Choosing and Applying for Competitive Universities and Courses

Liz Simmons Admissions Progression Officer

Applying and Choosing

• Choosing your course• Competitive courses• How do HEIs decide on your application?

• Getting inside the mind of an Admissions’ Tutor• Doing the research• Aiming high but being realistic• Preparation for your UCAS application

• What you should be doing now!• Getting your application right

• Personal statements• Interviews• Once you have an offer

Choices and opportunities

• Around 39,000 programmes in UCAS overall

• Huge range of subjects, approaches, teaching styles and assessment methods

• HEIs vary greatly!

Choosing a course

One of your A-Levels?

Something new or interdisciplinary?

Vocational?

History American Studies Heritage Studies

Biology Natural Sciences Wildlife Management

Chemistry Pharmacology Medicine

Physics Mechanical Engineering

Construction Engineering Management

French International Management and Modern Languages

French and Translation

Sociology Gender Studies Social Work

Things to consider:

Tuition fees

Research quality

Teaching style / contact time

Teaching quality

University location

University facilities

Course content

Employability

Department facilities

Accommodation

Student satisfaction

Cost of living

Bursary and scholarship availability

Choosing a course

Choosing a course

There are no official rankings

Places to look:• Unistats www.unistats.com• Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)• Teaching Quality Assessment (TQA)• Newspaper rankings – The Times, Sunday Times,

Telegraph, Guardian• Key Information Sets

Choosing a course

Do I have to decide now?

No, but it is a good time to start thinking and preparing!

• Applications open in the summer• Deadline for most courses is January 15 2014 (October

2013 for some courses / Oxbridge)

Choosing and applying

Why are some courses more competitive than others?

• Popular subject, eg Medicine, Midwifery, Psychology, Law, English, Business and Management

• Desirable HEI• League tables• KIS• Employability statistics• Placement opportunities• Transferable skills

Competitive Courses

Why does it matter if a course has lots of applications?

• Admissions can be highly selective about who is offered a place

• Even if someone is predicted the right grades – he/she may not get made an offer

• You have to prove to the Admissions Tutor that you are the ideal applicant for their course

• Some courses have point-scoring systems

How do HEIs make a decision?

UCAS application form

• Academic achievement• GCSEs, AS grades, BTEC units, other qualifications

• Academic potential• Predicted grades, reference

• Reference• Academic performance• Effort / attendance / motivation / enthusiasm• Contribution to school/college, positions of responsibility• Mitigating circumstances

• Personal Statement

(Interview)

How do HEIs make a decision?

All Admissions Tutors/Officers will be looking for:

• Students who will choose their university course• Students who will work hard, attend lectures, sustain

their interest and enthusiasm for the length of the course• Students who can work and think independently• Students who will successfully complete the course and

go on to related careers

How do HEIs make a decision?

Therefore, they will be looking at your application for evidence of the following:

• That you fully understand and have genuine, sustained enthusiasm for your chosen course

• That you have the necessary skills, experience, knowledge and understanding to succeed on the course

Research

Research the course requirements in detail

Find out:• What type of qualifications?• What level of

qualifications?• What else is needed?

• Work experience, additional study, particular skills / qualities

• What are they looking for in the personal statement?

Research

How?

• UCAS• Prospectus• Webpages• Communicating with the university

• Email• Telephone• Open Days• UCAS events

Aim high but be realistic

You can choose to apply to up to 5 courses through UCAS

Don’t think that you shouldn’t apply to a certain course / university because of your background / education

Don’t waste a choice on your UCAS form!• Will they accept your qualification/s? • Are your GCSEs at the right level? • Are your predicted grades at about the right level?• Talk to your teachers about what you could achieve

Preparation

Academic preparation

• Study hard for your AS modules – • Many universities will ask you to declare these• Some universities will not accept resit grades• Even the subjects you choose not to continue may make

a difference on whether you get made an offer• Make sure that you make the right choices when deciding

which subjects to continue to A Level (Research!)• Consider taking on extra study

• Some courses will look for evidence of additional study, eg Extended project, Critical Thinking, General Studies, additional A/AS Level

• BUT don’t allow this to have a negative impact on your grades for your key subjects

Preparation

Work experience

• How necessary is it for your chosen course? (Research!)• Think laterally – if you can’t get directly relevant work experience,

what would add to relevant skills / knowledge?• Think beyond the one/two week standard work experience

placement • can you volunteer/get paid work experience in school holidays /

weekends / after school• Find work experience through school, personal contacts (friends,

family, etc), making contact yourself – write letters/emails/phone• Be proactive!

Preparation

Extra-curricular preparation

• Demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm for subject• Joining relevant clubs / societies• Wider reading - journals, magazines/newspapers , text

books

• Evidence of relevant skills, personal qualities• Positions of responsibility• Sports, music, hobbies

Preparation

Preparing for your UCAS application

• Talk to the person / people who will be writing your reference

• Make sure that they know why you want to apply for your chosen courses

• Show them your enthusiasm and commitment

• Make sure they know about anything additional you are doing to help you get offered a place

• Make sure that they know about any extenuating circumstances that may be relevant to your application

The UCAS Application

Completed online• Personal details• Work experience• Personal statement • Reference (including predicted grades)• Qualifications achieved• Qualifications to be completed

The UCAS Application – Personal Statement

Your opportunity to demonstrate that you are the ideal student for your chosen course:

• Demonstrate your enthusiasm for your subject • How will your current qualifications help you succeed on

your chosen course? • How will your extra-curricula activities / work experience

help you succeed on your chosen course?• What have you learned from these?• What useful skills/qualities have these developed?

• What skills and qualities do you have that will help you succeed in studying at HE?

The UCAS Application – Personal Statement

Do:• Keep a tight focus on your subject

• At least 80%

• Focus on skills and accomplishments• Be analytical

• What have you learned• What skills/qualities have you developed

• Use action words – these convey a sense of participation, involvement and accomplishment

• e.g. – trained, invented, wrote, designed, created, analysed

The UCAS Application – Personal Statement

Do:• Keep the character limit in mind!• Write your statement in Word or similar programme and

then transfer once complete and checked onto the UCAS website.

• Use paragraphs!• Check spelling and grammar carefully• Ask several people to check it through for you

The UCAS Application – Personal Statement

Do not:• Write the whole statement in CAPITAL LETTERS!• List qualifications taken or to be taken

• these are already on the UCAS form

• Include too much information about achievements and experiences that you cannot directly relate to your academic aims

• Copy someone else’s statement• Similarity detection

University interviews

• Not all courses ask applicants to attend an interview• Not all courses interview all applicants• Why interview?

• Provides the Admissions Tutors with the opportunity to meet applicants and find out more about them in order to decide whether they are suitable for the course

• Provides applicants with an opportunity to visit the HEI and the department, meet a member of academic staff and ask questions to help decide whether it is the right course and HEI for them.

University interviews

• Be positive!• The university must have seen potential in your

application! • Check you understand what is required• Arrange a mock interview if possible• Research the course / the university • Re-read your personal statement• Be aware of current affairs, particularly anything that relates

to your subject area• Think about questions you want to ask

Once you have an offer

• Make sure you understand all the conditions• Choose a Firm and Insurance choice wisely and tactically• Work hard to get the grades you need

• Flexibility post-results is not always possible

Any questions?