – the online version is the definitive version these days.

What are the fees?

● Course search: www.ucas.com

What is the bursary/scholarship support package?

● For course comparisons, average grade profiles etc: https://unistats.direct.gov.uk

Is there a particular physical environment that would be good for your leisure interests? Eg hills for climbers, sea for sailors etc.

● Specialist advice books and DVDs available. ● Teachers, friends or relatives with recent experience at university or useful knowledge.

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2. UCAS application deadlines September Choral and Organ Scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge University colleges (check these with Oxford and Cambridge university websites).

15 October All Oxford and Cambridge applications (including the academic applications for the aforementioned music awards), and all other applications for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science.

15 January All other courses.

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“I decided aged 14 that I wanted to work in investment banking” Susie Wilson (1992-1996) now looks after several £bn in commercial real estate asset investments for financial institutions.

Please note: music colleges have their own application system.

It is important to check with the Music Department and with the colleges themselves for their deadlines and requirements.

The CUKAS system administers applications to the music conservatoires - www.cukas.ac.uk Many art colleges use their own system as well, some use UCAS. They tend to have their own deadlines. They also require very different types of Personal Statement and reference. Please approach with care and consult with the Art Department as well as personally checking with the Art Colleges. Preparation for these applications takes a lot of time and work especially in preparation of portfolios. ▼ Stephen Perse Foundation Careers Fair 2016

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3. Our timeline for 2017 entry, or 2018 deferred entry The deadlines are there to enable us to complete our part of the application which always involves a substantial reference and may involve posting or personally taking applications to the university offices in the case of Oxford or Cambridge. Some of the deadlines depend on the university or course. The socalled ‘early’ applicants are Oxbridge, Medics, Veterinary Medics, Veterinary Scientists and Dentists. This is not because they are more important, it is simply that UCAS requires earlier deadlines to be met.

We advise all our applicants to complete their application as early as possible.

Please note: Whilst we will check the applications and give advice, the College is not responsible for the final details, clarity or style of the Personal Statement or the details of the courses to which the student is making application. The application is the student’s own work and the checking thereof is the responsibility of the student.

Note: ‘deferred entry’ means that you apply in this year but for entry to university after a Gap Year. The school will advise on the individual cases where this may be advisable or not. Many universities and courses encourage the idea of a Gap Year but of course you can apply during that Gap Year – sometimes this will give you a better chance than applying for deferred entry. Please talk to us about this.

3.1 Lower 6th 15 June UCAS Preparation Day

30 June First draft Personal Statements to be uploaded

1 July All students to have registered all their personal details and GCSE/equivalent examinations and any other qualifications (eg music, drama etc.) on www.ucas.com by this date.

4 July Mock interview ½ day –subject specialist group interviews, mostly given by external people and supported by our own staff.

Before the end of the summer term seek the advice of your subject teachers on university courses, use the careers resources and attend a selected number of Open Days. If you are applying to Oxbridge, obtain suitable reading lists and tasks to do from the relevant departments and confirm choice of a college.

Students needing to take UKCAT should register and book their test date (this is done independently of the school and is the responsibility of the students) 1 August Registration for the LNAT (Law) test opens. Note, students for Oxford have an early date (usually in October) by which the test has to have been taken – consult the Oxford University Law website.

sixthform.stephenperse.com 3.2 Upper 6th 8 September (first day of term) Final Personal Statements for Oxford and Cambridge, Vets, Medics and Dentists (those having to be early applicants and any others wishing to be) has to be with tutors and subject based advising staff. Yes, you can make changes to it after this point and we will advise BUT you should be considering this to be your final version.

All students to enter any AS examination results and their intended A Level and IB examinations on www.ucas.com by this date for checking by college staff.

Please note: Whilst it is possible to apply in early January, before the 15 January UCAS deadline, this does not give us as much time to assist as we would like. A later application like this may put the student at a disadvantage in applying for some courses as universities will have already made a lot of offers by this point.

Universities will make their offers in their own time schedule.

Some will only consider the ‘gathered field’ and will therefore only begin to sort through the applications after 15 January 2017. Many will start offering straight away. Some applicants will have all their responses in within 6 weeks of submitting the form, for others it is a much longer road. All try to give their offers before the end of March 2017 but even this is not always possible.

19 September UCAS applications for all early applicants to be complete including full application details, entry of examinations, pending examinations and Personal Statement References are then finalised and the whole application is discussed with the Head of Sixth Form prior to sending it to UCAS before 15 October.

End of October Many university courses are heavily oversubscribed. If you do not need to meet a 15 October deadline you are still strongly advised to complete your application by the end of October, at the latest, if you are considering one of these high-demand courses. The Head of Sixth Form will advise you on this. It relates to many Politics, Economics, Law, History, International Relations and English courses and also courses which give the opportunity to spend a year in industry or studying abroad, but this is not a definitive list.

Mid December Any last applications to be complete.

Summer Holidays Review your decisions so far and fill in the gaps in your Personal Statement. Use results day to talk to staff and to consider the likely strength of your application.

