Poole High School Parents Booklet: UCAS Guide 2017-18
Contents Introduction... 2 Why go to University?... 3 What do we offer our students here at Poole High School?... 4 What should students be planning themselves?... 4 What is next?... 4 What is UCAS? How does the applying to University process work?... 5 Poole High School UCAS launch:... 5 How do you help students select the right University for them?... 6 How can you find out more about Universities?... 6 More about open days:... 7 When does it all happen?... 8 How strict are the deadlines?... 9 What else do I need to know about the application form?... 10 How is the application sent?... 11 Results day:... 12 What about students who want to apply during a gap year?... 12 Any problems or questions:... 12 Glossary of terms:... 13 Other websites:... 14 1 P a g e
Introduction The aim of this booklet is to provide you with the information required to support your son or daughter through the process when applying to University. 2 P a g e
Why go to University? This is a question that more young people are asking themselves, especially considering the continual changes and developments in the labour market as well as the increasing costs of studying at Higher Education level. Despite these concerns there are fundamental reasons why going to University still is the right decision for many of our students. Namely: Some careers need specific degrees e.g. Medicine, Biomedical Science, Veterinary Science, Dentistry, Nursing. There are many that simply require a person to be educated to degree level. Studying at University not only means a student learns more about their chosen subject but also that they can demonstrate and develop many skills such as independence, commitment and resilience, preparing them better for employment. In an increasingly competitive job market it is important that school leavers consider the different choices available to them, conduct the research and make an informed decision. Headline labour market figures still suggest: Graduates are: More likely to be employed Less likely to be searching for work Less likely to be inactive Earnings are also likely to be higher Median Gross Annual Earnings by Qualification Level and Age; 2053, Graduate Labour Market Statistics, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 3 P a g e
What do we offer our students here at Poole High School? At Poole High School we encourage students to take ownership in planning their route to University, principally as it is about their lives. The following talks and support have been put in place up until now: Visited Reading University in September 2016 to see what university is like. Presentation from Bournemouth University is University Right for you? Sessions delivered by members of the Sixth Form team next steps ; is University for me? ; Setting our goals and future decisions ; individual careers appointments. Attended the UCAS convention at Bournemouth University. UCAS student booklet has been created for students to work through. This is to help with the planning / decision making process. What should students be planning themselves? Using their UCAS student handbook. Making a shortlist of the courses they want to study. Research the Universities that offer that course and the grades they require. Visiting Universities research when the Universities have their open days (this can be found on the Universities website). Research whether shortlisted Universities have summer schools, visits and other competitions. Looking at their predicted grades, target grades and whether these match the requirements of the Universities and course they are interested in. Some Universities require you book to attend their open days. Make sure a plan is created. This plan can be found in the students UCAS workbook. What is next? The following sessions have been planned to take place either in the summer term of this year or at the start of the next academic year (September October). UCAS launch on Friday 23 rd June 2016. Presentation given by Bournemouth University about the application process and student finance. Personal statement writing workshops. 1:1 sessions where required. Book an appointment with Miss Yeo or Mrs Jacklin. Reconfiguration of Year 12 into Year 13 tutor groups to put all UCAS applicants together and grouped by subject choices. 4 P a g e
What is UCAS? How does the applying to University process work? UCAS is the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It provides information about all the courses available, grades needed, and links direct to University websites. It also organises events, such as the Higher Education Convention for students, and carries out the administration needed for applications. The UCAS website is central to the process of applying for Higher Education and has a lot of information about University study and the application process. UCAS have officially launched Apply for the 2018 application cycle. Poole High School UCAS launch: On June 23 rd our students will be talked through the registering process during the first 3 lessons of Progression day. As a Sixth Form we have a centre log-in that will be used to register. Students will create their own account which will then enable them to apply for a particular course(s) at their chosen Universities. Setting up an account and filling in the application process does NOT commit students to applying. Students can delete their applications if required, at any point. Here at Poole High School we strongly advise that if you are considering going to University (but still not 100% certain), you start the application process when we launch on June 23 rd this will ensure that students do not miss out on vital information / support. Once the application is complete, UCAS processes all the applications sending them onto Universities and providing information to students to Track their progress. In addition to this, students can apply for a UCAS card which will give discounts as well as registering them for a newsletter and further information about their courses. There is help and support along the way for all students applying through UCAS. More information can be found at: www.ucas.com 5 P a g e
