INTRODUCING UCAS.
The purpose of this evening is… • To give you an overview of the university
application process. • To introduce the UCAS website to you. • To indicate what support we will be giving you. • To give you some advice to maximise your chances of success.
THE BASICS.
UCAS Main screen
Getting a place at university: • You will normally apply to 5 universities in the
autumn term of year 13. • You will receive one of three replies from your choices: • An unconditional offer of a place. • A conditional offer. • A rejection. (Unsuccessful)
• By the end of the application process, usually in
May, you will need to • Accept one offer as a firm choice. • And one as an insurance choice. • If you meet the requirements of the offer the university is obliged to give you that place.
Extra and Clearing. • If you are rejected by all your applications you
can use the UCAS extra service from late February 2017 onwards. • If you are still unsuccessful or fail to meet any
conditional offers you can apply through UCAS clearing in August 2017.
End
of e xam s Res u lts
Overall Admissions timeline
2016
2017
Sept
Jan
Aug Sept
Course search usually goes “live” in May/June.
THE APPLICATION.
Online application. APPLY. • Personal details,
• Vital to use correct
including student finance and additional information. • Choices. • Education.
legal name as on exam entries. • Needs careful research and visits. • Tricky! Session will be run just on this. • Worth including • Do when you are really clear on what and why.
• Employment. • Personal Statement.
What admissions staff tell UCAS they are looking for in a personal statement Evidence of: – Independent study skills – Academic ability – Self-awareness – Evidence of wider reading – Motivation and commitment – An understanding of the course – Good numeracy and literacy – Essay writing – Research skills – Time management skills – Enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus
The relevance of work experience. • Certain courses will require evidence of commitment • • • •
through work experience. E.g. medical, veterinary, teaching, nursing. But in nearly all cases it greatly strengthens an application. If you are going to take a gap year it will need to be a meaningful and relevant experience-personal statement. The importance of part time employment was stressed at a recent UCAS conference • This shows commitment; provides soft skills; demonstrates time
management and maturity.
Similarity Detection Service • Personal Statements are checked against a library of those already in the system, and from a variety of websites and paper publications • Each new statement is added to the library after processing
Your Year 12 results are absolutely vital. • Looking at the AS results, and your internal
exam results from this summer will be how your predicted grades are formed • These results will decide which universities you can realistically apply for.
Grade predictions • Our predicted grades are must be accurate. • Our future credibility depends on it. • And there is no point in getting inflated
“conditional offers” which you may not achieve. • We will be as supportive as we can, but we can’t just match grades to what you want.
HOW WE WILL HELP.
Spring Term. • UCAS website to be introduced in tutor time • Students interested in applications that require
tests/interviews will need to be confirmed. • Mentoring is in place for most. • Students requiring work experience for vocational/professional degrees need confirming. • Again, this should largely be in place. • Weekly UCAS sessions: Thursday; 1:15pm; P2
Summer Term • Speakers will come in to deliver talks on a range
of subjects. • Unis will come in and departments arrange some visits too. • Staff will deliver a range of talks on special areas. • And in departments staff will talk to students about their subject areas. • The key 2 week UCAS season for these sessions will be in June.
UCAS Convention. • Birmingham University • 28th June 2016 • More information to follow.
Careers meetings • Will be available by appointment. • Independent careers adviser • See Mrs Yates if you would like to schedule a careers
interview. • What if University is not for you? • Still apply! • UniFrog; School Leavers Programmes
When does the actual application process start? • June-July: students register with UCAS- this can
only be done with the BUZZWORD. • Register to apply through a centre and not as an individual. • All students to submit a personal statement draft by July 5th. • Students will have time for visits to Uni summer schools and events. • Students must register for additional tests if appropriate e.g. UKCAT, BMAT, aptitude tests. • And arrange school based aptitude tests if necessary.
Autumn term 2016 • There will be a series of taught sessions on how
to fill the online application in: Thursday; P2; 1:15. • Students need to use the resources on the K drive - 6th Form/UCAS • Sessions will include how to fill the form in, how to enter the education information and help with the personal statement.
Deadlines Autumn Term. • Deadline for UCAS to receive Oxbridge,
medicine, dentistry, veterinary applications is 15th October 2016. • Internal deadline will be the 6th of October. • Deadline for most other courses is 15th January 2017. • We will set an internal deadline of beginning of November (first week after HT) • You MUST meet these deadlines so that we have time to add your references and ensure you have made no errors.
How we assure quality applications. • All personal statements will be checked in draft and again • • • •
in final form. All students will have a meeting with Mr Flood or Mrs Sweetman before applications are approved. Subject teachers will support applications in their subject areas. We will be adding references and double checking applications after we have received them from you. Mock interviews and interview preparation for all students who are called to interviews.
What happens once your application goes to ucas? • You can see your progress on TRACK and we will
follow your progress on TRACK as well. • When offers come in we will be available to discuss next steps. • If no offers come we shall support any UCAS Extra applications.
Follow your application on Track Check the details of the offers you receive. Contact the uni if you don’t understand them. 2. Keep an eye on emails and track for interview and other requests. Reply promptly. 3. Keep your contact details up to date. 4. You are strongly advised NOT to withdraw applications. 1.
Replying to your offers. Don’t reply until you’ve heard from all 5 unis. 2. Don’t rush to reply. There is no advantage in replying early. 3. Most of you will need to select a firm or first choice 4. And a second or insurance choice. 1.
How much lower? First choice conditions
RISKY insurance
SAFER insurance
AAB
ABB
BBB
ABB
BBB
BBC
BBB
BBC
BCC
1. Check carefully how you did in your mocks. 2. Talk to your teachers. How much can you improve? How many marks are
you off your target grades? 3. What’s likely to happen in your weakest subject?
WHAT INFORMATION CAN THE UCAS WEBSITE GIVE YOU?
Main screen
OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
Finally • Tonight is just the very start of a long process. • Keep in touch • And, please, don’t take drastic decisions
without talking to someone.