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4. Top Tips for applications to the most competitive courses A little while ago, we were asked by a national newspaper to give our top tips for applications to the most competitive university courses in the country. We hope this will be a useful if your child is considering this:

Realise that, on paper, it is very difficult to identify the top applicants – there are too many people with the very best grades and with amazing work experience who have also done marvellous things as part of their school careers.

Look at the application to offer ratios.

Identify an area of your subject in which you have a particular interest and explore this aspect via literature, debates, the internet, lectures in order to discover whether you are truly fired up by the subject matter and to be able to prove your willingness and enthusiasm.

Find out what is required for your subject and for particular universities/colleges. Many subjects now have additional entrance tests. Some colleges require work to be submitted.

See what help and experience your school offers to steer your preparation. Go to a subject specific open day at a college or to a department open day if you can. Contact the university; explore their website leaving no hyperlink un-clicked. Every year a few students apply only to state months later that actually they do not like the content, style or location of a particular university course. Whilst we know that students do change their minds, these are wasted applications.

Be realistic. Apply to a range of universities. With four or five choices you should make sure you include a location and course that is likely to give offers more easily.

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5. Interviews and visits Unfortunately, not many university courses interview their applicants. However, some still do and this certainly applies to all Medical and Veterinary courses and all courses at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Naturally, all performance courses will interview or audition. Aside from this it is a mixed picture – some courses at some universities will still interview so it is worth checking the admissions process to see if this might affect you.

If there is an interview - expect to be academically challenged and expect to deal with questions for which you cannot, directly, prepare. Therefore, look to be academically challenged in your classes and adopt a ‘have a go’ mentality.

If you are not prepared to push the boundaries of your learning, this does not bode well and the interview process will uncover your weakness.

If there is an interview

Certainly, if a course does interview then it might be worth considering this visit instead of an additional open day trip – it will save you time and money.

• Be comfortable – wear what you want but remember that

In your written application and in any interview, demonstrate that you are an independent learner. If it is common for a lesson to start with comments from student to teacher, “Did you see that science report on the news last night?” or “Last week you told us… well, I’ve been thinking about it and I think you could be wrong because...” then this is the type of conversation with which to be associated.

Sometimes a university will require an applicant to attend a specific open day in order to be given the offer of a place.

These ‘open days’ are, in effect, compulsory – unless you have an exceptional reason about which the applicant must write to the university at the time. These events may involve a group discussion – even a short, individual meeting or interview.

• Expect some basic, introductory questions (but don’t be

Work hard and secure great results. There is not much more to say about this one. All the top universities require high grades. There is little point in being able to say that you have canoed the Orinoco, captained the netball team or coordinated the social whirl of your new 6th Form if you end up compromising your academic performance.

Be prepared to give it your all and still, perhaps, not get a place. However, the process will teach you a great deal and you will be a better 6th Form student as a result.

De-selection prior to interview

Typically, universities de-select prior to interview in order to be as sure as they can be that all their interviewees are realistic candidates for their courses. Oxford University will de-select a third or even more applicants based on their performance in the aptitude tests for example. Many medical courses will score the applicants based on their prior examination results, their personal statement and their reference (the latter providing only a small proportion of the ‘points’ in the process).

When you get an interview

If you succeed in getting an interview you must treat it seriously – there is everything to play for. You will be given interview preparation in the school with our own staff and external experts, if they are available. However, on the day you will need to be calm and respond positively to the opportunity presented to you. You will often be asked questions that you could not have prepared for directly. In fact, this is the norm. There may be no ‘right’ answer to the questions and you should aim to stand up for your view points in discussion whilst also being honest about the limits of your knowledge. Interviews are generally about establishing the ‘real you’ beyond the application form. They seek to find out how you respond to being challenged and whether you can think for yourself and in a manner that will dove-tail with the ways of teaching within the particular university.

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The Theory of Knowledge lessons give you a significant boost in your preparation for university interviews. Students often remark on this, that the interview was more like handling a Theory of Knowledge question than anything else that they had encountered.

Tips:

• Get there in plenty of time first impressions can and do count – that doesn’t mean you should find a suit though – unless you want to!

surprised if this doesn’t happen). “Why do you want to study this subject?” “Tell me about yourself” etc.

• Try to use your answers to point to what you want to talk about. Interviewers want to find out more about you and your thinking. This is the start of a conversation that you can shape.

• If you get in a muddle, stop – admit it! There is little worse than pushing on with a ridiculous argument and refusing to turn back.

• If you really don’t know the answer, say so but also try to offer possibilities. “Well, I must admit I don’t know but the sorts of issues that I would consider are …”.

• Be prepared to think aloud. The interviewer can’t tell what you are thinking if it stays in your head. Don’t rush though – it is reasonable to take a second or two before launching in.

• Remember your ways of knowing and areas of knowledge from Theory of Knowledge classes. How do you know this?

What can we learn from this idea? How could you tell whether you were right about this idea? Would there be a different way of finding that out?