How do you help students select the right University for them? Narrowing down course choices is often quite difficult to do; it is usual to apply for similar courses at all institutions. This is important as when students come to write their personal statement it will be relevant to all courses chosen. Students can apply to up to four choices for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, veterinary science and up to five for all other subjects. Students need to consider where they wish to study. It is important that they chose the right course, but they will also need to think about where in the country they wish to be, the size of the institution, and whether they wish to be in a city or on a campus. Many students have expressed an interest in studying abroad. Visit some of the Universities they are interested in. It is not essential to visit all on their shortlist, Universities will often invite student for open days after they have applied. Students sometimes go on their own, with a group of friends or with parents (hint: invest in a Young Persons Railcard / Coach card first). How can you find out more about Universities? The UCAS website (www.ucas.com) lists all courses and institutions and has links to the University websites. There is also information about fees, accommodation and bursaries. Hint: When researching Universities and particular courses it is important to take note of their entry requirements. It is important to consider the grades needed for each course and students should make sure they have up to date predicted grades after they have received their A Level practice exam results. Some degrees require particular A Level subjects, and others have a short list of subjects which are appropriate. It is essential to check whether particular modules, GCSE grades or subjects are required and whether the institution accepts retakes of A Level modules (a few do not). It is best to start off the research process on the UCAS website, typing in the chosen course: Step 1: If you know the name of the institution the write this in the search bar 6 P a g e Step 2: By selecting the course and clicking the tab labelled entry requirements you can see exactly what the University requires. In this instance Digital Media and Animation, they require 120 tariff points.
More about open days: Parents do not have to attend open days, but Universities now often put on specific sessions for parents while students are on a tour or in an interview. Open days often have to be booked in advance, particularly for specific subject areas. You can usually visit a University at any time-look on the individual websites to find out. On websites you may also find virtual tours as well as videos from students and tutors about the Universities. Students can have time off school if they fill in a leave of absence form. We will approve 2 full day visits as authorised absence. We ask that you arrange other visits at weekends or in school holidays to minimise the impact on their studies. All universities offer multiple open days and on different days of the week, including weekends. Ask at Sixth Form reception for a leave of absence form. 7 P a g e
When does it all happen? Year 12: February-April: Students visit the UCAS Higher Education (HE) Convention, held on the Bournemouth University campus, to collect prospectuses and talk to representatives from Universities (completed). May: UCAS officially launch the course search facility for 2018 entry (see the UCAS website for further information). June: Friday 23 rd June: Higher Education evening at Poole High School for parents and students (15:00-16:30). Students take part in a tutor/university mentor led sessions in school where they receive information on the signing up process. There may be some time to investigate different Universities and courses available. In this session there will also be representatives from Bournemouth University that will talk students through how to start writing their personal statements. This may help students decide whether further work experience, reading, visits etc. are necessary before applying for particular courses. July: Students receive HE updates via email, listing open days and other opportunities; further information is displayed on the HE noticeboard (in the Sixth Form silent study area) and via tutor notices. August: AS Results are published; these are a very important part of the application process. They are the last external results a student earns before their application is seen by the Universities. Year 13 September: Students receive updated predicted grades, request their references from their subject teachers, finalise their choices and finish the application. Sept-Nov: Students submit their forms to the school; we process and quality assure them, giving students the best chance for top quality offers and forward them on to UCAS. 8 P a g e
