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UCAS Application Process

SETTING THE SCENE

325 Universities / Colleges

50,000+ courses

318

50,000+

The application journey

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Potential applicant researches & finds course

Registers online with UCAS Apply

Completes form and processes payment

Academic reference added by school / college

School / college sends form electronically to UCAS

UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs

HEIs submit decisions (offer or unsuccessful)

Applicant views decisions on Track

Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance)

HEIs confirm places when results are released

Electronic research

UCAS website can help with:

Links to HE websites

Stamford Test

Course Search

Entry Profiles

Bursary and Scholarship

Comparator

Entry Requirements

www.ucas.com

ARE ALL UNIVERSITIES THE SAME?

Red Brick – older, established universities

New – formed from the old Polytechnics

Russell Group – 20 research-intensive universities (some

red-brick, some new). Will be adding four universities in 2013:

Birmingham LSE To Be Added:

Bristol Manchester Durham

Cambridge Newcastle Queen Mary College

Cardiff Nottingham Exeter

Edinburgh Queen’s Belfast York

Glasgow Oxford

Imperial Sheffield

King’s Southampton

Leeds UCL

Liverpool Warwick

UCAS TARIFF – A LEVELS

AS GRADE UCAS

POINTS

A2 GRADE UCAS

POINTS

A* 70 A* 140

A 60 A 120

B 50 B 100

C 40 C 80

D 30 D 60

E 20 E 40

COMPARISONS – BUSINESS DEGREES

UNIVERSITY OFFER

Anglia Ruskin 200-240

Bournemouth 320

Canterbury 240

Edinburgh AAA-BBB

Leeds Met 300

Liverpool ABB

Manchester AAB

Northampton 260

Sussex AAB

Online research

UCAS.com

Institutions sites

Subject specific sites

Unistats

National press

Journals

Social media websites

Government sites e.g.

Direct.gov, Student

Finance England

Make full use of Open Days

Open day Tips:

•Book

•Take PS

•Go on campus tour

•Know what Quals you are taking

•Ask Questions!

Application Requirements

Every applicant has seven sections to complete:

Personal details

Additional information (UK students only)

Student Finance (if selected)

Choices

Education

Employment

Personal statement

Forward to tutor:

Reference

UCAS

Universities / colleges

WHAT EVIDENCE DO ADMISSIONS TUTORS USE?

GCSE results

AS results

Other academic and vocational attainment

Predicted grades

Personal Statement

Reference

Admissions tests

Piece of written work

Portfolio

Interview

Audition

ADMISSIONS TESTS

Applying for Medicine / Dentistry / Veterinary

Medicine / Law / OXBRIDGE?

Admission tests are required for the above

courses for certain universities

FURTHER INFORMATION

Go to www.spa.ac.uk/admission-tests/ for up to date

information on the tests being used and links to

individual websites

Practice materials can be found on all the main

admission test websites eg:

www.ukcat.ac.uk

www.bmat.ac.uk

www.lnat.ac.uk

FAILURE TO REGISTER FOR AND TAKE A TEST

MAY RESULT IN AN UNSUCCESSFUL

APPLICATION TO YOUR CHOSEN UNIVERSITY

Getting started with the Personal Statement

Guides that will help:

Statement timeline

Statement mind map

Personal statement worksheet

Universities – a good starting point

Questions universities will ask?

▪ Have they chosen the right subject for the right reasons?

▪ Can they survive in an intense and pressured atmosphere?

▪ Do they have a range of interests and aptitudes?

▪ What are their transferable skills?

▪ Does the personal statement confirm their depth of interest

in the subject?

▪ What has the candidate studied independently?

The Personal Statement – top tips

Should be relevant to all choices

Allow some consistency in scheme choices – this makes the

PS easier to write

200 personal statements per tutor per week!

Need to stand out (for the right reasons)

SIMILARITY DETECTION TEST

Writing Process:

Look to the Future Day- begin process in school

Complete first full draft over summer holidays

Return with draft to be read by form tutor

Multiple drafts written and edited

Final draft uploaded on UCAS website

The Reference

Informed and academic assessment of an applicant’s suitability

for further study

We are required to give our opinion on their academic potential

Every reference is read

Admissions tutors are primarily interested in whether a student

can cope with their course and with university

May be read quickly, so help the reader pick out the main points

At CCS, we aim to have all references written and checked

before our internal UCAS deadline- before October Half Term

The process post-application: applicant replies

When the student has received decisions from ALL of his/her

choices, he/she will be asked to make replies (and given a date

to reply by on Track)

UCAS will send reminders – but if the student fails to reply by

the reply date, the offers will be declined by default!

The student will be able to hold a maximum of 2 offers (others

declined)

Firm (conditions are met)

Insurance (only comes into play if the student is

not placed with his/her Firm choice)

Clearing

Operates on A-Level Results Day

Course vacancies listed on UCAS website

The student must contact the university to discuss directly

Applicants eligible for Clearing:

Paid full fee (£23)

All choices unsuccessful, cancelled or offers declined

Applied after 30 June (no choices)

Adjustment ▪ For applicants whose place has been confirmed at their FIRM choice,

and who have

MET all conditions of offer and

EXCEEDED at least one condition

Paid full fee

▪ Applicants can hold on to confirmed place while seeking a more

aspirational one for UP TO 5 DAYS

5 day period is 5 consecutive 24 hour periods, this commences when

applicant is PLACED (end time shown in Track)

Applicants need to register in Track if interested in using

No vacancy lists, contact and liaise with university directly who make

offer

www.ucas.tv

Choosing courses

Personal statements

Attending events

Using Track

Using Yougo

International students

Using Extra

Making sense of your offers

Replying to offers

Using Clearing

Using Adjustment

Applying in Welsh

Writing References

Understanding the Application

Process (parents)

Disclosing your Disability

Preparing for Results

Next Steps

Applying

Starting University or College

Key features of the UCAS scheme

Online application and management at ucas.com

2013 - £23

Maximum of 5 choices

Some choice restrictions:

Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4

Oxford or Cambridge

Key dates and deadlines 2012/13

Early June: applicants can register and start

to complete their application

Early September: School can start to submit

completed applications to UCAS

15 October: deadline for

Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry

Oxford or Cambridge

26 October: Caroline Chisholm School deadline

15 January: UCAS deadline

Admissions test

may need to be

completed prior

to applying