• Expect the unexpected – this isn’t supposed to be a lesson that you could prepare for. The interview may be nothing like any mock experience you have had!

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6. Additional application forms and exams Some courses require an additional application form to be completed. These forms are sent or made available to the applicant online once their application has be received and processed past its first stage. It is important to check to see if this is likely to be required as, typically, very little turnaround time is given for the return of such forms. In order to discriminate between applicants with very similar or identical results at GCSE and AS Level, university courses are increasingly opting for their own tests which are done in advance of any interview and may be used as part of a de-selection process.

Admissions testing

Tests are used by a number of universities, not just Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford uses the tests to de-select students – sometimes quite substantially. This would mean that a student who does not meet the cut-off point in the test will not be interviewed. Cambridge may also do this in the future.

SAQ - Supplementary Application Questionnaire

UKCAT – UK Clinical Aptitude Test - www.ukcat.ac.uk LNAT – Natural Admissions Test for Law - www.lnat.ac.uk This will be an on-screen test this year and will include the need to type an essay.

MML – Cambridge University, Modern and Medieval Languages http://hercules.mml.cam.ac.uk/applying/how STEP – Cambridge University, Sixth Term Examination Papers – normally part of the conditional offers from the Mathematics Department www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/step TSA – Thinking Skills Assessment www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/thinkingskills-assessment

Cambridge also have the SAQ (Supplementary Application Questionnaire). This is sent to students direct from Cambridge after their application has been received. It has a tight deadline so you should be ready for it. It is your chance to make specific points about the particular application to the particular Cambridge course.

ELAT – Oxford University, English Literature Admissions Test www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/elat/about-elat

Please note: This is an area of significant change and that all applicants are advised to check the requirements of their chosen course at the time that they apply. At the moment, we expect more of these tests to be required.

Physics Aptitude Test – Oxford University, Physics www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduates/ applications/physics-aptitude-test-pat

Useful links

These websites are (accurate at point of publication)

Specimen papers for the new pre-interview Cambridge tests: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admissionsassessments/pre-interview Details and examples of Cambridge’s at interview tests: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admissionsassessments/pre-interview

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BMAT – BioMedical Admissions Test www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/bmat

HAT – Oxford University, History Aptitude Test – www.history.ox.ac.uk/prospective/undergraduate/applying/thehistory-aptitude-test.html

Admissions Test for Mathematics, Joint Degrees and Computer Science – Oxford University, applicants for Mathematics, Computer Science and all joint schools involving either or both of these: www.maths.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate-study/mathsadmissions-test

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7. International Baccalaureate There may be some truth in the point that IB students may be more likely to get offers for many highly competitive courses than A Level students. This is because, in the current format, the IB qualification allows a distinction to be made between very good and excellent students in a way in which the A Level does not. This has changed slightly with the introduction of A* grades for A Level but until universities fully decide how to use them in their offers the jury is out. University admissions tutors repeatedly comment to us that the IB students have, very obviously, followed a rigorous course which requires significant independent thinking and writing skills which are very much intune with those required at university.

As ever, all applicants must refer to the websites and to the prospectuses with great care. The offer is likely to be a total points score, say 38 including the core points, and also have a condition of achieving a certain minimum point score in the higher level subjects for example, ‘17’ or ‘6,6,5’. Whilst the England and Wales university system remains dominated by the A Level it may be the case that the IB student has to hunt around a little deeper into the website hyperlinks in order to establish the IB levels that are expected. The IB has appointed, jointly with the IB Schools and Colleges Association (IBSCA), a university liaison worker to ensure admissions tutors are fully informed of developments.

Students have no need to be concerned that there will be no IB examination results from the end of the Lower 6th to declare on the UCAS form. It will mean that any prior achieved grades (e.g. GCSE, IGCSE) will have slightly greater importance and any interview or other testing will also be slightly more important to counter-act for the lack of L6th public examination results. It also means that the evidence that the College is able to give for the predicted results is especially important. High quality Internal Assessment marks, progress test scores and internal end of year 1 examinations are obvious points of reference. Our predictions will be a level for each subject and then a total points’ score ‘range’.

For example, “We are confident that she will achieve a total points’ score of between 38 and 40 including the core elements.”

Experience from recent UCAS cycles indicates to us that IB applications are extremely warmly received.

In 2012 the Higher Education Funding Council for England determined that 35 points was the critical grade boundary for IB students as far as universities was concerned. This was lowered in 2013, as was the A Level grade. At this level or above, the university was given independence on whether or not they admitted. An over-admit to a course would not resulting in a funding penalty to the university; it was purely a matter of whether the university could accommodate the student (see the following page for the A Level equivalent position). Student number controls were removed from 2015-16.

This is a very important point – our predictions need evidence.

The dangers of over prediction are very clear. If we over-predict based on an unsubstantiated hope, we could do harm to a student’s application which will, perhaps, be seen as unrealistic.

In addition, it could be that some universities will respond by making higher offers than they might have done otherwise in order to require the student to meet these high predictions.