Oct-April: Students attend further open days, interviews and auditions; receive offers / rejections and make decisions for first choice and insurance choice Universities. Jan-May: The finance application needs to be completed online with Student Finance Direct (www.studentfinancedirect.gov.uk). This can be a lengthy process, depending on financial situations. Be prepared to start this process early to guarantee funding for the September. August: Results are in and University places are finalised. OVERALL IMPORTANT DATES: Application deadlines for professional Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Science courses, and for all courses at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge: School: September 30 th 2017 UCAS: October 15 th 2017 Application deadlines for all other courses except those listed above: School: Monday 27 th November 2017 UCAS: January 15 th 2018 Note: some Art and Design courses have a deadline of March 24th (school deadline: March 1st) How strict are the deadlines? Early applications do show Universities that students are enthusiastic. Students can receive offers very soon after their applications are received. Inevitably as a deadline approaches there is a surge in UCAS forms arriving in the Sixth Form office so early applications also have the advantage of being processed quickly within the school. The school has early deadlines to make sure we are able to check student forms ensuring all our students make high quality applications with the best chance of success. We cannot guarantee the level of support available to students making applications after these deadline dates. 9 P a g e
What else do I need to know about the application form? The personal statement explains why the student wants to do the courses they are applying for and describes the qualities they have that the University will find useful and interesting. It cannot be longer than 4,000 characters. This should be written in formal language and approximately 70% should be about the student s interest in the subject applied for. Students must talk to relevant subject teachers about this part of the statement (examples will be provided for students to refer to). Interest beyond the A Level syllabus must be described; personal reading, viewing and also participation in clubs and visits relevant to the subject they wish to study is an excellent way of doing this. Students can include information about their jobs and hobbies, if they emphasise the skills that have been acquired and how they relate to the course. Students will be given advice in school and receive feedback from their tutor, but will appreciate parents and friends reading the statement and offering comments too. UCAS has a lot of advice, and downloadable pdfs with a timeline, mindmaps and worksheets all available. It is usual for all statements to be redrafted many times; students should ask for advice in drafting and redrafting the statement but it must be their own work. UCAS will check for plagiarism. Get friends and parents to proof read before asking teachers. Subject comments for the reference are written by the student s year 12 & 13 teachers; the tutor will collate these and add comments about the student s personality, study skills, extra-curricular activities, work experience and other relevant information. The student will be able to read through an electronic copy with the tutor. Any help and guidance that you can provide with this part of the application would be greatly appreciated. More often than not, students underestimate the time it takes to perfect a personal statement. Aim for at least 6 drafts. 10 P a g e
How is the application sent? The student will complete a checklist to confirm that they have filled in each section accurately and will submit to myself electronically. At this stage, the student can pay online in preparation for submission to UCAS. Payment is made online, directly to UCAS for their administration; for 2018 entrance this is 25. The form will be checked again by Miss Yeo/Mrs Jacklin, and can be sent back electronically if changes needed to be made. YOU ONLY PAY ONCE. At this stage, the reference and predicted grades are added to the form, which is then sent to UCAS, and is then sent to all the universities. Note: Art Foundation application procedure, some colleges ask for Art Foundation applications to be sent directly to them electronically. Speak to your Art teacher about this. What happens next? Some Universities will make contact straight away and students may be made offers or invited to interviews, open days, auditions etc. However some institutions are very slow to respond and students must be prepared to wait for quite a long time. If a student needs to contact a University they can discuss the situation with me first. Note: The University will expect to hear directly from the student should they need to make contact. If a student receives no offers and has not used all their choices they can add further courses; if they have used all their choices the UCAS website will show courses with places available through a system called Extra. Students should talk to their tutor or Miss Yeo or Mrs Jacklin if they find themselves in this situation. Don t panic some students follow this route every year and have very successful times at University on courses they love. After applying and receiving offers students (normally by the end of March) have until early May to select a first (FIRM) choice, with grades they and their teachers believe they can achieve, and optionally a second (INSURANCE) choice, which usually has lower grades in case they do not achieve those required for the first choice. The Universities will contact the students with information about accommodation. Note: The firm choice will be where the student goes if they get the grades they are expecting (have been predicted). If they do not quite meet the entry requirements then the insurance choice may well be the University that they will attend. Therefore, students need to be happy with BOTH choices that they are selecting. 11 P a g e
