ucas presentation 2014

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

UCAS Presentation

11th June 2014

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

What has already happened?

In Year 11:

• Morrisby tests

• ‘Informed choices’

Informed Choices

// russellgroup.org

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

What has already happened?

In the Lower Sixth:

• Two sessions early in the Michaelmas Term

• Lecture given by member of staff at Glasgow

University

• Opportunity to discuss application process with

Upper Sixth

• Lecture about opportunities to study abroad

• Space on each student’s portal to jot down

thoughts and relevant experience

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Supporting the UCAS process

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

UCAS – who we are and what we do

▪ Organisation responsible for processing and managing all applications to

full-time higher education (HE) courses in the UK

▪ We operate on behalf of all full-time courses at universities and colleges

▪ Number of institutions

▪ Number of courses

370

37,000+

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Explore your options

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Why higher education?

▪ Increase potential earnings*

▪ Better career prospects

▪ Benefit the wider community

▪ Social and cultural reasons

▪ More independence, self-confidence and responsibility

▪ Personal challenge

▪ Broadens interests and knowledge

▪ Better health

▪ It can be immense fun!

*Source: Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, 2006, in Universities UK, Research Report, The Economic Benefits

of a Degree

The benefits of higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

The applicant journey

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Why it is important to understand the journey

▪ Applying to UK HE can be a highly competitive process

▫ For applicants

▫ For universities and colleges

▪ Knowing how the UCAS process works will help you to:

▫ Support your son or daughter in a timely manner

▫ Better understand what happens, why, when and how

▫ Interpret applicant and university behaviour

The competition for university places

68.0%

69.0%

70.0%

71.0%

72.0%

73.0%

74.0%

75.0%

76.0%

77.0%

78.0%

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Acceptances Unplaced Acceptance rate

Acceptances

495,596

6.6%

Applicants

677,373

3.6%

The new ucas.com

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Choosing a university or college

▪ Universities and colleges are not all the same, nor is it easy to put them

into simple categories

▫ University v college

▫ Large v small

▫ Old v new

▫ Taught v research

▫ Selective v recruiting

▫ Campus v city v rural

▫ Near v far

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Researching a university or college

▪ There are different guides and league tables that can help, but check the

criteria as the data may illustrate aggregate rather than specific details

▫ Some universities may post league tables on their websites which

highlight their courses at number one

▫ Assess what are the most important criteria for you

▫ Compare aggregate v subject specific

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Exploring the subject options

▪ Once an applicant knows roughly what they

want to do and the type of study they’re

looking for, they may still find lots of courses to

choose from in the subject they want to study

▫ Is it a subject they’ll enjoy?

▫ Does it utilise and challenge their skills?

▫ Will it lead to a qualification that helps them

move nearer to their chosen career

▪ Compare course providers and locations

▪ Compare course content

▪ Check the entry requirements for the courses

being considered

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Choosing a course

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Key Information Sets

// unistats.direct.gov.uk

▪ National Student Survey

▪ Employment information

▪ Course accreditation

▪ Learning and teaching

▪ Course assessment

▪ Entry requirements

▪ Contextual data

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Key features of the application process

▪ Applicants can only make 1 application per cycle

▪ Maximum of 5 choices

▫ Primarily realistic, but also aspirational and backup choices

▪ Some choice restrictions:

▫ Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4

▫ Oxford or Cambridge

▪ Simultaneous consideration

▪ ‘Invisibility’

▫ A single personal statement

▪ DEADLINES

The UCAS calendar – key application dates

▪ Apply available for student registration

▪ First date for receipt of Apply applications

▪ Early ‘on-time’ deadline:

▫ Medicine, Veterinary and Dentistry

▫ Oxford or Cambridge

▪ Deadline for all other ‘on-time’ applications

▪ Some Art and Design courses

Mid-June

Mid-September

15 October

15 January

24 March

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Making a UCAS application

Personal details

Additional information

Student finance

Choices Education

Employment

Personal statement

Referee responsible for final section:

▪ Reference UCAS Universities / colleges

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Finance

▪ http://www.direct.gov.uk/student-finance

▪ http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

From the admissions tutors...

STRONG personal statements are ones that have been well-researched,

carefully prepared and worked upon to eliminate errors and maximise

effect.

They demonstrate reflective thinking, showing that the applicant has spent

time working out what information is most relevant and important to

include.

They use concrete supporting evidence to demonstrate assertions rather

than simply state or tell.

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Transparent selection process

▪ Qualifications

▫ Past, present and future

▫ Predicted grades for ‘pending’ qualifications

▪ Personal statement

▪ Reference

▪ Interview

▪ Piece of written work

▪ Portfolio

▪ Audition

▪ Admissions tests

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Decision making by institutions

▪ Admissions tutors may initially make one of four decisions:

▫ Unconditional offer

▫ Conditional offer

▫ Invitation

▫ Rejection

▪ Or recommend:

▫ A place on an alternative course

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Decision making by institutions

▪ Conditional offers based on whole of 6th Form programme

unless specifically excluded:

▫ UCAS Tariff

e.g. 380 points

or

▫ Exam grades

e.g. A*AA at A level

or

▫ Combinations

e.g. A*AA including

grade A* in English

GCE A level

Grade Tariff Points

A* 140

A 120

B 100

C 80

D 60

E 40

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Applicant replies to offers

▪ Once the final decision has been received, a maximum of two offers may

be held

▪ Applicants have a choice of three reply options:

▫ Firm acceptance

▫ Insurance acceptance

▫ Decline the offer

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

What happens now?

11th – 27th June Individual interviews with ER or CLS

12th June Talk by the Headmaster on personal statements. Students

begin drafting statements

13th June Visit to University of Lancaster

18th June Morning at University of Liverpool

19th June Log on to UCAS and enter personal information. Complete first

draft of statement and give to reference writer.

26th June Work on second draft of personal statement

By 2nd July Subject and co-curricular references written by staff

2nd – 4th July Visit to Oxford and Cambridge University Open Days

14th August AS results day

14th – 29th August Student interviews and/or email correspondence with CLS

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

What happens now?

1st – 8th (or 29th*) Sept Individual interviews with reference writers

1st (or 8th*) Sept Second typed draft of personal statement to be seen

by referee

11th/12th Sept Further work on statements and rest of application

19th Sept (or 17th Oct*) UCAS form completed by student

3rd Oct (or 10th Nov*) References written and forms sent to UCAS

* For students with 15th Jan deadline

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Questions?