Please do not seek to pressurise us to raise a prediction without providing us with the evidence! (the same issue applies to the A Level applicants).

Oxford University has introduced further admissions tests for Classics, Modern Languages and Oriental Languages. The number of tests is growing all the time – for up to date details, please check the website: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/ tests?wssl=1

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8. A Level The introduction of reformed A levels from September 2015 has changed the landscape of university entrance for A level students. Now, universities will no longer have a full set of AS grades (and, where necessary, Uniform Mark Scale (UMS)) to aid the decision-making process. Instead, most students will apply to university with a mixture of unreformed A levels, where students will continue to sit AS papers and reformed subjects, where they may not sit a public examination at the end of the Lower Sixth.

In short, universities have less data to assess.

As is the case for IB students, it will mean that any prior achieved grades (eg GCSE, IGCSE) will probably have greater importance and any interview or other testing will also be slightly more important to counter-act for the lack of L6th public examination results. This is one of the reasons why Cambridge University is introducing aptitude tests from November 2016. It also means that the evidence that the school is able to give for the predicted results is especially important.

The A* grade at A level is aimed at identifying the very best students in one sense, as with many examination courses, It is therefore necessary that A Level students work into their Personal Statement an overt demonstration of these skills and attributes.

University admissions tutors repeatedly comment to us that A Level does not require the level of independent thinking and research that the many of the most competitive courses require.

AS Levels must be declared on the application regardless of the grades achieved and whether the student is intending to resit any of the modules. It is possible to declare the module grades within the AS Level. Students with straight A grades or near-straight A grades may wish to do this. However, it is not required. Any student with exceptionally strong performance in modules will have this issue raised in their reference.

“ As a second year Television and Radio Production student at the University of Salford, I’ve been involved in production of multiple forms of content, ranging from documentaries to studio shows.” Emily Reilly, Alumna 14

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9. International Students Grade predictions are important but the grades already obtained are more important! The key is that any grade prediction that we make must be backed up by suitable evidence that we can point to in the reference. This is a critical point – our predictions need evidence. The dangers of over prediction are very clear. If we over-predict based on an unsubstantiated hope, we could do harm to a student’s application which will, perhaps, be seen as unrealistic. In addition, it could be that some universities will respond by making higher offers than they might have done otherwise in order to require the student to meet these high predictions. Please do not seek to pressurise us to raise a prediction without providing us with the evidence! (the same issue applies to the IB applicants).

There is plenty of advice for international students available in the school, on the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/ international-and-eu-students/international-guides and on websites for individual universities.

Offers for A Level students are usually based on 3 subjects, which may be specified. Sometimes the offer may require 4 subjects. If the offer is particularly high – such as A*A*A – a student may feel they need to restrict their A Levels to only 3 subjects in the U6th year in order to invest the time required. This is a tough decision as, clearly, there is then not a further subject as a cushion.

• Is there a restriction on the number of places available to

Bath University addressed the question ‘is there any point of carrying on with 4 subjects if all I am asked for is 3?’ when they were asked about it by a student at a presentation to us.

They said that if they are looking at whether to make an offer for a highly competitive course and they see that a student has dropped a subject, when they had the opportunity to carry on with it, then it would make them question whether this particular individual had the drive, determination and academic rigour to be offered a place. Naturally, this is a case-by-case decision issue.

If a student is finding things very tough in the 4th subject there can often be cause to drop to 3. If a student has something else very valuable (academically) to do with the extra time it can also work out well e.g. learning an additional foreign language via evening classes. It is always wise to consider how to justify and prove the use of the additional time gained – everyone knows that a student taking only 3 A Levels in the U6th will have a significant number of private study periods!

UK universities welcome international students and are keen to receive applications. Some courses may have limits on the number of places available to internationals, not least courses in Medicine. It is important for students to check with the universities on their websites and to contact them directly using the emails provided in order to seek clarification on any point.

Keep a note of all your communications with universities and particularly any email replies from university helpdesks. Talk to us. We are here to help you too.

Don’t forget, if you also wish to apply to study in another country, other than the UK, please tell us and ask in good time! We need several weeks to prepare applications if we are to be sure of doing a good job for you. The same applies with applications for scholarships that might be available to students from specific countries.

Aspects to consider:

international students and how will this affect the number of offers given?

• Is there an English Language qualification requirement that is not met simply by studying the IB or A Level at a UK school? It may be that a specific qualification, such as IELTS, is required to prove English ability.

• If you don’t have GCSE or IGCSE qualifications, or other public examination qualifications gained at age 16, does this make a difference? It is likely that it will NOT make a difference but check the advice for international applicants on the websites.

• What are the fees?

• Where will you be pleased to live and study? The UK is a lot bigger than Oxford, Cambridge and London!

• Will a UK degree be welcomed in another country if you wish to move there e.g. to be a lawyer or medic will you have to take additional qualifications on return to another country and will this be an advantage to you or a problem for you?