Results day: When the results are published in the summer there will be a lot of information online but we suggest that students come into school to collect results and discuss any problems. If students miss the grades they need for their choices there will be staff on hand to talk to, and access to telephones and computers to contact Universities and help with using CLEARING to find a suitable university place. This can be explained nearer the time, if required. What about students who want to apply during a gap year? The school still supports students who apply through UCAS after they have left the school. They should contact Miss Yeo at school by phone or email. (r.yeo@poolehigh.poole.sch.uk) as soon as they have decided to do this. Students may also need to do a new application if they want to change their course once they are at University; we also have students who apply after a few years working (don t always expect School s to be able to accommodate). If a student went straight into work after leaving the Sixth Form and now wants to apply to University, they should ask us for an academic reference. They can also check with their current employer whether they would provide a separate reference and mention in the personal statement that the University can contact the employer for further information. Any problems or questions: I hope the information will be useful to you. If you have questions I am available to help; emailing is the best way to get in touch with me: r.yeo@poolehigh.poole.sch.uk Please do look at the UCAS and University websites first as you may well find the answers you need. These are exciting times for our students, here at Poole High School, we will do our very best to help and support students through this process. 12 P a g e
Glossary of terms: Foundation Course Adjustment Bachelor s Degree Choice Clearing Conditional Offer Deferral Entry Requirements Extra Firm Choice Foundation Degree Honours Insurance Choice Postgraduate This is one of the services you can use to look for alternative courses. This one s in case you ve met and exceeded your conditions and you d like to see if you can get on a course with higher entry requirements all while still holding your original confirmed place. A three or four year course you can take in undergraduate higher education after you ve finished further education also known as a first or undergraduate degree. It s either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, depending what subject you choose. A course you apply for on your application many students make multiple choices to increase their chances of getting a place. Another service you can use to look for alternative courses. If you didn t get a place on a course whether you didn t receive offers, declined your offers or didn t get the grades you needed Clearing allows you to apply for courses that still have vacancies. In your application, an offer of a place on a course subject to conditions. To be accepted on the course you ll need to meet the conditions usually related to your exam results. This is a common type of offer for students applying direct from further education. This is what you do if you d like to carry an offer over to start it in the following academic year. This is what the course provider recommends you need to do/have to get on the course from qualifications and specific subjects or grades to interviews, admissions tests and medical requirements. You aren't guaranteed an offer if you meet or already have these. Extra is a service you can use to apply for alternative places if you do not hold an offer from your first five choices. In your application, an offer you accept as your first choice. Foundation degrees focus on a particular job or profession. They often provide you with specialised skills and knowledge to enable you to enter the career of choice easier. A foundation degree is often beneficial for Arts related careers. For example an honours degree. Most first degrees in higher education can come with honours. It s not a grade as such it just means it s possible to get your degree with honours, which would be an extra indication of quality. Check what you need to do to get honours it might be getting a certain grade or submitting a good dissertation. In your application, an offer you accept as your second choice just in case you don t meet the conditions of your firm offer. Higher education study for graduates who have already completed an undergraduate course. 13 P a g e
Sandwich Course Tariff Track Unconditional Offer Undergraduate A course with an additional year where you work in a profession you're studying. The UCAS Tariff is the system for allocating points to the different qualifications you can use to get into undergraduate higher education. Not all qualifications will be included on the Tariff. It is for use in admissions only and is not transferable to the job market The name of the online tracking system where you can see how your application is progressing. Here you can reply to offers and make amendments like changing your email address etc. In your application, an offer of a place on a course with no conditions the place is yours if you want it. The first level of study in higher education. If you graduate from an undergraduate degree you can move on to postgraduate study. Other websites: Universities all have their own websites; students must check these as they will be the most up to date sources of course information. Some newspapers have their own University league tables with profiles of Universities and tables for individual subjects. www.ucas.ac.uk this is the main site for applications to higher education. This site has areas dedicated to students and parents and enables you to search for courses and find out about the universities. www.unistats.direct.gov.uk this site compares subjects at different Universities, including student satisfaction, graduate employment. www.opendays.com this site lists all official open days, and tips for making the most of them. www.ukcoursefinder.com - this has a questionnaire helping to narrow down the search for courses (students need to register). www.whatuni.com this site has student reviews and videos for different Universities. www.oxbridgeapplications.com - a useful website for those considering applications to Oxford or Cambridge 14 P a g e
Additional information: taken directly from the UCAS website www.ucas.co.uk 15 P a g e