It is almost always better for university admission for a student to achieve AAA than to achieve AABB, for example (or even A*ABB). Whether this is better for education for life in general is, of course, a completely different matter and I would suggest this is one of the problems with our education system!

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10. Personal Statements – general advice There has been some interesting publicity concerning Personal Statements. To what extent are they read? Do they really make a difference? These are the key questions and the response will be different from course to course. In general they are a significant part of the university application. They are often ‘deal breakers’ in obtaining an offer or an interview and this is especially the case for the most over-subscribed courses.

Demonstrate you are interested

It can be helpful to consider Personal Statements from the point of view of the university admissions tutor. It is likely to be their one opportunity to ‘meet’ you, to understand a little about how you think and, indeed, whether you have thought about the course to which you are applying beyond the title of each unit topic! Particularly in the case of subjects which are new to the applicant such as Management, Medicine, Anthropology, Law, Architecture or Geology. it is important to be able to demonstrate that you have taken an active interest in the subject that has involved doing more than reading a couple of websites and a book.

The statement is about you and not about the subject. The biggest problem with Personal Statements is often that they are not personal enough. They may tell the admissions tutor more about the subject than about the applicant. This is something to avoid at all costs. It is perfectly acceptable to write about how interest and enjoyment of a subject have evolved. However, there is no point in explaining how the minimum wage works or how a favourite author interprets the Spanish Civil War or how the ear is connected to the nasal passages, for example! For the same reason, it is usually inadvisable to include quotes within the statement.

Prove your engagement

The key to success is being able to provide evidence to prove your engagement with the subject to which you are applying and to prove that you have thought, personally, about your application.

Each Personal Statement should have an obvious structure and logic to it. Statements which may cause you more problems relate to applications for more than one university course. For example, you may be applying for Classical Civilisation in one place but for Egyptology in another or for Physics in one place but for Physical Sciences in another. As each institution only sees their application (a blind selection process) you will need to be very careful about what you write. Some degree courses are ‘Joint Honours’ and therefore a combination of two subjects, for example, History and English or French and Law. Your Personal Statement must reflect the combined nature of your choice.

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Make it relevant

Examine the details of the courses to which you are applying.

If, say, you are looking at studying economics and one of the courses is strongly international in its flavour then you will need to consider how you are going to reflect this issue in what you write. Similarly, it would not be very wise to apply for an English Literature course with a significant 20th century authors and criticism component if you do not refer to such books or literary methods in your statement. As a rule, avoid making great play about how influenced you have been by the texts and authors that are integral to your A Level or IB study. You should be pushing boundaries beyond that in your chosen subject.

Similarly, if the course requirement for a subject such as economics is a good level of mathematics and if chemistry is essential for the study of medicine then it makes sense that your statement must include reference to what you have done in these particular disciplines to make yourself a better applicant.

Demonstrate your learning

Some publications have become widely read and often quoted in Personal Statements. Scientists writing a statement about Dawkins’ God Delusion, Lawyer quoting Barnard et al. What about Law or Geographers writing about Collier’s The Bottom Billion come to mind. These are great texts to read but they will not make you distinctive all on their own! You must consider where your reading of these texts has taken you, academically. However, do not panic! No one expects you to read the first year law texts on Tort or the entire content of the last 2 years of New Scientist!

They want to know about your natural interest and what you have done. This is not therefore about what you have been forced to do and which therefore you probably have not enjoyed or really thought about – yes, you have read the books or articles, but you have not engaged with them beyond that!

Using practical examples

Use your work experience or volunteering to good effect. Make anything like this work for you in the statement. However, you will not be a better Lawyer because you worked in a solicitor’s office or a better Medic because you watched an operation.

Anyone could do anything like this! However, we would hope that you have learnt something by doing this kind of thing and this is what you should write about in the statement. Doing the work experience is the first step. Following it up and being able to prove it will be what counts for you.

Finally, be honest! Don’t claim that you have read what you haven’t or have an interest where you don’t. Admissions Tutors are experts in spotting this. Certainly never plagiarise (copy) from the internet or anywhere else. All your statements will be checked electronically for any copying. Don’t do it!

As a conclusion, do not make a weak repetition of an earlier comment or end with something bland. It would be better not to have such a conclusion than to waste words. End, just as you began, with something of impact, something of interest.

There is no simple formula to write the statement and there is no perfect statement so please avoid showing your version to multiple people as you will receive a multiplicity of advice. The statement must fit into the 47 lines on the UCAS online form and be a maximum of 4,000 characters including spaces. You do not need paragraph indents or line breaks between paragraphs.

The answer to all the above is, of course, “no”! It is likely that the best students will be doing all of this but it is what they can show they make from these opportunities that is the key.

Think carefully about the skills needed for the study of your chosen degree course. You should aim to refer to these and how you know you have them. Many courses have help videos or checklists on their websites that provide you with tips. Make good use of them!

In summary:

● Be honest and be clear ● Provide evidence ● Tell your story and make it interesting or ‘remarkable’!

Remember it needs to stand out or ‘of remark’

Academic (three quarters – probably more): A discussion of the subject you have chosen, your motivations and your strengths as they relate to the subject. University admissions tutors are used to reading statements where the student claims involvement in a range of activities. It can be very difficult for them to work out what you have actually done. In your Personal Statement you must, therefore, try to provide suitable evidence for what you are saying. For example, the time-old phrase, “I enjoy reading” should not only indicate what exactly you enjoy reading but perhaps how your reading has shaped the ways in which you think.

Personal (one quarter - absolute maximum): Your wider interests, particularly where they involve leadership or organisation or self-discipline. For example, a long term commitment to a charity or to a sports team or an orchestra indicates something about you as an individual. It is now a myth to think that the admissions tutor will accept anyone as long as they will play sport for the university or bring some other form of non-academic glory. They want to take students with commitment and are increasingly cautious to ensure that they do not accept undergraduates who might drop out during their course.

● Be concise – don’t waffle but do use most of the characters available (4,000 including spaces)

● Avoid clichés and hyperboles ● Avoid quotes – unless very skilfully used ● Avoid summaries of the subject – it is about you not about the subject

● Avoid seeking the opinions of too many people (your teachers and others) on your statement – it is personal, you will therefore get different but equally correct advice from different people “The best hobby or interest you can have is reading”, a quote from our Oxbridge Admissions event – but do make sure you say what you read and why! ‘I enjoy reading in my spare time’ isn’t going to be very impressive or credible.

Consider the following:

– Does taking part in the Bank of England Target 2.0 competition make you a better economics undergraduate?

– Does subscribing to the History Today make you a better historian?

– Does participating in Model United Nations automatically make you a better lawyer?

– Does being the lead violinist in the orchestra or the hockey captain make me a stronger study of geography?

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11. Gap year If students are considering taking a ‘year out’ before university they can apply for deferred entry. This is a simple matter of entering a different year on the UCAS form. The application is made in the same way during the Upper 6th year, offers are made and students respond to them in exactly the same way as if they were intending to start their course immediately.

Alternatively, students can apply during a gap year. If this is the chosen route, any student must be very careful to stay in close contact with us and to meet all the same deadlines that the U6th students will be required to meet but without the daily reminders and encouragement.

For some students, taking a gap year can be one of the best decisions of their lives. It can broaden horizons, give experience that builds confidence and allows consolidation of thoughts about the future. For others, it can be a way of putting off the decision. If in doubt, the advice that has been given to our students is to apply to university anyway as they can always pull out of the system if they decide that they would prefer a gap year. Whilst this is not perhaps the best way to proceed, it does keep students engaged in one of the primary academic activities of the year. However, students are advised that they should be cautious about rejecting an offer and then reapplying for exactly the same course in the following year because a record of the first application is always kept.

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12. Oxbridge In certain cases it can be harder to gain offers for deferred applications. The admissions tutor is, in effect, giving out places in advance of truly knowing the calibre of the main applicants for that particular year. This may especially relate to courses with small intakes. However, this is by no means the complete picture and our advice is to talk to teachers, tutors and Head of Sixth Form about it.

Oxford and Cambridge are held in high esteem both nationally and internationally – sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes through misunderstanding. There is no doubting their reputations and also the uniqueness of the university experience at a place such as Oxford or Cambridge. However, not everyone thrives at Oxbridge and there are many other excellent universities with highly rated courses.

It is also perfectly acceptable to contact the university departments themselves – a direct link by email can prove very useful and also shows initiative (but check their online and printed details first to make sure the answer is not already there!).

Their terms are shorter than elsewhere at only 8 weeks and, in consequence, are significantly more intense. For essay based subjects, students are usually asked to produce one or two essays each week, sometimes, although rarely, three. Each is discussed in a small group tutorial (Oxford) or supervision (Cambridge) with an expert in that particular field. These may even be one - to – one discussion but are more commonly two or three students with the tutor / supervisor. In other subjects expectations are equally high with a combination of classes to attend, practicals to complete and problems to solve, again with the support of the tutor / supervisor. All this is on top of a weekly programme of lectures and seminars. The number of lectures or seminars that students are expected to attend varies widely from subject to subject. There may be only a few, perhaps 3 a week, or there may be very many more, perhaps even three times that number including labs.

Some courses would certainly expect a deferred entry applicant to be planning a ‘relevant’ gap year. This might particularly relate to the most competitive courses or ones with a certain vocational focus. Any student pursuing a scientific or medical course consider plans for a strongly scientific Gap Year as the universities may be be concerned that vital technical skills would be forgotten otherwise. The same would apply for Modern Languages degrees. Unless the deferred applicant can show commitment to their chosen subject, they may be easily discounted.

At Oxbridge, there will be many of the ‘best of the best’. It would, however, be a mistake to think that all the best people get offers or even make applications. Similarly, it would be a mistake to think that everyone at Oxbridge was, somehow ‘super-human’ or ‘better’ than everyone else.

It is obvious to make the point that if a student does not apply, they will not get a place. However, this thinking can sometimes encourage unrealistic applications. This is where we always seek the comments of subject teachers when students first indicate an interest in making an Oxbridge application.

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Do you stand a reasonable chance?

As an approximate rule, any student who has 6 or more A* grades at GCSE and is on track for A*AA (preferably A*A*A) at A Level may be a realistic applicant. Please be aware that as around 13% of all students nationally achieve 3 grade As at A Level, there are very many students of this calibre who will not be offered places.

Look up the number of applicants and the number of offers. Both Cambridge and Oxford websites give this information in their course details pages Cambridge requires all applicants to declare the marks they have received in any AS or A2 units as part of the application. As there is a significant range of marks within the grade A band, this is very informative for the university’s admissions tutors. Whilst we can point out exceptions to this rule, Cambridge Colleges expect students to achieve around 95% UMS in their most relevant, subjects, if taken at AS Level.

A* grades: Several of the most competitive universities will continue to use the A* and give offers of A*AA or even A*A*A or A*AAA. The standard Cambridge offer for Sciences is A*A*A. Oxford uses a mix of offers from AAA to A*A*A – check their website.

IB students: Oxford and Cambridge welcome the IB Diploma.

Students should be on course for at least 41 points. They should expect to achieve 776 in their Higher Levels. Offers vary – Oxford usually offers 39 or 40 points with 776 HL, Cambridge will offer 41-43 points with 776 or 777 HL. Our lowest offers were for 38 points for exceptional students reading English, History and History and Russian at Oxford.

If your son / daughter does go ahead, and it is ultimately their decision, they will need to undertake some additional work over the L6th/U6th Summer holidays and follow up with their key contact member of staff in the Autumn Term.

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13. C hoosing a college at Oxbridge Oxford and Cambridge universities are collegiate so applicants will need to choose a college to which to apply. By being a member of a College one becomes a member of the University.

It is possible to make an ‘open’ application and Oxford or Cambridge will allocate a college, probably simply based on knowledge that some colleges have received fewer applications than others.

Some advice:

● Remember that the university course is more important

●

●

● ●

●

●

than the college choice. Try not to set your dream on one particular college at the potential expense of getting the offer from the university.

It is not possible to study every subject at every college.

Some of the undergraduate teaching will take place in your college, some of it will be in other colleges where specialists happen to be based, some will be in the department or faculty, for example, the lectures.

Some colleges at Cambridge do not have their own Director of Studies (DoS) for a subject. They have an ‘external DoS’ from another college. There would probably be only a small number of undergraduates in any such college studying that subject and students would be linked up with another college for some teaching. At Oxford, similarly, some colleges ‘pair up’ to deliver their tutorial teaching.

Check to see what your course (and college) requires in terms of submitted work, tests at interview etc.

One College may seem particularly attractive because one of the Professors in particular specialism is based there but don’t be misled on this: find out who might actually be teaching the undergraduates – it is unlikely to be the Professors! (most of the time).

If you can, try to find out if any of the teaching fellows are due to go on sabbatical in the following year – this may cause a college to reduce the number of its intake for a particular subject.

“It looks nice!” - Try to avoid being overly impressed, or under-impressed by a particular form of architecture. This may sound silly but students often apply on this basis.

This is not a good way to decide – try to find out whether you might be happy there by visiting on an open day or by looking out for any student information.

Ultimately, you need to seek the advice of your tutor, your subject teachers, the Head of Sixth Form and the Oxbridge Coordinator. We will usually try to spread our Oxbridge applications across the colleges. It may be inadvisable for more than one person to apply to the same college for the same or similar courses.

College choice is, perhaps, less important than in years past as there are more effective sharing or pooling systems in place.

However, a wise college choice can make the difference between a straight rejection and a ‘fair chance’. We encourage our students to have an open mind. Ignoring this advice can lead to a fair chance quickly becoming a ‘long shot’. At Oxford, for example, a third of students are admitted to a college that they did not apply to! Don’t waste too much time on college choice!

Cambridge has an additional application form that has to be completed online with password access given only to the applicant by the university.

At present, the links are as below but please refer to the university websites as these links could well change: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-tooxford?wssl=1 www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying Please be aware that it is critical to meet the deadlines for the ‘early-applicant’ UCAS application as detailed on the specific ‘deadline’ page.

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14. How to apply Having made the choices it is necessary to complete the UCAS application online at www.ucas.com

intercept the form before UCAS sends it out to the universities themselves.

The Stephen Perse 6th Form College gives access to its students by issuing a “buzzword” during June of L6th. This enables an application to be logged with the College’s cohort. Full instructions including some screenshots are issued by email to the students along with some specific details about how to enter information about qualifications gained at previous schools, drama, music qualifications, entering module results etc. These are quite complex instructions and care should be taken to follow them step by step in a calm environment and not in a hurried manner with lots of distractions around.

Each university will consider the application and then communicate with the student directly. This could be to give an offer conditional upon U6th results or to give an invitation to attend an interview. Sometimes, they will ask for GCSE or AS examination certificates or evidence of other qualifications that have been declared in the application. This is simply part of their checking procedure and no concern should be felt. Please note that all public examination results must be entered – a grade must not be left off under any circumstances.

Applicants will need to be ready to give contact details, qualifications, make university and course choices, and provide a Personal Statement. Time will be dedicated to this in the tutorial support offered at the end of the L6th and the start of the U6th.

Please note that all Personal Statements are checked by UCAS for plagiarism as part of their standard process and students are responsible for making sure that their application is error-free.

It is possible to make changes to the application at any stage before the form is ‘submitted’ to UCAS. We check the qualifications as entered on the form, and write the reference including predicted grades. We will have asked all students to provide us with detailed information so that we are fully aware of their achievements both in and outside of the College. Each student will talk through their application with the Head of Sixth Form and draw any particular information to his attention so that it can be considered for the reference.

It is, of course, possible that a university will send a rejection either after an interview or simply straight away. It would be easy for a student to take this personally but please realise that the system is highly competitive and the admissions tutors have to take a very wide range of information into account. The system is certainly not perfect but please be encouraged to know that everyone concerned tries their best to ensure that the correct decisions are made. In the end, things do work out. We appreciate that the process is not always an easy ride but we are here to support you through it. If a student is unfortunately rejected from all the universities on the form, they can use the UCAS ‘extra’ service to apply, after the deadlines, to further universities.

The UCAS website www.ucas.com provides excellent information to students and parents about the whole process including how and when to respond to the offers and what to do on the results day in the summer.

The reference is, in part, a response to the Personal Statement so it is very important that the deadlines for this process are closely adhered to. We can only run as fast as the applicant allows us in this respect.

Students can make between one and five choices (four for medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine). If fewer than the maximum number of choices is made when the form is submitted, the student can add further choices up to the maximum at a later date, before the UCAS deadline.

The College sends the form to UCAS who will confirm that they have received it in an email to the student within a couple of days. If, for any reason, a mistake was made on the form then this can be corrected by communication with each individual university. It is not be possible to change the university or course choice at this stage, however, unless the student is quick to

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15. Finance This is a highly complex area, as you will know! The current position of student finance in the UK has received much publicity in recent months. One of the important issues to realise is that students will not have to pay ‘up-front’ for the tuition fees. However, most higher education institutions have opted for the highest charges.

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16. Key contacts and guidance summary In addition, Student Loans exist to help students pay for living costs (rent, food, books etc.)

Watch out for bursaries and scholarships from institutions and also from your universities. Look carefully on their websites.

More information can be found below:

Your daughter/son’s Tutor.

● A well-stocked library of resources eg relating to entrance to legal or medical professions.

Subject staff with experience in steering students to particular degree courses.

● New library stock for subject extension and to support extended essay writing and wider reading.

The Oxbridge Tutor, Mr Matthew Rudd – for enquiries about colleges, preparation for interview and completing additional online Cambridge application form.

www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/finance-and-support The Medical Admissions coordinator, Dr Allison Curry www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance The Head of IB, Mrs Jacqueline Paris The Head of A Level, Dr Shahzad Rahman (from September 2016) The Head of 6th Form, Mr Simon Armitage (from September 2016) Learning Resources Coordinator - Mrs Sophie Fisher

● Further mock interviews in the Autumn Term U6th for

those who will be interviewed by their universities. We use external experts for this where we can.

● Personal consultations with tutors and the Head of Sixth

Form to complete the Personal Statement and to prepare for any other requirements of the university course

● An opportunity to reflect on the likely content on the

reference and to ensure that the Head of Sixth Form is fully aware of the multiplicity of personal as well as academic strengths that the student possesses.

● Opportunities to discuss gap year options and also any post qualification application.

The Stephen Perse 6 Form College is very pleased to provide the following key elements to guide and support the students through the process:

● Support in the final and important process of achieving the

● Individual careers consultations in L6th first term and offers

● There are many other ways in which students are

th

of subsequent consultations on-going.

● Careers Profile Testing using Futurewise New Generation ● CV advice in L6th first term tutorials, also dealing with

offers that are given.

supported and our overarching aim is for every student to be individually encouraged and advised throughout. We welcome the support of parents in this process and are happy to talk to you about it.

‘covering letters’ as an employment skill.

● On-going advice in tutor groups and including opportunities to hear from the U6th about their experience in the UCAS system.

● A careers fair, usually on a biennial basis. ● UCAS preparation day. ● Mock Interviews at the end of the Summer Term L6th for

all students which are tailored as specifically as possible to subject choices. We use external experts for this where possible

● Preparation classes for the key additional examinations running from the end of the L6th.

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stephen perse foundation

Guide to

2016-17

UK University Applications

Stephen Perse Foundation Sixth Form College, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8AA Click: sixthform.stephenperse.com Email: college@stephenperse.com Call: 01223 488430 Connect: @SPF6form

sixthform.stephenperse.com